Best Munster team of last 25 years

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Players from five different counties are represented on Munster’s best hurling team of the last 25 years.

The team, which was an initiative between the Munster Council and the Irish Examiner to coincide with the GAA’s 125th anniversary celebrations, features five Corkmen, four from Tipperary, three from Clare, two from Limerick and one Waterford man in Tony Browne.

There are two sets of brothers named in the team - Clare’s Brian and Frank Lohan, and Cork twins Jerry and Ben O’Connor. Cork’s Ger Cunningham got the nod over Brendan Cummins and Davy Fitzgerald in goal, while Limerick’s Stephen McDonagh joins the Lohan brothers in the full back line.

Tony Browne, Seanie McMahon and Sean Og O hAilpin make up the half back line, with John Fenton and Jerry O’Connor comprising an all-Cork midfield.

Ben O’Connor, Gary Kirby and John Leahy form the half forward line, with the Tipp pair of Eoin Kelly and Nicky English flanking Jimmy Barry-Murphy in the full forward line.

The adjudication panel comprised Jim O’Sullivan (Irish Examiner), Tony Considine (former Clare manager and selector) and Donal O’Grady (ex-Cork player and manager).

Best Munster hurling team of the last 25 years: Ger Cunningham (Cork); Stephen McDonagh (Limerick), Brian Lohan (Clare), Frank Lohan (do); Tony Browne (Waterford), Seanie McMahon (Clare), Sean Og O hAilpin (Cork); John Fenton (do), Jerry O’Connor (do); Ben O’Connor (do), Gary Kirby (Limerick), John Leahy (Tipperary); Eoin Kelly (do), Jimmy Barry-Murphy (Cork), Nicky English (Tipperary).

Nice to see that lads were picked in their natural positions rather than having centre backs in the midfield or on the wing, although I would have hd no objection if Corcoran or Carey were accomodated in this way…Wouldn’t have too many complaints with the team although it seems a bit biased to Cork…Would have Colin Lynch, Tom Kenny or Tommy Dunne ahead of Jerry O’Connor and would have Declan Ryan and Jamsie ahead of Kirby and Leahy…

Hard to see how JBM made it, no doubt he is one of the greats but his best days were well behind him by 1984…

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The Cork City team that won the league a few years ago were fairly daecent

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[quote=“The Puke”]Nice to see that lads were picked in their natural positions rather than having centre backs in the midfield or on the wing, although I would have hd no objection if Corcoran or Carey were accomodated in this way…Wouldn’t have too many complaints with the team although it seems a bit biased to Cork…Would have Colin Lynch, Tom Kenny or Tommy Dunne ahead of Jerry O’Connor and would have Declan Ryan and Jamsie ahead of Kirby and Leahy…

Hard to see how JBM made it, no doubt he is one of the greats but his best days were well behind him by 1984…[/quote]

For fuck sake how is Carey not in it.:smiley: You’d know there were 2 cork cunts picking the team.
Either fire him in midfield or fuck out Sean og. Colin lynch would have to be in ahead of JOC. Declan Ryan was best tipp centre forward i’ve seen and way ahead of Kirby

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The team was picked with three lads nominated for each position…Carey, Corcoran and Shoulders were the centre backs and McMahon rightfully got the nod…

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Not being from Munster, thankfully, the following selections astound me:

Stephen McDonagh
Frank Lohan
Gary Kirby

:eek:

The non-inclusion of Ciaran Carey and Brian Corcoran is odd.

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Fair enough if they were giving positions to pick from before. As much and all as i dislike Davy I think he was a better keeper than cunningham.

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[quote=“The Puke”]Nice to see that lads were picked in their natural positions rather than having centre backs in the midfield or on the wing, although I would have hd no objection if Corcoran or Carey were accomodated in this way…Wouldn’t have too many complaints with the team although it seems a bit biased to Cork…Would have Colin Lynch, Tom Kenny or Tommy Dunne ahead of Jerry O’Connor and would have Declan Ryan and Jamsie ahead of Kirby and Leahy…

Hard to see how JBM made it, no doubt he is one of the greats but his best days were well behind him by 1984…[/quote]

Bit stupid Sean Og made it alright and Carey didn’t.

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[quote=“Bandage”]Not being from Munster, thankfully, the following selections astound me:

Stephen McDonagh
Frank Lohan
Gary Kirby

:eek:

The non-inclusion of Ciaran Carey and Brian Corcoran is odd.[/quote]

Name a better no 4 in Munster than Frank Lohan in last 25 years?

