A) INTRODUCTION:
They were the dream full forward line that terrorised defences in Munster and in Croke Park, at the end of the 80’s and the early 90’s. Before Babs
Keating arrived few hurlers from the West of the county had made an impact on the Tipperary hurling team ; yet Babs had no regard for tradition or where a hurler came from. All he cared about was the ability of the hurler to produce it on the big day. They rewarded Babs' faith in them as in the 4 years that they started in the Tipp full forward line, the county only lost 1 championship game (92 V Cork). They were selected as the entire full forward line for the All-Stars in 89, (in 91 Fox and Bonner got awards), and 2 of them won Texaco Hurler of the Year Awards (89 English, 91 Fox). They were the entire full forward line on the West Tipperary Hurling team of the Millennium, scored nearly half of Tipp's Championship scores, and were at the forefront of leading Tipperary to 2 All-Irelands titles in 3 years.
Yet when Babs took over the team, few envisaged that either Fox or Cormac Bonnar would ever feature in his plans again. Both had spells with Tipp in the early 80’s, Fox had last played with Tipp in '85 where he got the run around from Thomas Mulcahy. Serious injuries to his knees had disrupted his career. Bonnar had a brief spell in the early 80’s and seemed to have more success with the Tipp footballers. Many Tipp people scoffed when both of them came back into the Tipp team, especially as forwards. Yet within minutes of both of their Championship debuts (under Babs) their immense value and potential was realised.
Fox was a craftsman with a hurley, which seemed to be an extension of his arm. He was under the shadow of Nicky in the early years but really came into his own on 1991 when he almost single handedly won the All-Ireland Final for Tipp scoring 5 points from play, on a day that both Bonnar and English were not fully fit. Bonnar not the most stylish or natural of forwards but he set up the scores for Fox and English, and often was over looked when praise was been handed out to the Tipp team. English was the darling of the media winning 6 All-Stars in 7 years, got the fancy scores and was the first one to be interviewed after the Tipp games. Yet the 3 of them combined superbly as a unit and were able to read each other’s game plan, and get the crucial scores that won games for Tipp.
B) THE BEFORE (75-88):
Pat Fox (1977-88)
The fact that Pat Fox is a modern-day legend in Tipperary and even National Hurling circles would have been laughed at in 1983 and 1984, as he was out with a serious long term knee injury. His list of medals and honours speaks for itself, having won All-Ireland medals in 4 decades and 2 centuries! He was born on 8th July 1961 and despite playing 3 years with the Tipp Minor hurlers he had no success. However he was part of the all-conquering Tipp U21 teams of 1979, '80 and '81, and starred in a variety of positions. He won his 1979 medal at midfield; the following year he was corner-back with Cormac Bonner at the edge of the square; and in 1981 he was again corner-back with Nicky English at wing-forward when they beat Kilkenny in Waterford 2-16 to 1-10, with both men outstanding. Fox was still underage for 1982 Tipp were surprisingly beaten by Limerick in the Munster Semi-final.
His first few Senior years were bad for Tipp, but good for Fox personally. Tipp were still without a championship win since 1973, when Fox made his debut in 1980 at midfield; (he moved back to corner back during the game), as Tipp lost to Cork 2-17 to 1-12. 1981 brought first round defeat to Limerick. Tipp blew a massive half time lead (2-10 to 0-3) to draw the game (3-13 to 4-10). Tip lost the replay 3-17 to 2-12. Pat lined out at corner forward, his brother Kevin was also a member of the Tipp team that day as well. (This was also the year that Mossy Carroll played with Tipp and his brother Brian played with Limerick). The heartbreak of this defeat was somewhat replaced when Fox was picked as a replacement All-Star and in a newspaper interview in 1992 he said that he played some of the best hurling of his career during those dark days for Tipperary hurling.
