Legends of the small ball....1970/2010..

Pursuant (I'm watching Noonan a lot lately) to the successful conclusion of the football issue, I have decided that, as we are, in the interim between Q's 1 & 2, given that we are where we are, drive the selection process forward to conclusively elicit those whom may be considered worthy of Legenary status within the era....

In short...Hurling legends between 1970/2010.....

This category differs quantumly from the football one....In that we're dealing with a smaller base, more bigoted posters and parochial issues.....

This process will consist of 8 awards, given that 5 are sewn up at the gate::::

I'll start:::And tough on the lot of ye'....

Joe Cooney (Sarsfields and Galway)..

Keeeping it to Eight


Noel Skeehan
Fan Larkin
Tommy Walsh
Joe Cooney
Henry sheflin
Dj Carey
Nicky English
RAy Cummins

Others

Iggy Clarke, Jimmy Barry Murphy,Brian Whelehan, Johnny dooley,Brian Lohan, Eoin Kelly(tipp)

Provisional list of candidates county to county(I have excluded those still playing)

Cork:
Brian Corcoran
JBM
John Fenton
Ray Cummins
Joe Deane

Clare:
Sean Stack
Seamus Durack
Brian Lohan
Seanie McMahon
Colin Lynch

Limerick:
Eamonn Cregan
Pat Hartigan
Joe McKenna
Eamonn Grimes


Tipp:
Nicky English
Pat Fox
Tommy Dunne
Mick Roche(although he did most of his hurling in the 60's)
Declan Ryan

Waterford:
Ken McGrath
Fergal Hartley

Galway:
Joe Cooney
Pete Finnerty
Ollie Canning
Tony Keady


Kilkenny:
Eddie Keher
DJ Carey
Pat Henderson
Fan Larkin
Noel Skehan
Frank Cummins

Wexford:
Liam Dunne
Martin Storey
Tony Doran
Darragh Ryan

Offaly:
Brian Whelahan
Dooley x 3
Kevin Kinahan

I have no desire to impact upon this process save to say that OMAR is knocking on the door with a few calls.
Pukey refers to Michael Roche of Tipp in a very valid post.
Suffice to say that the finest display of stickwork that Boxty has witnessed, in the cauldron of a final day, was exhibited by Roche at c/h/b on the day of of the '71 final. Many will refer to the barefooted Babs Keating's efforts and dynamism on the day, but truth be told, Roche supplied the ammunition, along with curtailing the previously rampant Pat Delaney to boot. The greatest final that I was ever at, so many greats of the game giving it everything......

It's also memorable for being the day after I met my current wife, but that's another story......

Michael Roche is sadly excluded by the perameters set down...

Let us see.

Clare gave us McMahon.

Limerick gave us Cregan. and Carey.

Tipp gave us Nicky English and Tommy Dunne. Leahy should have been there but.......

Wexford produced Liam Dunne, Martin Quigley.

Derry gave us Ollie Collins.

Antrim in that era best represented by Paul McKillen.

Waterford threw up Ken mcGrath. Personally I LOVED Flynn but we are talking top class here, so very limited.

Offaly produced Whelehan, Troy, Johnny Dooley, and a Kinahan, but Whelehan fits the criteria.

Galway had Joe Cooney, Keady and Finnerty.

Cork and the Cats have the bulk of the candidates.

If you want 8, and I could change my mind a number of times,

Skehan, DJ, Shefflin, Tommy Walsh, Jimmy Barry Murphy, Cooney, Whelehan, and Eamon Cregan.

I always felt that Ciaran Carey was a tad overrated in the grand scheme of things, maybe due to his wonderful score against Clare in 1996, he was definately a fine hurler but Brian Corcoran for me was better all round hurler

John Power surely worth a mention here?!

Jayo Cluxton wrote:John Power surely worth a mention here?!

Nah, Declan Ryan was a far superior cente forward from around the same time

The Puke wrote:

Jayo Cluxton wrote:John Power surely worth a mention here?!

