CORK DOUBLE 1990: Larry Tompkins and Tomás Mulcahy on Cork’s glorious summer

Over umpteen cups of coffee in Larry Tompkins’ pub last month, the proprietor and fellow 1990 All-Ireland winning captain Tomás Mulcahy sat down with John Fogarty to recall that special year. The questions were few but their answers were plentiful

John Fogarty: “Can either of you see the double being done again anytime soon?”

Larry Tompkins: “It’s getting harder and harder in a sense because the backdoor has created its own province as regards more games. When you look at counties who could do it, Cork would be the first you’d think of. Galway can be a bit unpredictable although they have potential in both codes but looking at it long-term it’s going to be difficult. When Cork did it in 1990 it was the first time it was really done county-wise. You can go back 100 years before that and it was Cork again, but I think there was a bit of controversy about that because one of those games was played two years later. With the competitiveness of sport and the way things have gone, it would be a big bet to say it could happen again. Maybe if they hit on a year when both squads were strong who knows, but it will be difficult.”