1982 promised to be a bright year for Tipp seniors, as the U21’s had been undefeated for the 3 previous years. Despite the Under 21 selectors taking over the senior team, and a lot of these players lining out against Cork in Pairc Ui Chaiomh in the Munster semi-final, the score-line (1-19 to 2-8) made depressing reading for Tipp supporters. Nicky English made his championship debut this day as well. However, a serious knee injury for Pat Fox during the summer of 1982, seemed to leave his hurling career in tatters.
He did not hurl with Tipp in 1983 and had to watch Tipp nearly win the Centenary Munster title in 1984 from the stand, and played on the Tipp Junior hurling team that lost Munster Final to Cork. 1985 saw him back in the Tipp Senior line-out at corner back. However, despite a replay win over Clare, Tipp lost the Munster final to Cork (4-17 to 4-11). Pat Fox says that the roasting he got off Thomas Mulcahy that day was his worst in Championship hurling. In 1986 both he and Nicky were in the stand injured in Ennis as Clare put an end to Tipp’s Championship dreams once again (2-10 to 1-11).
When Babs took over Tipp in the autumn of 1986 he was looking for players with the five S words ; speed, stamina, style, skill, leading to scores. Fox had all five of these qualities in abundance and his performances in the 1987 campaign proved this. The wheels nearly came unstuck in Killarney in May but with Fox in sparkling form; 1-10, Tipp won, (1-21 to 2-6). At the start of June Tipp were steeped to draw against Clare; 1-13 a piece with Fox again the top scorer with 0-7. He scored the same in the replay as Tipp cruised into the Munster Final 4-17 to 0-8.
60,000 fans crammed into Thurles on 12th of July to see Tipp face Cork in the Munster Final. Tipp started in whirlwind fashion and midway through the second half lead 1-14 to 0-10 and seemed to be home and hosed, however Cork scored 1-6 without reply and Kevin Kingston’s goal and John Fenton’s point left Tipp trailing by 2 points approaching injury time. With Tipp looking for inspiration it was “the little Big Man” who stepped up and like a man with ice in his veins put 2 high pressure frees over the bar to leave it 1-18 a piece, (Fox scored 0-9). While Nicky claimed all the media attention with his silky skills, in the end it was Fox who saved Tipp with his calm thinking and superb free-taking.
The replay was back to Killarney and over 45,000 people showed up for another Cork-Tipp classic. It started off badly for Tipp, and after a lethargic first half they trailed Cork by 5 points. Tipp slowly came back into it when Fox scored “the goal that never was” after a pass from Nicky when he blasted the ball to the net, but the shot it hit the back stanchion and the ball came back into play. Tipp levelled for the first time in the 23rd minute through Fox, however it needed a hand-passed Nicky point to put the game into extra time. Extra-time saw Michael Doyle score 2 goals and Donie O’Connell 1, set up by Fox, which led a mass pitch invasion, and Richard Stakelum’s speech that contained the famous original line “the famine is over”. It was a day that any Tipp person who experienced will never forget and brought the Munster Cup to Tipp for the first time since 1971. Fox was again Tipp’s top scorer with 11 points as Tipp triumphed 4-22 to 1-22.
Tipp peaked for the Cork game and were a raw team outside of Munster, facing a Galway team in determined mood to make up for losing the previous 2 All-Ireland Finals. In a superbly fast game of hurling Tipp took the lead through Nicky after only 9 seconds, but played catch up for the rest of the game. Fox again was very influential scoring a goal from a penalty just before the break to leave Tipp trailing by 4. Another Fox goal in the second half seemed to put Tipp on their way but goals from Eanna Ryan and Noel Lane left Tipp trailing after a pulsating game 3-20 to 2-17, with Fox scoring 2-3. The year finished on a high note for Fox when he collected a richly deserved All-Star at corner forward after being the leading scorer in the championship with 3-47.
Tipp collected their first League title since 1979 with a 3-15 to 2-9 win over Offaly in Croke Park in April 1988. Fox contributed 6-40 in the League campaign.
