1990S HEROES TO BE PART OF ALL-IRELAND DAY

EIGHT counties are represented on the Hurling Team of the 1990s, who will be honoured as part of the All-Ireland final programme in Croke Park on Sunday.

The presentations will replace the traditional 25-year jubilee celebration, arising from Kilkenny winning the 1992 and 1993 All-Ireland titles.

The 1992 team were honoured last year and since most of them were also aboard in 1993, the GAA decided to instead recognise the best overall team of a decade when the 10 All-Ireland titles were shared by six counties: Cork, Kilkenny, Clare and Offaly (two each), and Tipperary and Wexford (one each).

Clare’s 1995 success was their first for 81 years, while Wexford’s 1996 win was their first for 28 years. Offaly made history in 1998 by becoming the first county to win the All-Ireland title after losing in the provincial championships.

Clare, Wexford and Offaly all have three players each on the team . Limerick have two, while Cork, Kilkenny, Galway and Tipperary have one each.

“We are delighted to pay tribute to a special group of players who were part of such a defining period in the game,” said GAA President John Horan.

The 1990s Team of the decade: D Fitzhenry (Wexford); B Corcoran (Cork), B Lohan (Clare), M Hanamy (Offaly); B Whelahan (Offaly), S McMahon (Clare), L Dunne (Wexford); C Carey (Limerick), M Coleman (Galway); M Storey (Wexford), G Kirby (Limerick), J O’Connor (Clare); M Cleary (Tipperary), DJ Carey (Kilkenny), Johnny Dooley (Offaly).

The selectors were: John Horan (Uachtarán CLG), Martin Breheny (Irish Independent), Sean Moran (‘Irish Times’), Michael Lyster (RTÉ TV), Brian Carthy (RTÉ Radio), Jim O’Sullivan (formerly ‘Irish Examiner’), Martán Ó Ciardha (Iar RnaG) and Sean Bán Breathnach (RnaG).