Special rivalry, special memories

FOR SIX consecutive years, 1949 to 1954, Cork and Tipperary met in the Munster SHC, the last five of those in the final.

Each year the attendance figures rose - 34,702 for the 1949 meeting, 52,449 in Limerick for the 1954 epic. Tipp won the first three meetings by an average of two points per game, Cork won the last three by an average of three. On every occasion, the winners went on to claim the All-Ireland title, the only consecutive three-in-a-row wins in GAA history.

On opposite sides in all those games were two men, two hurling legends. From Holycross, stylish centre-back Pat Stakelum, captain of Tipp in 1949; from Cork, wing-forward Willie John Daly, of famed Carrigtwohill. Diarmuid O’Flynn got them together this week...