Hurling mourns Oliver Gough, the last man to win senior All-Irelands with two different counties

Oliver Gough, the last man to win senior All-Ireland hurling titles with two different counties, has died.

Born in Graiguenamanagh, Kilkenny, Gough won medals with Wexford in 1955 and 1956, the last time the county won back-to-back titles.

He later won a third title with Kilkenny in 1963.

A move early in life to Goresbridge in Wexford meant he hurled and played football with Gorey Emmets, playing minor in both codes for his adopted county.

He later hurled for Ferns St Aidan’s and Rathnure.

Gough came onto the Wexford senior panel at 19 during the 1955 campaign, scoring a goal and the point from right-half forward at a crucial stage of the Leinster final replay win over Kilkenny.

He then came on as sub in the All-Ireland final win over Galway.

In an interview last year with the Irish Examiner, Gough told PM O’Sullivan how the wins in Wexford colours sat with his Kilkenny father.

“The first day I hurled senior with Wexford, for that replay, Dad was home for the weekend from the Army. And he was there in the hall when I was going out in the morning to meet up with the team. He stopped me, and he gave me a hug, and he said: ‘Today’s a great day for me’.

“I said: ‘Why?’ He said: ‘I can’t lose.’ He made it as simple as that.”

Gough was also a sub in the 1956 win over Cork.

In Billy Rackard’s No Hurling at the Dairy Door (1996) book, regret is expressed that Gough didn’t get more starts in the Wexford jersey.

A natural midfielder, Oliver Gough was worthy of a place on any team in the country. Due to the strength in every position of that Wexford team, a permanent place was not found for him. It was a tragedy to see a player of his talent seated on the subs bench.

In the following years he moved to Dublin for work and began hurling with Móindearg, the Kilkenny-orientated club in the capital. That brought him onto a Kilkenny Exiles selection and in 1962 the full Kilkenny panel, coming on as sub against Wexford.

And in 1963, he arrived as sub at centre-forward in Kilkenny’s All-Ireland final win over Waterford.

Gough also won the Poc Fada and was a scratch golfer from 1970 to 1985, making the last 16 of the British Amateur Open in 1970.

On this week's Irish Examiner GAA podcast, Wexford's 1996 All-Ireland winner Tom Dempsey paid tribute to Gough.

“He was not only a great hurler, and a great Wexford man, but an absolute gentleman. We are a poorer county today, no doubt about that."

May he rest in peace.

Read PM O’Sullivan’s 2019 interview with Oliver Gough here.