Biggest Hurling Shocks

JeffKenna · 18-12-2020 6:42pm

1993 had two big shocks in Kerry beating Waterford and Clare beating Limerick. That was Clare's breakthrough win I think.

Bonniedog · 18-12-2020 11:18pm

Kildare beat Dublin in 1977 Leinster quarter final and ran Wexford who got to AI final that year pretty close in Leinster semi.

They were a handy enough team with likes of Tommy Carew and Pat Dunny who were picked for Leinster Railway Cup teams i think.

I also recall Roscommon beating Dublin in Athleague in early 80s I think. Savage game as in hammering the heads off one another! They beat Wexford in Centenary Cup that year with physical force tactics as well!

Allguardsare · 19-12-2020 4:49am

The 2008 All Ireland final, never seen a team massacred like that, especially in a final.

Asdfgh2020 · 19-12-2020 10:13am

Allguardsare wrote: »

The 2008 All Ireland final, never seen a team massacred like that, especially in a final.

Most one sided final ever......a true collapse if ever.....amazingly the following years semi between the two the margin was back down to 4/5 pts.....which given the trouncing the previous year was quite an achievement

JeffKenna · 19-12-2020 10:15am

Asdfgh2020 wrote: »

Most one sided final ever......a true collapse if ever.....amazingly the following years semi between the two the margin was back down to 4/5 pts.....which given the trouncing the previous year was quite an achievement

Different style of play though. Davy never put out a Waterford team to beat KK after, it was all just about keeping the margin down from the first minute.

cms88 · 19-12-2020 10:40am

JeffKenna wrote: »

1993 had two big shocks in Kerry beating Waterford and Clare beating Limerick. That was Clare's breakthrough win I think.

In a way Kerry beating Waterford wasn't as big a shock when you put it into context. Kerry had put in some good showings in the Munster championship in the years before and were playing in Div 1 of the league at the time.

In 1976 Kerry ran Galway close in the All-Ireland Quater final after they won the B All-Ireland.

Down winning the Ulster title in 1992 and Derry in 2000 could be considered shocks given hoe successful Antrim are/were. New York making the final in 2006 could also be classed as a shock.

Asdfgh2020 · 19-12-2020 11:07am

JeffKenna wrote: »

Different style of play though. Davy never put out a Waterford team to beat KK after, it was all just about keeping the margin down from the first minute.

2011 Munster final v Tipp I think score was 7-19 to 0-19............

JeffKenna · 19-12-2020 11:20am

Asdfgh2020 wrote: »

2011 Munster final v Tipp I think score was 7-19 to 0-19............

Kilkenny aren't Tipp.

JeffKenna · 19-12-2020 11:22am

cms88 wrote: »

In a way Kerry beating Waterford wasn't as big a shock when you put it into context. Kerry had put in some good showings in the Munster championship in the years before and were playing in Div 1 of the league at the time.

In 1976 Kerry ran Galway close in the All-Ireland Quater final after they won the B All-Ireland.

Down winning the Ulster title in 1992 and Derry in 2000 could be considered shocks given hoe successful Antrim are/were. New York making the final in 2006 could also be classed as a shock.

I tend to agree with you based solely on my memory as a very young child that day. I remember listening to the Kerry result and dad saying that Clare was a bigger shock. Now that's 27 odd years ago so take that with a pinch of salt.

CrabRevolution · 20-12-2020 7:13pm

JeffKenna wrote: »

I tend to agree with you based solely on my memory as a very young child that day. I remember listening to the Kerry result and dad saying that Clare was a bigger shock. Now that's 27 odd years ago so take that with a pinch of salt.

I'm dubious TBH. Since you can't measure shocks it's easy for people to claim X result is a bigger shock than Y because you can't disprove it. It's like the way that since you can't measure the "closeness" of play, anecdotally every loss by a weak team in history is claimed to be closer than the scoreline indicated.

