Tom Dempsey: ‘You don’t know how close you are to success before you give up’

Twenty years ago, Wexford lit up the hurling summer and Tom Dempsey remembers every step of a magical journey, writes Enda McEvoy

By the end of the year, he was dancing at the crossroads like the rest of the county. He was a Leinster medallist, an All-Ireland medallist, the scorer of the decisive goal in the final and an All Star.

Possibly more importantly still, he’d been a guest of the RTÉ children’s programme Echo Island along with Dustin the Turkey and was also the possessor of a plaque entitling him to “free coffee for the rest of his life” in Murphy Flood’s hotel in Enniscorthy. A weird and wonderful time.