Jimmy Doyle
Encyclopedia
James 'Jimmy' Doyle is a retired Irish
hurling
manager
and former player. He played hurling with the famous Thurles Sarsfields
club from 1956 until 1975 and was a member of the Tipperary
senior inter-county team from 1957 until 1973. Doyle is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in the history of the game.
Doyle’s status as one of the all-time greats is self-evident. In a senior inter-county career that lasted for sixteen years he won six All-Ireland
titles, nine Munster
titles, seven National Hurling League
titles and eight Railway Cup titles with Munster
. His tally of 18 goals and 176 points from 39 championship games marks him out as one of the top ten scorers of all-time. Doyle was Tipperary’s all-time top scorer until 2007 when his record was surpassed by Eoin Kelly
. In retirement from playing he took charge of the Laois
senior hurling team, however, he enjoyed little success as a manager.
Doyle has also been the recipient of many awards and honours off the field. In 1965 his hurling prowess earned him the prestigious Texaco Hurler of the Year
award. He was later honoured in 1984 when he was named, by popular opinion, in the right corner-forward position on the GAA Hurling Team of the Century
. He was named in the left corner-forward position on the GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
in 1999.
Doyle has been described as perhaps the greatest stylist among Munster hurling forwards. Although lacking the physical strength of Mick Mackey
or the amazing burst of speed that Christy Ring
had, Doyle became renowned for his skill and for the delicacy of his touch. No matter what speed the sliothar came to him he was able to kill it stone dead or double on it first time with precision. His ability to curve a ball, a skill more associated with Brazilian soccer players, also set him apart from other forwards as a supreme hurling artist.
, County Tipperary
in 1939. Growing up just around the corner from Thurles Sportsfield, one of the premier venues for Munster hurlers and now known as Semple Stadium
, his family had a strong association with the game of hurling
. Doyle's father Gerry, a shoe repairer by trade, had been the substitute goalkeeper on the Tipperary
's team that won the 1937 and 1945 All-Ireland
titles. His uncle was the famous Tommy Doyle
, winner of five All-Ireland medals with Tipperary in the 1940s and 1950s.
Doyle was educated locally at the Christian Brothers
school in Thurles; however, he had few academic leanings and virtually no interest in school. His mother would do his homework for him while Doyle practiced his hurling skills with his sheepdog in the shadow of the famous Thurles Sportsfield. It was with his dog that Doyle learned the basic skills of hurling and, in particular, the need to control the sliotar. It was with Thurles CBS that Doyle first tasted success as a hurler, winning their first Dr. Harty Cup
in 1956.
with the famous Thurles Sarsfields
club and enjoyed much success. He began playing with the club at minor level in the early 1950s. It was a hugely successful period that resulted in four consecutive minor county titles for Doyle in 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1957. Even while he was still a member of the minor team Doyle earned a call-up to the Thurles senior team. He won his first senior county title
in 1956 at the age of 17 and added three more in succession in 1957, 1958 and 1959. Much more success followed throughout the 1960s as Doyle was a key member of the team that won five county titles in a row between 1961 and 1965. He also won a county football title with Thurles Crokes in 1960. Doyle captured his tenth and last senior county winners' medal with ‘the Blues’ in 1974. Doyle retired from club hurling in 1975.Doyle always said Sean Kelly was his toughest opponent. The Kickhams man was constant thorn in his side.
minor hurling team in the early 1950s. He started out as the goalkeeper on the team at the young age of fourteen; however, he admitted later that he always hated playing in goal. He won a Munster
medal with Tipp in his first year on the team in 1954 before later lining out in his first All-Ireland final. Dublin
provided the opposition on that occasion and went on to win the game by 2-7 to 2-3.
It was after this defeat that Doyle hinted that he wanted to be moved from the position of goalkeeper to his more favoured position in the forward line. His wish was granted and he won a second consecutive Munster title in 1955 as a wing-forward. Doyle later appeared in a second All-Ireland final. This time it was Galway
who provided the opposition. Doyle's move to the forward line was a worthwhile venture as he scored a remarkable two goals and eight points. Tipp won the game by 5-15 to 2-5 giving Doyle a coveted All-Ireland
medal.
