Banner fans salute legend Smyth

Hundreds of mourners yesterday turned out to celebrate the life of hurling great, Jimmy Smyth in his home Clare village of Ruan.

Smyth was selected at corner-forward on the GAA’s Munster hurling team of the Millennium along with Christy Ring, Mick Mackey and Frank Cummins with Brian Lohan the other only Clareman chosen.

Smyth died in Dublin on Saturday and at his graveside yesterday, former Clare hurling manager, Cyril Lyons paid tribute to the 82-year old who he said started on the hurling field as a boy-wonder ending his playing days as commander in chief.

In his oration, the senior All-Ireland hurling winner said that Smyth “left an indelible mark on those who saw him play”.

Lyons said that in his 156 adult matches for Clare over 23 years from 1945 to 1967 “Jimmy Smyth scored an incredible 149 goals and 353 points”.

Mr Lyons remarked that the field beside the cemetery was where Jimmy started playing hurling in the 1930s where, he said, hazel sticks or ‘spocks’ substituted for hurleys if there were none around.

He said: “One of his outstanding performances was the 1954 Oireachtas Final and Michael Ó Muircheartaigh – who is here today — remarked that the goal Jimmy scored in this match was one of the greatest he ever saw.

Michael says ‘he ploughed through several of them and there was nothing on his mind but a goal’.”

Mr Lyons said: “While his greatness as a player was never dependent on it, he never tasted championship success. It frustrated Jimmy and disappointed him, so when success came in the 1990s for Clare it brought him great joy.

“He understood the breaking of the psychological barrier was the key to glory.

“He believed that the hurlers of his era were equally as good as the hurlers of the 90s, but they had no (Ger) Loughnane.

“In his victory speech, Anthony Daly’s acknowledgement of the heroic efforts of past teams to bring success to Clare – which Jimmy described himself as ‘a genuflection to history’ — touched him deeply.”

Lyons said that Smyth played on St Flannan’s College hurling team from first year and won three Harty Cups and three All-Irelands in his five years on the team.

He said: “Such was his size, unique power and strength, he was known as Gulliver amongst the students.”

Lyons said that Smyth was selected for Munster for 12 years, winning eight provincial medals “and this was a time when these competitions were second only to Championship. Those who played with him will testify to Jimmy’s greatness.”

His son Peter told mourners that his father “lived a full and charmed life. He had a great life.”

Jimmy Smyth spent the past 48 years in Dublin working for the GAA before retiring in 1988 on health-grounds.

Peter said that his father subsequently got a degree in Philosophy at Trinity College Dublin and a masters in Philosophy at UL.