Five of the best: the games that made the Rebels
Noel Horgan considers the five of the most signifcant hurling matches of his the last fifty years or so
FEW would dispute that, more often than not, you need an element of luck to win an All-Ireland.
Over the years the Cork hurlers have had their share of ups and downs in terms of getting a fair crack of the whip from Dame Fortune, but the following list provides instances of when circumstances dictated the Rebels enjoyed the rub of the green during their quest for the game’s top prize.
(1) CORK-TIPPERARY MUNSTER FINAL 1984
TO lift the All-Ireland title in the Centenary year would have been a realistic target for the Cork hurlers in 1984.
They had lost to Kilkenny in the previous two finals, going under by just two points in 1983, so it was easy to appreciate why they were rated as the main threat to the Noresiders’ three-in-a-row ambitions prior to a ball being pucked in the ‘84 championship.
As things transpired, the Cats were replaced as Leinster champions by Offaly, who proved no match for the Rebels in the showpiece at Thurles where Bishopstown’s John Crowley at centre-back, wing-forward Tony O’Sullivan and two-goal hero Seánie O’Leary provided much of the inspiration for a 3-16 to 1-12 win.
It was an emphatic victory by any standards, but such was far from the case when Cork triumphed over Tipperary in the Munster final at Semple Stadium a few weeks earlier.
After an uncertain start, Tipp showed steady improvement before the interval, strengthening their grip in the second-half to such an extent that they weren’t flattered to lead by four points approaching the last five minutes.
In a dramatic finale, however, Cork- with newcomer Pat Hartnett of Midleton emerging as the main driving force from midfield – pulled off what amounted to an act of daylight larceny.
Aided by a brace of late goals shared by Na Piarsaigh’s O’Sullivan – who had been sprung from the bench in the closing stages – and Youghal’s O’Leary – who punished a glaring error by the Tipp custodian – they finished the match 4-15 to 3-14 to the good.
(2) CORK-GALWAY ALL-IRELAND HURLING FINAL 1990
RARELY had Cork been so unrated at the start of the championship. Rarely had they been so unfancied going into an All-Ireland final, and rarely had they come up trumps on the big day after being forced to play second fiddle to the opposition for so long.
Despite upsetting the odds against All-Ireland holders Tipp in the 1990 Munster final, when Argideen Rangers Mark Foley scored 2-7 from play and Tony O’Sullivan and Blackrock’s Jim Cashman also excelled, it was generally felt Cork would find Galway a bit too hot to handle in
the championship decider.
The signs were certainly ominous for the Rebels after Galway dictated matters to go in at the break leading by five points.
While the Tribesmen, with better use of their chances, could have been home and hosed heading out for the second-half, it seemed as if their gross profligacy was a luxury they’d be able to afford after they stretched the gap to seven points on the turnover.
Boosted by a goal from team skipper Tomás Mulcahy of Glen Rovers and a great save by ‘keeper Ger Cunningham of St Finbarr’s, however, Cork became a transformed side in the last 20 minutes, scorching to a 5-15 to 2-21 victory which owed much to two late goals from the Glen’s John Fitgibbon and a man-of-the-match display from Milford’s Seán O’Gorman at corner-back.
(3) CORK-CLARE 1978 MUNSTER FINAL
IT was widely agreed prior to the commencement of the 1978 championship that the main stumbling block to Cork’s bid to collect a third All-Ireland on the trot was likely to be provided by Clare. Under the stewardship of former Cork star
Justin McCarthy, the Banner men had made great strides, collecting consecutive league titles in 1977 and 1978.
While they had bowed out rather tamely to the Rebels in the ‘77 Munster final, the notion they might have matured sufficiently over the ensuing 12 months to enable them to turn the tables couldn’t be discounted, especially since Cork went into the ‘78 provincial decider without the injured Seánie O’Leary and corner-back Brian Murphy of Nemo Rangers.
The picture certainly looked bleak for Cork at half-time as, plagued by inaccuracy, they could only build up a two-point lead, 0-5 to 0-3, when backed by a near gale-force wind before the break.
