Larry Tompkins and Anthony Daly honoured with Munster hall of fame awards

The two iconic figures will be honoured at this Saturday’s Munster GAA awards.

Hall of Fame winners Larry Tompkins, Anthony Daly and Munster U20 player of the year from Kerry, Cormac Dillon

All-Ireland winning captains Larry Tompkins and Anthony Daly are the Munster GAA Hall of Fame inductees for 2024.

The two iconic figures, integral to the Cork football success of the late 1980s and Clare’s famine-ending glory of the mid-90s, will be honoured at this Saturday’s Munster GAA awards.

As has been well told by this stage, Tompkins’ football story that brought him up the steps of the Hogan Stand in September 1990, to complete a famous Leeside double, was a long and winding road, taking him from his native Eadestown in Kildare to New York to Castlehaven to the centre of Billy Morgan’s Cork dressing-room.

While in New York, Larry struck up a friendship with members of the Collins family from Castlehaven. The rest, as they say, is history.

Called into the Cork panel in 1987, and immediately establishing himself in the No.11 shirt, the county would contest the next four All-Ireland finals (plus a final replay), winning the latter two.

Along with his two Celtic Crosses, Tompkins pocketed six Munster medals, one National League, and three All-Stars.

Of late, he’s been involved in underage work with Bishopstown, for whom his son Jack lines out, with the club contesting the county U21 final this Sunday against Beara.

Anthony Daly operated at the other end of the field, but was no less a synonymous figure in Clare hurling’s revolution of the mid-90s that ended the county’s 81-year wait for Liam MacCarthy honours.

If Tony Kelly’s acceptance speech from July 21 will live long in Banner memory, he was simply following in the footsteps of the great Clare orations that came before him. 

It was Daly who set the standard with his infamous “there's been a missing person in Clare for 81-long years” declaration from halfway up the Hogan Stand. The uncompromising half-back climbed the same steps two years later.

Like Tompkins, Daly was thrice an All-Star recipient during his inter-county career. With the county having not won a Munster Championship between 1932-95, Daly was a central component in a team that conquered all before them in the province three times in four years.

Upon retirement, Dalo transitioned swiftly to management. 

As Clare manager in 2005, his team were inches from reaching that year’s All-Ireland final. Moving up the road to Dublin, he guided the county to a first League crown in 72 years in 2011 and a first Leinster crown in 52 years two summers later.

The Munster U20 footballer of the year is Kerry’s Cormac Dillon. 

The Duagh youngster was a leading figure for Tomás Ó Sé’s side that reached the county’s first All-Ireland U20 final in 16 years. Dillon kicked four from play, as well as another four from the dead-ball, in that final defeat to Tyrone. He also top-scored in the Munster final and All-Ireland semi-final wins over Cork and Meath respectively.

The provincial handball gong goes to Michael Hedigan and Daniel Relihan, both from the Liscarroll handball club in Cork.

An outstanding 2024 commenced with their success in the Senior Doubles 40x20 All-Ireland final. In returning the crown to Cork for the first time since 2001, they defeated reigning champions Diarmaid Nash and Colin Crehan (Clare). Later in the year, they successfully defended the Senior 60x30 Doubles title.

Pat Moore is a most deserving recipient of the Distinguished Service Award. After his playing days with Éire Óg came to an end, Pat took up refereeing and officiated at many club and inter-county matches throughout Munster. He later progressed to becoming a referee tutor.