In 1956 Doyle collected a third successive Munster title at minor level before later lining out in a third successive All-Ireland final. Kilkenny
fell heavily to Tipp on that occasion as Doyle collected a second All-Ireland medal after scoring 2 goals and 3 points in the 4-16 to 1-5 victory.
In 1957 Doyle was appointed captain of the Tipperary minor team and guided his team to a fourth Munster winners' medal in-a-row. Once again he later played in the All-Ireland final, this time as leader of his county. Kilkenny were the opponents once again, however, on this occasion the game was much closer. In spite of this Tipp still won the game by 4-7 to 3-7, thanks to one goal and three points by Doyle. It was his third successive All-Ireland medal and his last year as a minor. His record of appearing in four All-Ireland minor finals in a row is one which may never be equaled.
medal at the start of 1957, before making his Munster Championship
debut against Cork in the provincial semi-final. Tipp lost that day, however, the following year Doyle won his first Munster title as the men from the Premier County powered past Waterford
, the reigning provincial champions. He subsequently lined out in Croke Park
in his first All-Ireland final, however, a Galway
side who received a bye into the final provided little opposition for a Tipp team who scored four goals against the wind in the first-half. A 4-9 to 2-5 victory for Tipperary meant that Doyle had captured his first All-Ireland
medal at senior level. He also ended the season as the top scorer in the championship, having scored 2 goals and 23 points.
Tipperary lost their National League, Munster and All-Ireland crowns in 1959, however, the team signalled their intent in 1960 by capturing the National League title, Doyle’s second victory in that competition. He later captured a second Munster title as Tipp defeated Cork in what has been described as the toughest game of hurling ever played. Doyle played a huge role in that game and ended up with 1-8 to his credit. This victory allowed Tipperary to advance directly to an All-Ireland final meeting with Wexford
. A certain amount of over-confidence was obvious in the Tipperary camp, particularly in trainer Phil Purcell
’s comment that no player was capable of marking Jimmy Doyle. It seemed that Purcell had tempted fate as John Nolan thwarted Doyle at every turn in the final. The game ended in remarkable circumstances as the crowd invaded the pitch with a minute to go, mistaking the referee’s whistle for the end of the game. When the crowd were finally moved off the pitch Tipperary continued playing with only twelve men, however, Wexford won the game on a score line of 2-15 to 0-11. In spite of this loss Doyle still ended the season as the championship’s top scorer.
1961 saw Doyle collect a third National League medal before Tipperary lined out against Cork in the Munster final at the Gaelic Grounds
in Limerick
. It was the end of an era of epoch-making games between the two sides. An official attendance of 62,175 was the biggest ever recorded at a sporting event outside of Croke Park
. It has been estimated that up to 70,000 people witnessed the game as the gates were thrown open shortly before the match started due to the size of the crowd. The game itself ended in a victory for Tipperary, with Doyle scoring two goals in the first-half, thus giving him a third provincial medal. During the course of the game, however, Doyle sustained a serious injury but played on. It wasn’t until he was x-rayed in Limerick that he discovered that his ankle was fractured in two places. There were no All-Ireland semi-finals at the time but he still faced a battle to be fit for the clash with Dublin
in the final. A series of pain-killing injections before the All-Ireland final, and again at half-time, enabled him to take his place on the team and he finished with a total of 9 points in Tipp’s dramatic one point win over the Metropolitans. It was Doyle’s second All-Ireland victory and, unsurprisingly, he finished the championship as the top scorer.
In 1962 Tipperary defeated all before them in the Munster Championship yet again, giving Doyle, who was captain of the team for the year, his fourth provincial title. Tipp’s nemesis of two year’s earlier, Wexford, waited in Croke Park to test them once again in the subsequent All-Ireland final. Wexford, however, were not the force of old and the side got off to possibly the worst start ever by a team in a championship decider. After just ninety seconds the Leinster champions were down by 2 goals, however, the game turned out to be much closer than people expected. Tipp eventually secured the win on a score line of 3-10 to 2-11, giving Doyle the honour of climbing the steps of the Hogan Stand to collect the Liam McCarthy Cup
and a third All-Ireland medal. For the third year in-a-row he also ended the campaign as the championship’s top scorer.
