Waterford GAA has been plunged into mourning following the death of Tom Cheasty, who is widely regarded as one of the county's finest ever hurlers. One of the greatest centre half forwards ever to play the game, Tom was a star of the last Waterford team to win an All-Ireland SHC title in 1959, and he also played in the 1957 and '63 deciders, both of which the Deise lost to neighbours Kilkenny. Cheasty won Munster SHC medals in 1957, '59 and '63, and also picked up a National League medal in the latter year. He also helped Waterford to an Oireachtas victory in 1962 and won five Railway Cups with Munster, when he lined out alongside such legendary figures as Christy Ring (Cork) and Jimmy Doyle (Tipperary). Aged 73, Cheasty played his club hurling with Ballyduff-Portlaw and, surprisingly, he enjoyed most of his club success after his inter-county career had ended. He won five county SHC medals, the first in 1970 and the last in 1977 at the age of 43. Cheasty first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Waterford minor hurling and football teams in 1954. He made his senior hurling debut in unusual circumstances - while attending a NHL game against Kilkenny he was plucked from the crowd and thrust into action due to a shortage of players in the Waterford team. He made an impressive senior championship debut for the Deise in their 1956 Munster first round defeat to Cork, but Waterford bounced back the following year to win Munster, only to lose the All-Ireland final to Kilkenny. Waterford regained the Munster title in 1959 before going on to beat the Cats in the All-Ireland final after a replay. A key factor in Waterford's replay win was Cheasty's two-goal haul. In early 1963, Tom was controversially suspended for six months by the GAA for attending a function organised by a soccer club. He was not allowed to travel to New York for the second leg of Waterford's Oirechtas Cup final against the Exiles, but the ban ended in time for him to win a third Munster medal and line out in a third All-Ireland final. Kilkenny were the victors on that occasion, and while Waterford had some memorable victories in the years that followed, they failed to win major honours and Cheasty retired from inter-county hurling after breaking his finger in a Munster championship game against Cork. A minute's silence will be observed in Tom's memory before Sunday's All-Ireland hurling semi-final between Waterford and Limerick at Croke Park. Tweet

Most Read Stories