Frank Cummins
Encyclopedia
Frank Cummins is a retired Irish
sportsperson. He played hurling
at various times with his local clubs Knocktopher in Kilkenny and Blackrock
in Cork. Cummins was also a member of the Kilkenny
senior inter-county team from the 1968 until 1984. He is widely regarded as one of Kilkenny’s greatest-ever players.
Cummins's status as one of the all-time greats is self-evident. He was a member of the great Kilkenny team of the 1970s and, in a senior inter-county career that lasted for sixteen years, he won seven All-Ireland
titles, nine Leinster
titles, three National Hurling League
titles and six Railway Cup titles with Leinster
.
Cummins has also been the recipient of many awards and honours off the field. In 1983, at the age of thirty-six, his hurling prowess earned him the prestigious Texaco Hurler of the Year
award. He was later honoured in 2000 when he was named, by popular opinion, in his usual midfield position as a member of the greatest Kilkenny team of all-time.
, County Kilkenny
in 1947. He was educated locally at Stoneyford national school where he first started playing hurling
at the age of five. He later attended Belcamp College in Dublin where he played both hurling and football
. The football team reached the All-Ireland Colleges final in 1965, however, Cummins’ side lost out.
. It was with ‘the Rockies’ that Cummins enjoyed huge success throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He won his first senior county title
in 1971 before later winning his first Munster
club title that same year. Blackrock later defeated Rathnure
in the club championship decider, giving Cummins his first All-Ireland
club title.
In 1973 he won a second county title before later adding a second Munster club title to his collection. Once again Rathnure fell to Blackrock in the final of the competition, giving Cummins a second All-Ireland club medal. Two years later in 1975 he won a third county medal before adding a third Munster title to his collection. Blackrock, however, were later defeated by Kilkenny’s James Stephens
club in the All-Ireland final. Cummins captured a fourth county title in 1978 and, once again, this was later converted into a fourth Munster club medal. Ballyhale Shamrocks
, the club from Cummins’ former parish in his native Kilkenny, provided the opposition, however, it was Blackrock who emerged on top giving Cummins a third All-Ireland club medal. The following year he won a fifth county title before adding a fifth Munster club medal to his collection. Blackrock were later defeated in the All-Ireland semi-final. It was the end of Cummins’ All-Ireland club success, however, he did win a sixth county title in 1985.
minor hurling team in the early 1960s. He had little success at this level and later moved onto the county’s under-21 team. Here he won a Leinster
title in 1968, however, Kilkenny were later defeated by Cork in the All-Ireland final.
By this stage he had already joined the Kilkenny senior hurling team, making his debut in an Oireachtas game in 1966. The following year he was a non-playing substitute as Kilkenny captured both Leinster and All-Ireland honours, however, it wasn’t until 1969 that Cummins found a regular place on the team at midfield. That year he missed 'the Cats' Leinster final triumph over Offaly
, however, he later lined out in his first All-Ireland final appearance. Cork faced Kilkenny in that game and revenge for the defeat in 1966 was foremost in the minds of the Kilkenny team. For a while it looked as if the Leesiders would triumph over their great rivals once again, however, five points from Kilkenny in the last seven minutes gave the Noresiders the victory and gave Cummins a first All-Ireland
medal.
While Cummins had already captured a coveted All-Ireland medal the best was yet to come for the Kilkenny team in the 1970s. 1971 saw Cummins capture a second provincial medal as Kilkenny began to assert their dominance over near rivals Wexford
. The Leinster champions subsequently played Tipperary
in the only eighty minute final between these great rivals. The game has gone down in All-Ireland final folklore for a number of reasons. As the first All-Ireland final to be broadcast by RTÉ
in colour, the nation saw Kilkenny’s Eddie Keher
score a remarkable 2 goals and 11 points and still end up on the losing side. The county’s ever-dependable goalkeeper, Ollie Walsh
, had a nightmare of a game in which he conceded five goals, one of which passed through his legs, while that year’s Hurler of the Year, Michael 'Babs' Keating, played out the closing stages of the game in his bare feet. After a thrilling game Tipp emerged the victors on a score line of 5-17 to 5-14. In spite of this defeat Cummins’ brialliance at midfield was recognised when he was named on the inaugural All-Stars
team.