Tipp got the Munster Championship off with a very unimpressive victory, (0-15 to 0-8) in Cork as Tipp without Nicky struggled; Fox scored 0-7 points - as Culbaire put it in the Tipp Star - “sweet but not intoxicating". Tipp had to play a Cork team up for revenge in the Munster Final in the Gaelic Grounds. Tipp cruised through the first half and lead 1-13 to 0-5 points at the break. However, Cork stormed back through a goal by Tom Cashman and some superb points. The Tipp selectors then moved Nicky out the field, and brought on Cormac Bonnar who scored a vital goal for Tipp. Fox relinquished his free-taking duties and was held scoreless. Tipp won 2-19 to 1-13.
Tipp beat Antrim in the All-Ireland semi-final by 3-15 to 2-10. Fox got proceedings underway with a goal from a penalty and he also got the crucial goal at the end to kill the game off. A highlight of the game was the understanding between Fox and English who seemed to know exactly where the other was. Fox ended up with 2-1.
So Tipp advanced to their first All-Ireland Final since 1971. The pressure and atmosphere was very tense and it was a relief to the players to eventually take the
field on the 4th of September. Fox never got the better of his marker Ollie Kilkenny, and Conor Hayes had Nicky in trouble for most of the day as well. However, Tipp went in trailing by only 4 at the break and with the wind at their backs seemed to be well placed to launch an attack. Declan Ryan was having a great game and ended up with 4 points from play. However Tipp’s luck was summed up when a Donie O’ Connell goal was called back for a free-in, and superb saves were made by John Commins from Leahy and Fox. Noel Lane's goal was the difference between the teams. Tipp had a chance at the death but a point by Nicky left it 1-15 to 0-14. Fox was again held scoreless, and was the subject of some criticism from the manager Babs Keating. Again another season with no All-Ireland Senior Medal but progress was being made and it would pay off in 1989.
Cormac Bonnar
The first glimpse most of the newer generation of Tipperary supporters got of Cormac Bonnar was in the 1988 Munster Final at the revamped Gaelic Grounds. Midway through the second half Tipp were in serious trouble; Cork had pulled Tipp’s large lead back to 3 points, when the call went to the dugout for the big man from Cashel to tog off. While younger people went scrambling for the programme to see who this huge bearded helmeted man was ambling into the full forward position, older people recognised him as 29-year-old Cormac Bonnar, older brother of Colm. Soon after his arrival a line ball by Paul Delaney was flicked to the net by “The Viking”, and a modern Tipp Legend was born.
Born on the 31st May 1959, at his peak Bonner weighed in at 14st, standing an inch over 6 foot. He first came to prominence in Tipp when he played Minor football and hurling for the County. He then starred on the all-conquering U21 hurling teams of 1979 and 1980. He was full back in 1980 and was drafted onto the senior panel in the autumn of that year. He was on the bench in 1981 as Tipp blew a 13-point lead to Limerick. He made his senior Championship debut in 1983 when he came on as a second half sub at midfield as Tipp won their first Championship match in 10 years with a victory over Clare at Limerick. The next few years were spent in the wilderness. Serious injuries, work abroad, and lack of form meant that outings with the Tipp footballers in 1986 seemed to spell the end for his Senior Inter-County experience.
All this was to change with the introduction of Babs as Tipp manager in late 1986. Throughout 1987 and the early stages of 1988, Babs had tried various players at the edge of the square such as Nicky, Bobby Ryan, Declan Ryan, Pat McGrath, and Donie O’ Connell. But what he required was someone with a large presence at the edge of the square to win the ball and set up scores. After watching Tipp struggle to beat Limerick in the Munster Semi-Final in 1988, Babs saw what he wanted in a West Senior Championship game; Cashel V Clonoulty, with Cormac Bonnar at centre forward. Although not particularly impressive, he was called up to the Tipp team and 2 weeks later, after only a few training sessions with the Tipp Senior hurlers he was happily warming the bench for Munster final. Tipp were struggling in the second half and he answered the call when after being introduced as a sub he touched the ball to the net, for his first ever score for Tipp. Although his only other contribution in the 1988 campaign was as a late sub in both All-Ireland Semi-Final and the Final, he was developing into a Tipperary match winner.
