1969 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final
Encyclopedia
The 1969 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final was the 82nd All-Ireland Final and the culmination of the 1969 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
, an inter-county hurling
tournament for the top teams in Ireland
. The match was held at Croke Park
, Dublin. The match was contested by 1966 winners Cork and 1967 winners Kilkenny
, and it was refereed by Seán O'Connor from Limerick
.
in a championship decider. Kilkenny held the balance of power in all previous meetings between the two, having recorded six All-Ireland victories to Cork's five. Cork, however, also defeated Kilkenny in the 1903 All-Ireland 'home' final before putting London
to the sword in the 'proper' final. Both sides last met in the All-Ireland final of 1966 when Cork recorded their first championship victory over Kilkenny in twenty years. Kilkenny enjoyed a reasonably successful period in the mid-sixties, claiming championship titles in 1963 and 1967, while being runners-up in 1964 and 1966. Cork's sole All-Ireland title of the decade came in 1966, a full twelve years after their previous All-Ireland triumph.
Cork's triumph in 1966 allowed them to claim their 20th All-Ireland title, leaving them one behind Tipperary in the all-time roll of honour. A victory for Cork on this occasion would put them level with Tipp, while a victory for Kilkenny would give them their 17th All-Ireland title and and would narrow the gap between them and the other two big teams in hurling's trinity.
in 1967. Thirty-four-year-old O'Connor, an aircraft mechanic with Aer Lingus
, won recognition for his efficient refereeing in National Hurling League
and provincial championship games over the previous couple of seasons. He entered the short-list for All-Ireland honours following his handling of the Munster final. O'Connor was an inter-county hurler in his own right with Limerick
in the late 1950s and early 1960s and was a dual
county medalist with his club Claughaun
.
O'Connor's umpires for the final were Jimmy Duggan (Galway), Jimmy Hatton
(Wicklow), Jim Kirk (Armagh) and Noel Dalton (Waterford). Hatton was a dual player with Wicklow
in the 1950s and was a distinguished referee in his own right, having taken charge of both All-Ireland deciders in 1966.
took advantage of a collision between Ray Cummins
and Pa Dillon
and sent the ball into the net for the first goal of the day. Less than two minutes later Kilkenny responded when Eddie Keher
split the posts from a free. What followed over the next fifteen minutes was a series of tit-for-tat scores between both teams. Pat Hegarty
from play, Martin Coogan
from a 70-yards free, Charlie McCarthy from two frees and Eddie Keher from two frees resulted in Cork leading by a goal. After eighteen minutes of play Cork scored a second goal as Pat Hegarty shoots past Kilkenny 'keeper Ollie Walsh
. Kilkenny responded immediately with a point from Tommy Murphy, however, this was cancelled out three minutes later when Eddie O'Brien
got his name on the scoresheet with a point. Charlie McCarthy heaped more misery on Kilkenny when he tapped over two more points to give Cork a considerable lead. Mick Lawler
started the Kilkenny revival with a point before Martin Brennan
exploited a mistake by Cork goalkeeper Paddy Barry
and goaled for Kilkenny on the stroke of half-time. That goal put some respectability on the score line, however, Cork were still a goal to the good.
scored Kilkenny's second goal and the comeback was on. Keher pointed a free five minutes later to leve the sides for the first time. Charlie McCarthy quickly restored Cork's lead when he pointed from a free also. The final quarter of the match was all Kilkenny. Martin Coogan pointed another 70-yards free to level the scores again before a spectacular Pat Kavanagh
point gave Kilkenny the lead for the first time. Martin Brennan stretched the lead to two points before Charlie McCarthy reduced the deficit to a single score when he pointed a free. This was the closest Cork came to victory as 'the Cats' dominated the final seven minutes. Martin Coogan landed a long-range free before Paddy Moran
did likewise. The final three scores of the day came from the Kilkenny captain, Eddie Keher, with two coming from frees and one from play.
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1969
-Scoring:*Hat-trick heroes:**First hat-trick of the championship: Charlie McCarthy for Cork against Clare **Second hat-trick of the championship: Paddy Molloy for Offaly against Laois...
, an inter-county hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
tournament for the top teams in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The match was held at Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
, Dublin. The match was contested by 1966 winners Cork and 1967 winners Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
, and it was refereed by Seán O'Connor from Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
.
Background
The All-Ireland final was the eleventh meeting of Cork and KilkennyKilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
in a championship decider. Kilkenny held the balance of power in all previous meetings between the two, having recorded six All-Ireland victories to Cork's five. Cork, however, also defeated Kilkenny in the 1903 All-Ireland 'home' final before putting London
London GAA
The London County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or London GAA is one of the county boards outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in London...
to the sword in the 'proper' final. Both sides last met in the All-Ireland final of 1966 when Cork recorded their first championship victory over Kilkenny in twenty years. Kilkenny enjoyed a reasonably successful period in the mid-sixties, claiming championship titles in 1963 and 1967, while being runners-up in 1964 and 1966. Cork's sole All-Ireland title of the decade came in 1966, a full twelve years after their previous All-Ireland triumph.
Cork's triumph in 1966 allowed them to claim their 20th All-Ireland title, leaving them one behind Tipperary in the all-time roll of honour. A victory for Cork on this occasion would put them level with Tipp, while a victory for Kilkenny would give them their 17th All-Ireland title and and would narrow the gap between them and the other two big teams in hurling's trinity.
Referee
Limerick's Seán O'Connor was named as the referee for the 1969 All-Ireland final on 2 September 1969. His only experience in a national senior decider was the Oireachtas final between Kilkenny and ClareClare GAA
The Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. The county board is also responsible for the Clare inter-county teams....
in 1967. Thirty-four-year-old O'Connor, an aircraft mechanic with Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...