In 1972 Cummins won a third Leinster title following a victory over Wexford in a replay of the provincial final. Once again, fierce rivals Cork provided the opposition in the All-Ireland final, a game which is often considered to be one of the greatest games of the modern era. Half-way through the second-half Cork were on form and stretched their lead to eight points. Drastic action was required for Kilkenny. One of the most abiding memories of that game is of Cummins collecting the sliothar in his own midfield area before making a magnificent solo-run all the way towards the Cork goal before firing a shot past goalkeeper Paddy Barry
. The goal levelled the score and gave Kilkenny the impetus to go on and win the match, giving Cummins a second All-Ireland medal.
In 1973 the Leinster Championship posed little difficulty for Kilkenny and Cummins collected a fourth provincial medal before making his fourth All-Ireland final appearance. For the first time since 1940 Kilkenny would play Limerick
in the championship decider. Cummins’ side, as the reigning champions, were credited as the favourites to win, however, a goal from Mossie Dowling
and a rampant attack spearheaded by Richie Bennis
saw victory go to Limerick on a score line of 1-21 to 1-14. Wexford were once again narrowly defeated by Kilkenny in the 1974 Leinster final, giving Cummins a fifth provincial title. In a repeat of the previous year Limerick provided the opposition, however, revenge was foremost in the minds of Kilkenny supporters. The Munster champions stormed to a five point lead in the first 11 minutes, however, a converted penalty by Eddie Keher, supplemented by two further goals gave Kilkenny a twelve-point win and gave Cummins a third All-Ireland medal. In 1975 Kilkenny defeated Wexford for the fifth consecutive year in the provincial final, giving Cummins a fifth Leinster medal in-a-row. It was his sixth Leinster title overall. Cummins later lined out in yet another All-Ireland final with surprise semi-final winners Galway
providing the opposition on this occasion. The men from the West led by three points at half-time, however, Eddie Keher’s huge tally of 2 goals and 7 points kept Galway at bay giving Kilkenny a 2-22 to 2-10 victory and giving Cummins a fourth All-Ireland medal. The following year he won his first National Hurling League
title, however, Wexford finally triumphed over their Leinster rivals in the provincial finals of 1976 and 1977. Kilkenny bounced back in 1978 with Cummins adding a seventh Leinster medal to his ever-growing collection. ‘The Cats’ later faced Cork in the All-Ireland final, however, Cummins’ ended up on the losing side that day as Cork completed the final leg ofa famous three-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles. The following year Cummins won an eighth Leinster title before lining out in his eighth All-Ireland final appearance. For the second time in five years Galway provided the opposition in the championship decider, however, Cummins’ collected a fifth winners’ medal that day as victory went to Kilkenny in the worst All-Ireland final of the decade.
Offaly
emerged as the new Leinster champions in 1980 and 1981, however, by 1982 Kilkenny were back with a bang. Cummins started the year by collecting his second National League medal before later winning a ninth Leinster title. Once again, the age-old rivals of Cork and Kilkenny squared up to each other in the championship decider. The game turned out to be a let-down as Cork were completely overpowered by Kilkenny on that occasion. The final score was 3-18 to 1-15, meaning that Cummins had captured a sixth All-Ireland medal. In 1983 he added a third National League medal to his collection before winning his tenth, and final, Leinster title. The subsequent All-Ireland final was a repeat of the previous year with the result remaining the same. Kilkenny defeated Cork once again, albeit in a much closer game. The victory gave Cummins a seventh All-Ireland medal, and a record eighth overall. It is a record he shares with John Doyle
and Christy Ring
, however, all of their medals were won on the field of play. In spite of this now other player except Cummin has won seven All-Ireland medals in one single position on the field of play. His performance in 1983 also earned him the prestigious Texaco Hurler of the Year
award. Wexford put an end to Kilkenny’s hopes of capturing a third All-Ireland title in-a-row in 1984, a defeat which lead to Cummins’ retirement from inter-county hurling.
