1960 – SENIOR HURLING. – CORK V TIPP  X 3 = NIL

 By John Twomey,

With much hype, excitement and expectations surrounding our Cork Senior Hurlers currently, the National League Final with Tipperary scheduled for Pairc Ui Caoimh has all avid hurling followers locally and further afield on their toes – great expectations no doubt.

A LONG TIME

Both Cork and Tipperary deservedly qualified for the 2025 National League Final showing great form and promise in the earlier rounds.  A Cork V Tipp Final is always a big occasion and examining the records we find that the last time the counties crossed camans in such an occasion was in the year 1960 with the game played in The Cork Athletic Grounds. The game took place on May Sunday, 1st of May before a large attendance and the great Maestro himself Christy Ring recorded 3-4 but it was in vain as the Premier boys won on the scoreline 2-15 to 3-8. Glen Rovers provided seven of the starting fifteen including Denis O’Riordan, Sean French, Jerry O’Sullivan and of course the mighty Ring. Tracton’s Terry Kelly played at centre forward. Terry was one of Cork’s well established players in that period having first joined the team as a nineteen year old student in Farranferris College.  He won an All-Ireland Minor medal in 1951 along with Carrigaline’s Paddy Drievers.  In between times there has been much changes to the Cork Pitch with the first transformation in 1976 and a new name “Pairc Ui Caoimh” honouring the former County Secretary and Secretary General of the GAA. In recent years a brand new model was constructed and Our City and County can now boast one of the most modern stadia in Europe.

Cork would play Tipperary twice more in 1960.  In the Munster Senior Hurling Championship Final they were defeated 4-13 to 4-11 in an all action thrilling final before a huge attendance.  The third encounter took place later in the season in Croke Park in the Oireachteas Final before a large crowd.  Tipp made it three wins on the scoreline 4-11 to 2-10.   A new member of the Cork team that day was Mick Mortel from Charleville who would go on to pursue a brilliant academic career at UCC and would later be elected President of that famed Southern University.

OTHER EVENTS

In 1960 Cork played Carlow in the All Ireland Junior Hurling Final losing 2-15 to 3-5.  Included on the Cork panel were local players Frank Maxwell and Martin O’Donoghue (Passage), Ray Sisk and Joe O’Flynn( Shamrocks), and John Cooney (Carrigaline).

The Chairman of the South-East Board was Carrigaline’s Martin Cantillon, with Paddy Sisk of Shamrocks, Hon. Secretary.  Ballinhassig were South-East Junior Hurling Champions defeating Shamrocks in Kinsale 7-7 to 3-6 with the youthful John O’Mahony, Donie Connolly and the Deasys much to the fore. Kinsale were the Kingpins in Junior Football having defeated Carrigaline in Riverstick 2-9 to 0-1 with Tom Fitzgerald, Brendan Greenway and Dermot Collins all making their mark.

The Chairman of the Cork County Board in 1960 was Bere Islander Weeshie Murphy and Con Murphy from Valley Rovers was Hon. Secretary. Glen Rovers won the Senior Hurling Championship defeating UCC in the final. One of the stars for UCC was the already mentioned Mick Mortell and Shamrock’s Joe O’Flynn also featured.  UCC had the consolation of winning the Senior Football Final defeating Avondhu.

It was an historic year for Passage as they were crowned Intermediate Hurling County Champions at Riverstick  on September 4th defeating St. Vincents 3-7 to 1-8.  The Maxwells, The Barrys, John O’Reilly and the Hanlons were all to the fore on that historic day.

RAILWAY CUP

The annual Railway Cup Finals were featured on St. Patrick’s Day in Croke Park and  drew great crowds.   The best players in the Country wore their provincial colours and provided great entertainment and a great desire to win.   The 1960 Hurling final was contested between Munster and Leinster.  The Muster Team, trained by Cork’s Jim ‘Tough’ Barry, was amongst the greatest group of Senior Hurlers ever assembled to play for their Province.   They were all household names and excelled on countless occasions for their respective Counties and Clubs.  The greatest of them all was Cork’s Christy Ring.   The other Corkmen on the team were Mick Cashman(goal). Jimmy Brohan and the Sarsfields Legend Paddy Barry. The Doyles represented Tipperary, John and Jimmy.  Waterford were the main contributors with seven great stars, John Barron, Tom Cheasty, Phil Grimes, Martin og Morrissey, Ned Power, Austin Flynn and dynamic forward and Captain Frankie Walsh. Tom McGarry represented Limerick and the wonderful corner forward Jimmy Smith hailed from Clare. This dream team drew the crowds, (41,473) who were not disappointed.   Munster scored  6-6 to Leinster’s 2-7 to take the honours for the Southern Province.

Christy Ring and John Doyle both won eight All Ireland Senior Hurling Medals.  When Doyle was interviewed after reaching this milestone and matching Ring’s feat;  He was asked how he felt and his answer was “ Tipp won the medals for me but Ring won them for Cork.”  At a function to honour the Team of the century Clare’s Jimmy Smith spoke after receiving his trophy. He added that no trophy would match or outweigh the honour bestowed on him by Cork’s Christy Ring – “Ring said that Jimmy Smith was the greatest corner forward he ever played with”. That laurel could not be matched.