1959 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

Refereed by Jeremiah Fitzgerald (Rathkeale, Limerick) The 1959 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 73rd staging of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county hurling tournament. The championship began on 12 April 1959 and ended on 4 October 1959.

1959 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
Championship details
Dates12 April – 4 October 1959
Teams11
All-Ireland champions
Winning teamWaterford (2nd win)
CaptainFrankie Walsh
All-Ireland Finalists
Losing teamKilkenny
CaptainSeán Clohessy
Provincial champions
MunsterWaterford
LeinsterKilkenny
UlsterNot Played
ConnachtNot Played
Championship statistics
No. matches played13
Top ScorerFrankie Walsh (2-28)
Player of the YearChristy Ring
All-Star TeamSee here
1958
1960

The championship was won by Waterford who secured the title following a 3–12 to 1–10 defeat of Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final.[1] This was their second All-Ireland title, their first in eleven championship seasons. It remains their last All-Ireland triumph.

Tipperary were the defending champions but were defeated by Waterford in the Munster semi-final.

Provincial changes

edit

Due to a lack of competition in their own province, the Galway County Board proposed a regrading to junior status in January 1958. This led to a wider debate regarding the structure of the championship. The abolition of the provincial system and the introduction of an open draw was rejected. Galway put forward their own proposal for the creation of a new "province" consisting of Galway, Clare, Laois, Offaly and Westmeath, however, this was also rejected. The possibility of starting the National Hurling League in April in an effort to give Galway some game time before the start of the championship was also discussed. At a meeting of the Munster Council on 10 January 1959 it was decided to invite Galway to participate in all grades of hurling in Munster on a temporary basis. This decision was later ratified at the GAA Congress.

Results

edit

First round

12 April 1959 First Round Westmeath 2-03 – 3-04 Offaly Cusack Park, Mullingar
T Houlihan 2-0, S Bolger 0-2, J McGrath 0-1. B Loughnane 1-2, T Cleary 1-0, T Errity 1-0, J Spain 0-2.
26 April 1959 First Round Laois 3-08 – 0-08 Meath O'Connor Park, Tullamore
T Maher 1-3, P Lalor 1-1, J Lyons 1-1, W Bohane 0-1, F Walsh 0-1, J Conroy 0-1. G Kelly 0-2, P Donoghue 0-2, A Foran 0-1, G Renehan 0-1, P McCabe 0-1, P Darby 0-1. Referee: J Dowling (Offaly)

Second round

10 May 1959 Second Round Laois 6-12 – 2-07 Offaly O'Moore Park, Portlaoise
T Maher 2-4, P Lalor 3-0, J Lyons 1-1, M Byrne 0-2, W Bohane 0-2, O Fennell 0-1, F Walsh 0-1, J Conroy 0-1. T Errity 1-1, P Spellman 1-0, J Spain 0-3, P Molloy 0-1, B Gilmartin 0-1, J Minnock 0-1. Referee: P Johnson (Kilkenny)

Semi-finals

21 June 1959 Semi-Final Kilkenny 8-10 – 2-04 Laois St. Brendan's Park, Birr
T O'Connell 3-3, S Clohessy 2-3, D Carroll 0-4, P Kelly 1-0, M Fleming 1-0, S O'Brien 1-0. T Maher 2-1, D Dunne 0-2, P Dillon 0-1. Referee: J Dowling (Offaly)
28 June 1959 Semi-Final Dublin 3-12 – 4-08 Wexford Nowlan Park, Kilkenny
H Doyle 0-5, A Young 1-0, B Boothman 1-0, P Kenny 1-0, F Whelan 0-3, D Foley 0-3, M Bohane 0-1. P Gough 2-2, P Kehoe 1-2, O McGrath 1-0, T Flood 0-2, H O'Connor 0-1, M Bergin 0-1.

Final

12 July 1959 Final Kilkenny 2-09 – 1-11 Dublin Croke Park, Dublin
T O'Connell 1-2, S Clohessy 1-0, D Carroll 0-3, M Walsh 0-2, D Heaslip 0-1, J McGovern 0-1. D Foley 1-6, H Doyle 0-2, P Kenny 0-2, T Shannon 0-1. Attendance: 31,312
Referee: E Kelly (Laois)

First round

24 May 1959 First round Tipperary 2-09 – 1-07 Limerick Cork Athletic Grounds, Cork
D Nealon 1-1, M Maher 1-1, L Devaney 0-3, J McDonnell 0-2, Jimmy Doyle 0-1, T Wall 0-1. M Tynan 1-0, L Moloney 0-3, L Hogan 0-2, D Kelly 0-1, M Hayes 0-1. Referee: C Conway (Cork)
29 June 1959 First round Waterford 7-11 – 0-08 Galway Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
F Walsh 1-7, D Whelan 3-0, S Power 2-0, L Guinan 1-1, T Cheasty 0-1, J Kiely 0-1, C Ware 0-1. T Sweeney 0-3, J Conroy 0-1, M Fox 0-1, P Egan 0-1, N Murray 0-1, G Cahill 0-1. Referee: M Walsh (Cork)