hurling team in the Railway Cup inter-provincial competition. He first lined out with his province in 1970, however, Munster
emerged as the victors in the final on St. Patricks Day. In spite of this loss Cummins went on to collect five Railway Cup titles in-a-row in 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975. He won a sixth and final inter-provincial title in 1977.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
sportsperson. He played 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...
at various times with his local clubs Knocktopher in Kilkenny and Blackrock
Blackrock GAA
Blackrock National Hurling Club is a G.A.A. club located on the southside of Cork City, Ireland. The club was founded in 1883 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling.-History:...
in Cork. Cummins was also a member of the 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...
senior inter-county team from the 1968 until 1984. He is widely regarded as one of Kilkenny’s greatest-ever players.
Cummins's status as one of the all-time greats is self-evident. He was a member of the great Kilkenny team of the 1970s and, in a senior inter-county career that lasted for sixteen years, he won seven All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
titles, nine Leinster
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Leinster in Ireland....
titles, three 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...
titles and six Railway Cup titles with Leinster
Leinster GAA
The Leinster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County Board to help develop Gaelic Games in Europe...
.
Cummins has also been the recipient of many awards and honours off the field. In 1983, at the age of thirty-six, his hurling prowess earned him the prestigious Texaco Hurler of the Year
Texaco Hurler of the Year
The Texaco Hurler of the Year is a hurling award, created in 1958, that honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. The award is part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields are honoured....
award. He was later honoured in 2000 when he was named, by popular opinion, in his usual midfield position as a member of the greatest Kilkenny team of all-time.
Early life
Frank Cummins was born in KnocktopherKnocktopher
Knocktopher is a village in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is situated on the M9 between the villages of Stoneyford to the north, and Ballyhale to the south....
, County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...
in 1947. He was educated locally at Stoneyford national school where he first started playing 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...
at the age of five. He later attended Belcamp College in Dublin where he played both hurling and football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
. The football team reached the All-Ireland Colleges final in 1965, however, Cummins’ side lost out.
Club
Cummins first played hurling at junior level with his local club in Knocktopher, the forerunner to the famous Ballyhale Shamrocks club. He later moved to Cork where he joined the famous BlackrockBlackrock GAA
Blackrock National Hurling Club is a G.A.A. club located on the southside of Cork City, Ireland. The club was founded in 1883 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling.-History:...
. It was with ‘the Rockies’ that Cummins enjoyed huge success throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He won his first senior county title
Cork Senior Hurling Championship
The Evening Echo Cork County Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Cork County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in the county of Cork in Ireland....
in 1971 before later winning his first Munster
Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for the top hurling clubs in the province of Munster in Ireland...
club title that same year. Blackrock later defeated Rathnure
Rathnure GAA
Rathnure St. Anne’s is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Rathnure, County Wexford, Ireland. Rathnure's most famous players are the Rackards and Quigley brothers.-First AGM:...
in the club championship decider, giving Cummins his first All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge...
club title.
In 1973 he won a second county title before later adding a second Munster club title to his collection. Once again Rathnure fell to Blackrock in the final of the competition, giving Cummins a second All-Ireland club medal. Two years later in 1975 he won a third county medal before adding a third Munster title to his collection. Blackrock, however, were later defeated by Kilkenny’s James Stephens
James Stephens (GAA Club)
James Stephens is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1887 and has enjoyed equal success in both hurling and Gaelic football.-History:...
club in the All-Ireland final. Cummins captured a fourth county title in 1978 and, once again, this was later converted into a fourth Munster club medal. Ballyhale Shamrocks
Ballyhale Shamrocks GAA
Ballyhale Shamrocks is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parish of Ballyhale in County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1972 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling...
