Reading list Christmas 2003

Christmas and the New Year holidays are useful for catching up on reading material and viewing material, and Blackrock hurling fans have plenty to read about hurling over the coming weeks and months.

 

Cork 2004.   Official Publication of the G.A.A. County Board.

Published by Des Duggan.  Price €4.95.

There is a different look to this years publication which may represent the changes in the production team, incidentally there is also a much higher price €4.95. as compared to €3.80 last year for almost similar sizes publications although it has to said that it is still very good value.

 

Amidst the usual roundup of the year, there is an article from consulting editor Michael Finn on the “Bond of Brothers” dealing with the o’ hAilpins, although now overtaken by Setanta’a decision to depart for Aussie Rules. Still its nice to think about what might have been in 2004.

 

Jim O’ Sullivan of the Examiner writes about the road to the All-Ireland final, “The Nearest of Things”. Noel Horgan covers the County Championship in an article entitled “Sweeter Every Time”; unfortunately it does not make easy reading for Rocky supporters. There are some excellent action photographs by George Hatchell of Liam Meaney and Adrian Coughlan.

 

The reviews of the different competitions and the reports from the divisions provide a comprehensive picture of the years activities. Tommy Lyons dream is very funny indeed, but was it a dream!

 

However there is no analysis of the player’s strike, which gripped the public last December and relegated Christmas and Iraq to minor news stories. Why no analysis of the pros and cons of the Croke Park debate?  Little reference to the passion and fervour, which consumed the entire county from May to September as tens of thousands of supporters, travelled to all Cork’s games and created a colour and excitement rarely seen at sports events anywhere.

 

Where are the extended reports from Thurles? Those glorious sunny summer days, when no one gave us a prayer, where is the description of that first Wexford game, when we were on a roller coaster of emotions from first to final whistle. There is no account of the fans adventures following Cork, the crack, the banter, the unconditional support, which our hurlers have always received.

 

How did 50,000 of us get those priceless tickets for the All-Ireland final and create a magical atmosphere in the stadium, when for a few fantastic moments after Setanta’s goal we believed that our heroes could pull off another miracle? The passion is missing. An analysis of our hurling teams hopes and dreams for 2004 would have been welcome. How about interviews with some of the stars of 2003?

 

The publication is a fine read and absolutely essential for records and results of the year in the competitions in hurling, football, camogie and ladies football and handball. The Juvenile results might have merited inclusion. There is excellent coverage of the role of teachers in promoting the games, and Bob Honohan rightly identifies the major problem in the secondary schools, while the Sciath Na Scol activities and celebrations are praised highly. The quiz times are difficult, which provides a stern test for all G.A.A. fans. Recommended for Christmas for all Cork fans.

 

 

Hollybough 2003.

You know Christmas has arrived in Cork when the Hollybough appears. It is fantastic value at 2 euro. Pages 74 to 79 are devoted mainly to hurling. Liam Horan compares Christy Ring and Roy Keane; well they do have a lot in common! Liam O’ Murchu has a fine article on “ Hurling: The religion of Cork”, while Diarmuid O’Donovan spares a thought for the losers. Martin O Caoimh writes about “The Game”. There is also a fine article on the famous Jim Young.

 

Possible one of the best articles on hurling this year was written by an Englishman John Dolan who is the editor of the HollyBough. In an article, which appeared earlier this year in the Echo entitled “The ecstasy and the agony”, John describes the 2003 Munster Final. Please cover more hurling matches next year John as your effort of your first hurling match was a great read and captured the flavour of Thurles on a fantastic day for Cork.

 

 

Munster Hurling Legends by Eamonn Sweeney published by The O’Brien Press.

In the chapter entitled “The Aristocrats” Cork 1975-1979 Eamonn covers the great Cork teams of this period, which were All-Ireland Champions between 1976 and 1978, and Munster champions between 1975 and 1979. Ray Cummins is named as the star player, while the article includes some good photographs of the era including a rather vivid “ Cummins sandwich”. For details see page 104. The dust jacket as well as page 110 contains a classic photograph of Dermot Mc Curtain making one of his trademark clearances. This book is now available in paperback and is updated.

 

Men in Black by Jim O’Sullivan published by Sliabh Ban Publications

An unusual book in that the referees are given a platform to comment on their careers.

The chapter on Frank Murphy covers the incident of the dry ball in the 1971 Munster Final between Limerick and Tipperary as well as his views on the free flowing game.

Well worth reading!

 

 

Hooked A Hurling Life by Justin McCarthy with Kieran Shannon. Published by Gill & Macmillan

This is a fascinating account of the life and career of Justin McCarthy. His passion for hurling and his dedication to coaching the art and skills of the game is legendary.

He does not avoid the controversies and is forthright and direct in his accounts of different issues, which contributes to making this book an essential reference work and a source of discussion for all hurling followers. An interesting comment by Kieran Shannon in his acknowledgements is the following “ I soon realised that the only people who had a bad word to say about him (Justin McCarthy) were confined to Cork.” The book pulls no punches and seeks no favours, Justin tells it as he sees it.

