Very hard to pick just one player.If pushed I'ld say Joe Cooney from my own county and Jimmy Barry Murphy from Cork.Both great stylish hurlers and both true sportsmen on and off the field.

I always thought Joe Cooney to be a very intelligent hurler. He and Noel Lane executed Cryil Farrell's masterplan to beat Kilkenny, to perfection in 1986. Pierce Piggott was picked at full forward but played as a third midfielder. Galway rained balls down top of Cooney and Lane and swept into a 2-7 to 0-5 half time lead. At half time, it seemed like Kilkenny would get it together and drive on, but Galway continued the onslaught and Cooney and Lane again ran riot. Final score 4-12 to 0-13.

To me Cooney always looked slow as a hurler. But the thing about him was as the ball came to him, he seemed to possess this deadly first touch, but more importantly was about 4 moves ahead in his brain. The speed was more in the thinking rather than the movement.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 25/11/2015 09:26:04    1809677

Echoing all those who named Ken McGrath. could do it all, anywhere on the pitch, dodgy knees and all ~PHS

Pope_has_spoken (Dublin) - Posts: 138 - 25/11/2015 09:55:16    1809690

Great post corkcelt, its a great pity theres so little footage of Ring around. My favorite was probably ciaran Carey, especially for the ferocity with which he attacked man and ball and his never say die attitude. John troy a close second, for the sheer unpredictability and speed and hand and thought. The young DJ was a joy to watch, but I think he was played for too long (unusual for Cody) when he was long past it, sullying his image I think (tended to go missing too often too).
Ken McGrath and cathal moore for putting the swash in the buckle. Of todays players Seamus callanan, streets ahead of anyone else playing for panache

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 25/11/2015 09:58:17    1809693

Welcom back Corkcelt! Good to see a good hurling man back!


johnwhite12
County: Kilkenny
Posts: 165

1809595
John power he made Dj Carey

I would absolutely agree with that. I dont think John Power was the greatest hurler but he was the ball winner and focal point of every Kilkenny attack. DJ punished teams but John Power won the ball in the first place. Now I absolutely hated him at the time but you look back 20 years on and have to say what a great hurler he was. His battles with Liam Dunne were box office at the time but are summed up by a story where Liam asked John how the barley was coming on after a game where they would definitely have knocked 7 bells out of one another but forgot about it after the game! 2 great men, hard hitting but great gaels.

But back to the point, I think greatest hurler of all time is impossible to say. There have been so moany great names, singling one out is unfair given the contribution so many have made.

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 25/11/2015 09:59:52    1809694

It would have to be Ger Henderson, then Joe Cooney and maybe Ciaran Carey.

rcarragh (Dublin) - Posts: 305 - 25/11/2015 13:50:44    1809826

Good thread, Tommy Walsh immediately comes to mind, the back 6 never seem to get the glory and I always liked his no nonsense style, but I will go for Tony Keady, centre half for Galway in the second half of the 90s. That man had grace and style along with a keen eye, it was said that when Keady was bending down for a free or 65 the umpire would be bending down for the white flag!

mactomac (UK) - Posts: 37 - 25/11/2015 14:07:05    1809835

I was obsessed with the Clare team of the 1990s under Ger Loughnane. My Da had a liking for the Bannermen going back to the 1970s. He like to claim that our ancestors migrating from Clare as his reason but after my brother traced out our family tree he found Dubs all the way back as far as he could go. So if my old man's claims were right it's a long long way back! I think what actually happened is that my Da was a good buddy of a big Clare hurling supporter and he kinda latched onto them. Consequently I ended up seeing a lot of that great team. Was actually present at the 1993 and 1994 Munster Finals when they were hammered out the gate by Tipp and Limerick so I felt I'd earned my stripes being there in Thurles when they beat Limerick in 1995!

Because of this obsession with them my favourite hurler ever is probably the great Brian Lohan! He seemed a colossus at number 3 and seem to inspire all around him. The roar from the Bannermen when he came flying out with the ball in hand with his famous red helmet would be deafening! Supposedly played the last 20 mins of the All-Ireland final in 1995 with a torn hamstring! Legend!

I'm also a huge admirer of the great Tommy Walsh. There's no need for me to eulogise on his greatness. One we'll be talking about for generations to come. A pleasure to have seen him hurl. The famous day in Portlaoise when we beat the Cats will live long in the memory not just because it meant so much to all hurling people in Dublin but the way in which the Kilkenny players stayed on the pitch afterwards signing autographs for children. Tommy was chief among them, I think I saw letter in the Irish Times about it afterward. Showed the greatness of the man imo.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13709 - 25/11/2015 15:27:42    1809865

Bennbunny
Some players make their names because they 'hold' great players. Other players are just great. -well because they are great.
I cannot understand how so few people see ED Keher as a great player. He came on in 59 and was dangerous from day one and was still up to the time he retired in 76. Without a shadow of doubt the best hurler I ever saw.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4321 - 25/11/2015 15:54:49    1809874