, the club from Cummins’ former parish in his native Kilkenny, provided the opposition, however, it was Blackrock who emerged on top giving Cummins a third All-Ireland club medal. The following year he won a fifth county title before adding a fifth Munster club medal to his collection. Blackrock were later defeated in the All-Ireland semi-final. It was the end of Cummins’ All-Ireland club success, however, he did win a sixth county title in 1985.
Inter-county
Cummins first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the 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...
minor hurling team in the early 1960s. He had little success at this level and later moved onto the county’s under-21 team. Here he won a Leinster
Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship
For the Senior equivalent see: Leinster Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe Leinster U-21 Hurling Championship or for sponsorship reasons the Erin Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship is an U-21 hurling tournament. The first tournament took place in 1964 when Wexford were crowned champions. Wexford...
title in 1968, however, Kilkenny were later defeated by Cork in the All-Ireland final.
By this stage he had already joined the Kilkenny senior hurling team, making his debut in an Oireachtas game in 1966. The following year he was a non-playing substitute as Kilkenny captured both Leinster and All-Ireland honours, however, it wasn’t until 1969 that Cummins found a regular place on the team at midfield. That year he missed 'the Cats' Leinster final triumph over Offaly
Offaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
, however, he later lined out in his first All-Ireland final appearance. Cork faced Kilkenny in that game and revenge for the defeat in 1966 was foremost in the minds of the Kilkenny team. For a while it looked as if the Leesiders would triumph over their great rivals once again, however, five points from Kilkenny in the last seven minutes gave the Noresiders the victory and gave Cummins a first All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
medal.
While Cummins had already captured a coveted All-Ireland medal the best was yet to come for the Kilkenny team in the 1970s. 1971 saw Cummins capture a second provincial medal as Kilkenny began to assert their dominance over near rivals Wexford
Wexford GAA
The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wexford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wexford. The county board is also responsible for the Wexford inter-county teams.-History:Hurling has been played in...
. The Leinster champions subsequently played Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
in the only eighty minute final between these great rivals. The game has gone down in All-Ireland final folklore for a number of reasons. As the first All-Ireland final to be broadcast by RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
in colour, the nation saw Kilkenny’s 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....
score a remarkable 2 goals and 11 points and still end up on the losing side. The county’s ever-dependable goalkeeper, 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...
, had a nightmare of a game in which he conceded five goals, one of which passed through his legs, while that year’s Hurler of the Year, Michael 'Babs' Keating, played out the closing stages of the game in his bare feet. After a thrilling game Tipp emerged the victors on a score line of 5-17 to 5-14. In spite of this defeat Cummins’ brialliance at midfield was recognised when he was named on the inaugural All-Stars
GAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
team.
In 1972 Cummins won a third Leinster title following a victory over Wexford in a replay of the provincial final. Once again, fierce rivals Cork provided the opposition in the All-Ireland final, a game which is often considered to be one of the greatest games of the modern era. Half-way through the second-half Cork were on form and stretched their lead to eight points. Drastic action was required for Kilkenny. One of the most abiding memories of that game is of Cummins collecting the sliothar in his own midfield area before making a magnificent solo-run all the way towards the Cork goal before firing a shot past 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....
. The goal levelled the score and gave Kilkenny the impetus to go on and win the match, giving Cummins a second All-Ireland medal.
In 1973 the Leinster Championship posed little difficulty for Kilkenny and Cummins collected a fourth provincial medal before making his fourth All-Ireland final appearance. For the first time since 1940 Kilkenny would play 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 championship decider. Cummins’ side, as the reigning champions, were credited as the favourites to win, however, a goal from Mossie Dowling
Mossie Dowling
Mossie Dowling is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Kilmallock and with the Limerick senior inter-county team in the 1970s.-References:...
and a rampant attack spearheaded by Richie Bennis
Richie Bennis
Richie Bennis is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Patrickswell and with the Limerick senior inter-county in the 1960s and 1970s. Bennis later served as manager of the Limerick senior team from 2006 until 2008.As a player Bennis was involved...
