The day Déise’s power matched their pride
It was that kind of victory: you established your bona fides as a Déise fan in relation to it.
Against Clare in this year’s Munster championship, Ryan started three men who played in that historic win, Waterford’s first provincial title in almost 40 years.
“Back then I was only 20 or so, playing in a Munster final was an achievement in itself for us,” says one of them, John Mullane.
“Myself, Eoin Kelly, Eoin McGrath, Seamus Prendergast... we were only kids. To be involved at all with the team was great, to be sitting in the dressing room with players like Ken McGrath, Fergal Hartley and Dan Shanahan was fantastic. Just to be part of that set-up was fantastic.
“And at that age you don’t feel any pressure, really. You take things as they come and you don’t get hung up on what might or mightn’t happen.”
Eoin Kelly agrees: “There was no pressure on us. I remember that. They were All-Ireland champions, Munster champions, and the pressure was on them. I was only 18, sure what pressure was I going to be under? “But I noticed that the older lads were relaxed as well; we hadn’t been there since 1998 so a few lads had the experience of it at least, which was a help.”
The other veteran remembers the specifics of the build-up. Former Tipp boss Babs Keating wasn’t shy about broadcasting his evaluation of Waterford, and the players heard about it.
“In the lead-up, training had gone well and we were confident,” says Seamus Prendergast.
“One of the biggest things was that Babs had had something in the paper that morning, and Justin pulled it out on the bus on the way up.
“That helped motivate us but a lot of it was down to the work that had been done over the three or four years preceding that. It was a huge performance.”
It was a dank, wet day. At noon, Brazil beat Germany in the World Cup final. Kelly recalls: “A couple of lads had backed Ronaldo for top scorer and Brazil as World Cup champions.”
“It was a very damp day, and it went pretty fast for us,” says Mullane. “We met up in Dungarvan at noon and before we knew it — before we had a chance to be nervous, really — we were out on the field in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
“We started well, though Tipp came back at us.”
Waterford were good but Eoin Kelly of Tipperary kept his side in it. At the break it was 1-10 to 1-9 in favour of Tipp, but the tide was turning. A long Stephen Brenner free in the second half broke behind the Tipp backs and Tony Browne struck.
“We needed to get a good start for the confidence,” says Kelly.
“Tony’s goal was the big turning point, though. You could see fellas starting to believe then, when he came in behind the Tipp defence for a simple goal — an easy goal to get, if you like, the way defences are set up nowadays.”
Seamus Prendergast recalls the goal: “It really lifted us. We believed and we drove on after that. Ken (McGrath) was having an outstanding game, putting points over for fun, so things were going well everywhere. I don’t know if anyone played badly for us that day.”
The end was emotional. Waterford players scaled the barriers at the City End to celebrate with their drenched supporters. “A few of us jumped up on the wire after, but to be honest we didn’t know what to do,” says Kelly. “It was so long since we’d won it, we just didn’t know what to do, so we hopped up on the wire.”
“The aftermath I remember alright,” adds Mullane. “Not just the celebrations, which were great, but the emotion people were showing. There were a lot of tears being shed by people in the stands, on the terraces. You could see what it meant to people.”
More than 10,000 people welcomed them back in Dungarvan later that night. Kelly recalls the crowds shaking the bus they were on from side to side.
“No-one gave us a chance, really,” says Mullane. “I know players always say that after they win, but I think most people had it down as a sure win for Tipp. We were confident enough ourselves we could pull it off, though.
“We knew we had the players who could do it and once you have that inner belief that means a lot, no matter what people think. At the time there were people saying we’d be going home at half-time, which wasn’t how it worked out, obviously.”
Mullane, Kelly and Prendergast chase a fifth Munster championship medal tomorrow.
“Growing up at 16, 17, one game was all the hurlers ever seemed to play, there was no back door, so anything at all would have been a surprise,” says Prendergast. “With the players who came through at that time, though, nothing was really a surprise after that Munster final.
“Mind you, we might have achieved a lot but we didn’t get the All-Ireland medal. That’s the sickening part for a lot of those players, a lot of whom are gone, but a few of us are still there. Still dreaming.”
Waterford 2-23 Tipperary 3-12
By Jim O’Sullivan
2002 Munster SHC final
After 39 years of fruitless endeavour, Waterford claimed the Munster hurling title by beating All-Ireland champions Tipperary at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Displaying a fanatical belief in their ability to succeed, it was more a sensation than a shock because of its comprehensive nature.
Fittingly, Ken McGrath was one of their stars on the day, because he came off the bench in the semi-final against Cork to score the winning point in injury time. Tipperary started promisingly and an Eoin Kelly goal had them in front 1-10 to 1-9 at half-time.
They remained competitive following two Benny Dunne goals, but Waterford gradually took control. Fergal Hartley was outstanding in defence, Tony Browne turned in a brilliant display at midfield and McGrath led the charge up front. After a crucial Browne goal in the 53rd minute, Tipp were overwhelmed in the last quarter.
Scorers for Waterford: P Flynn 1-6 (1-5fs), K McGrath 0-7, J Mullane 0-4, T Browne 1-0, E Kelly 0-3, E McGrath, S Prendergast, D Bennett 0-1 each
Scorers for Tipperary: B Dunne 2-2, E Kelly 1-4 (1-3fs), C Gleeson, T Dunne (f) 0-2 each, L Corbett and J Carroll 0-1 each
WATERFORD: S Brenner; B Flannery, T Feeney, B Greene; E Murphy, F Hartley (c) P Queally; T Browne, J Murray; E Kelly, S Prendergast, P Flynn; J Mullane, K McGrath, E McGrath.
Subs: D Bennett for Flannery (54), M White for Flynn (61), A Moloney for Prendergast, D Shanahan for E McGrath (69).
TIPPERARY: B Cummins; T Costello, P Maher, D Fahey; E Corcoran, D Kennedy, P Kelly; T Dunne (c), N Morris; B O’Meara, C Gleeson, B Dunne; E Kelly, J Carroll, L Corbett.
Subs: E Enright for Morris (43), P Ormonde for Kennedy (55), M O’Leary for Costello (58), P O’Brien for Gleeson (inj 62).
Referee: Aodhán MacSuibhne (Dublin)
Attendance: 40,726
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