Tipp lost the 1963 Munster final to Waterford in one of the biggest hurling shocks of the decade. The team bounced back in 1964 with Doyle collecting a fifth National League medal. Tipp later cantered casually past Cork in the provincial decider, giving Doyle a fifth Munster title. Kilkenny, the reigning All-Ireland champions and staunch local rivals of Tipp, provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final and were installed as the firm favourites. Doyle had other ideas, however, as he scored 10 points and set up Seán McLoughlin
for a goal. Tipperary’s fourteen-point winning margin, 5-13 to 2-8, was the biggest All-Ireland final win since Tipperary had overwhelmed Laois
in the 1949 decider. Once again Doyle finished as the championship’s top scorer.
In 1965 Doyle was captain of Tipperary for a second time. That year he won a sixth National League medal before Tipp demolished all opposition in the provincial championship giving him a sixth Munster title. Wexford were Tipp’s opponents in the All-Ireland final, however, the game failed to live up to the two classic games between the two sides in 1960 and 1962. Victory went to Tipp on that occasion with Doyle collecting the Liam McCarthy Cup for a second time as well as a fifth All-Ireland medal. Doyle was also presented with the prestigious Texaco Hurler of the Year
award.
Tipp lost their provincial and All-Ireland crowns in spectacular fashion at the first hurdle in 1966 when a young Limerick
team took them by surprise. The team bounced back in 1967 with Doyle collecting a seventh Munster title. By this stage, however, Tipp’s pool of players was ageing and the county’s hurling fortunes were in decline. Kilkenny provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final and provided more than a match for Tipperary. Goals from Paddy Moran
, Martin Brennan
and Tom Walsh laid to rest a bogey that Tipperary had over Kilkenny since 1922.
Tipp crushed Cork in the provincial final again in 1968, giving Doyle his eighth Munster title. For the fourth time that decade Tipperary faced Wexford in the championship decider, however, the Munster champions were now in terminal decline and surrendered an eight-point lead at half-time giving Wexford a 5-8 to 3-12 victory.
By 1971 Doyle’s career was drawing to a close. The back trouble that had dogged him throughout his life was taking its toll. Doyle was only a substitute for that year’s championship, however, he started for the Munster final. Tipp defeated Limerick that day with Doyle collecting a ninth provincial medal. Kilkenny provided the opposition against Tipperary in that year’s All-Ireland final. Doyle was only listed as a substitute again, however, he came on for the last ten minutes of the game, ensuring that he won his sixth All-Ireland medal on the field of play. In the All-Ireland final to be broadcast in colour by Telfis Éireann
, Tipp won on a score line of 5-17 to 5-14. Doyle continued to play for Tipperary for the next two years but time was now running out. Broken fingers, ankles, knuckles, collar bones and premature arthritis meant that he was no longer able to command an automatic place on the team.
In 1973 the regular Tipperary goalkeeper, Tadgh Murphy, was forced to emigrate to England
. With no other goalkeeper available Doyle was asked to play in goal. Although reluctant he lined out between the posts in the Munster championship victories over Waterford and Cork. Murphy returned for the Munster final against Limerick and Doyle was dropped to the substitutes' bench. Tipp lost the game and Doyle retired from inter-county hurling shortly afterwards.
in the inter-provincial hurling championship where he played alongside his championship rivals Christy Ring
, Tom Cheasty
and Jimmy Smyth
. He first played for his province in 1958 as Munster defeated Leinster
to take the Railway Cup title. It was the first of four Railway Cup titles in-a-row for Doyle and for Munster. After defeat by Leinster in 1962 Doyle was appointed captain of the side in 1963. After a replay a winner was found as Munster triumphed over Leinster. Three years later in 1966 Doyle was captain again as he collected a sixth winners' medal in the competition. He won his last two Railway Cup medals in 1969 and 1970 as Munster recorded respective victories over Connacht
and Leinster.
senior hurling team, however, he enjoyed little success as a coach.
