Mick Cashman

Mick Cashman

Personal information
Irish name	Mícheál Ó Cíosáin
Sport	Hurling
Position	Goalkeeper
Born	Blackrock, Cork
Club(s)
Years	Club
1950s-1960s	Blackrock
Club Titles
Cork titles	2
Inter-county(ies)
Years	County
1950s-1960s	Cork
Inter-county titles
Munster titles	3 (1 as sub)
All Irelands	2 (2 as sub)
NHL	1

Mick Cashman (1931–1990) was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Blackrock and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team in the 1950s and 1960s.

Playing career

Club

Cashman played his club hurling with the famous Blackrock club and enjoyed some success. After little silverware in the minor grade he went on to become the star goalkeeper of the senior team. In 1956 Cashman captained the club to their first senior county title in twenty-five years. Six years later in 1961 he guided 'the Rockies' to a second county title.

Inter-county

Cashman first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Cork senior team in the early 1950s. After Tom Mulcahy retired from inter-county hurling after the 1951 championship Cashman became Cork's new goalkeeper. Success, however, was slow in coming. In 1952 Cashman was struck down with tonsilitis just before the start of the championship and was forced to withdraw from the starting fifteen. Former sub 'keeper Dave Creedon was recalled and proved so effective in goal that he succeeded in displacing Cashman as the first-choice goalkeeper for a number of years.^[1]

There was some success for Cashman. He came on as a substitute in the 1953 league final as Cork defeated Tipperary to take the National Hurling League title.^[2] He wa still relegated t the subs' bench for the subsequent championship campaign.

In 1954 Tipperary fell to Cork by 2-8 to 1-8 in the provincial final. Cashman played as a half-back in that game to collect his first Munster title on the field of play.^[3] He played no part in Cork's subsequent All-Ireland final victory.

Cork lost their provincial crown in 1955 and Dave Creedon retired from inter-county hurling. This opened the door for Cashman to return as first-choice goalkeeper for the following year. In 1956 Cork recahed the Munster final once again. Limerick provided the opposition on that occasion, however, Cork recorded a 5-5 o 3-5 victory. It was Cashman's second Munster winners' medal on the field of play.^[4] Cork later lined out in the All-Ireland final with Wexford providing the opposition. The game has gone down in history as one of the all-time classic games as Christy Ring was bidding for a record ninth All-Ireland medal. The game turned on one important incident as the Wexford goalkeeper, Art Foley, made a miraculous save from a Ring shot and cleared the sliotar up the field to set up another attack. Wexford went on to win the game on a score line of 2-14 to 2-8 and Cashman wa sleft with a runners-up medal.^[5]

In 1957 Cashman was appointed captain of his native-county’s senior hurling team. Once again Cork reached the Munster final, however, they were defeated by Waterford on a score line of 1-11 to 1-6.^[6] Cashman’s side contested three consecutive provincial finals in 1959, 1960 and 1961, however, he ended up on the losing side on every occasion.^[7] He served as captain of the team again in 1962, however, he retired from inter-county hurling following Cork’s early exit from the championship.

Inter-provincial

Cashman also lined out with Munster in the inter-provincial hurling competition and enjoyed much success. He first lined out with his province as capatin in 1957 and guided Munster to a 5-7 to 2-5 victory over Leinster. This was the first of five consecutive Railway Cup victories for Cashman a spart of the Munster team. He won a sixth and final Railway Cup winners' medal in 1963 as Munster accounted for Leinster by just a single point.^[8]

Post-playing career

In retirement from hurling Cashman came to be regarded as one of Cork’s greatest players never to win an All-Ireland medal. Although he never achieved this distinction himself he did live to see his two sons have much success on the hurling field with both Blackrock and Cork. In 1986 both Jim and Tom Cashman won senior All-Ireland medals with Cork.

Mick Cashman died in 1990.

References

1. ^ Horgan, Tim (2007). Christy Ring: Hurling's Greatest. The Collins Press. p. 128. 
2. ^ Donegan, Des (2005). The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games. DBA Publications. p. 73. 
3. ^ The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games p. 25
4. ^ The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games p. 25
5. ^ Corry, Eoghan (2005). The GAA Book of Lists. Hodder Headline Ireland. p. 353. 
6. ^ The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games p. 25
7. ^ The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games p. 25
8. ^ "Munster Railway Cup Hurling Teams". Munster GAA. http://munster.gaa.ie/teams/railwaycuphurling.html. Retrieved 2009-02-15. ^{[dead link]}

Sporting positions
Preceded by Tony O'Shaughnessy	Cork Senior Hurling Captain 1957	Succeeded by Paddy Barry
Preceded by	Cork Senior Hurling Captain 1962	Succeeded by Mick McCarthy
Achievements
Preceded by Nick O'Donnell (Leinster)	Railway Cup Hurling Final winning captain 1957	Succeeded by Phil Grimes (Munster)

Teams

Persondata
Name	Cashman, Mick
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1931
Place of birth	Blackrock
Date of death	1990
Place of death