REWIND: The story and legendary hurlers who last took the field in a Tipp v Cork league final

By Liam Hogan

It's difficult to believe that despite the multiple number of times that close rivals Tipperary and Cork have met in both championship and league, it’s 65 years since the teams met in an Allianz Hurling League final.

It was May 1, 1960, in the Cork Athletic Grounds (Pairc Ui Chaoimh) as it was known back then and the game attracted 28,000 to see the great rivals play. 

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Indeed many people at the time wondered why Tipp volunteered to head south. It made no difference. Tipp retained the title, their ninth and their eighth in 12 years by 2-15 to 3-8. Cork were looking for their seventh and first since 1953 when they defeated Tipp in the final.

Winning the final was important to Tipperary. As All-Ireland senior hurling champions in 1958, they were surprisingly defeated by Waterford in the Munster semi-final of July 1959. 

Indeed the manner of the defeat was every more surprising. Tipp won the toss but decided to play against a very strong breeze. The decision backfired and Tipp trailed 0-8 to 0-2 to nil at half-time, who would believe it, even Michael O’Hehir could not believe it when he relayed the message as he broadcast a Connacht Senior Football championship game in Castlebar.

A second-half comeback materialised but Waterford won 9-3 to 3-4 and went on to defeat  Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final following a replay. 

Thankfully there was a source of comfort for Tipperary who were crowned League champions in May ’59 resulting in a trip to America to play New York in the Saint Brendan’s Cup final, an annual event for the League champions at the time. 

Tipp won the first leg 4-11 to 1-5 but lost the second 4-8 to 3-5. Tipp had won on aggregate against a New York side who were at its strongest for some time with players like Paddy Philpot, Cork; Brendan Hennessey, Kerry; PJ Birmingham of Offaly and our own Sean O’Meara of Lorrha. 

Having returned home the team prepared for the National Hurling League which would begin on the 11th of October. 

Division 1 had 12 teams, two groups of six with Tipp grouped along with Galway, Clare, Kerry, Limerick and Carlow. The other group was much stronger including Waterford and Kilkenny (both All-Ireland finalists) plus Cork, Dublin, Wexford and Antrim. 

There were three rounds of the League played before the Christmas break and won their first game away to Galway by 2-9 to 1-6. 

With Thurles Sarsfield defeating Kilruane in the county final two months earlier it was no surprise to new players like Patsy Dorney (Sarsfields) and Jimmy Gibson (Kilruane MacDonaghs) donning Tipp colours for the game. 

Two weeks later Tipp played poorly but yet defeated Carlow 4-7 to 1-9 at Roscrea before winning their third game when accounting for Clare at Ennis 5-11 to 2-3. 

 Three wins out of three had Tipp on top in their group followed by Galway on four while the other group had Kilkenny on top with five points closely followed by Cork and Dublin with four.

The league commenced on February 14th with Tipp receiving a bye. Surprisingly the next round of games would not be played until April 3 (a seven-week break) but the hurlers had plenty to occupy their time. 

Both John Doyle and Jimmy Doyle helped Munster win another Railway Cup medal as a Waterford-laden team (seven players) defeated Leinster 6-6 to 2-7 in front of over 40,00 spectators turned up for the Saint Patrick’s Day spectacle.

Meanwhile, the Tipperary selectors requested 36 players attend a trial, the probables versus the possibles in Thurles, on March 20. 

A panel of 23 players were selected for the final league game against Limerick at Thurles and Tipp were convincing winners 3-16 to 2-3. The win put Tipp through to the final and they would take on Cork who needed a win over Dublin to reach the decider. 

Dublin had earlier caused a surprise when claiming victory over Kilkenny in the fourth round. It’s worth noting that Cork scored 29 goals in their five league games. Sounds familiar! 

So the scene was set for the final. Mick Dunne in the Irish Press suggested a more free-flowing Cork side would be good enough to win while John D Hickey gave a guarded nod to Tipperary.

As expected the opening half didn’t disappoint and as scores were level three times in the opening quarter. A Liam Connolly goal gave Tipp a three point lead but Cork, favoured by a slight breeze recovered and two Christy Ring goals had them 2-5 to 1-5 in front at the break.

 Tipp took the initiative in the opening bouts of the second half as Donie Nealon’s point was closely followed by a second Connolly goal. Ring levelled with a free. Jimmy Doyle gave Tipp the lead but Liam Dowling levelled once more. 

The game appeared to be a fight to the finish but then Tipp took over and according to newspaper reports, Tipp had leaders in Jimmy Doyle, Liam Devaney, Donie Nealon and Tom Ryan while Tony Wall and John Doyle were the mainstay in defence as the forwards began to reel off the points with Cork in deep trouble. 

The Rebels came back at the end with Ring (who scored 3-4 including 2-3 from play) registering a late goal which made the final scoreline of 2-15 to 3-8 a better spectacle. Mick Cashman in goal, Jimmy Brohan and Liam Dowling were Cork’s best.

Tipperary: Terry Moloney (Arravale Rovers); Mikey Byrne (Thurles Sarsfields), Michael Maher (Holycross Ballycahill), Kieran Carey (Roscrea); Mick Burns (Nenagh Éire Óg), Tony Wall (Thurles Sarsfields), John Doyle (Holycross Ballycahill); Theo English (Marlfield, 0-1), Tom Ryan (Killenaule, 0-2); Jimmy Doyle (Thurles Sarsfields, 0-9, 0-3f), Liam Devaney Borris-Ileigh), Donie Nealon (Burgess, 0-2); Liam Connolly (Coolmoyn, 2-0), Billy McLoughney (Kiladangan), Tom McLoughney (Kilruane MacDonaghs).

Subs used: Gerry McCarthy (Kilruane MacDonaghs, 0-1) for Tom McLoughney. 

There were 20 players allowed on the panel and the remaining substitutes for the final were Roger Mounsey (Toomevara), Sean Williams (Kilruane MacDonaghs), Jimmy Gibson (do), and Noel Murphy (Thurles Sarsfields).

Other players on the extended panel included. Matt Hassett (Toomevara), Liam Skelly, Jim McDonnell, Burgess), Pat Dorney (Thurles Sarsfields), Michael 'Musha' Maher (Thurles Sarsfields), Joe Williams (Kilruane MacDonaghs).

Referee: Gerry Fitzgerald (Limerick)

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