After his playing days had ended Doyle also came to be regarded as one of the greatest players of all-time. His huge scoring records, coupled with his deadly accuracy meant that he was an automatic choice for a special Hurling Team of the Century
, picked in 1984 to mark the centenary year of the Gaelic Athletic Association
. In 1999 he was picked on the GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
, thus cementing his reputation as one of the greatest players of all-time.
On March 13, 2008 Doyle was profiled on the TG4
television programme Laochra Gael
.
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...
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...
manager
Manager (Gaelic games)
In Gaelic games, a manager or coach is an individual involved in the direction and instruction of the on-field operations of a team. Managing, or coaching, entails the application of sport tactics and strategies during the game itself, and usually entails substitution of players and other such...
and former player. He played hurling with the famous Thurles Sarsfields
Thurles Sarsfields GAA
Thurles Sarsfields is a Gaelic Athletic Association hurling club located in the town of Thurles in Tipperary, Ireland. The club was founded in 1881...
club from 1956 until 1975 and was a member of the 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...
senior inter-county team from 1957 until 1973. Doyle is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in the history of the game.
Doyle’s status as one of the all-time greats is self-evident. In a senior inter-county career that lasted for sixteen years he won six 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 Munster
Munster Senior Hurling Championship
The Munster 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 Munster in Ireland....
titles, seven 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 eight Railway Cup titles with 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:...
. His tally of 18 goals and 176 points from 39 championship games marks him out as one of the top ten scorers of all-time. Doyle was Tipperary’s all-time top scorer until 2007 when his record was surpassed by Eoin Kelly
Eoin Kelly (Tipperary hurler)
Eoin Kelly is an Irish hurler who plays as a forward for inter-county side Tipperary. He is the current captain and is his county's top championship scorer of all-time....
. In retirement from playing he took charge of the Laois
Laois GAA
The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois and the Laois inter-county teams.-History:...
senior hurling team, however, he enjoyed little success as a manager.
Doyle has also been the recipient of many awards and honours off the field. In 1965 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 1984 when he was named, by popular opinion, in the right corner-forward position on the GAA Hurling Team of the Century
GAA Hurling Team of the Century
The Hurling Team of the Century was chosen as part of the Gaelic Athletic Association's centenary year celebrations in 1984 to comprise, as a fifteen-member side divided as one goalkeeper, three half-backs, two midfielders, three half-forwardss and three full-forwards, the best hurling players of...
. He was named in the left corner-forward position on the GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
The GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium was announced by GAA President Seán McCague at a special dinner at Croke Park on 24 July 2000. The initiative was sponsored by An Post who issued special commemorative stamps of the Millennium team members. The team was chosen to comprise, as a...
in 1999.
Doyle has been described as perhaps the greatest stylist among Munster hurling forwards. Although lacking the physical strength of Mick Mackey
Mick Mackey
Michael ‘Mick’ Mackey was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the famous Ahane club from 1930 until 1948 and was a member of the Limerick senior inter-county team from 1930 until 1947. Mackey is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in the history of the game...
or the amazing burst of speed that 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...
had, Doyle became renowned for his skill and for the delicacy of his touch. No matter what speed the sliothar came to him he was able to kill it stone dead or double on it first time with precision. His ability to curve a ball, a skill more associated with Brazilian soccer players, also set him apart from other forwards as a supreme hurling artist.
Early life
Jimmy Doyle was born in ThurlesThurles
Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
in 1939. Growing up just around the corner from Thurles Sportsfield, one of the premier venues for Munster hurlers and now known as Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium, located in Thurles, North Tipperary, Ireland, is the home of hurling for Tipperary GAA and for the province of Munster. It is the second largest stadium in Ireland with a capacity of 53,500....
, his family had a strong association with the game of 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...
. Doyle's father Gerry, a shoe repairer by trade, had been the substitute goalkeeper on the 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...
's team that won the 1937 and 1945 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. His uncle was the famous Tommy Doyle
Tommy Doyle (hurler)
Tommy Doyle was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Thurles Sarsfields and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team from the 1930s until the 1950s. He is regarded as one of Tipperary’s greatest-ever hurlers.-Club:...
