1984 Centenary All Ireland on Gold last night

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Fairplayalways
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1984 Centenary All Ireland on Gold last night

Post by Fairplayalways »

watched this game again last night, I was 14 when I watched it live:(....what a first half of hurling, and ground hurling we put in with mighty effect....the Seanie O'Leary goal before half time was a sickener but should not have been the end of our challenge, we were the better team in the first half, no doubt about that..I think psychologically what happend was they hurled so well in that first haf, and yet went in trailing, I think it bothered them somewhat, no sports or psychology management in them days...the 2nd half goals came then too...3-16 to 1-12 was a harsh second half turn around, as such Offaly "won" the first half but Cork won the 2nd half and won it by a canter...I always said at the time Cork were going into the 3rd all Ireland in a row, Kilkenny beating them in 1982 and 1983, so they were going to be very very hard beat for a third time..Offaly were probably at their peak in 1984, havin won in 1981, lost to the Matt Ruth/Liam Fennelly goal in 1982 (1-11 to 0-12), and Kilkenny winning a bit easier in 1983 by 1-17 to 0-13..we seemed to find the groove very much in 1984, and hurled very well in all games including a demolition of Galway in the semi final...the first half of the final was to be it...a pity...it was a novel final pairing at the time (and would be even today)...no back doors or anything..Wexford dethroned the 2 times champions Kilkenny with a late Tony Doran goal and Offaly beat Wexford then...good times in Offaly hurling...we were notching up big scalps in the league too with some cracking games with Limerick and Cork etc..

Fairplayalways
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Re: 1984 Centenary All Ireland on Gold last night

Post by Fairplayalways »

I watched the second half of this game again last night (was interupted 2/3 times the first night) unfortunately all the memories came flooding back, Cork were posessed in the second half, the referee gave them some dubious frees at critical times early in the second half for which Offaly could rightly be annoyed...one goal chance at end of first half I had forgotten about, the ball broke from Padraig Horan and drifted accross the cork square very close to the line, and an offaly player fell as he tried to tap it over the line at the post...one wonders had that gone in (it was after Seanie Learys first goal) would it have rattled Cork...

I heard alot of people blaming Liam Carroll the offaly corner back for "not marking" Seanie O'Leary" this was very unfair, as he was dragged all over the place, Jimmy Barry Murphy was having a great game make scores and play and that is still saying Eugene Coughlan had a good game and played well also...this game was lost in the midfield and forwards in the second half...17 minutes of second half with out a score, a Pat Delaney free/65 and the second score of second half a free/65 a few minutes later, the late Pat Carroll had a great game over all, when he did drift out though his presence was immediately missed and when he came back into game, Offaly ticked again..the best team won in the end..Cork were never going to loose 3 all Irelands in a row...

oneshot
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Re: 1984 Centenary All Ireland on Gold last night

Post by oneshot »

i remember going to that game as an 14 year old the one player who stood out that day to me and still after 36 years and watching it again on eire sport he still caught my eye Johnny Crowley the number 6 for cork was outstanding. that was a great cork side they lost 82’83 finals galway caught them in 85 came back to win in 86 with much the same team.

Fairplayalways
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Re: 1984 Centenary All Ireland on Gold last night

Post by Fairplayalways »

I was watching the games on tv this weekend with their almost computerised scoring racking up, absolutely no intensity (Dublin/Laois last night) Limerick and Clare today alot better but still no killer streak of intensity...as I said, Offaly were out of that game most of the second half, but you would think there was only a point or two in it at any time, such was the intensity, you rarely see that intensity now, unless its TIpp/Kilkenny, Cork/Waterford, the games are almost pedestrian...one thing too, Offaly missed some woeful goal chances at crucial times in that game, Padraig Horan had a point in 1st half, when he should have goaled (O'Learys goal was a similar chance and he placed his where as Horan tried to bury his and it flew over the bar) I heard Horan was kind of bossy during them days, and I have no doubt that he was, he was running out to take every free, and he was as awkward as you will get, lashing at the ball more so than striking it, Mark Corrigan was probably younger but was a neater and more consistent taker after Horan retired etc..

1985 was Offalys year after, but with its bit of luck too, Kilkenny had us beat out the gate early in the drawn Leinster semi final, but seemed to go out of the game once Offaly came back in to it, I think Paddy Corrigan got Offaly the draw, Offaly won the replay by 1-20 to 0-17..we beat Laois with a five goal salvo, Laois actually scored more points than us that day many will not remeber in the final and then Antrim on a wet day in Armagh..tthe same wet day, John Fenton broke his ankle or at least badly hurt it, had to move into full forward, where he scored 2-02 as far as I remember...I think Galway won that game by 4-12 to 5-05, that was a great game...

The final against Galway was good hurling, intense, Pat Cleary kept his goal scoring feat intact, scoring 2 more goals. PJ Molloy got goal of the year for his cracker in the final, Offaly were lucky as Galway people rang into the station that night (no text or email in them days) to say Galway had a perfectly legitimate goal ruled out as it wasnt seen over the line by the umpires..and RTE did review it and it was a good distance behind the line in fairness..but look you need a bit of luck, and Offaly got it in 85...I remember listening to league matches later in 1985 and Pat Cleary didnt score a goal, and I was almost heartbroken listening to my little radio reporting on them league games...good times in may ways...

