Neighbours but old foes

Tomorrow will be the fifth meeting of Waterford and Kilkenny in the All-Ireland hurling championship. The previous four occasions have been finals, including the replay of 1959. Aside from the fact that the counties are neighbours, the pairing is particularly resonant because it evokes Waterford's most recent spell in hurling's spotlight.

Their team of the late 1950s and early '60s is regarded as an outstanding one which should have won more than one All-Ireland. In what became categorised as hurling's golden age, Waterford have struggled a little for recognition amidst memories of Cork's three-in-a-row side, the emergence of one of the most popular teams in history, Wexford, followed by the rise of Tipperary who were to dominate the 1960s (seven finals and four titles).

Waterford's last three tilts at the All-Ireland have all ended with Kilkenny: in victory after the 1959 replay, but unsuccessfully in 1957 and '63. Both defeats were particularly frustrating for the county because they entered each final as favourites after impressive displays in Munster. The combined attendance, between draw and replay, in 1959 was 150,992 - a record for an All-Ireland final in either code. Neither county has ever played in front of a bigger crowd than the 77,825 which attended the replay.

1957 Kilkenny - 4-10, Waterford - 3-12

The seeds of Waterford's revival had been planted the previous year with a commendable performance against eventual Munster champions Cork. During the following League, they halted Wexford's two-year winning sequence by holding them to a draw. In reaching the 1957 All-Ireland final, they beat their two predecessors as provincial champions, Cork (who were missing Christy Ring, Pat Philpott and Gerald Murphy) and Limerick, before overwhelming Galway by 4-12 to 0-11.

Kilkenny for their part had made mixed progress towards the final. Unimpressive against Dublin who took them to a replay, Kilkenny produced a tour de force in the Leinster final to destroy Wexford, who were chasing a third successive All-Ireland title, in what was to be Nicky Rackard's last match for the county.

Although the county hadn't won an All-Ireland for 10 years, Kilkenny were an experienced team which had laboured in Wexford's slipstream in the early 1950s in Leinster, although they had never been far off the pace.

Waterford had actually won a more recent All-Ireland, the county's first, in 1948. Of that breakthrough side, only centrefielder Johnny O'Connor remained. It was frequently remarked of the team that even though it possessed some fine individuals, the collective teamwork was its hallmark.

Over the six years, the line-up didn't alter by much with nine players starting all four matches: Tom Cunningham, Austin Flynn, John Barron, Martin Og Morrissey, Seamus Power, Phil Grimes, Mick Flannelly, Tom Cheasty and Frankie Walsh.

The start of this final was unusual because Kilkenny paraded with 16 players. This was to facilitate the making of the film Rooney, starring John Gregson, who played the eponymous hero who was a hurler. Trained by Dublin dual player Dessie Ferguson, Gregson swung a stick in a few scenes and was required by the narrative to play in an All-Ireland final.

Waterford declined the approach but Kilkenny county secretary Paddy Grace displayed his customary insouciance by not caring less whether the team was accompanied by the actor and film crew or not. Waterford felt that their players would be unsettled whereas Kilkenny felt it would take their minds off the pressure of the occasion.

At the end of the parade Gregson broke away and repaired to the dressing-room - to the bafflement of those present who did not become aware of the reasons until the following day.

More so than 1963, this was a match well within Waterford's grasp all the way through. They led by six points going into the last 15 minutes, by four with nine minutes left and looked likely to win by more. Kilkenny staged a strong recovery and with a draw on the cards, captain Micky Kelly pointed for his county's first All-Ireland since 1947 and their fourth successive title won by a point.

KILKENNY - O Walsh; T Walsh, J Walsh, J Maher; P Buggy, M Walsh, J McGovern; M Brophy, J Sutton; D Heaslip, M Kenny, M Kelly; R Rockett, B Dwyer, S Clohosey. Subs: W Walsh for Sutton.

WATERFORD - R Roche; T Cunningham, A Flynn, J Barron; M O'Connor, M Og Morrissey, S Power; J O'Connor, P Grimes (capt); M Flannelly, T Cheasty, L Guinan; F Walsh, J Kiely, D Whelan.

1959 Waterford - 1-17, Kilkenny - 5-5

A painful interregnum in Munster had seen Tipperary whack Waterford in 1958 before going on to win that year's All-Ireland. So it was with a sense of satisfaction that Waterford deposed the champions by 9-3 to 34, having led by 8-2 to nothing at half-time. Earlier in Munster, Waterford had made Galway's debut in the province an unhappy one by hammering them.

In the Munster final, Waterford edged out Cork 3-9 to 2-9 with corner back Joe Harney playing exceptionally well on Christy Ring.