, winner of five All-Ireland medals with Tipperary in the 1940s and 1950s.
Doyle was educated locally at the Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
school in Thurles; however, he had few academic leanings and virtually no interest in school. His mother would do his homework for him while Doyle practiced his hurling skills with his sheepdog in the shadow of the famous Thurles Sportsfield. It was with his dog that Doyle learned the basic skills of hurling and, in particular, the need to control the sliotar. It was with Thurles CBS that Doyle first tasted success as a hurler, winning their first Dr. Harty Cup
Dr. Harty Cup
The Dr. Harty Cup is a hurling competition for schools in the province of Munster in Ireland. The cup is presented to the winners of the Munster Colleges Senior "A" Hurling Championship. Players have to be under the age of 19 to compete. The winning team represents Munster in the Dr. Croke Cup...
in 1956.
Club
Doyle played his club hurlingHurling
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...
with the famous Thurles Sarsfields
Thurles Sarsfields GAA
Thurles Sarsfields is a Gaelic Athletic Association hurling club located in the town of Thurles in Tipperary, Ireland. The club was founded in 1881...
club and enjoyed much success. He began playing with the club at minor level in the early 1950s. It was a hugely successful period that resulted in four consecutive minor county titles for Doyle in 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1957. Even while he was still a member of the minor team Doyle earned a call-up to the Thurles senior team. He won his first senior county title
Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship
The Tipperary Senior Hurling Club Championship is an annual club competition between the top Tipperary hurling clubs...
in 1956 at the age of 17 and added three more in succession in 1957, 1958 and 1959. Much more success followed throughout the 1960s as Doyle was a key member of the team that won five county titles in a row between 1961 and 1965. He also won a county football title with Thurles Crokes in 1960. Doyle captured his tenth and last senior county winners' medal with ‘the Blues’ in 1974. Doyle retired from club hurling in 1975.Doyle always said Sean Kelly was his toughest opponent. The Kickhams man was constant thorn in his side.
Minor
Doyle first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the TipperaryTipperary 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...
minor hurling team in the early 1950s. He started out as the goalkeeper on the team at the young age of fourteen; however, he admitted later that he always hated playing in goal. He won a Munster
Munster Minor Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for the youngest competitors in the province of Munster in Ireland...
medal with Tipp in his first year on the team in 1954 before later lining out in his first All-Ireland final. Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
provided the opposition on that occasion and went on to win the game by 2-7 to 2-3.
It was after this defeat that Doyle hinted that he wanted to be moved from the position of goalkeeper to his more favoured position in the forward line. His wish was granted and he won a second consecutive Munster title in 1955 as a wing-forward. Doyle later appeared in a second All-Ireland final. This time it was 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,...
who provided the opposition. Doyle's move to the forward line was a worthwhile venture as he scored a remarkable two goals and eight points. Tipp won the game by 5-15 to 2-5 giving Doyle a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
medal.
In 1956 Doyle collected a third successive Munster title at minor level before later lining out in a third successive All-Ireland final. 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...
fell heavily to Tipp on that occasion as Doyle collected a second All-Ireland medal after scoring 2 goals and 3 points in the 4-16 to 1-5 victory.
In 1957 Doyle was appointed captain of the Tipperary minor team and guided his team to a fourth Munster winners' medal in-a-row. Once again he later played in the All-Ireland final, this time as leader of his county. Kilkenny were the opponents once again, however, on this occasion the game was much closer. In spite of this Tipp still won the game by 4-7 to 3-7, thanks to one goal and three points by Doyle. It was his third successive All-Ireland medal and his last year as a minor. His record of appearing in four All-Ireland minor finals in a row is one which may never be equaled.
Senior
Doyle’s amazing skill at minor level brought him to the attention of the senior selectors who elevated him onto the senior county team in 1956. He went on to win his first National Hurling LeagueNational 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...
medal at the start of 1957, before making his Munster Championship
Munster Senior Hurling Championship
The Munster 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 Munster in Ireland....
debut against Cork in the provincial semi-final. Tipp lost that day, however, the following year Doyle won his first Munster title as the men from the Premier County powered past Waterford
Waterford GAA
The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...