But I just find it very hard to believe that in 1993 people fancied Kerry, a county who in their history had won one Munster minor hurling game (in the 30s) and one U21 game (in the early 70s), who had no success at club level and who hadn't won a SHC match in 70 years. Yet they didn't fancy Clare, who had reached the Munster final a few years before, had several Munster minor HC winners on their team, whose clubs were regularly Munster finalists and had only lost by 3 points to league champions Limerick in their last meeting 2 years earlier. It just doesn't add up to me.

Mehapoy · 21-12-2020 6:42am

CrabRevolution wrote: »

I'm dubious TBH. Since you can't measure shocks it's easy for people to claim X result is a bigger shock than Y because you can't disprove it. It's like the way that since you can't measure the "closeness" of play, anecdotally every loss by a weak team in history is claimed to be closer than the scoreline indicated.

But I just find it very hard to believe that in 1993 people fancied Kerry, a county who in their history had won one Munster minor hurling game (in the 30s) and one U21 game (in the early 70s), who had no success at club level and who hadn't won a SHC match in 70 years. Yet they didn't fancy Clare, who had reached the Munster final a few years before, had several Munster minor HC winners on their team, whose clubs were regularly Munster finalists and had only lost by 3 points to league champions Limerick in their last meeting 2 years earlier. It just doesn't add up to me.

That Kerry result over Waterford was a big shock at the time, Waterford had won the u21 the year before and would be always expected to beat Kerry, it was a good Kerry team around then, can remember going to a league game as a youngster and Limerick struggled to beat them.
Clare beating Limerick was a shock only because Limerick had won the league and lost the Munster final the year before and were seen as a team in the up, however it was in Ennis and Clare would always give anyone a hard game much less the local rivals from Limerick there!
Re. Clare and Limerick 1955, it was apparently a shock that Clare lost that final to 'Mackey's Greyhounds' as they had taken care of Cork and Tipp in the earlier rounds.

Scoundrel · 21-12-2020 1:36pm

Bonniedog wrote: »

Kildare beat Dublin in 1977 Leinster quarter final and ran Wexford who got to AI final that year pretty close in Leinster semi.

They were a handy enough team with likes of Tommy Carew and Pat Dunny who were picked for Leinster Railway Cup teams i think.

I also recall Roscommon beating Dublin in Athleague in early 80s I think. Savage game as in hammering the heads off one another! They beat Wexford in Centenary Cup that year with physical force tactics as well!

Clare got to the Munster final in 1977 as well beat Tipp and Limerick on the way before narrowly losing to Cork in the final . Kildare beat Westmeath that year not Dublin and unfortunately were hammered by wexford in semi final.

Bonniedog · 22-12-2020 8:06pm

Scoundrel wrote: »

Clare got to the Munster final in 1977 as well beat Tipp and Limerick on the way before narrowly losing to Cork in the final . Kildare beat Westmeath that year not Dublin and unfortunately were hammered by wexford in semi final.

Apologies. It was 1976 Kildare beat Dublin in Aughrim. I was there

They did run Wexford close in semi final. Beaten by a few points.

Dublin had decent team at time and had drawn with Cats, Galway and Clare and beaten Wexford in league.

Scoundrel · 23-12-2020 10:24am

Bonniedog wrote: »

Apologies. It was 1976 Kildare beat Dublin in Aughrim. I was there

They did run Wexford close in semi final. Beaten by a few points.

Dublin had decent team at time and had drawn with Cats, Galway and Clare and beaten Wexford in league.

Jesus fair play to you i'd say there were only the hardy few there that day and yeah you're right they ran Wexford to 4 points who then hammered Kilkenny in the final mad to see Kildare hurling competing to that level although they are at Joe McDonagh level next year.

feargale · 23-12-2020 6:03pm

Scoundrel wrote: »

Jesus fair play to you i'd say there were only the hardy few there that day and yeah you're right they ran Wexford to 4 points who then hammered Kilkenny in the final mad to see Kildare hurling competing to that level although they are at Joe McDonagh level next year.

