Ray Cummins

Infobox GAA dualplayer
code= Hurling
sport = Hurling


name = Ray Cummins
irish = Reamonn Ó Coimín
fullname = Raymond Cummins
placeofbirth = Ballinlough
countryofbirth = Cork
bday=9
bmonth=11
byear= 1948
dyear=
dday=
dmonth=
height =
nickname =
county = Cork
province = Munster
club = Blackrock
clpositionh = Forward
clpositionf = Forward
clubs = Blackrock
St. Michael's
UCC
clyears = 1970s-1980s
1960s-1980s
1960s-1970s
clapps(points) =
clcounty = 2
clprovince= 4
clallireland =
counties = Cork (F)
Cork (H)
icpositionh = Full-forward
icpositionf= Full-forward
icyears = 1968-1978
1969-1982
icapps(points) = 19 (4-58)
35 (18-46)
icprovincef = 3
icprovinceh=9
icallirelandh= 4
icallirelandf =1
allstarsf=2
allstarsh=3
clupdate =
icupdate =

Ray Cummins (born 9 November, 1948) is a former Irish dual player. He played hurling with his local club Blackrock and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1969 until 1982. Cummins also played Gaelic football with his local club St. Michael's and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1968 until 1978. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers of all-time.Fact|date=April 2008

Cummins' status as one of the all-time hurling greats is self-evident. In a senior inter-county career that lasted for thirteen years he won four All-Ireland titles, nine Munster titles, three National Hurling League titles and three Railway Cup titles. In a senior inter-county football career that lasted for ten years Cummins won one All-Ireland title, three Munster titles and one Railway Cup title. In 1999 Cummins was named in the full-forward position on the GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium.

Early & private life

Ray Cummins was born in Ballinlough, Cork in 1948. In time he would come to be regarded as one of the great players of his generation and as one of the greatest dual players of all-time. Cummins honed his hurling and football skills during street games in the 1950s on the Ballinlough Road, and later carried his skills to the nearby Blackrock and St. Michael's clubs. He attended Coláiste Chríost Rí where, along with his brothers Brendan and Kevin, he became part of the sporting success of the school. In the late 1960s Cummins attended University College Cork where he studied engineering. Here he played on the college hurling and football teams, winning Fitzgibbon Cup, Sigerson Cup and Cork SHC honours.

Cummins currently lives in Kinsale and works with the pharmaceutical Eli Lilly and Company. On February 20, 2007 he was profiled on the TG4 television programme "Laochra Gael".

Playing career

Club

Cummins first tasted club success when he was at university. He played both hurling and football with the great UCC team in the late 1960s and had much success. In 1969 he won a Cork SFC medal, before adding a Cork SHC title in 1970. When Cummins graduated from university he was eligible to play hurling with his local Blackrock club. He played his club football with Blackrock's sister club, St. Michael's. In 1973 Cummins won his first Cork county title with "the Rockies." This was later converted into a Munster and an All-Ireland club title. Two years later in 1975 Cummins won another county medal, before winning his second Munster club title. Three years later in 1978 he captured his third county medal with Blackrock. Once again this was converted into a third Munster club medal and a second All-Ireland club medal. In 1979 Cummins won another Cork county title, as well as a fourth Munster club medal.

Minor & Under-21

A very tall, slim player, generally towering over his opponents, Cummins used his physical attributes to telling effect by punching many fine points in football and 'catching high' and delivering many winning scores in hurling. In the early 1960s Cummins went for a trial with the Cork Under-15 hurling team and, in one of the major oversights of Cork hurling, a future star was turned away. He was subsequently accepted onto the inter-county minor team. Cummins won a Munster medal at minor level in 1966, however, Cork went on to lose the All-Ireland final. He later joined the Cork under-21 team, winning back-to-back All-Ireland medals in 1968 and 1969.

enior

In 1968 Cummins became a regular feature on Cork's senior football team. The following year he became a dual player when he made his first appearance on the Cork senior hurling side. He subsequently won his first senior Munster medal, however, Cork lost the All-Ireland final to Kilkenny. In 1970 Cummins captured his Munster hurling medal, before overcoming Wexford in the final to claim his first senior All-Ireland title. In 1971 Cork's footballers emerged from the wilderness, with Cummins winning his first Munster football medal. His skill as an all-round hurling and football star was acknowledged when he was picked on both inaugural All-Star teams.

A return to hurling in 1972 saw Cummins win his first National Hurling League title as well as another Munster title. Once again, however, Cork lost out to Kilkenny in one of the most exciting All-Ireland finals in modern times. In 1973 he turned his attentions back to football, winning a second Munster title, as well as his first All-Ireland football title. In doing so he became only the tenth player in the history of Gaelic games to win senior All-Ireland medals in both hurling and football. Cummins began 1974 by winning his second National Hurling League medal. He subsequently won his third, and final, Munster football medal following a defeat of Kerry. In 1975 Cork's hurlers were back in form and Cummins won another Munster title, the first of five in-a-row. It was the beginning of a glorious era for the hurling team.

In 1976 Cummins captained Cork to another Munster hurling title, before going on to win his second All-Ireland hurling medal following a great win over Wexford. In 1977 Cork captured another Munster title before defeating Wexford once again to claim a second consecutive All-Ireland title. Naturally Cummins played a central role at full-forward in helping Cork to this win. In 1978 he won another Munster medal which allowed Cork to advance to the All-Ireland final. This time Cork defeated the old enemy of Kilkenny to capture a third All-Ireland title in-a-row. In 1979 Cork were aiming for a fourth consecutive All-Ireland title. All went to plan when the side won another Munster title, however, Cummins's side were subsequently defeated by Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final.

In 1980 Cummins won his third and final National Hurling League medal, however, it turned out to be the first time since 1968 that he didn't win a Munster medal in either hurling or football. Two years later in 1982 Cummins won his ninth Munster hurling medal but, in a pattern that had repeated itself during his career, Cork once again lost out to Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final. It was to be Cummins's last outing for Cork as he later decided to retire from inter-county hurling.

Retirement

At the time of his retirement Cummins had won every single honour in the game. He continues to support his club and county, however, he has had little, if any, involvement as a selector or coach. He holds the distinction of being one of only four players to have been awarded All-Stars in both hurling and football. In 2000 Cummins was honoured by the GAA when he was named on the "Hurling Team of the Millennium", marking him out as the greatest full-forward of all-time.

Honours

Teams

ee also

* List of people on stamps of Ireland