, the reigning provincial champions. He subsequently lined out in Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
in his first All-Ireland final, however, a 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,...
side who received a bye into the final provided little opposition for a Tipp team who scored four goals against the wind in the first-half. A 4-9 to 2-5 victory for Tipperary meant that Doyle had captured his 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 at senior level. He also ended the season as the top scorer in the championship, having scored 2 goals and 23 points.
Tipperary lost their National League, Munster and All-Ireland crowns in 1959, however, the team signalled their intent in 1960 by capturing the National League title, Doyle’s second victory in that competition. He later captured a second Munster title as Tipp defeated Cork in what has been described as the toughest game of hurling ever played. Doyle played a huge role in that game and ended up with 1-8 to his credit. This victory allowed Tipperary to advance directly to an All-Ireland final meeting with 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...
. A certain amount of over-confidence was obvious in the Tipperary camp, particularly in trainer Phil Purcell
Phil Purcell (hurler)
Phil Purcell was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Moycarkey-Borris and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team from 1926 until 1937.-Club:...
’s comment that no player was capable of marking Jimmy Doyle. It seemed that Purcell had tempted fate as John Nolan thwarted Doyle at every turn in the final. The game ended in remarkable circumstances as the crowd invaded the pitch with a minute to go, mistaking the referee’s whistle for the end of the game. When the crowd were finally moved off the pitch Tipperary continued playing with only twelve men, however, Wexford won the game on a score line of 2-15 to 0-11. In spite of this loss Doyle still ended the season as the championship’s top scorer.
1961 saw Doyle collect a third National League medal before Tipperary lined out against Cork in the Munster final at the Gaelic Grounds
Gaelic Grounds
The Gaelic Grounds or Páirc na nGael is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Limerick City, Ireland, home to the Limerick hurling and football teams....
in Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
. It was the end of an era of epoch-making games between the two sides. An official attendance of 62,175 was the biggest ever recorded at a sporting event outside of Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
. It has been estimated that up to 70,000 people witnessed the game as the gates were thrown open shortly before the match started due to the size of the crowd. The game itself ended in a victory for Tipperary, with Doyle scoring two goals in the first-half, thus giving him a third provincial medal. During the course of the game, however, Doyle sustained a serious injury but played on. It wasn’t until he was x-rayed in Limerick that he discovered that his ankle was fractured in two places. There were no All-Ireland semi-finals at the time but he still faced a battle to be fit for the clash with Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
in the final. A series of pain-killing injections before the All-Ireland final, and again at half-time, enabled him to take his place on the team and he finished with a total of 9 points in Tipp’s dramatic one point win over the Metropolitans. It was Doyle’s second All-Ireland victory and, unsurprisingly, he finished the championship as the top scorer.
In 1962 Tipperary defeated all before them in the Munster Championship yet again, giving Doyle, who was captain of the team for the year, his fourth provincial title. Tipp’s nemesis of two year’s earlier, Wexford, waited in Croke Park to test them once again in the subsequent All-Ireland final. Wexford, however, were not the force of old and the side got off to possibly the worst start ever by a team in a championship decider. After just ninety seconds the Leinster champions were down by 2 goals, however, the game turned out to be much closer than people expected. Tipp eventually secured the win on a score line of 3-10 to 2-11, giving Doyle the honour of climbing the steps of the Hogan Stand to collect the Liam McCarthy Cup
Liam McCarthy Cup
The MacCarthy Perpetual Challenge Cup is a trophy awarded annually by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the hurling team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.-The trophy:...
and a third All-Ireland medal. For the third year in-a-row he also ended the campaign as the championship’s top scorer.
