What a year it was – the Beatles played their first gig, Cassius Clay announced his arrival on the world boxing stage at the Olympics in Rome and a young Irish-American politician, John F Kennedy became President of the United States. But on May 1st, 1960, hurling fans were focused on matters closer to home – Cork v Tipperary in the League final at the Athletic Grounds.
The Tipperary team that day featured many of the 1958 All-Ireland winning side, including Martin ‘Rattler’ Byrne, Tony Wall and Theo English.
Cork’s last All-Ireland had been some six years earlier when they completed the 1952-54 three-in-a-row, but the Rebels had since undergone a rebuild with only Eamon Goulding, Paddy Barry and the evergreen Christy Ring still in service.
Of the latter, Michéal O’Hehir observed in his commentary, “They’ve come from and wide and whoever wins or loses, thousands have come to see Christy Ring.”
Ring may have been 39 but he had lost neither his star attraction nor his will to win, and lining out alongside him was his Glen Rovers clubmate Patsy Harte, whose performances as a county minor the previous year had earned him a call up to the senior team.
Picked to start against Tipperary, Harte, now 83, recalls: “It was probably my first game for Cork [seniors], I was only six months out of minor.
“There was a huge crowd down the Park, I remember fellows were sitting on the roof of the Old Stand so many people wanted to see the game.
“It was the biggest crowd I had ever played in front of, but I was taking it nice and easy. There were plenty Glen lads on the team, which was a help.”
Among the Glen contingent that day was Ring at corner forward. “I won counties with Ring later, but I was overawed by him at that stage – he was something else. He was the sort of fellow who would nearly do it all on his own, he was a fabulous, fabulous hurler.”
But Tipperary had their own greats. Harte’s selection a right half forward found him up against John Doyle, who at that stage was halfway towards harvesting his haul of eight All-Ireland medals.
A key figure in Tipperary’s legendary ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ backline of the 1960s, Doyle was a tenacious and tough defender, as Harte learned first-hand.
“He was a big bony bugger, fierce strong,” says Harte, but adds, “I got two points that day, from loose balls I think that came out to me – I played on him a few times and always did all right, I was able to get a score or two off him.”
It was however Doyle’s namesake Jimmy, the Thurles Sarsfield right half forward, who most impressed Harte in the league decider.
“Jimmy Doyle was one of the best, he got about nine points that day, I think. We held them in the first half, but they pulled away [in the] second half and he was outstanding. And Liam Devaney and Donie Nealon beside him were very good – they were great players for Tipp in the 60s.”
Harte’s recollection is as accurate as his marksmanship as Mick Dunnesimilarly identified the Tipperary half forward line as crucial to their 2-15 to 3-8 win over the Leesiders in his report for The Irish Press the following day.
“While they [Tipp] owe thanks to many for this latest victory, they are indebted to none more deeply than to half-forwards Jimmy Doyle, Liam Devaney and Donie Nealon. This dashingly elusive trio sparkled in a victory that showed up the immaturity of some of the Cork side.
“The swerving, speedy and oh-so-accurate Doyle, the scheming Devaney and the solidly industrious Nealon played havoc with Cork,” wrote Dunne, adding their second-half performance had stunned most of the Cork backs into submission.
Dunne’s report singled out the performances of Cork goalkeeper Mick Cashman, corner back Jimmy Brohan and centrefielder Eamon Goulding, but it was Ring who again caught the eye for the Rebels having scored 3-4.
“[Ring] had Mickey Byrne [Tipp corner back] beaten at every turn, but while Ring posed a major threat in every move, he could not bring the League title back to Cork on the almost negligible assistance he got from those around him yesterday,” wrote Dunne.
“If Ring had just a few more like Eamonn Goulding as the source of his supply, he might well have given the scoreboard operators a busier afternoon. For let no one say that Ring is finished! His three goals in this final were irrefutable evidence of his opportunism and danger.”
Harte nods in total agreement. “I remember seeing Ring in 1956 when he got three goals against Limerick in five minutes, he was unreal. He had fierce strength and he had savage skill, right and left. Even when he was 40-odd training with the Glen, he’d beat you out to the ball. He was so sharp and switched on.”
Unlike Ring, Harte’s time with Cork followed a shorter, less lofty trajectory. After being dropped for the 1960 championship, he returned to the team in 1961 and played up to 1966 when he was again dropped after a poor outing against Clare.
“They shoved me in corner forward that day and I was never a corner forward. Cork snatched a draw that day.
“Mick Archer of the Barrs and myself were both dropped for the replay, and I went off the panel, so I missed out on that year’s All-Ireland,” he recalls.
Not one to dwell on what might have been, Harte continued hurling for the Glen, winning eight senior county medals.
Looking ahead to this weekend’s National Hurling League Division 1A final against old foes Tipperary, Harte believes Cork’s time has come again at last.
“It is 20 years this year since our last All-Ireland. We thought 1954 to 1966 was a famine but whoever thought we’d be 20 years in the wilderness. Winning on Sunday against Tipp would be a huge boost for the team and would set us up nicely for the championship.
“They are going well and have some fine hurlers – Patrick Horgan is a fabulous hurler, great skill and very dedicated, and Robert Downey is a great bit of stuff at centre back. I fancy Cork to win and hopefully drive on from there to finally end the famine.”