Semi-finals

21 June 1959 Semi-Final Cork 4-15 – 1-03 Clare Thurles Sportsfield, Thurles
C Ring 1-8, P Barry 1-4, C Cooney 1-0, N O'Connell 1-0, N Gallagher 0-1, E Goulding 0-1, M Quane 0-1. M Nugent 1-0, N Jordan 0-2, C Madigan 0-1. Referee: G Fitzgerald (Limerick)
12 July 1959 Semi-Final Waterford 9-03 – 3-04 Tipperary Cork Athletic Grounds, Cork
L Guinan 3-0, C Ware 2-0, F Walsh 1-2, S Power 1-1, J Kiely 1-0, D Whelan 1-0, Jimmy Doyle 1-2, D Nealon 1-2, T Wall 1-0. Referee: G Fitzgerald (Limerick)

Final

26 July 1959 Final Waterford 3-09 – 2-09 Cork Thurles Sportsfield, Thurles
J Kiely 2-2, F Walsh 0-5, S Power 1-0, T Cheasty 0-2. C Ring 1-5, P Barry 1-3, M Quane 0-1. Attendance: 55,174
Referee: G Fitzgerald (Limerick)

Finals

6 September 1959 Final Waterford 1-17 – 5-5 Kilkenny Croke Park
F Walsh (0-5), T Cheasty (0-5), S Power (1-0), P Grimes (0-3), L Guinan (0-2), J Kiely (0-2). T O'Connell (3-0), R Carroll (1-2), W Dwyer (1-1), P Kelly (0-1), S Clohessy (0-1). Attendance: 73,707
Referee: G FitzGerald (Limerick)
4 October 1959 Final Replay Waterford 3-12 – 1-10 Kilkenny Croke Park
T Cheasty (2-2), F Walsh (0-8), M Flannelly (1-1), L Guinan (0-1). W Dwyer (0-5), D Heaslip (1-1), E Keher (0-2), S Clohessy (0-1), M Walsh (0-1). Attendance: 77,285
Referee: G FitzGerald (Limerick)

Championship statistics

edit

Top scorers

edit
Top scorers overall
Rank Player Club Tally Total Matches Average
1 Frankie Walsh Waterford 2-27 33 5 6.60
2 Tommy O'Connell Kilkenny 7-05 26 4 6.50
3 Timmy Maher Laois 5-08 23 3 7.66
4 Christy Ring Cork 2-13 19 2 8.50
5 Séamus Power Waterford 5-01 16 5 3.20
Larry Guinan Waterford 4-04 16 5 3.20
Tom Cheasty Waterford 2-10 16 5 3.20
6 Seán Clohessy Kilkenny 3-05 14 4 3.50
John Kiely Waterford 3-05 14 5 2.80
7 Paddy Barry Cork 2-07 13 2 6.50
Top scorers in a single game
Rank Player Club Tally Total Opposition
1 Tommy O'Connell Kilkenny 3-03 12 Laois
2 Christy Ring Cork 1-08 11 Clare
3 Timmy Maher Laois 2-04 10 Offaly
Frankie Walsh Waterford 1-07 10 Galway
4 Larry Guinan Waterford 3-00 9 Tipperary
Tommy O'Connell Kilkenny 3-00 9 Waterford
Seán Clohessy Kilkenny 2-03 9 Laois
Des Foley Dublin 1-06 9 Kilkenny
5 Oliver Gough Wexford 2-02 8 Dublin
John Kiely Waterford 2-02 8 Cork
Tom Cheasty Waterford 2-02 8 Kilkenny
Frankie Walsh Waterford 0-08 8 Kilkenny

Miscellaneous

edit
  • In the Munster semi-final Waterford led All-Ireland champions Tipperary by 8–2 to 0–0 at half-time. Sports broadcaster Michael O'Hehir, who was commentating on another game, read the half-time result live on the radio but advised listeners not to pay any heed as he believed it to be a hoax.
  • Waterford qualified for a third consecutive Munster final for the first time in their history.
  • The All-Ireland final went to a replay for the first time since 1934. It held the record as the last replayed championship decider until 2012.
  • Phil Grimes became the first and only Waterford player to win two All-Ireland medals. He did not play in his county's first championship triumph in 1948, however, he played in the opening round of the championship and was entitled to a winners' medal.

Player facts

edit

Debutantes

edit

The following players made their début in the 1959 championship:

Player Team Date Opposition Game
Eddie Keher Kilkenny October 4 Waterford All-Ireland final replay

Sources

edit
  • Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists (Hodder Headline Ireland, 2005).
  • Donegan, Des, The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games (DBA Publications Limited, 2005).
  • Nolan, Pat, Flashbacks: A Half Century of Cork Hurling (The Collins Press, 2000).
  • Sweeney, Éamonn, Munster Hurling Legends (The O'Brien Press, 2002).

References

edit
  1. ^ O'Riordan, Ian (29 September 2012). "Final countdown". Irish Times. Retrieved 30 December 2012.