Tipp lost the 1963 Munster final to Waterford in one of the biggest hurling shocks of the decade. The team bounced back in 1964 with Doyle collecting a fifth National League medal. Tipp later cantered casually past Cork in the provincial decider, giving Doyle a fifth Munster title. Kilkenny, the reigning All-Ireland champions and staunch local rivals of Tipp, provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final and were installed as the firm favourites. Doyle had other ideas, however, as he scored 10 points and set up Seán McLoughlin
Seán McLoughlin
Seán McLoughlin is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Thurles Sarsfields and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team from 1958 until 1969.-References:-Teams:...
for a goal. Tipperary’s fourteen-point winning margin, 5-13 to 2-8, was the biggest All-Ireland final win since Tipperary had overwhelmed Laois
Laois GAA
The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois and the Laois inter-county teams.-History:...
in the 1949 decider. Once again Doyle finished as the championship’s top scorer.
In 1965 Doyle was captain of Tipperary for a second time. That year he won a sixth National League medal before Tipp demolished all opposition in the provincial championship giving him a sixth Munster title. Wexford were Tipp’s opponents in the All-Ireland final, however, the game failed to live up to the two classic games between the two sides in 1960 and 1962. Victory went to Tipp on that occasion with Doyle collecting the Liam McCarthy Cup for a second time as well as a fifth All-Ireland medal. Doyle was also presented with 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.
Tipp lost their provincial and All-Ireland crowns in spectacular fashion at the first hurdle in 1966 when a young 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...
team took them by surprise. The team bounced back in 1967 with Doyle collecting a seventh Munster title. By this stage, however, Tipp’s pool of players was ageing and the county’s hurling fortunes were in decline. Kilkenny provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final and provided more than a match for Tipperary. Goals from 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:...
, 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:...
and Tom Walsh laid to rest a bogey that Tipperary had over Kilkenny since 1922.
Tipp crushed Cork in the provincial final again in 1968, giving Doyle his eighth Munster title. For the fourth time that decade Tipperary faced Wexford in the championship decider, however, the Munster champions were now in terminal decline and surrendered an eight-point lead at half-time giving Wexford a 5-8 to 3-12 victory.
By 1971 Doyle’s career was drawing to a close. The back trouble that had dogged him throughout his life was taking its toll. Doyle was only a substitute for that year’s championship, however, he started for the Munster final. Tipp defeated Limerick that day with Doyle collecting a ninth provincial medal. Kilkenny provided the opposition against Tipperary in that year’s All-Ireland final. Doyle was only listed as a substitute again, however, he came on for the last ten minutes of the game, ensuring that he won his sixth All-Ireland medal on the field of play. In the All-Ireland final to be broadcast in colour by Telfis Éireann
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...
, Tipp won on a score line of 5-17 to 5-14. Doyle continued to play for Tipperary for the next two years but time was now running out. Broken fingers, ankles, knuckles, collar bones and premature arthritis meant that he was no longer able to command an automatic place on the team.
In 1973 the regular Tipperary goalkeeper, Tadgh Murphy, was forced to emigrate to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. With no other goalkeeper available Doyle was asked to play in goal. Although reluctant he lined out between the posts in the Munster championship victories over Waterford and Cork. Murphy returned for the Munster final against Limerick and Doyle was dropped to the substitutes' bench. Tipp lost the game and Doyle retired from inter-county hurling shortly afterwards.
Provincial
Doyle also lined out with MunsterMunster 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:...
in the inter-provincial hurling championship where he played alongside his championship rivals 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...
, Tom Cheasty
Tom Cheasty
Tom Cheasty was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with two clubs Ballyduff Lower and Portlaw and with the Waterford senior inter-county team in the 1950s and 1960s. He is regarded as one of Waterford's greatest-ever players.-Biography:...
and Jimmy Smyth
Jimmy Smyth (hurler)
Jimmy Smyth is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Ruan and with the Clare senior inter-county team from 1948 until 1967. Smyth is regarded as one of the greatest hurlers never to have won an All-Ireland medal.-Early life:Jimmy Smyth was born in Ruan near Ennis,...
. He first played for his province in 1958 as Munster defeated 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...
to take the Railway Cup title. It was the first of four Railway Cup titles in-a-row for Doyle and for Munster. After defeat by Leinster in 1962 Doyle was appointed captain of the side in 1963. After a replay a winner was found as Munster triumphed over Leinster. Three years later in 1966 Doyle was captain again as he collected a sixth winners' medal in the competition. He won his last two Railway Cup medals in 1969 and 1970 as Munster recorded respective victories over Connacht
Connacht GAA
The Connacht Council are a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Connacht.-Constituent counties:*Galway*Leitrim*Mayo*Roscommon*Sligo-Special counties:...
and Leinster.