They showed the mettle of true champions in the second-half, however, when the Barrs’ Denis Burns, deputising for Brian Murphy, the Glen’s Martin Doherty and Blackrock’s John Horgan performed heroically in the fullback line.
Peerless full-forward Ray Cummins of Blackrock, who picked off two inspirational points, and his clubmate Tom Cashman, who sparkled at midfield, were others to play leading roles as Cork never relinquished their advantage, eventually running out winners by 0-13 to 0-11.
Given their predicament at halftime, relief was surely the overriding emotion in the Cork camp at the finish, although their sheer defiance made their performance more laudable perhaps than any registered during a ten-match unbeaten run between 1976 and 1978.
(4) CORKWATERFORD MUNSTER CHAMPIONSHIP 1999
SO accustomed had Jimmy Barry-Murphy become to success during his playing days that he must have found Cork’s 16-point defeat at Páirc Uí Chaoimh by Limerick in his first championship game as team manager in 1996 particularly hard to take.
He immediately set about rebuilding the team, and it was obvious progress had been made when he guided Cork to a league title in 1998.
Captaining the Rebels to victory from corner-back in the league final victory over Waterford was a 19-year old Diarmuid O’Sullivan, who, along with his senior colleagues Seán Óg Ó hÁilpin of Na Piarsaigh, Killeagh’s Joe Deane and Blackrock’s John Browne had tasted All-Ireland Under 21 glory the previous year.
That Cork weren’t yet the complete package at senior level, however, was forcibly brought home when they were well-beaten by All-Ireland holders Clare in the 1998 Munster championship. With O’Sullivan, Ó hÁilpin and Deane again on board, Cork retained the All-Ireland Under 21 crown later in ‘98, prompting JBM to continue his search for fresh blood the following season.
To say that he gave youth its fling in earnest in 1999 would be an understatement, bearing in mind that he handed six players – Cloyne’s Donal Óg Cusack, Blackrock’s Wayne Sherlock, Midleton’s Mickey O’Connell, Castlelyons’ Timmy McCarthy, Ballyhea’s Neil Ronan and Newtownshandrum’s Ben O’Connor – a championship debut for the opening game in Munster against Waterford.
Throwing so many players in at the deep end for the first time together was clearly a bit of a gamble, but it paid off handsomely as Cork, with Micky O’Connell giving an inspired performance at midfield, accounted for fancied Waterford, 0-25 to 1-15, before
Throwing so many players in at the deep end for the first time together was cleary a bit of a gamble
going on to claim the scalps of Clare, Offaly and Kilkenny en route to the summit.
(5) CORK-LIMERICK MUNSTER SEMIFINAL 1966
HEADING into the 1966 championship, Cork would have been a long shot to end an All-Ireland barren spell stretching back to 1954.
Trounced by Tipperary in the 1964 and 1965 Munster finals, there appeared to be no light at the end of the tunnel after they were fortunate to share the spoils, thanks to a last-gasp goal from a free by Justin McCarthy, with Clare in their opening assignment in ‘66.
They won the replay decisively, however, and the complexion of the championship had changed completely in the meantime after Limerick ousted a star-studded Tipp side – chasing a third All-Ireland in a row and a fifth in six seasons.
Cork then clashed with Limerick at rain-lashed Killarney where second-half goals from the Barrs’ Charlie McCarthy and Bride Rovers’ Seánie Barry paved the way for a 2-6 to 1-7 win in an enthralling battle with the giant-killers from Shannonside.
Midleton’s Paddy Fitzgerald gave an exhibition of wing-back play while the Barrs’ Tony Connolly also made a massive contribution by putting the shackles on youthful Limerick wing-forward Eamonn Cregan who, in scoring 3-5, had been the cheif architect of Tipp’s demise in the previous round.
To what extent Tipp’s shock elimination paved the way for Cork’s meteoric rise to the top in 1966 will always remain a matter of conjecture, but they never looked back following the win over Limerick, comfortably dispatching Waterford and Kilkenny in their remaining two games.