DJ was the most ever rated of all time. Great man to score 3-7 against Laois but could never produce it when he met greater teams. I could think of at least 30 hurlers that were better then him. 3 all irelands against Cork and he failed to score from play (correct me if im wrong). Great hurler but not as good as some people think. Shefflin is 10 times better. So is Ben O Connor, Eoin Kelly (Tipp), John Mullane, Seanie Leary, John Fenton, Ciaran Carey, Seanie MacMahon, Jamesie O Connor, Nicky English, Brian Lohan, Joe Dooley, Ray Cummins, JB Murphy, the list goes on....

Mick14 (Limerick) - Posts: 766 - 23/07/2009 10:03:49    357918

The 2 greatest hurlers so far are Christy Ring & Nicky Rackard

Yop (Wexford) - Posts: 362 - 23/07/2009 10:08:14    357920

i always thought eoin kelly was better than DJ. he seemed to get away with alot of steps everyday day.

as for the greatest - has to be Syd from Birr

Rhodejim (Offaly) - Posts: 2888 - 23/07/2009 10:12:08    357927

Why bring Canning in to this, I didn't.

gaillimh73 (Galway) - Posts: 669 - 23/07/2009 10:18:09    357940

It is a silly thread but its one that will reemerge again and again as long as people are talking about GAA who was the greatest. Different era's, different training regimes, different sliotars, different interpretations of rules. In Rings day it was quite normal for a defender to be given the job of splitting Ring. As a young boy with my Dad before the game I can still remember the tension as the word would spread around that so and so had been given the job of taking Ring out, and believe me it happened. My memories of Ring are with his head swathed in bandages blood seeping through and a cap still on his head and he playing like his life depended on it. Mind you he was still only in his mid forties at that stage. Great players will come and go and with all the modern advantages of science and training players of today may very well be of a higher standard then in previous era's. There is little doubt they are likely to be faster and fitter at any rate. However I have my memories of Ring, little cameos that will live with me forever, in my eyes there is no arguement the original Rock of Cloyne was the greatest there ever was or ever will be.

corkcelt (Cork) - Posts: 4388 - 23/07/2009 12:03:19    358123

Free-takers should never be considered in a greatest selection.

fredrickwood (Roscommon) - Posts: 2871 - 23/07/2009 13:15:59    358308

Christy Ring could do things with a hurl that DJ wouldn't even think of

dammon (Meath) - Posts: 1291 - 23/07/2009 13:45:33    358392

You cant and shouldnt compare different generations but Shefflin is the best i've seen.

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 23/07/2009 13:46:13    358394

Very hard to say who is best, different times, lets say they were masters of their generation.

Shearer (Louth) - Posts: 903 - 23/07/2009 13:47:41    358399

these video clips. ? are they extensive or just poor quality glimpses? how can most of us compare really.

voiceofreason (Mayo) - Posts: 588 - 23/07/2009 14:46:52    358550

I never saw Ring so am reliant on father and uncles and others and they all claim is was the best. Obviously had some sort of charisma that set him apart from others besides his hurling. Personally the most effective player I have seen has been Shefflin, probably to be rivalled by Canning, but the most exciting were DJ, Tony Doran, and a chap most of you will never have heard of, Joe Towell who hurled with Eoghan Ruadh and Dublin in the 70s. Some man to get a goal. Dotsie puts me in mind of him when he is on song.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 23/07/2009 14:50:06    358556

fathermurphy
County: Wexford
Posts: 42

357686 Supercat-You seem very bitter towards wexford,i think its time to forget 2004 the way we hit ye where it hurts in the last puck of the game,was better than any three in a row...
--------------------------------------
We never forget. Saying that i wouldnt swap one moment of luck for 3 in a row All-Irelands. Maybe thats why ye are where ye are.

SuperCats (Kilkenny) - Posts: 101 - 23/07/2009 17:27:03    358938

23/07/2009 10:03:49 Mick14 County: Limerick Posts: 311 357918 DJ was the most ever rated of all time. Great man to score 3-7 against Laois but could never produce it when he met greater teams. I could think of at least 30 hurlers that were better then him. 3 all irelands against Cork and he failed to score from play (correct me if im wrong). Great hurler but not as good as some people think. Shefflin is 10 times better. So is Ben O Connor, Eoin Kelly (Tipp), John Mullane, Seanie Leary, John Fenton, Ciaran Carey, Seanie MacMahon, Jamesie O Connor, Nicky English, Brian Lohan, Joe Dooley, Ray Cummins, JB Murphy, the list goes on.... You left me off that list. He scored against Cork in the 1992 final, his scores being thye major factor in winning. He didn't score in a few other finals, but his scores got them to the final. Now Nicky English, 2-12 against Antrim, 1-10 against a poor Wateford before they reappeared as a force, nothing against Sylvie or Hennessy, you could make a case. After 1999 we had the old "DJ can't do it in finals". In the next final, 2000, DJ won the match in the first ten minutes. I have just noticed you have JOE Dolley in that list. Please ignore this post.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 23/07/2009 18:16:13    359043

Patrique - anyone who knows their hurling would not consider DJ to be the best of all time. Simple as. Good hurler but not great enough to be mention in the same respect as Ring and some of the others i have mentioned. Tell me how it gets Kilkenny to finals by scoring 2-11 against poor defences. NEVER did it against teams like Cork or Tipp. FACT. If it wasn't for the auld free taking his average score rate would not be that impressive

Mick14 (Limerick) - Posts: 766 - 23/07/2009 19:56:12    359176

Mick, I already said that Ring will ALWAYS be the greatest, and then probably Mackey, simply for impact. But Ben O'Connor, Seanie O'Leary, Joe Dooley, Jamsie O'Connor, well anyone who really knows about hurling would tell you Winker Watson of Loughiel is a better player than some of them, let alone DJ. In 2002 DJ made a comeback. Great semi against Tipp. Very close until DJ made one run, set up the goal, game over. DJ's best years were against the real powers at the time, who were not Tipp or Cork. His record against Clare, Galway and Limerick is excellent, and as an old man he was part of a Kilkenny side that destroyed Tipp in 2003. Wonderful [player. Liam Griffin reckons DJ is the best he saw, so do I.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 23/07/2009 21:38:48    359284

SHEFLIN,CANNING,KELLY,ENGLISH ETC..-they were and are all very good hurlers but somtimes boring,carey was exciting you didnt know what he was gonna do next..his goal against antrim proved that the man was a genious..been a wexford man i hate saying it but its the truth...

fathermurphy (Wexford) - Posts: 330 - 23/07/2009 22:01:45    359328

Sparrow O'Loughlin, Fingers O'Connell, Ollie Baker and Eammon Taaffe would all have to be on the shortlist.

Loyal2TheRoyal (Meath) - Posts: 4522 - 23/07/2009 22:59:30    359441

it was different hurlin back then!!much tougher..ring by a country mile

lowerormond (Tipperary) - Posts: 1267 - 23/07/2009 23:09:03    359465

DJ anyone whos says bad about him knows nothing about hurling as for comparing him and ring i dont think we can different times and different styles of hurling as for my favourite player i have many joe cooney , george o connor , john twomey ,pat delaney and the ever skillful brendan lynskey

hipster (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 23/07/2009 23:48:29    359528

hard to say how good ring was , but best of his generation, going on what people who saw him say. now watching county hurling since 79 no one compares to the DODGER Carey. People that just follow all-ireland stat books will say he was average, same people that watch one game all year. DJ Carey greatest i've ever seen!

richiescats (USA) - Posts: 420 - 24/07/2009 01:45:54    359589