Flack...John Troy was a genius a great man for doing things that others might only try on the training pitch! Jaysus the goal he created for Billy Dooley against Wexford, Johnny Dooley hit a high ball towards Troy, most lads would have caught it but without even looking Troy flicked it first touch over his head straight in to Billy Dooleys hand, pure magic and a goal he scored v Antrim from a very tight angle having flicked/chopped the ball from the ground into his hand while under pressure. Magician

Not the greatest player by a long stretch though

Brianmac78 (Dublin) - Posts: 1168 - 31/01/2014 14:15:35    1539255

juniorbsub,i am with you on this.most of those peddling ring,rackard,doyle,etc never seen them play.you can only say the best one you can remember.
and that person for me is billy byrne.

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 31/01/2014 14:34:26    1539264

Fair point. Which is why I referenced Damien fitzhenry and Brian whelehan. My judgement on the rackards is from stats and an uncle of mine who was on the same team as him so I think my source is fairly reliable.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3143 - 31/01/2014 14:54:33    1539281

Spot on Brianmac, he had some repertoire of tricks, flicks, first time pulls, you never knew what he was going to do.

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 31/01/2014 15:08:22    1539287

Definitly with junior sub on the issue of seeing the huler in question actually play. No doubting the likes of Ring, Mackey, Jimmy Doyle, the Rackards etc were brilliant hurlers but who on this thread has seen them play when they were in their prime. Once more the best non Kilkenny hurler I have seen was Brian Whelehan. Won 6 senior All-Irelands (4 club & 2 county)& I think he got man of the match in them all. Ben O Connor was another good one but could never really get the better of JJ Delaney in my opinion.

dcb (Kilkenny) - Posts: 26 - 31/01/2014 15:27:03    1539301

Perfect10,
I think Billy Byrne belongs in the "greatest cult hero"category which is another thread in itself.

juniorbsub (Wexford) - Posts: 646 - 31/01/2014 15:38:49    1539305

I can never understand how Ray Cummins is seldom mentioned in this category. Without doubt the most under-rated Cork hurler of my lifetime, and quite probably most under-rated on the national stage too. JBM took a lot of the glory from that era, and rightly so, he was an outstandingly skillful hurler. But I suspect that even Jimmy the gent would be the first to admit that Cummins was better!

Culchie (Cork) - Posts: 799 - 31/01/2014 16:05:15    1539323

Culchie, did Cummins not make the team of the millennium?

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8678 - 31/01/2014 16:17:58    1539327

I just looked it up Realdub, and he did. Kind of rains on my Cummins pity parade!

But I would say, that down here, people generally seem to talk about players like Ring, Lynch, Fenton, JBM, Hennessy, O'Connor, Deane - and poor old Ray often seems forgotten. When I talk to people from other counties they often put those guys ahead of Cummins too. Now I'm a huge fan of JBM. A marvellous hurler, and a nicer guy you could not meet. He's an absolute gentleman, and a true great. Through absolutely no fault of his own, he's often thought of as THE MAIN MAN on that Cork team. I disagree - for me 'twas Cummins.

Culchie (Cork) - Posts: 799 - 31/01/2014 17:45:58    1539353

i said ring was the best i will always stand by that,some guys on here are saying he was held scoreless by tommy doyle and bobby rackard [both fabulous players]which may be true but these guys were never better than ring never,another man would be jack lynch 6 all irelands in a row 5 hurling 1 football sheer class,cork bias aside joe cooney was a super player nicky english also dj tommy walsh henry shefflin great players indeed

monkstownrebel1 (Cork) - Posts: 353 - 31/01/2014 19:24:09    1539389

Interesting reading through this old thread from ten years ago.

Anyone to add to the list after ten more years??

Obviously with bias and I would argue TK is right up there.

LohansRedHelmet (Clare) - Posts: 2679 - 16/08/2024 18:44:38    2565496

Johnny Twomey!

Onion_Sack (Dublin) - Posts: 256 - 16/08/2024 20:29:48    2565500

Joe Canning obviously. Complete hurler.

Triffic (Galway) - Posts: 158 - 16/08/2024 21:27:30    2565503

Jedobi (Wexford) - Posts: 200 - 16/08/2024 21:34:25    2565505

Think Liam Dunne in any era would have been recognised as an outstanding hurler, of the modern era Tony Kelly is a class apart.

Jedobi (Wexford) - Posts: 200 - 16/08/2024 21:57:02    2565509

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4467 - 16/08/2024 23:00:40    2565516

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3143 - 16/08/2024 23:01:38    2565518

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4467 - 16/08/2024 23:09:48    2565521

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4467 - 16/08/2024 23:13:57    2565522

This is hard to call as there has been so many great players and picking one for me is nearly disingenuous to them. Do you make a selection based on All-Irelands wins, the most skilled, length played, etc. What about the great players from the lesser lights. If Joe Henry played in Kilkenny we would be raving about him. To me a great as I watched him play. I have a fond memory of our Philly Grimes running towards goal and catching the ball behind his back. Was Philly the greatest, or Ring, Mick Mackey, Eddie Keher, Jimmy Doyle, Nicky Rachard etc. from the past. They were greats but not willing to call the greatest. More recent Joe Canning, Tony Kelly, TJ, Froggy, Chin and a host of others that could go on a long list from the past, more recent past and present.

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2866 - 17/08/2024 01:20:23    2565531