In that semi-final Kildare led Wexford by seven points at half time, their Wexford-born Railway Cup wing forward Johnny Walsh having uncharacteristically missed an open goal. They had to face the legendary Wexford fightback in the second half to lose by four points.
Kildare had their greatest hurling era 1962-1976. Their team remained almost unchanged throughout those years. When a Kildare Centenary hurling team was picked every player on the team was from that era. Pat Dunny played in goals in their 1962 All-Ireland junior win aged 17 and was still starring in 1976, including consistent appearances for Leinster. Kildare went on to win All-Ireland Intermediate in 1968, a tougher competition than Joe McDonagh today because the strong counties entered their second teams.
In 1977 Kildare again met Wexford in the semi-final and were well beaten. In their next competitive game (against either Meath or Carlow) they suffered a shock defeat and collapsed as a team after that. It was like climbing to the top of the Cliffs of Moher and taking the big drop. I don't know why, but I suspect that they ploughed all their resources into their senior team and forgot about underage.
Before that golden age the only Kildare hurler of note that I ever heard of was a goalkeeper in the 1930s. The rise of Kildare hurling was driven by Bord na Mona workers from Kilkenny and Laois etc who came to work in Kildare in the 1930s and 1940s bringing nothing except their hurleys and living in billets in the middle of the bog.

Bonniedog · 24-12-2020 10:15am

feargale wrote: »

In that semi-final Kildare led Wexford by seven points at half time, their Wexford-born Railway Cup wing forward Johnny Walsh having uncharacteristically missed an open goal. They had to face the legendary Wexford fightback in the second half to lose by four points.
Kildare had their greatest hurling era 1962-1976. Their team remained almost unchanged throughout those years. When a Kildare Centenary hurling team was picked every player on the team was from that era. Pat Dunny played in goals in their 1962 All-Ireland junior win aged 17 and was still starring in 1976, including consistent appearances for Leinster. Kildare went on to win All-Ireland Intermediate in 1968, a tougher competition than Joe McDonagh today because the strong counties entered their second teams.
In 1977 Kildare again met Wexford in the semi-final afpnd were well beaten. In their next competitive game (against either Meath or Carlow) they suffered a shock defeat and collapsed as a team after that. It was like climbing to the top of the Cliffs of Moher and taking the big drop. I don't know why, but I suspect that they ploughed all their resources into their senior team and forgot about underage.
Before that golden age the only Kildare hurler of note that I ever heard of was a goalkeeper in the 1930s. The rise of Kildare hurling was driven by Bord na Mona workers from Kilkenny and Laois etc who came to work in Kildare in the 1930s and 1940s bringing nothing except their hurleys and living in billets in the middle of the bog.

Feargale, i had family connection to the Dublin team in 1977, that's my excuse!

Just on Kildare and the Bord na Móna connection; i think quite a few of the workers in Coill Dubh - the Glen Rovers of Kildare hurling - came from north Kerry? That would have been where a lot of the hurling came from. Tommy Carew played with them.

Kildare were division two mostly until mid 80s. Remember Dublin playing then in league around 1986/6. Not sure when the exited the SHC.

Scoundrel · 24-12-2020 10:21am

feargale wrote: »

In that semi-final Kildare led Wexford by seven points at half time, their Wexford-born Railway Cup wing forward Johnny Walsh having uncharacteristically missed an open goal. They had to face the legendary Wexford fightback in the second half to lose by four points.
Kildare had their greatest hurling era 1962-1976. Their team remained almost unchanged throughout those years. When a Kildare Centenary hurling team was picked every player on the team was from that era. Pat Dunny played in goals in their 1962 All-Ireland junior win aged 17 and was still starring in 1976, including consistent appearances for Leinster. Kildare went on to win All-Ireland Intermediate in 1968, a tougher competition than Joe McDonagh today because the strong counties entered their second teams.
In 1977 Kildare again met Wexford in the semi-final afpnd were well beaten. In their next competitive game (against either Meath or Carlow) they suffered a shock defeat and collapsed as a team after that. It was like climbing to the top of the Cliffs of Moher and taking the big drop. I don't know why, but I suspect that they ploughed all their resources into their senior team and forgot about underage.
Before that golden age the only Kildare hurler of note that I ever heard of was a goalkeeper in the 1930s. The rise of Kildare hurling was driven by Bord na Mona workers from Kilkenny and Laois etc who came to work in Kildare in the 1930s and 1940s bringing nothing except their hurleys and living in billets in the middle of the bog.