saw victory go to Limerick on a score line of 1-21 to 1-14. Wexford were once again narrowly defeated by Kilkenny in the 1974 Leinster final, giving Cummins a fifth provincial title. In a repeat of the previous year Limerick provided the opposition, however, revenge was foremost in the minds of Kilkenny supporters. The Munster champions stormed to a five point lead in the first 11 minutes, however, a converted penalty by Eddie Keher, supplemented by two further goals gave Kilkenny a twelve-point win and gave Cummins a third All-Ireland medal. In 1975 Kilkenny defeated Wexford for the fifth consecutive year in the provincial final, giving Cummins a fifth Leinster medal in-a-row. It was his sixth Leinster title overall. Cummins later lined out in yet another All-Ireland final with surprise semi-final winners Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
providing the opposition on this occasion. The men from the West led by three points at half-time, however, Eddie Keher’s huge tally of 2 goals and 7 points kept Galway at bay giving Kilkenny a 2-22 to 2-10 victory and giving Cummins a fourth All-Ireland medal. The following year he won his first 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...
title, however, Wexford finally triumphed over their Leinster rivals in the provincial finals of 1976 and 1977. Kilkenny bounced back in 1978 with Cummins adding a seventh Leinster medal to his ever-growing collection. ‘The Cats’ later faced Cork in the All-Ireland final, however, Cummins’ ended up on the losing side that day as Cork completed the final leg ofa famous three-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles. The following year Cummins won an eighth Leinster title before lining out in his eighth All-Ireland final appearance. For the second time in five years Galway provided the opposition in the championship decider, however, Cummins’ collected a fifth winners’ medal that day as victory went to Kilkenny in the worst All-Ireland final of the decade.
Offaly
Offaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
emerged as the new Leinster champions in 1980 and 1981, however, by 1982 Kilkenny were back with a bang. Cummins started the year by collecting his second National League medal before later winning a ninth Leinster title. Once again, the age-old rivals of Cork and Kilkenny squared up to each other in the championship decider. The game turned out to be a let-down as Cork were completely overpowered by Kilkenny on that occasion. The final score was 3-18 to 1-15, meaning that Cummins had captured a sixth All-Ireland medal. In 1983 he added a third National League medal to his collection before winning his tenth, and final, Leinster title. The subsequent All-Ireland final was a repeat of the previous year with the result remaining the same. Kilkenny defeated Cork once again, albeit in a much closer game. The victory gave Cummins a seventh All-Ireland medal, and a record eighth overall. It is a record he shares with John Doyle
John Doyle (hurler)
John Doyle was an Irish sportsperson and politician, hailed as one of the best defenders in hurling and his county's most iconic player upon his death. He played hurling with his local Holycross-Ballycahill club from the 1940s until the 1970s and was a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county...
and Christy Ring
Christy Ring
Nicholas Christopher Michael Ring , better known as Christy Ring, was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the Glen Rovers club from 1941 until 1967 and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1939 until 1963. Ring is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in...
, however, all of their medals were won on the field of play. In spite of this now other player except Cummin has won seven All-Ireland medals in one single position on the field of play. His performance in 1983 also earned him the prestigious Texaco Hurler of the Year
Texaco Hurler of the Year
The Texaco Hurler of the Year is a hurling award, created in 1958, that honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. The award is part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields are honoured....
award. Wexford put an end to Kilkenny’s hopes of capturing a third All-Ireland title in-a-row in 1984, a defeat which lead to Cummins’ retirement from inter-county hurling.
Province
Cummins was also a regular player with the LeinsterLeinster GAA
The Leinster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County Board to help develop Gaelic Games in Europe...
hurling team in the Railway Cup inter-provincial competition. He first lined out with his province in 1970, however, Munster
Munster GAA
The Munster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Munster.-Constituent counties:*Cork*Clare*Kerry*Limerick*Tipperary*Waterford-Honours:...
emerged as the victors in the final on St. Patricks Day. In spite of this loss Cummins went on to collect five Railway Cup titles in-a-row in 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975. He won a sixth and final inter-provincial title in 1977.
Sources
- Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists (2005)
- Donegan, Des, The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games (2005)