Corcoran put in at centre back line as above

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[quote=“Bandage”]Not being from Munster, thankfully, the following selections astound me:

Stephen McDonagh
Frank Lohan
Gary Kirby

:eek:

The non-inclusion of Ciaran Carey and Brian Corcoran is odd.[/quote]

Frank Lohan was a colossus in the corner bandage…McDonagh wasn’t bad either although I would have the likes of Sherlock ahead of him…Agreed about Kirby, he was a decent hurler but no Declan Ryan…

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Here is the short list

Goalkeeper
B Cummins
G Cunningham
D Fitzgerald

RCB
P Delaney
S McDonagh
W Sherlock

FB
B Lohan
D O’Sullivan
N Sheehy

LCB
F Lohan
B Murphy
M Ryan

RHB
Conal Bonnar
Tony Browne
L Doyle

CB
C Carey
B Corcoran
S McMahon

LHB
A Daly
M Foley
S g hAilpin

CF
T Dunne
J Fenton
C Lynch
T Kenny
J O’Connor
M Walsh

RHF
M Cleary
B O’Connor
D Shanahan

CF
G Kirby
K McGrath
D Ryan

LHF
John Leahy
J O’Connor
T O’Sullivan

RCF
P Fox
E Kelly (Tipp)
J Mullane

FF
C Bonnar
JB Murphy
E Kelly (Waterford)

LCF
J Deane
P Flynn
N English

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[quote=“The Puke”]Here is the short list

Goalkeeper
B Cummins
G Cunningham
D Fitzgerald

RCB
P Delaney
S McDonagh
W Sherlock

FB
B Lohan
D O’Sullivan
N Sheehy

LCB
F Lohan
B Murphy
M Ryan

RHB
Conal Bonnar
Tony Browne
L Doyle

CB
C Carey
B Corcoran
S McMahon

LHB
A Daly
M Foley
S g hAilpin

CF
T Dunne
J Fenton
C Lynch
T Kenny
J O’Connor
M Walsh

RHF
M Cleary
B O’Connor
D Shanahan

CF
G Kirby
K McGrath
D Ryan

LHF
John Leahy
J O’Connor
T O’Sullivan

RCF
P Fox
E Kelly (Tipp)
J Mullane

FF
C Bonnar
JB Murphy
E Kelly (Waterford)

LCF
J Deane
P Flynn
N English[/quote]

You’d pick Ken at centre forward before Kirby aswell

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[quote=“The Puke”]Nice to see that lads were picked in their natural positions rather than having centre backs in the midfield or on the wing, although I would have hd no objection if Corcoran or Carey were accomodated in this way…Wouldn’t have too many complaints with the team although it seems a bit biased to Cork…Would have Colin Lynch, Tom Kenny or Tommy Dunne ahead of Jerry O’Connor and would have Declan Ryan and Jamsie ahead of Kirby and Leahy…

Hard to see how JBM made it, no doubt he is one of the greats but his best days were well behind him by 1984…[/quote]

JBM was awesome 1984, 85 & to a lesser extent 86. He possibly gave his best game ever in loosing to Galway in the rain in 85 semi. Made so many scores for other guys, and usually got 1-01 or something.
As much as i admire Sean Og i wouldn’t have him in front of some of the others either, but it was kept to positions.
For me Pat Fox is a glaring ommision. I don’t think Ken McGrath was/is in same class as Kirby, i think guys judge Kirby on '96 final. He was unreal lads, so many times.
Declan Ryan was a sweet hurler, but i’d still pick Kirby.

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[quote=“caoimhaoin”]JBM was awesome 1984, 85 & to a lesser extent 86. He possibly gave his best game ever in loosing to Galway in the rain in 85 semi. Made so many scores for other guys, and usually got 1-01 or something.
As much as i admire Sean Og i wouldn’t have him in front of some of the others either, but it was kept to positions.
For me Pat Fox is a glaring ommision. I don’t think Ken McGrath was/is in same class as Kirby, i think guys judge Kirby on '96 final. He was unreal lads, so many times.
Declan Ryan was a sweet hurler, but i’d still pick Kirby.[/quote]

Kirby was a very good hurler but wouldn’t class him as one of the greats, although I did make the point on here a few weeks ago when one of the limerick lads was harping on about Carey and his point in 1996 against Clare, it was actually Kirby that kept them in that game and his performance the the impact of Barry Foley off the bench was the winning of it for them…That super point aside Carey was average enough the same day …

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Did you see who one-third of the selection panel was?

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:popcorn:

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I think alot of this has to do with your era and what teams you watched most. My golden era for hurling was 84-92. Cork and Tipp were the players i was most familiar with. While i still went to all the games etc, the interest just wouldn’t be 100% when Cork were shit from 93 onwards. Obviously i watched the games, but they wouldn’t stick in the head as well as the Clare games might for ye lads.

For instance Brian Corcoran wobn HOTY at corner back, he could have been put in there. But you’d look at Lohan (having seen him endless times) and go, what the fuck is he doing off it.
I think sticking to positions kinda kills a good few of the arguments.

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can’t believe corocoran is not in it…could have easily been put in to challenge for corner back spot…his display there in '92 all ireland final was up there with galway’s padraig kelly as the great performances from the losing team memeber in all-ireland…

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These things are always going to be flawed in fairness aren’t they? Good for talking about but not worth getting stressed over.

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In those 25 years

Cork - 10 Titles
Tipp - 8 Titles
Clare - 3 Titles
Waterford - 3 Titles
Limerick - 2 Titles

This may have something to do with the spread of the award winners.

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[quote=“caoimhaoin”]In those 25 years

Cork - 10 Titles
Tipp - 8 Titles
Clare - 3 Titles
Waterford - 3 Titles
Limerick - 2 Titles

This may have something to do with the spread of the award winners.[/quote]

or maybe the fact that 2 cork men and a loon-ball that writes for a cork paper were the 3 men picking the team;)