Thanks very much for that I'm rather ashamed to say as a Kildare man I didn't know much of that at all.

Asdfgh2020 · 24-12-2020 12:33pm

Bonniedog wrote: »

Feargale, i had family connection to the Dublin team in 1977, that's my excuse!

Just on Kildare and the Bord na Móna connection; i think quite a few of the workers in Coill Dubh - the Glen Rovers of Kildare hurling - came from north Kerry? That would have been where a lot of the hurling came from. Tommy Carew played with them.

Kildare were division two mostly until mid 80s. Remember Dublin playing then in league around 1986/6. Not sure when the exited the SHC.

It’s amazing how often that talented hurlers from non traditional hurling counties have kk lineage or a resurgence in a teams progress will be put down to some migrant kk coach/teacher or clergy member.......did all hurling originate from one kk family in the 12 century who started to hit around an inflated pigs bladder with an axe shaped stick.....?

Speakerboxx · 24-12-2020 1:48pm

Cork winning the 1990 All Ireland in Hurling. They were almost beaten by Kerry that year. Total outsiders for the munster final and won that and beat Galway in the final a team that were better than them and had better players.

Asdfgh2020 · 24-12-2020 10:31pm

Speakerboxx wrote: »

Cork winning the 1990 All Ireland in Hurling. They were almost beaten by Kerry that year. Total outsiders for the munster final and won that and beat Galway in the final a team that were better than them and had better players.[/QUOTE

Cork almost did similar in 2013........!

Straight Talker · 04-04-2021 10:22pm

Speakerboxx wrote: »

Cork winning the 1990 All Ireland in Hurling. They were almost beaten by Kerry that year. Total outsiders for the munster final and won that and beat Galway in the final a team that were better than them and had better players.

Ah come on now that was a great Cork team. Look at the forwards Mulcahy Fitzgibbon Hennessy The Baby Jesus and while Mark Foley never hit the same heights afterwards, he had a great year in 1990. McCarthy Cashman Cunningham, that was a serious Cork team, with some serious hurlers in it. They were unlucky to lose to Tipp in 1991 as well, and some of that team were also involved in the 1984 and 1986 all Ireland wins. Galway played some great hurling that day as well in fairness, and probably would have won the three in a row in 1989, if it wasn't for Babs getting Tony Keady suspended.

padre78 · 04-04-2021 11:13pm

We won't talk about the 1990 final cos that one hurt...Galway should definitely have won but we didn't

Anyway biggest shocks...1973 quarter final ...London beat Galway.

Westmeath beating Galway in the league in 1987 was a huge upset, first game that Galway team lost in a year and a half.

Antrim v Offaly in 1989 has to go down as one of the great upsets though. A great team from Antrim, deserved a title in fairness.

Straight Talker · 05-04-2021 1:16am

padre78 wrote: »

We won't talk about the 1990 final cos that one hurt...Galway should definitely have won but we didn't

Anyway biggest shocks...1973 quarter final ...London beat Galway.

Westmeath beating Galway in the league in 1987 was a huge upset, first game that Galway team lost in a year and a half.

Antrim v Offaly in 1989 has to go down as one of the great upsets though. A great team from Antrim, deserved a title in fairness.

The 1986 all Ireland final while it wasn't a shock to us in Cork, it was a shock to John Mulholland and everyone else outside of Cork! Cork scraped past a poor Clare team in munster, and we needed to score 7 goals to beat Antrim, by 5 points in the semi final. Galway hammered the living daylights out of Kilkenny in their semi final, and were massive favourites for that one, but Cork came up trumps on the day.

