Friendship of greats worth more than medals to Smyth

JIMMY SMYTH, Clare hurler extraordinaire, witnessed the spectacle of All-Ireland finals from a perspective he never experienced as a player — after joining the staff in Croke Park as an executive officer.

That was near the end of a glittering inter-county career which saw him acquit himself in the company of some of the greatest names in the game but which was largely unproductive in terms of title wins other than in the inter-provincial series.

However, it’s not as if he feels cheated by the Banner’s failure to win even a Munster championship during a career which last 19 years from 1948, when he made his senior debut in the National League as a 17 year-old.