Never the most prolific of scorers; (see Appendix 1) he was what Babs wanted a big man at the edge of the square, who despite his size and appearance was the fittest man on the Tipp panel. He had terrific control of the ball, and once he won the ball it usually resulted in him setting up a score for Tipp or else drawing a free. As a fitness fanatic ; he befitted hugely when physical training expert Phil Conway took over as Tipp trainer at the start of 1989. As a converted defender he readily admits to having to work extremely hard to adjust to life in the forwards, and spent hours and hours on his own honing his hurling skills. His main concern was that Tipp won and he did not care who got the scores. With him at full-forward this completed the missing piece of the jigsaw for Tipp forwards. It allowed Nicky to have more freedom as corner forward and created a focal point of the Tipp attack and a superb target man. While Fox and English got much of the credit for Tipp success in 1989 and 1991, it was Bonner who took the battering of hard uncompromising full backs, so that the men in the corners could get the scores. He often left the field bloodied and dazed but always after giving his all for the Tipperary jersey.
Such was his value to Tipp, that the only only lost 1 Championship game in which he started, 1992 Munster Semi Final v Cork, a game in which he was "taken out" by a late Denis Mulcahy challenge, which required Bonnar to go off at half-time. He starred on Conor Hayes in the 1989 League Final when Tipp lost to Galway by 2-16 to 4-8. Although he started on the bench for the first round of the Championship against Limerick, he came on as a sub and transformed the game, keeping his place for the 1989 Munster Final - his first start for Tipp in the Championship.
Nicky Enlish
Czar” “God”, “Nicky God”, “Hurling’s Maradona” and “Superstar” were just some of the titles that were that were bandied about when the Prince of Modern Tipperary hurling was at his peak. The papers at the time had a pretty standard heading for Tipp after Nicky had played a good game and it went “X given an English Lesson” (with X being the county that Tipp had just played). He is the best hurler that I, and indeed many of the newer generation of Tipp hurling followers have ever seen. In match-day programmes when many of the current Tipp players are asked for the player they most admired the majority mention Nicky English. He was the one player who during the 80’s and early 90’s who gave opposing defences sleepless nights before and after games. English was a hurler of superb natural ability and a very reliable free-taker. He got many spectacular scores, such as the kicked goal in the 1987 Munster Final kicked goal, and many other crucial ones such as in the 1987 Munster final replay to take the game into extra time. He also carried Tipp’s hurling expectations on his shoulders for a number of years before 1987.
However it all could have been all so different! Nicky grew up in Cullen close to the Limerick border in a football area and it was not until he went to Secondary School in Tipp Town that he played his first competitive hurling game. While he was an outstanding footballer, (Co. Minor Football team 78-80) hurling was his first love. Unusually his first his first Munster medal was in neither sport it was in tennis when he was part of the Lattin Tennis club team that won the Munster U14 in 1977. In 1979 he did not make the final panel for the Tipp minor team because of his lack of size and physical strength. However his luck changed in 1980 when he was picked for the Tipp minor hurling team. He scored a point against Cork in the first round at midfield with Joe Hayes. He suffered a broken leg that Summer, missing the Munster Final, but despite only being out of plaster for 5 weeks, he played in the All-Ireland Final at corner forward and scored a goal.
The next phase was the most crucial of his developing from a scrawny hurler into 1 of the most feared forwards in the country. In the autumn of 1980 he entered UCC and when he left (eventually!) in the spring of 1985 he had 5 Fitzgibbon medals under the tutelage of Fr. Michael O’ Brien being captain in 1985. In 1981 he was on the Tipp U21 team with Fox, Bobby Ryan, Pat McGrath and Ger O’Neill, they won the All-Ireland with Nicky at corner forward. They beat Kilkenny in Waterford in the All-Ireland Final.