Kilkenny won Leinster for the third successive year but not before getting another fright from Dublin who led for much of the provincial final before in injurytime, captain Sean Clohosey got a touch to a line ball for the goal which gave the holders a one-point victory. Waterford were generally favoured going into the All-Ireland. The team had developed nicely whereas Kilkenny were ageing. For a long time, the common assumptions were proved correct. Two goals from Tommy O'Connell turned around a six-point margin in Waterford's favour and seconds from the end, Kilkenny inspired by Ollie Walsh in goal were leading by three points.

Seamus Power drew the match level by soloing through the Kilkenny defence and shooting for goal. His effort was deflected past Walsh for an equaliser and the first drawn final since 1934.

The match was filmed by BBC who sent commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme (of `they think it's all over . . .' fame) to record his impressions of the game. This was the first All-Ireland final in the newly-constructed Hogan Stand.

The replay was four weeks later and after a spell of drought, the pitch was very hard. A brief Kilkenny flourish in the first quarter left them leading by 3-5 to 1-8, with goals from Flannelly and Cheasty, who with 2-2 was the dominant influence on the match.

Kilkenny managed only 0-2 in the second half. Eddie Keher, also a minor that year and on the verge of a legendary senior career, scored both. It was Waterford's second All-Ireland - and their last to date - and the only time a team had beaten the big three, Cork, Tipperary and Kilkenny, en route to an All-Ireland title until last year when Clare emulated the feat.

Both John Barron of Waterford and Dick Carroll of Kilkenny were ordered off late in the second half. On a grim note, three spectators collapsed and died at the match.

WATERFORD - E Power; J Harney, A Flynn, J Barron; M Lacey, M Og Morrissey, J Condon; S Power, P Grimes; M Flannelly, T Cheasty, F Walsh (capt); L Guinan, T Cunningham, J Kiely. Subs: M O'Connor for Lacey, D Whelan for Cunningham. Drawn match: D Whelan and C Ware started and were replaced by T Cunningham and M Flannelly for the replay.

KILKENNY - O Walsh; T Walsh, J Walsh, J Maher; P Buggy, T Kelly, J McGovern; P Kelly, M Walsh; D Heaslip, M Fleming, S Clohosey (capt); R Carroll, B Dwyer, T O'Connell. Subs: E Keher for McGovern, M Kelly for Fleming. Drawn match: M Brophy (indisposed) was replaced by T Kelly for the replay.

1963 - Kilkenny - 4-17, Waterford - 6-8

Yet again Waterford were favourites but this time, the balance of experience had tilted with Kilkenny a comparatively young team and Waterford the experienced veterans. Since losing the Munster final to Tipperary in 1962, Waterford had gone on to win the Oireachtas, the League and the Munster title. Kilkenny had regained Leinster from Wexford, courtesy of 2-5 by Eddie Keher in the Leinster semi-final, and defeated Dublin in the final. Waterford defeated Tipperary, again reigning All-Ireland champions, on the low-scoring margin of 0-11 to 0-8.

The combined scores from the game created a record for a 60minute final. No team has since lost an All-Ireland final after scoring six goals, as Waterford did that day - indeed only one county has scored six at all in the intervening 35 years, Cork in the 80-minute final of 1970.

This was a match that Waterford had to chase throughout and although they showed admirable spirit in hauling themselves back into contention every time Kilkenny looked to have made a decisive break, they were unable to bridge the gap at the end. Saves by Ollie Walsh - who deserved better from the day than the concession of six goals - from Seamus Power and John Meaney in the dying minutes protected Kilkenny's margin of two points before Keher extended it to three at the end.

Kilkenny's Seamus Cleere went on to be named Hurler of the Year while Sean Clohosey retired after one of his best performances for the county. For Waterford, it was the end of the road. Having won the NHL and Munster titles in 1963, the county hasn't managed to repeat either feat since.

The experimental championship format has given the county its first championship matches at Croke Park since those memorable days 35 years ago.

KILKENNY - O Walsh; P Larkin, C Whelan, M Treacy; S Cleere (capt), T Carroll, M Coogan; P Moran, S Clohosey; D Heaslip, J McGovern, E Keher; T Walsh, B Dwyer, T Murphy. Subs: O Gough for McGovern.

WATERFORD - E Power; T Cunningham, A Flynn, J Byrne; L Guinan, M Og Morrissey, J Irish; M Dempsey, J Condon (capt); M Flannelly, T Cheasty, F Walsh; S Power, J Barron, P Grimes. Subs: P Flynn for Power, J Meaney for Condon, M Walsh for Byrne.