New Book recalls Tipp’s hurling famine in a different light

A new book entitled: The Life and Times of a Tipperary Hurling Supporter, written by Tommy Treacy from Tipperary Town, recalls the lean period in Tipperary hurling from 1974 to 1986.

By Liam Hogan

Not a welcome period to look back on one would suggest, but nonetheless the Griffith College lecturer produced a positive and enjoyable view of the lean times as he looked back on the period starting with his memories as a young boy of ten who revelled in his love for hurling and the stories he heard about the game in his father’s public house.

His father, a noted hurler with Glengar and a winner of a West Senior hurling medal in 1957 when St Nicholas, a combination if Glengar, Cappawhite and Solohead, defeated hot favourites Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams, owned a public house and it was the stories about the likes of John Doyle, Jimmy Doyle and Christy Ring that inspired the young hurling enthusiast. In fact, Treacy included Christy Ring on the cover of his book along with Jack Dunlea, Silvermines; Jim Kehoe, Kilsheelan; Seamus Power, Boherlahan and Pat Fitzelle of Cashel King Cormacs. It was a discussion about Christy Ring in 2019 that re-kindled the interest in completing the book as Tommy had started the initial musings in 2013.

“The first memory I really had was in 1975,” he recalls.

“I was seated in the covered stand in Thurles and this man came through the crowds selling a Gaelic Games magazine. He held up the magazine and asked, ‘anyone now for the Gaelic.’ That story stayed in my mind and there were a couple of more characters.

“Good memories such as the blue and gold paper hat his father bought him. He looked at the Up Tipp sticker only to notice Up Roscommon underneath. That’s where this book began.”

It was hero worship, but Tipperary would suffer nine straight defeats in a row 1974 to 1982 with eight point margins in 1980 and ’81 to Limerick and 1982 to Cork seen as a travesty. Yet, to attend the games and the talk about past heroes seemed to heel the disappointments for the young enthusiast.

“For me, personally, they were the greatest team in the world at that time,” he added.

“The blue and gold colours. They were the happiest days in my life. They were great occasions back then.”

“Great teams but got no break but if I had produced a historical account, it would have been disastrous. When I started writing this book it was all about childhood memories. My father had a pub (Lowry’s) in Tipperary Town and the stories and the characters were unbelievable. I grew up in that atmosphere,”

“Nobody ever criticised Christy Ring. Ring was the greatest. I have nieces and nephews growing up in Cork and I ask them about John Fenton, Jimmy Barry Murphy they never heard of them, but they know about Ring. He had the ex-factor and if you notice I included a picture of Ring on the front cover.”

There were good moments to reflect on in that period especially the near misses after forcing a draw with Limerick in 1975 after suffering a one point defeat to Cork in 1976 and again in 1979.

“1976 was the year Seamus Power hit the post against Cork in Limerick,” he recalls.

“Cork come down field and score a point on way to a three in a row All-Irelands. That was the day I heard a supporter asking Seamus Shinners to puck out the ball as far as Newport. Tipp hurled well that day. They should have won.

“In 1979 we had another good team that lost by a point to Cork.

“There was 1981 when we drew with Limerick inside in Thurles and lost the replay. We were fourteen points up in the drawn game.

“They were teams that could have won an All-Ireland but didn’t get the break. If they had the present system, the round robin, I am sure they would have come out of Munster and would have improved with each game,” said Tommy whose hurling career was cut short as he went studying for the priesthood.

In the midst of the senior struggles, Tipperary were winning minor and under 21 All-Ireland’s

“The 1976 minor team was a special team,” Tommy recalls.

“I remember the discussion in our pub on a Monday and they were discussing the All-Ireland minor win. Cork had won the senior, but the discussion was all about the minor team. It was a special minor team who beat Kilkenny well. That win gave a bounce to the county.

“They had a great team. Michael Doyle, Gerry Stapleton, PJ Maxwell, Purdy Loughnane, Eamon O’Shea. I just wonder where it all came from. Br Perkins was the coach. It was the foundation for All-Ireland under 21 victories. The minor won again in 1980, 1982 and you had Ken Hogan, Nicky English, and John Kennedy,”

After the string of defeats things started to improve with Tipperary reaching the Munster finals in 1984 and ’85 before fortunes dipped in 1986 as Clare put paid to our hopes with a last minute goal in the clash at Cusack Park. A watershed moment for Tipp GAA. Enough said. Michael Babs Keating takes over.

“One of the greatest moments was when Pat Fox equalised with a free in the 1987 Munster final,” Tommy added.

“There was pressure, and it may have been just thirty metres, but I thought it was an important score in the history of Tipperary hurling. It was no easy free. What a man?

“Then there was Nicky’s kicked goal the same day. Joe Hayes delivered the perfect ball to Nicky. It broke and Nicky kicked in that ball to the net.

“I would say the 1989 team was a three-in-a-row team. We should have won 1990. It’s so hard to win three-in-a-row but we did win two out of three. There was the controversial comment Donkey’s don’t win derbies. It’s all history now.”

Tommy lists the captains of that period, as well as the All-Stars, and also included a brief resume of how the county finals were won each year at the beginning of each chapter. It was a connection between the club and county with 42 clubs supplying players to the various Tipp panels during the era (1974-86) North 17, Mid 9, South, and West 8 each. Towards the end of the 298 page book, Tommy also interviewed four players who played for Tipp at the time. Pat Fitzelle; Seamus Power, Jim Keogh, and Jack Dunlea.

“Meeting them proved to me there is more to life than winning All-Irelands,” Treacy added.

“It’s the memory, the joy, the friendship, and everything they had (the players) the time of their lives putting on that jersey. The honour of doing it. You could feel it when you meet them. Honest hurling men. This game. It’s so special and to this day, it’s the honour of putting on that jersey.”

Also in the book, Tommy selected his best 15 from that era: Patrick McLoughney (Shannon Rovers); Paddy Williams (Kilruane MacDonaghs), Jim Keogh (Silvermines), Tadgh O’Connor (Roscrea); Pat Fitzelle (Cashel King Cormacs), Noel O’Dwyer (Borris-Ileigh), Jack Dunlea (Silvermines); Jim Kehoe (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), Seamus Hogan (Kiladangan); Michael Keating (Ballybacon/Grange), Francis Loughnane (Roscrea), Pat Quigley (Sean Treacys); John Flanagan (Moycarkey/Borris), Roger Ryan (Toomevara), Seamus Power (Boherlahan-Dualla).

The Life and Times of Tipperary Hurling Supporter, is available to purchase in all good book shops.