Liam Boland captained team in one of Tipperary football’s most famous triumphs
Minor team beat Kerry by a point after replay in 1955 Munster final
Liam Boland, who died on March 9 in Longford, was originally from Clonmel and was a renowned Gaelic footballer who famously captained the Tipperary minor team that caused a major upset by beating Kerry by a point in the replayed 1955 Munster final.
Tipperary went on to beat Mayo in the All-Ireland semi-final before losing to Dublin in the All-Ireland final.
The replayed Munster final was played in Thurles, when Tipp held out for a deserved one-point win (0-9 to 1-5) after holding Kerr scoreless for the entirety of the first half, at the end of which Tipp had built up a seven-points lead.
There was a curious postscript to the game, as recounted on the Friends of Tipperary Football website - “the elated celebrations soon turned to confusion, as the Tipperary team waited, and waited, and waited some more to be presented with the Munster minor trophy, only to discover that there was none. Kerry, the reigning Munster champions, had forgotten to bring the cup with them. An embarrassed Kerry claimed this was an unfortunate oversight on their part while Tipperary claimed, in jest, that the Kingdom were so sure of themselves that they didn’t bother to bring it with them.
"In revenge, on the night of the All-Ireland final, the Tipperary players decided to play a prank on Kerry and hid the Sam Maguire Cup that the Kerry seniors had captured that very day. All in good sport, and everyone saw the funny side of the capers of the young Tipperary men".
Tipp had defeated Cork in the provincial semi-final.
Following a big 1-11 to 1-2 win over Mayo, Tipperary were beaten in the All-Ireland Final by Dublin by 4-4 to 2-7.
The Cork Examiner report of the game stated, “Tipperary had an outstanding man in Liam Boland in the centre, who, partnered by Phil Tobin, brought out some fine clashes with Dublin’s Heron and Foley”.
Liam also had the distinction of playing on the Munster Railway Cup team in 1957, and on the Clonmel Commercials team that won the County Senior Championship three in-a-row from 1965-67, the last Commercials team to do so.
Liam worked for Ronan and Sons at their Dudleys Mills, Hides and Skins facility in Clonmel.
He left Clonmel in 1968 when he was headhunted by MJ Lyons, Hide and Skins factory to manage their facilities at Clondra in County Longford.
He spent a number of years playing football with Longford Slashers before focusing his sporting attention on golf.
He was delighted to receive The Nationalist South Tipperary GAA Board Football Hall of Fame award in 2011.
Liam was son of the late Rita and Willie Boland. His father was a photographer who took GAA pictures for The Nationalist.
Liam was also predeceased by his wife Mary, son Liam, sisters Marjorie and Valerie, brother Michael, brother-in-law Willie and son-in-law Peter.
He is survived by his daughters Jean, Linda, Siobhán, Orla, Niamh and Eiméar; sons Stephen and Marcus; brothers Sean and Jim, daughters-in-law Kerry and Roisín, sons-in-law Mick, Kevin, Kieran and Mark, grandchildren, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends, to whom sincere sympathy is extended.