 

Yet, on the other hand it was very evident that all Cork hurling followers were genuinely thrilled for Justin and for Waterford in July 2002 when Waterford finally captured the Munster hurling title. The scenes at the Blackrock Club that Sunday evening after the match were quite extraordinary!

 

Chapter 28 on “ My Best Friend” is essential reading for all coaches and players.

 

Waterford ran Cork very close in the 2003 Munster Final and if some of their stars had performed on the day, the result could have been very different. Recent signs of rebellion in the Waterford camp are somewhat surprising and makes one wonder if even the very best Cork hurling coaches can achieve results in that county. No doubt Justin will update his book in due course. An essential read for all hurling people and one of the best hurling books published.  You will not fall asleep over this one!

 

 

 

Some of Brendan Fullam’s publications are well worth reading.

 

Legends of the Ash 1997    Wolfhound Press.

Sections giving accounts of

Jimmy Brohan.

Mick Cashman.

Ray Cummins.

Jim Hurley.

Sean Og Murphy

 

Hurling Giants. 1994.          Wolfhound Press.

John Coughlan.

Frank Cummins.

 

Giants Of The Ash. 1991    Wolfhound Press

Eugene (Eudi) Coughlan.

Johnny Quirke.

 

Captains of the Ash 2002   Wolfhound Press.

This interesting volume details the careers of many of the hurling captains of county teams over the past 120 years.  Mr Fullam portrays many Cork captains and Stephen Hayes (1894), Eudie Coughlan (1931) and Tom Cashman (1986) are the Rockies covered in the book. If you want to find out what it was like to play in the 1894 All-Ireland Final (played on the 24th March 1895 at Clonturk Park in Dublin, then read this book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Echos of the Past. Where We Sported and Played.    Published by the Evening Echo.

This excellent pictorial record of sports photographs of a sports mad city and county contains two photographs of the Rockies;  “the long wait is over “ the throw in at the 1956 County Hurling Final versus Glen Rovers and the 1961 Blackrock team which defeated Avondhu to capture the 21st County Title.

 

Simply Red

A double video with nearly five hours of coverage of Corks All-Ireland hurling victories and defeats during the period 1975-1999. Contains lots of great memories on these videos and many appearances by the Rockies who hurled with all the teams. An essential video to have in your hurling library. Very few copies of this appear to be on sale this Christmas, if you see it buy it…. a collectors item if ever there was one! Although Cork was not successful in 2003, young supporters will have gotten a flavour of what it was like during the glory years of the 70s, and we thought they would never end!

 

 

100 CORK Sporting Heroes Volume One.   John Coughlan.

Published by Evening Echo Publications 2003.

This is an excellent sports book, which covers a multitude of local and international Cork sporting heroes. Sport is very important to the people of Cork and despite the more public claims of other places, Cork is well up there with the best sports mad cities of the world. One had only to experience the 50,000 plus hurling supporters who descended on Croke Park for the All-Ireland final and most of whom had followed Cork all year.  Many of these can also be found at Musgrave Park, Thomond Park, and Turners Cross and in sports grounds across Europe.

 

Well this book is for them. You can settle an argument, start an argument, or display your massive sports knowledge at your next cocktail reception by reading Mr. Coughlans book, which is filled with nuggets of information.

 

For us Rockies, there is coverage of Ray Cummins, Tom Cashman, John Horgan, Eudie Coughlan, John Quirke, and Dermot MacCurtain.  Why did Eudie Coughlan really retire at the age of 31? Why did John Horgan cry after the minor All-Ireland final in 1968? Which club did Dermot Mac Curtain play with before joining the Rockies? What was more important to Ray Cummins than winning medals? What Irish soccer goalie introduced John Quirke to the Blackrock hurling club? What was Tom Cashman’s proudest day?

 

All the answers can be found in John Coughlan’s fine book. The career of the famous soccer player Florrie Burke, who played with the Rockies as a young fellow is covered. What sport did Peter Stringer play before he began to play rugby? Highly recommended, the debate about who else should be included will go on over Christmas…where is Pat Moylan, Paddy Barry, Jim Cashman, Jimmy Brohan? Remember it is only volume one! Enjoy it.

 

 

Season of Sundays, Sportsfile.

A wonderful pictorial record of the G.A.A. season in 2003. The photographs are beautiful and capture the flavour of the sporting year so well. This annual record tends to be taken for granted and yet one finds oneself lingering over some photographs for ages and remembering the incidents in your minds eye.

 

This year the camera just loves the Rock of Cloyne. Diarmuid O’ Sullivan who nearly broke the crossbar in Pairc Ui Chaoimh in the never to be forgotten match against Blackrock makes regular appearances. Did anyone even see that shot? Has anybody got a photo of it? The most interesting photograph is of a couple, the lady from Cork, the guy from Kilkenny just after the All-Ireland final, just examine the emotions on those faces! Classic.