All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1976

Infobox Hurling All-Ireland
year=1976


team=Cork
titles=22nd
captain=Ray Cummins
manager=Fr. Bertie Troy
munster=Cork
leinster=Wexford
ulster=
connacht=
poty=Tony Doran
matches=
The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1976 was the 90th edition of Ireland’s premier hurling knockout competition. The championship ran from May to September of that year, culminating with the All-Ireland final, held at Croke Park, Dublin on 5 September. The match was contested by Cork and Wexford, with Cork taking the title by 2-21 to 4-11. The prize for the winning team was the Liam McCarthy Cup.

Format

The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was run on a provincial basis as usual. All games were played on a knockout basis whereby once a team lost they were eliminated from the championship. The format for the All-Ireland series of games ran as follows:
* The winners of the Munster Championship advanced directly to the All-Ireland final.
* The winners of the Leinster Championship advanced directly to a lone All-Ireland semi-final.
* Galway, a team who faced no competition in Connacht, entered the championship at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage. Their opponents in this game were the winners of the All-Ireland ’B’ Championship. The winners of this lone ‘quarter-final’ would advance to play the Leinster champions.
* There were no representatives from Ulster in the All-Ireland championship.

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

footballbox
date = July 18
Quarter-Final
team2 = Kerry
score = 3-12 – 3-9
team1 = Galway
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Gaelic Grounds,
Limerick----footballbox
date = August 15
Semi-Final
team1 = Wexford
score = 5-14 – 2-23
team2 = Galway
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Páirc Uí Chaoimh,
Cork----footballbox
date = August 22
Semi-Final
Replay
team1 = Wexford
score = 3-14 – 2-14
team2 = Galway
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Páirc Uí Chaoimh,
Cork

All-Ireland final

Overview

Sunday 5 September was the date of the 1976 All-Ireland senior hurling final between Cork and Wexford. It was Cork’s first appearance in the championship decider since 1972 when they lost one of the all-time classic games to Kilkenny. Wexford last appeared in the final game of the championship in 1970 when they lost to Cork. Furthermore, it had been twenty years since Wexford defeated Cork in the championship. On that occasion in 1956 the legendary Christy Ring was denied a record ninth All-Ireland winners’ medal.

On the day of the final playing conditions were excellent. A sun-kissed, warm and windless afternoon provided for a great occasion.

Match report

At 3:15pm referee Paddy Johnston from Kilkenny threw in the sliothar and the game was on. The opening exchanges were played at the usual frantic pace, however, it was Wexford you had the first opportunity to open their scoring account. Unfortunately, John Quigley’s shot went wide. After two-and-a-half minutes of play Mick Butler gave Wexford the lead when he converted a close-in free. He was one of the top scorers in the championship up to that point having recorded 2-16 in the games up to the final. Cork had the chance to level the scorers shortly afterwards, however, a Denis Coughlan effort from way out the field tailed off and went wide. The next passage of play saw the Wexford forwards dominate the game with Ned Buggy stretching the lead with the first point from play. Immediately after the puck-out the Wexford men went on the attack again. A Mick Butler shot hit the upright and landed into the Wexford full-forward line. This stroke of luck surprised the Cork defenders as goal-scorer supreme Tony Doran caught the sliothar. He hand passed the sliothar to Martin Quigley who scored the first goal of the day. Wexford weren’t content with a five point lead as they went on the attack once again after the restart. The sliothar found its way to Tony Doran once again, however, his shot was blocked. The sliothar was half cleared but only as far as Martin Quigley who struck it on the ground and sent it crashing to the net. With six minutes of play gone Wexford led by 2-2 to no score. Cork had yet to settle and a wide soon after the two goals was a cause for concern. It was left to Pat Moylan to open the Cork scoring account when he sent over a 70-yard free. Wexford responded immediately when Mick Butler sent over a close-in free to stretch the lead once again.