Post-playing career
In retirement from playing Doyle remained close to the game. In the 1980s he took charge of the LaoisLaois GAA
The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois and the Laois inter-county teams.-History:...
senior hurling team, however, he enjoyed little success as a coach.
After his playing days had ended Doyle also came to be regarded as one of the greatest players of all-time. His huge scoring records, coupled with his deadly accuracy meant that he was an automatic choice for a special Hurling Team of the Century
GAA Hurling Team of the Century
The Hurling Team of the Century was chosen as part of the Gaelic Athletic Association's centenary year celebrations in 1984 to comprise, as a fifteen-member side divided as one goalkeeper, three half-backs, two midfielders, three half-forwardss and three full-forwards, the best hurling players of...
, picked in 1984 to mark the centenary year of the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
. In 1999 he was picked on the GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
The GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium was announced by GAA President Seán McCague at a special dinner at Croke Park on 24 July 2000. The initiative was sponsored by An Post who issued special commemorative stamps of the Millennium team members. The team was chosen to comprise, as a...
, thus cementing his reputation as one of the greatest players of all-time.
On March 13, 2008 Doyle was profiled on the TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
television programme Laochra Gael
Laochra Gael
Laochra Gael which means Gaelic heroes in the Irish language is an Irish television programme. Now its seventh series the show profiles and celebrates some of the greatest names in Gaelic games since the 1940s. Each of the programmes contains interviews with the subject, archive footage of their...
.
Thurles Sarsfields
- Tipperary Senior Hurling ChampionshipTipperary Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe Tipperary Senior Hurling Club Championship is an annual club competition between the top Tipperary hurling clubs...
:- Winner (10): 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1974
- Runner-up (3): 1960, 1968, 1970
- Tipperary Senior Football Championship:
- Winner (1): 1960
- Tipperary Minor Hurling Championship:
- Winner (4): 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957
Tipperary
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe 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....
:- Winner (6): 1958All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1958-Scoring:*Widest winning margin: 32 points**Wexford 9-13 : 2-2 Offaly *Most goals in a match: 11**Wexford 9-13 : 2-2 Offaly *Most points in a match: 24...
(sub), 1961All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1961The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1961 was the 75th series of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition...
, 1962All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1962-References:* Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists .* Donegan, Des, The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games .* Sweeney, Éamonn, Munster Hurling Legends ....
, 1964All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1964-Season:-Single game:-Debutantes:The following players made their début in the 1969 championship:-References:* Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists ....
, 1965All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1965-References:* Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists .* Donegan, Des, The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games .* Sweeney, Éamonn, Munster Hurling Legends ....
, 1971All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1971The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1971 was the 85th staging of Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition. Tipperary won the championship, beating Kilkenny 5-17 to 5-14 in the final at Croke Park, Dublin.-Participating counties:-Format:... - Runner-up (3): 1960, 1967, 1968
- Winner (6): 1958
- Munster Senior Hurling ChampionshipMunster Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe Munster 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 Munster in Ireland....
:- Winner (9): 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1971
- Runner-up (4): 1963, 1969, 1970, 1973
- National Hurling LeagueNational Hurling LeagueThe 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...
:- Winner (7): 1956-1957, 1958–1959, 1959–1960, 1960–1961, 1963–1964, 1964–1965, 1967–1968
- Runner-up (1): 1970-1971
- All-Ireland Minor Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Minor Hurling ChampionshipThe GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
:- Winner (3): 1955, 1956, 1957
- Runner-up (1): 1954
- Munster Minor Hurling ChampionshipMunster Minor Hurling ChampionshipThe Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for the youngest competitors in the province of Munster in Ireland...
:- Winner (4): 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957
Munster
- Railway Cup:
- Winner (8): 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1969, 1970
- Runner-up (3): 1962, 1964, 1965