Hurlers reunite 60 years after marking each other in Croke Park

Sixty years ago, in 1961, Wexford played Laois in the Leinster Senior Hurling championship -the match was played in Croke Park.

Wexford were the reigning All-Ireland champions and boasted hurling legends such as Billy Rackard, Ned Wheeler and Nick O’Donnell.

Their right corner forward that day was Oliver “Hopper” McGrath, one of the Wexford star forwards in the 1960 All-Ireland win against Tipperary.

Marking him on that day in 1961 was a young Laois corner back called John Dunphy. John is a native of Cullahill in Laois but for almost fifty years now he has lived, worked and reared his family in Thurles.

Above: John Dunphy of Laois, moves in to tackle Oliver 'Hopper' McGrath of Wexford in the Leinster championship in Croke Park in 1961.

John was involved in the early years of Durlas Og G.A.A. Juvenile Club in Thurles where he mentored alongside such club stalwarts as Pat Stakelum, Mick Carroll, Johnny Enright and Jimmy Coppinger.

John had an impressive pedigree as a young hurler – winning a Leinster Senior Colleges medal with St. Kieran’s College Kilkenny in 1953. He also has the distinction of winning three consecutive county hurling finals in Laois at different grades, Junior, Intermediate and Senior between 1953 and 1955.

He established himself on the Laois senior hurling team in the late 1950’s.

In the aforementioned game in Croke Park, John held the Wexford talisman Hopper McGrath scoreless from play but despite his heroics Wexford went on to win the game.

A photo taken of the two men in action on the day is included in Brendan Fullam’s wonderful book Hurling Giants where Brendan described Hopper McGrath in glowing terms – “Though small in stature this elusive and potent forward was a big handful for any corner back”. Not so for John Dunphy his marker on this particular day in the summer of 1961!

Recently, John was on a short family break in Wexford. While there enquiries were made about the whereabouts of the great Hopper McGrath. He was eventually located and when contacted he was only too delighted to meet up with John and renew old acquaintances.

And so, sixty years after marking each other in championship battle the two men chatted at ease in Hopper’s front garden, reminiscing on the old days, on hurling games long gone but still fresh in the memories and the change in hurling styles.
Though advanced now in years both men had a youthful twinkle in their eyes as they recalled their tussle that day in 1961.
As they parted and bid farewell, they agreed they would not leave it as long the next time!

What a lovely example of the role sport, and in this case hurling, can play in our lives and the friendships it can create – some lasting sixty years and more !