Nah, Declan Ryan was a far superior cente forward from around the same time

Oh sorry - didn't realise you could only have one player per position and it had to be Puke's choice. No point in participating so .....

Jayo Cluxton wrote:

The Puke wrote:

Jayo Cluxton wrote:John Power surely worth a mention here?!

Nah, Declan Ryan was a far superior cente forward from around the same time

Oh sorry - didn't realise you could only have one player per position and it had to be Puke's choice. No point in participating so .....

But Power despite being a very effective hurler for Kilkenny wasn't a legend in the sense that boxty was talking about, i was mearly using Ryan as a tool of comparison, both hurled in the same era yet i think most would agree that Ryan in terms of ability was a superior player. Both were fine players from the late 80's onwards but whether either were all time greats is another question, although it took Tipp far longer to replace Ryan than it took Kilkenny to replace Power

It usually takes Kilkenny far less time to replace anyone (think DJ!). I think Power is a legendary figure. He is the classic 'go through a brick wall' type of player that lifted his team. And he had skill and scoring ability too. A huge figure in a team of huge figures. Not easy to be a legend in Kilkenny.

Brian McMahon

The Puke wrote:

Jayo Cluxton wrote:John Power surely worth a mention here?!

Nah, Declan Ryan was a far superior cente forward from around the same time

Power was the ONLY rival to Ollie Collins as the best in Ireland, powerful, a ball winner, good distributor, but Collins could also score, loads.

Declan Ryan was a useful player but hardly one of the top 8 over 40 years.

well, maybe the top 8 Tipp number 11s in that era. Maybe.

The Puke wrote:I always felt that Ciaran Carey was a tad overrated in the grand scheme of things, maybe due to his wonderful score against Clare in 1996, he was definately a fine hurler but Brian Corcoran for me was better all round hurler

Corcoran, hurler of the year at left back and a mighty centre half.

But in the era under discussion we had Ger Henderson, Corcoran, McMahon, and Tony Keady vying for one position so difficult to have Brian in the 8.

brendan lynskey

hipster 2 wrote:brendan lynskey

Loved Lynskey, the "minder2 on that team, and I loved the whole team.

Good player, but not for a top 8 of 40 years.

i agree patrique but he did make thay team , if i was to pick a player it would be DJ played against him once unbelieveable and to get back to that galway team was there ever a better halfback line

hipster 2 wrote:i agree patrique but he did make thay team , if i was to pick a player it would be DJ played against him once unbelieveable and to get back to that galway team was there ever a better halfback line

Finnerty was top class, and a pure hurler. keady was even better. The purists didn't like Mcinerney as a hurler but what a player.

Some half back line indeed.

Olcan McFettridge

patrique wrote:

The Puke wrote:

Jayo Cluxton wrote:John Power surely worth a mention here?!

Nah, Declan Ryan was a far superior cente forward from around the same time

Power was the ONLY rival to Ollie Collins as the best in Ireland, powerful, a ball winner, good distributor, but Collins could also score, loads.

Declan Ryan was a useful player but hardly one of the top 8 over 40 years.

well, maybe the top 8 Tipp number 11s in that era. Maybe.

I would think he is head and shoulders above any other Tipp number 11 in that time....

If I was given the choice in the morning I would take Ryan every time over Power....

Ally Elliott from antrim, more or less single handedly took dunloy to 4 all ireland finals and made one of the worst antrim teams in history look semi decent, an amazing player.

Loved Ollie Collins to.

Brian Corcoran
Ciaran Barr
Brian Lohan
Ciaran Carey

Probably some of the best ive seen.

Another legend or two i seen playing, Joe Rabitte and Cooney, also Nicky English and Pat Fox, loved the encounters in the late 80s with them two!

Ciaran Barr presented me with a glass crystal mememto of my school's all Ireland win from 1971 at a forty year reunion last Friday.

i couldn't resist asking him who he was!!!!!

Jackie Carson was a far better hurler than Ciaran, but Ciaran was by far a better player if you get my drift.

Klute was a fine hurler as well.