CORK DOUBLE 1990: The hurling team - Band of brothers

Sean O’Gorman on the men that defied the odds and the critics to win the All-Ireland senior hurling final in 1990.

GER CUNNINGHAM (St Finbarr’s)

“I think the best way to describe him would be to say that he was the top ‘professional’ player around in our time. His preparation and everything was first-class, he never switched off, I’d say. He worked fierce hard at his game. He had been captain in 1989 and got concussed in the replay against Waterford, which we lost, and he finished up that night in Cashel Hospital, so that year ended on a low, but he came back fierce strong in ’90. In the final against Galway, one turning point was when Martin Naughton broke through, with the goal at his mercy, and Ger came out to try to close the angle. The shot definitely hit him in the face and went out over the line for what should have been a 65 but the umpire waved it wide.