The next passage of play saw Cork click into gear and begin the fight-back. Mick Malone got his name on the scoring sheet when he hand passed the sliothar over the bar to secure Cork’s second score of the day. This was quickly followed by a Charlie McCarthy point. Pat Moylan had the chance to reduce Wexford’s lead when he stepped up to take a penalty; however, he was satisfied to take a point. After fifteen minutes of play Charlie McCarthy sent over a free as the blood poured out of his nose. Pat Moylan landed another free soon afterwards before Ray Cummins got in on the action with his first point of the day. Immediately after this Pat Moylan sent over a long-range point to level the scores for the first time. After a disastrous start Cork were back in the game. Wexford came back into the game and took the lead again when Mick Butler sent over a free; however, Pat Moylan cancelled this point when he scored yet another point for ‘the Rebels.’ Wexford dominated the game for the next few minutes as Ned Buggy sent over a 70-yard free to put one point between the sides again. This was followed by a Christy Keogh wide, however, Ned Buggy put two points between the sides when he converted another free. Just when Wexford were regaining control of the game Ray Cummins played a captains role for Cork when scored his sides first goal of the day. His kicked effort showed his Gaelic football skills as well as his hurling. Seánie O'Leary pointed after thirty-one minutes to give Cork the lead for the first time. Charlie McCarthy extended this lead to two points when he sent over another point just a minute later. The last two scores of the first-half went to Wexford as a free by Ned Buggy and a point by John Quigley leveled the scores once again. At half time the score read Cork 1-11, Wexford 2-8.

After the interval there was a single change on the Cork team when Éamonn O'Donoghue replaced Seánie O’Leary. Brendan Cummins started the Cork attack straight away, however, his effort went wide. Tony Doran, who was giving an absolute exhibition of hurling at full-forward, captured the first score of the half when he sent the sliothar crashing into the Cork net for Wexford’s third goal of the day. Cork’s response was immediate with Pat Moylan reducing the deficit once more with another point. After the puck-out the ball broke the Brendan Cummins who sent a speculative shot towards the Wexford goalmouth. Charlie McCarthy popped up out of nowhere to slot the ball past the goalkeeper for Cork’s second goal of the game. Martin Quigley leveled the scores almost immediately when his point went straight between the posts and over the bar. Some substitutions were made for both teams shortly afterwards as John Horgan came on for Cork while Declan Rowesome and Martin Casey joined the Wexford team. Cork took the lead soon afterwards with another Pat Moylan free before Jimmy Barry-Murphy sent over a second in close succession to stretch Cork’s lead. The game swung back towards Wexford almost immediately when Mick Butler palmed the sliothar past Martin Coleman for his teams fourth goal of the day and a one point lead yet again. Cork’s response was not an effective one as they recorded four points in succession. Wexford were also having difficulty in finding the target as two Ned Buggy efforts also went wayward, however, they had two more goal chances that were saved by the Cork defence.

Pat Moylan captured the equalizer after twenty-one minutes of play, however, the game swung back to Wexford once again. Ned Buggy converted a free before Mick Butler put two points between he teams just a minute later. While Wexford should have forged ahead and increased their lead this score turned out to be their last of the game, in spite of thirteen minutes remaining. Cork really took over for the last few passages of play. Pat Moylan landed another free before Jimmy Barry-Murphy, a player who was largely anonymous in the game up to this point, scored the equalizer. A short few minutes later he popped up again to give Cork the lead. Ray Cummins missed an easy point in front of the goal; however, he made amends soon afterwards when he added to his tally by kicking the sliothar over the bar to add to the goal that he kicked earlier. Jimmy Barry-Murphy slotted another point over the bar to give Cork a three-point lead as time was running out. At the other end of the field there was a controversial incident when Tony Doran was fouled. Naturally a free should have been awarded, however, the referee threw in the sliothar and the game continued. The final action of the game saw Pat Moylan fittingly send over the final score. It was his tenth point of the day and it was an insurance score for Cork as it gave them a four-point lead. Such was his influence on that occasion the game has sometimes been referred to as ‘Pat Moylan’s All-Ireland final.’ The referee blew the whistle immediately after the puck-out and Cork were the champions on a score line of 2-21 to 4-11.

tatistics

footballbox
date=1978-09-05
15:15 BST
team1=Cork
score=2-21 – 4-11
team2=Wexford
report=
goals1= P. Moylan (0-10)
C. McCarthy (1-3)
R. Cummins (1-2)
J. Barry-Murphy (0-4)
M. Malone (0-1)
S. O’Leary (0-1)
goals2=M. Quigley (2-1)
M. Butler (1-4)
N. Buggy (0-5)
T. Doran (1-0)
J. Quigley (0-1)
stadium=Croke Park, Dublin
attendance=62,684
referee=

References

* Corry, Eoghan, "The GAA Book of Lists" (Hodder Headline Ireland, 2005).
* Donegan, Des, "The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games" (DBA Publications Limited, 2005).
* Nolan, Pat, "Flashbacks: A Half Century of Cork Hurling" (The Collins Press, 2000).

ee also