Mossy O'Riordan
Encyclopedia
Maurice Francis "Mossy" O'Riordan was an Irish
sportsperson who played hurling
with the Cork senior inter-county team in the 1940s and 1950s.
A member of the Blackrock Huring and Football club, Mossy first came to prominence with the Cork senior hurlers in the mid 1940s. He first tasted success in 1946 when he captured his first Munster
title. This was later converted into a first All-Ireland
medal following a victory over Kilkenny
in the championship decider. The following year O’Riordan won a second Munster title, however, on this occasion Cork were defeated by Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final. O’Riordan won a third provincial medal in 1952, before later collecting his second and final All-Ireland medal following a victory over Dublin
in the final.
Though he was more than six feet tall, Mossie was a hurling stylist with a powerful stroke. In the Minster semifinal of 1949 he struck a shot so hard that it rebounded of the stanchion that in those days supported the netting behind the goals and the sliothar rebounded so quickly that the referee and his umpires assumed that it had rebounded off the crossbar. Mossy would say to the day he died that 'it was in' and GAA officialdom clearly concurred because Mossy's 'goal that never was' resulted in the GAA deciding to remove the offending stanchion and allowing the net to lie unsupported - as it is today. Incidentally, had Mossy's goal stood, Tipperary might not have achieved its '49 to '51 three in a row and Cork might have done a six in a row - '49 to '54.
On The 27th of August 2008 Maurice (Mossie) O'Riordan died in Newcastle NSW (Australia), where he had lived for some 40 years, after a severe stroke. He was 82 years old.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
sportsperson who 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...
with the Cork senior inter-county team in the 1940s and 1950s.
A member of the Blackrock Huring and Football club, Mossy first came to prominence with the Cork senior hurlers in the mid 1940s. He first tasted success in 1946 when he captured his first 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....
title. This was later converted into 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 following a victory over 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...
in the championship decider. The following year O’Riordan won a second Munster title, however, on this occasion Cork were defeated by Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final. O’Riordan won a third provincial medal in 1952, before later collecting his second and final All-Ireland medal following a victory over 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.
Though he was more than six feet tall, Mossie was a hurling stylist with a powerful stroke. In the Minster semifinal of 1949 he struck a shot so hard that it rebounded of the stanchion that in those days supported the netting behind the goals and the sliothar rebounded so quickly that the referee and his umpires assumed that it had rebounded off the crossbar. Mossy would say to the day he died that 'it was in' and GAA officialdom clearly concurred because Mossy's 'goal that never was' resulted in the GAA deciding to remove the offending stanchion and allowing the net to lie unsupported - as it is today. Incidentally, had Mossy's goal stood, Tipperary might not have achieved its '49 to '51 three in a row and Cork might have done a six in a row - '49 to '54.
On The 27th of August 2008 Maurice (Mossie) O'Riordan died in Newcastle NSW (Australia), where he had lived for some 40 years, after a severe stroke. He was 82 years old.