Waterford All-Ireland winner has faith in Déise victory on Sunday

Now 83, Larry Guinan, one of seven survivors from the 1959 All-Ireland winning Waterford hurling team, still works at his tyre business in Ballinaneesagh in Waterford City.

"Part of me would love to be lining out, but Limerick have big men in their full back line and I'm not sure I'ld be able for them at this stage," quips the sprightly octogenarian.

This week, he chatted with many callers about Sunday's game and his county's bid to add to their two All-Ireland titles from 1948 and 1959, including with fellow Mount Sion man and All-Ireland team-mate Martin Óg Morrissey.

The winner of 11 Waterford county medals with Mount Sion, Guinan says hurling has changed hugely since the days when he and the others who formed the 1959 team played.

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While he accepts hurlers, however, are bigger and fitter now, he holds firm to the view that Christy Ring was the greatest hurler ever and will never be bettered.

Guinan's introduction to Croke Park came as an 18-year-old in the All-Ireland semi-final against Galway in 1957 and a few weeks later he lined out for the Déise in the All-Ireland final against their great rivals, Kilkenny, who were boosted by the addition of film star John Gregson to their ranks.

"John Gregson was making a movie in Dublin called Rooney where he played a dustman and a hurler. So they asked could he line out with us in the parade before the final but the late Pat Fanning, who later became president of the GAA, wouldn't allow him into the Waterford dressing room.

“Pat Fanning said, ‘no we’re not having you’. So he went to the Kilkenny dressing room and togged out with them for the parade. They beat us by a point that day and we always said afterwards, ‘they played with 16 men – a lot of help he would have been to us anyway !’ ” he smiles wryly.

Kilkenny won that day by 4-10 to 3-12 after they came with a late rally. But Guinan and the Déise – backboned by such fellow stars as the late Tom Cheasty, Philly Grimes and captain Frankie Walsh – prevailed two years later when they overcame Kilkenny following a replay.

“I got two points against Kilkenny that day. But I crossed the ball for Séamus Power to get a goal that drew the match – it ended up 1-17 to 5-5 but we beat them by 3-12 to 1-10 in the replay after getting off to a poor start when we trailed them by 1-4 to 0-1 after about 10 minutes.”

‘They think it’s all over’

The youngest man on the Waterford team, Guinan's prowess in the two games was noted by BBC commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme whose iconic phrase in the 1966 World Cup Final, "they think it's all over . . . it is now", ensured he became one of the world's most famous sports commentators.

Wolstenholme later told BBC viewers: "My main lasting impression will always be of the excitement I felt at Croke Park. I've seen sporting events in many parts of Europe and America, but I have yet to see a game which keeps the excitement at such a constant fever pitch as hurling."

Although Guinan was to endure further disappointment as a player four years later in 1963 when Waterford lost to Kilkenny by three points on a scoreline of 4-17 to 6-8 , he reckons the current crop of Waterford hurlers are well placed to bring the Liam McCarthy Cup back to Suirside.

"The disappointing thing about that 1963 final was that we were hot favourites going into it. But it's a bad tag to be favourites and that's why I think it will suit us on Sunday. Limerick will go in as favourites after beating us in this year's Munster final, but we won't fear them.

"Limerick are a fine team but we have ball players and strong men and fit men – I can't pick a star from the present team because to me they are all stars but Liam Cahill has them flying and I think we are nicely set up and I think we will win."