Kevin Hennessy made a joke at a reunion for the 1990 team, about that Galway team being very sporting, that no matter how well they would play on the day, they would always leave Cork off home with the cup in the end.:pac: Since 1988 Galway have lost the 1990 1993 2001 2005 2012 and 2015 all Ireland finals, they finally came good in 2017 before losing another final in 2018. Before their 1987 win Galway lost the 1981 1985 and 1986 all Irelands. So Galway to be fair have a decent record at making all Ireland finals, but have a poor record with regards to producing the goods in finals.

breezy1985 · 05-04-2021 9:33am

Straight Talker wrote: »

The 1986 all Ireland final while it wasn't a shock to us in Cork, it was a shock to John Mulholland and everyone else outside of Cork! Cork scraped past a poor Clare team in munster, and we needed to score 7 goals to beat Antrim, by 5 points in the semi final. Galway hammered the living daylights out of Kilkenny in their semi final, and were massive favourites for that one, but Cork came up trumps on the day.

Kevin Hennessy made a joke at a reunion for the 1990 team, about that Galway team being very sporting, that no matter how well they would play on the day, they would always leave Cork off home with the cup in the end.:pac: Since 1988 Galway have lost the 1990 1993 2001 2005 2012 and 2015 all Ireland finals, they finally came good in 2017 before losing another final in 2018. Before their 1987 win Galway lost the 1981 1985 and 1986 all Irelands. So Galway to be fair have a decent record at making all Ireland finals, but have a poor record with regards to producing the goods in finals.

Because Galway quite often got to finals they would have been nowhere near if they had to come through a province like other teams did

Billy Ocean · 05-04-2021 10:57am

breezy1985 wrote: »

Because Galway quite often got to finals they would have been nowhere near if they had to come through a province like other teams did

in fairness to them they would have had to have beaten the Munster or Leinster champions in any semi final prior to 2009.

breezy1985 · 05-04-2021 11:04am

Billy Ocean wrote: »

in fairness to them they would have had to have beaten the Munster or Leinster champions in any semi final prior to 2009.

It's still a lot easier to win one match or maybe 2 if they had to play London or the B champions.

The_Kew_Tour · 05-04-2021 9:51pm

Galway have been in 44 Hurling and Camogie Senior All Ireland finals..

They have won a grand total of 8.

Straight Talker · 06-04-2021 2:39am

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Galway have been in 44 Hurling and Camogie Senior All Ireland finals..

They have won a grand total of 8.

They jointly lead the role of honour with Kilkenny for club all Irelands though. Eight wins is a poor return, from all those final appearances, but Galway have beaten us in our last four championship clashes (2009 2011 2012 and 2015) so let's not get too disrespectful here. Galway also produced great players like Joe Cooney and Joe Canning. Our own proud county, which was once a powerhouse of the game, has only won three senior hurling all Irelands, two u21/u20 all irelands, three minor all Irelands, and two league titles since 1990.

Straight Talker · 06-04-2021 2:39am

breezy1985 wrote: »

Because Galway quite often got to finals they would have been nowhere near if they had to come through a province like other teams did

They got to finals in 2001 2005 2012 2015 2017 and 2018, by wining more than two matches.;) Galway had a class side in the late 80's. Our two final wins against them were great games of hurling, and as i say they would have won the three in a row, if it wasn't for the Tony Keady affair.

Straight Talker · 06-04-2021 3:11am

Asdfgh2020 wrote: »

Speakerboxx wrote: »

Cork winning the 1990 All Ireland in Hurling. They were almost beaten by Kerry that year. Total outsiders for the munster final and won that and beat Galway in the final a team that were better than them and had better players.[/QUOTE

Cork almost did similar in 2013........!

Both Kilkenny and Tipp had an off form year in 2013.I suppose that was the poorest Cork side (the defence in particular) to play in an all Ireland final in living memory. If we won it would have been a flash in the pan all Ireland, which that all Ireland for Clare was.

Fair dues to Clare they won that all Ireland, but they did nothing after it, and there were hyped up as some sort of new all conquering hurling force after that all Ireland win. I don't want to sound like im putting down Clare, but that Clare team was way overrated in my opinion.

Biggest Hurling Shocks

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