GAA honours McCarthy Cup captains

THE largest gathering of winning All-Ireland hurling final captains will convene in Ballygarvan, Co Cork, tomorrow, when the GAA will honour all of the survivors in a fitting manner.

It’s the sequel to the promotion of Sam Maguire Cup captains organised a year ago in Dunmanway, the home place of Sam Maguire.

Organised by the association’s Social and Awards Committee established by Seán Kelly on his accession to the presidency of the association, it will be marked by presentations of replica Waterford Crystal trophies to the surviving captains and their representatives.

“It promises to be a great occasion,” comments committee chairman Jim Forbes.

“The response has been very encouraging and we are expecting a bigger number of captains to be present because the majority of them are from Cork, Tipperary and Kilkenny. For that reason, travel should be easier than it was for some of the football captains, who were scattered all over the country.”

Limerick were the first to receive the McCarthy Cup, as winners of the 1921 championship - which was played in March of 1923. That same year Kilkenny had their name inscribed on the trophy, as 1922 champions. The late Seán Óg Murphy was Cork’s first captain in 1926 and he also lifted the trophy again two years later.

Thus, he became the first of seven players to captain two McCarthy Cup-winning sides - an honour surpassed only by the late Christy Ring, who led three teams to victory.

Former Glen Rovers and Cork star Sonny Buckley is the oldest surviving captain, achieving his victory in 1941, the first in the county’s historic four-in-a-row success.

Other players who captained two winning teams include Jimmy Doyle (1962 and ’65), current Galway manager Conor Hayes (1987-’88) and Liam Fennelly (1983/1992) and Anthony Daly (1995/1997).