best offaly hurler in living memory

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biffinbanner
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best offaly hurler in living memory

Post by biffinbanner »

theres a thread on the clare hurlers forum asking the above question.. my answer was brian whelehan without question. would anyone have any other pick? the following is my answer on the forum..

no question brian whelehan. easiest choice ever. i seen paddy molloy when i was very young. he was a sort of superstar amongst ordinary hurlers.his railway cup displays were crowd pullers at the time railway cup was massive. in the "without sid" market martin hanemy aidan fogarty hubert rigney johnny dooley kevin kinahan joachim kelly pat delaney eugene coughlan would all be mentioned .. the storys about the drinking and smoking are hugely exaggerated. they knew how to party but were serious coming up to important matches.

Plain of the Herbs
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Re: best offaly hurler in living memory

Post by Plain of the Herbs »

Ah, Whelahan was Offaly's best hurler. There were several on that team whose likes we will never see again (John Troy, Johnny Dooley, Martin Hanamy) but Whelahan had everything. His stickwork was sublime, his reading of the game was incredible. 'How did he know the ball was going to be there?' was a common refrain back in the day.

And he gave us my favourite memory of the era - his penalty save in the first semi-final against Klare.
Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

biffinbanner
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Re: best offaly hurler in living memory

Post by biffinbanner »

yea a lot of the great players had the ability to be where the ball lands..brian had that abilty to read the game. hes getting 75% of the vote at the moment(. . the same way as some of the greatest players looked to have all the time in the world remember willie bryan? always looked like he was have a casual kick around in the back yard instead of the white heat of croke park...johnny mooney the same to a lesser extent.

Liam2020
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Re: best offaly hurler in living memory

Post by Liam2020 »

Brian whelahan was the most elegant hurler I ever saw. He reading of the game , his vision, his striking, his hooking and blocking, his pace, his leadership and his ability to make room. He could hurl in a phone box. He had everything.
Martain hanamy was the greatest left corner back ever to play , even kilkenny never put dj on him.
Johnny dooley was up there just pure class.
John troy was best stick man I ever saw, his vision was unreal, if he had dj speed he would have been unmarkable.
Hubert rigney was the best defensive centre back I have ever saw,
Brian whelahan performance in 99 semi final against Cork was so good it would have put him on the team of the century if it was the only game he played.
It was a day we were robbed but Cork people were amazed at Brian whelahan Johnny dooley and John troy skills. I remember talking to Cork people after and the admiration the had for offaly skills , our ability to move the ball was something the didn't see in munster.

oneshot
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Re: best offaly hurler in living memory

Post by oneshot »

Brian Whelahan simple as, hard to pick anyone better, one of his best displays i ever seen him hurl was for Birr in the replay again clarecastle in thurles in 1998.

Johnny Pilkington another one who could walk the walk on the big day as Charlie Carter of kilkenny wrote in his book about him, the three Dooleys all outstanding hurlers . can’t leave of the boys who broke the mould in the 80s, Delaney,Horan,the late Pat Carroll, johnny flathery. look we were bless to have many a great hurler in offaly over the years they were all great.

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