WEXFORD HURLER Billy Rackard brought a “seismic change” to his county’s sporting fortunes, mourners at his funeral heard yesterday.
Prominent figures from the GAA community gathered at the Church of the Assumption in Wexford town for the ceremony.
Among them were Eddie Keher, the former Kilkenny great, Tipperary’s Jim “Mackey” McKenna, and Dermot Kelly from Limerick, along with Ned Wheeler, Tim Flood, Paddy Kehoe and Oliver Goff of the great Wexford teams of the 1950s.
Rackard’s playing colleagues from the All-Ireland winning side of 1960, and the losing team of 1962, were also present.
His club Rathnure helped to form the guard of honour, along with his former inter-county playing colleagues. Also present was well-known Wexford horse trainer Jim Bolger and Paco Sheehan, of the famous Wexford football teams of that era.
GAA president Nicky Brennan was among the mourners at the removal on Thursday evening, while Séamus Howlin, chairman of the Leinster Council, attended yesterday.
Rackard died aged 79 at his home in Ballinaslaney, Oylegate, Co Wexford on Monday last.
Rackard will be remembered as having played a central part in the rise of the Wexford hurling team during the 1950s and early 1960s. Between 1951 and 1960, Wexford won the All-Ireland three times, defeating Cork, Galway and Tipperary, with Rackard taking over as team captain in 1962.
In a eulogy, Liam Griffin, the manager of Wexford’s winning All-Ireland hurling team of 1996, said: “This is the end of an era. Today we are burying the last of the Rackard brothers.
“It’s a sad occasion, but also a celebration of what the Rackard brothers achieved.
“In 1930, there was a seismic change when Billy Rackard was born, for in the following 26 years, who would have envisaged Wexford would have won two All-Irelands.”