Barnowl
Joe McKenna won an All Ireland ,four Munster tiles, two National Leagues, Five All Stars and a few county medals. I think it is not a bad collection even for a player of his calibre

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4321 - 25/11/2015 16:00:10    1809875

Barnowl
Joe McKenna won an All Ireland ,four Munster tiles, two National Leagues, Five All Stars and a few county medals. I think it is not a bad collection even for a player of his calibre

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4321 - 25/11/2015 16:00:34    1809877

Oldtour,there was no doubt E Keher was a great hurler.Same as Ring and J Doyle etc.But maybe a lot of posters here,like myself,are too young to have seen him play.My Mam brought me on her knee to the 1984 Munster hurling final.I was only seven.Even though it was one of the greatest Munster finals I dont remember anything.My Dad brought me to the 1987 Munster hurling semi final between Limerick v Cork where i had the perfect view of J Fentons groundstroke wonder goal from over 40 yards out.Still,to this day,the greatest goal i've ever seen.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 25/11/2015 16:07:22    1809878

DJ. Serious skill level and a brain for the game like no other. We can argue that others might match him skill wise, some might match his vision but none had both like him. And to top it off then he done it at a different speed to everyone else.

From my own county for me nobody played like Twomey. Colossus in blue be it at 6 7 9 11 or 14

Brianmac78 (Dublin) - Posts: 1168 - 25/11/2015 16:11:14    1809879

My Mam brought me on her knee to the 1984 Munster hurling final.I was only seven.Even though it was one of the greatest Munster finals I dont remember anything.My Dad brought me to the 1987 Munster hurling semi final between Limerick v Cork where i had the perfect view of J Fentons groundstroke wonder goal from over 40 yards out.Still,to this day,the greatest goal i've ever seen.

84 - Cork 3-14 to 2-13 down going into the final moments. Tipp keeper blocked down a point, Cork were not ones to look a gift horse in the mouth. 2-2 in a whizz and Munster Champions. Arguably it took Tipp 3 years to react from that.

87 - We drew with Cork 3-11 apiece in Limerick and took them on in the replay. Fenton scored that goal. They hammered us 3-14 to 0-10. As a Limerick fan I am sometimes saddened that our great Tommy Quaid (RIP) was the keeper on the end of it. But as a hurling man it was an iconic moment in the game; a perfectly timed 'pull' on the ball that went through the field like a bullet rising as it went. A brilliant goal from a brilliant hurler who I look back on now & think was ahead of his time as he often picked out players with neat play more like the teams from this decade.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 25/11/2015 16:23:25    1809885

Nicky English for me - possibly as himself and Pat Fox were the most memorable names I can remember from Micheal O Muircheartaigh commentary on our family sunday drives!

woops (Kerry) - Posts: 2073 - 25/11/2015 16:45:04    1809890

If i didn't see that goal myself,or if it wasn't out there on video,i wouldn't think it's possible to hit a sliotar so hard and fast,from so far away.J Fenton must have had the strongest wrists and his timing was impeccable.Poor Tommy Quaid didn't stand a chance.
Slayer,do you remember E Cregan trying some delaying tactics by throwing up a pool/snooker ball that was supposedly thrown onto the pitch,when Limerick were hanging on for dear life v Cork.I believe it was a black ball!

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 25/11/2015 16:47:37    1809891

DJ Carey.
I dont care what anyone says, but Id have him over Shefflin any day of the week.
If Seamus Callanan keeps going the way hes going hell be well up there.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 28/11/2015 15:09:30    1810352

DJ.Carey all day long, the excitement and anticipation when he got the ball was something else.

wicklow88 (Wicklow) - Posts: 126 - 28/11/2015 15:17:37    1810353

For me it has to be Kilkenny goalkeeper Ollie Walsh. When I was a boy he was my first sporting hero. The following quote from Wikipedia amply sums him up:

Walsh's status as one of the all-time greats is self-evident. He had a style uniquely his own, coupled with great skill and ability, and as a hurler he was colourful, flamboyant, acrobatic and heroic. In a senior inter-county career that lasted for sixteen years he won four All-Ireland titles, nine Leinster titles, two National Hurling League titles and four Railway Cup titles.

Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2469 - 07/12/2015 13:37:02    1811804

Slayer,do you remember E Cregan trying some delaying tactics by throwing up a pool/snooker ball that was supposedly thrown onto the pitch,when Limerick were hanging on for dear life v Cork.I believe it was a black ball!

Don't think it was delaying tactics :-)

I don't think Cregan was ever the most popular

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 07/12/2015 13:47:35    1811821

He's not been mentioned here but Brian Whelahan for me was one of the best. I watched him in the drawn club final of 1995 against dunloy, it was a joy to watch, he did everything effortlessly and efficiently, he could put a handy shift in up in full forward as well.

Also handled DJ pretty well when they came up against each other which was no mean feat.

duckula20 (Antrim) - Posts: 175 - 07/12/2015 14:17:42    1811830