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Bord na Mona man
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Re: 1984 Centenary All Ireland on Gold last night

Post by Bord na Mona man »

Something I've heard a lot is that the Offaly players felt unsettled by the prolonged ceremonies and speeches they were subjected to before throw-in.
Because it was Centenary year there was a big dose of this accompanying the occasion.

I've experienced myself, you leave the dressing room pumped and then a long delay before the game drains your energy.
However the Cork players had to deal with the same factors and also Offaly didn't start badly.
Perhaps Cork were just better mentally prepared and Offaly weren't helped by a big win against Galway in the semi-final.

On a side note, an article Eamon Dunphy wrote about the pre-match speeches and the crowds annoyed reaction towards it brought him to Bono's attention. It earned him to nod to write U2's authorised biography "The Unforgettable Fire".

Fairplayalways
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Re: 1984 Centenary All Ireland on Gold last night

Post by Fairplayalways »

what an amazing link with Bono etc.. not really into U2 but still thats nice to know, although, I will probably forget it, God be with the day when I would bank that and have it to throw out over a pint and having a chat...Offaly got as good a start as they would have wanted, Cork while tenacious were all over the place for a while, the Seanie Leary goal, sickened Offaly, considering we had a ball skimmed the whole way along the Cork line a little earlier and no one could get to touch it home...a goal for Offaly would have been a great boost as they were hurling fierce well...the Galway semi final by 4-15 to 1-10 may have been a factor, as well as Cork having lost the previous 2 finals, maybe we thought, we were better than we were..the tenaciousness of both teams from start to finish was what has me captivated all these years after...current Offaly team wouldnt match that if you lit a fire under them...Cork were good though in fairness once they got ahead the raised the bar, we certainly died with our boots on and still lost by 10 points...

frankthetank
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Re: 1984 Centenary All Ireland on Gold last night

Post by frankthetank »

Fairplayalways wrote: Mon Nov 09, 2020 11:50 pm what an amazing link with Bono etc.. not really into U2 but still thats nice to know, although, I will probably forget it, God be with the day when I would bank that and have it to throw out over a pint and having a chat...Offaly got as good a start as they would have wanted, Cork while tenacious were all over the place for a while, the Seanie Leary goal, sickened Offaly, considering we had a ball skimmed the whole way along the Cork line a little earlier and no one could get to touch it home...a goal for Offaly would have been a great boost as they were hurling fierce well...the Galway semi final by 4-15 to 1-10 may have been a factor, as well as Cork having lost the previous 2 finals, maybe we thought, we were better than we were..the tenaciousness of both teams from start to finish was what has me captivated all these years after...current Offaly team wouldnt match that if you lit a fire under them...Cork were good though in fairness once they got ahead the raised the bar, we certainly died with our boots on and still lost by 10 points...
A skill current Offaly hurling teams have lost. If they go down 7 or 8 chances are they'll lose by 15 or 20.

Fairplayalways
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Re: 1984 Centenary All Ireland on Gold last night

Post by Fairplayalways »

I am currently stating a similar view in another post, hurling is slipping I fear now like Gaelic, some of the hurling games are zero intensity, with scores being hit from short puck outs or soon after, those defending the current game call it a skill, to a degree, yes it is, but no marking, loose men striking a light ping pong ball over the bar, upto 1990 or soon after it was a large heavy sliothar, scores were earned, games were closer and more entertaining..the game is changed for the worse...

biffinbanner
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Re: 1984 Centenary All Ireland on Gold last night

Post by biffinbanner »

while i agree with most of what you said the sliotar has actually got marginally heavier in recent years. the inner core has changed tho and this has caused players to be able to hit it further. also hurls have got better. and the physique of players has got bulkier. the size of some of the limerick lads is unreal. the like of pure skill based players like ger coughlan and brendan keeshan might struggle in todays game.

Liam2020
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Re: 1984 Centenary All Ireland on Gold last night

Post by Liam2020 »

Ger Coughlan was small but deceptive strong , I rember a guy been sent out to rough him up in a club match.
rember chatting him a week later and he was still sore and Coughlan never pulled a wrong stroke. He was fit, strong and 6 inches taller but he couldn't belive how hardy Coughlan was.

Fairplayalways
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Re: 1984 Centenary All Ireland on Gold last night

Post by Fairplayalways »

ah I dont buy that the current sliothars are slightly heavier..lordy me if you were unlucky enough to get hit a sliothar in my days back in the 1980s you knew all about it and had the marks to show it...players are blocking he ball now (goal keepers too) and they jump up and off again afterwards almost..the old sliothar wasnt very waterproof either and would only be switched in a game when the water started spraying out of them from impact of the puck out mainly...now they have bags of these "aeroboard" balls almost to puck out fresh every puck out almost...one thing I do notice is the free taking now is almost flawless, we all thought, Padraig Horan, Paddy Kelly (Limerick - one of the best I seen very consistent) Billy Fitzpatrick KK, Jimmy Holohan Wexford etc. were great free takers and they were, but look back now on "Gold" and they missed a few in almost every game...its an art now almost...

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