GAA honours inaugural Allstar team line-ups

THE hurlers and footballers chosen on the very first All-Star teams 35 years ago will be honoured at a function in Croke Park today, hosted by the GAA and Vodafone.

The scheme was the brainchild of the four leading Gaelic Games reporters at the time, the late Padraig Puirseal, John D Hickey and Mick Dunne, along with Paddy Downey, the surviving one of the group.

The 1971 teams were notable for a number of reasons, not least the fact that the respective All-Ireland champions Tipperary and Offaly were each limited to four players. Pat Hartigan at full back and Eddie Keher, named alongside Babs Keating in the half forwards, were each to win five awards.

Cork dual star Ray Cummins had the distinction of being chosen on both teams. In later years, team-mates Brian Murphy, Jimmy Barry-Murphy and Denis Coughlan won awards in both codes and Liam Currams from Offaly was similarly honoured.

The hurling team included Tadhg O’Connor, who was Tipperary’s All-Ireland captain that year and the football team included Offaly’s winning captain Willie Bryan.

These were the 1971 line-outs:

Hurling — D. Martin (Offaly); T. Maher (Cork), P. Hartigan (Limerick), J. Treacy (Kilkenny); T. O’Connor (Tipperary), M. Roche (do), M. Coogan (Kilkenny); F. Cummins (do), J. Connolly (Galway); F. Loughnane (Tipperary), M. Keating (Tipperary), E. Keher (Kilkenny); M. Bermingham (Dublin), R. Cummins (Cork), E. Cregan (Limerick).

Football — P.J. Smith (Galway); J. Carey (Mayo), J. Cosgrove (Galway), D. O’Sullivan (Kerry); E. Mulligan (Offaly), N. Clavin (do), P. Reynolds (Meath); L. Sammon (Galway), W. Bryan (Offaly); T. McTague (do), R. Cummins (Cork), M. Kearins (Sligo); A. McCallin (Antrim), S. O’Neill (Down), S. Leydon (Galway).