, won recognition for his efficient refereeing in National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
and provincial championship games over the previous couple of seasons. He entered the short-list for All-Ireland honours following his handling of the Munster final. O'Connor was an inter-county hurler in his own right with Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
in the late 1950s and early 1960s and was a dual
Dual player
Dual player or dual star is a term used in Gaelic games to describe a player who plays both Men's Gaelic football and Hurling or Ladies' Gaelic football and Camogie. The player doesn't necessarily have to play at the same standard in both sports...
county medalist with his club Claughaun
Claughaun GAA
Claughaun GAA Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in St. Brigid's parish on the southside of Limerick City, Ireland. The club was founded in 1902, and boasts one of the proudest of traditions of success within Limerick GAA. Claughaun have won the Limerick Senior Hurling Championship...
.
O'Connor's umpires for the final were Jimmy Duggan (Galway), Jimmy Hatton
Jimmy Hatton
Jimmy Hatton is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling and Gaelic football with his local club Kilcoole and was a member of both the Wicklow senior inter-county teams in the 1950s and 1960s...
(Wicklow), Jim Kirk (Armagh) and Noel Dalton (Waterford). Hatton was a dual player with Wicklow
Wicklow GAA
The Wicklow County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wicklow GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wicklow...
in the 1950s and was a distinguished referee in his own right, having taken charge of both All-Ireland deciders in 1966.
'The blood and bandage'
The All-Ireland final marked a special anniversary for the Cork hurling team. It was the golden jubilee of the first appearance in an All-Ireland decider of Cork's famed red and white colours of the county teams.First half
Cork lived up to the favourites tag when, after just two minutes of play, Charlie McCarthyCharlie McCarthy (hurler)
Charlie McCarthy is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club St. Finbarr's and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1965 until 1980. McCarthy captained Cork to a third consecutive All-Ireland title in 1978.-Biography:Charlie McCarthy was born in Cork in 1946...
took advantage of a collision between Ray Cummins
Ray Cummins
Ray Cummins is a retired Irish sportsperson. A dual player at the highest levels, he played hurling with his local club Blackrock and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1969 until 1982. Cummins also played Gaelic football with his local club St...
and Pa Dillon
Pa Dillon
Pa Dillon is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club St. Lachtain's and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1964 until 1972. Dillon is regarded as one of Kilkenny's greatest-ever players.-Club:Dillon played his club hurling with the St...
and sent the ball into the net for the first goal of the day. Less than two minutes later Kilkenny responded when Eddie Keher
Eddie Keher
Edward Peter Keher , better known as Eddie Keher, is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the game....
split the posts from a free. What followed over the next fifteen minutes was a series of tit-for-tat scores between both teams. Pat Hegarty
Pat Hegarty
Pat Hegarty is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Youghal and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1969 until 1975.-Club:...
from play, Martin Coogan
Martin Coogan
Martin Coogan is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Castlecomer and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1961 until 1973.-Inter-county:...
from a 70-yards free, Charlie McCarthy from two frees and Eddie Keher from two frees resulted in Cork leading by a goal. After eighteen minutes of play Cork scored a second goal as Pat Hegarty shoots past Kilkenny 'keeper Ollie Walsh
Ollie Walsh
Patrick Oliver Walsh , better known as Ollie Walsh, was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1956 until 1972 and subsequently served as manager of the team from 1990 until 1995...
. Kilkenny responded immediately with a point from Tommy Murphy, however, this was cancelled out three minutes later when Eddie O'Brien
Eddie O'Brien (hurler)
Eddie O'Brien is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Passage and with the Cork senior inter-county team in the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
got his name on the scoresheet with a point. Charlie McCarthy heaped more misery on Kilkenny when he tapped over two more points to give Cork a considerable lead. Mick Lawler
Mick Lawler
Mick Lawler is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Coon. He played mid field in their victory in the 1967 Junior County final against Knocktopher. This was the first hurling title ever for that club. He was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1969...
started the Kilkenny revival with a point before Martin Brennan
Martin Brennan (hurler)
Martin Brennan is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Erin's Own and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 19678 until 1969.-References:...
exploited a mistake by Cork goalkeeper Paddy Barry
Paddy Barry (St. Vincent's)
Paddy Barry is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club St. Vincent's and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1962 until 1974. Barry captained Cork to the All-Ireland title in 1970....
and goaled for Kilkenny on the stroke of half-time. That goal put some respectability on the score line, however, Cork were still a goal to the good.
Second half
Cork started the second-half where they left off when Charlie McCarthy converted a free after a minute. Five minutes into the second period Joe MilleaJoe Millea
Joe Millea is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Graigue-Ballycallan and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1969 until 1970. He won an All-Ireland in 1969.-References:...
scored Kilkenny's second goal and the comeback was on. Keher pointed a free five minutes later to leve the sides for the first time. Charlie McCarthy quickly restored Cork's lead when he pointed from a free also. The final quarter of the match was all Kilkenny. Martin Coogan pointed another 70-yards free to level the scores again before a spectacular Pat Kavanagh
Pat Kavanagh (hurler)
Pat Kavanagh is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Rower-Inistioge and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from the 1960s until the 1970s. With Kilkenny Kavanagh won an All-Ireland title in 1969....
point gave Kilkenny the lead for the first time. Martin Brennan stretched the lead to two points before Charlie McCarthy reduced the deficit to a single score when he pointed a free. This was the closest Cork came to victory as 'the Cats' dominated the final seven minutes. Martin Coogan landed a long-range free before Paddy Moran
Paddy Moran (hurler)
Paddy Moran is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Bennettsbridge and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1963 until 1972.-Early life:...
did likewise. The final three scores of the day came from the Kilkenny captain, Eddie Keher, with two coming from frees and one from play.