Nicky was also a superb footballer and played for 3 years each with the Tipp Minors and U21 footballers. In 1980 he played on the Tipp minor football team that were 7 points up on Kerry with 6 minutes to go but 2-2 from Kerry in the closing minutes won a game that Kerry that scarcely deserved to win (Liam Kearns the current Limerick football manager got 1 of the goals). In 1981 he was on the Tipp U21 football team that was desperately close to beating Cork, losing by only a point. Another point that also seems to have been forgotten is that Nicky was a very versatile. He played at midfield during his minor days, and also was a superb centre back, regularly playing there for his club and UCC. He gave one of his best ever hurling performances when he went centre back for UCC in the Fitzgibbon Cup Semi-Final of 83.
In October of 1981 he played his first game for Tipp a challenge against Offaly in Coventry, and the following month he made his League debut against Waterford. Tipp, with a lot of the U21’s got a rude awakening in the League, when expose to senior hurling. On his championship debut, he lined out as a half-forward when Tipp were well beaten by an experienced Cork side by 1-19 to 2-8. He went on the All-Stars trip to America as a replacement. The following year was an historic one as Tipp won their first Championship game in 10 years against Clare in Limerick. Nicky was struggling in the corner, but he went centre forward and excelled on Sean Stack as Tipp won. Reality struck harshly 3 weeks later when Tipp were battered off the field by a physical Waterford team. Nicky was stretchered off - with the game almost over - with a busted mouth and teeth and had a spell in hospital. He got consolation with his first All-Star award. He would go on to win 6 in the next 7 years ; missing out in 1986 when he was injured.
1984 was a massive year for the GAA, but more especially in Tipp, with the All-Ireland hurling final due to be played in Thurles. Tipp got to the League quarter Finals but lost to Limerick. Nicky won his first Railway Cup medal in 1984. In the Munster semi-final, Tipp beat Clare by 2 points courtesy of a last minute goal. Nicky was influential in almost all the Tipp scores. The Munster Final was against old and feared rivals Cork in Thurles. In a pulsating game Tipp again fell short, they were 4 points up with 6 minutes to go when a pass from Mick Doyle to Nicky never made it, preventing Nicky adding to his brilliant first-half goal. Cork being Cork went down the other end, scoring 2 late goals to snatch the game from Tipp. This was a shattering defeat for Tipp, particularly as the All-Ireland Final - which Cork easily won - was played on Tipp's home soil.
1985 saw Tipp win their first trophy since 1979 when they beat Galway in the Ford Open Draw Final. Tipp had to have 2 attempts to beat Clare in the Semi-Final, with Nicky scoring the equaliser in the drawn game and getting 2 goals in the replay. Tipp again faced Cork in front of 50,000 in Cork but despite great forward play by Ger O’ Neill and Nicky (2-3) Tipp lost 4-17 to 4-11. Such was his display in the Munster final that he picked up another All-Star. In 1986 he was in superb form but a punctured lung kept him in the stand in Ennis as Tipp were well beaten by Clare.
1987 saw the famine finally over with an historic Munster Final victory. An ankle injury kept Nicky in the stand for the Kerry game. In the semi-final against Clare in Killarney, Nicky lined out at corner forward and scored 1-2 in a drawn game despite playing poorly. In the replay, with Aidan Ryan in inspired form, Tipp cruised into the Munster final with Nicky scoring 2-4. The drawn Munster Final was the one that shot Nicky to national prominence. Despite playing poorly in the first half, (played corner, wing and full forward), he got a superb goal in the second half which has been shown repeatedly on telly to this day. Nicky found himself through on goals, (without his hurley again!), and controlled the ball with his first touch then curled it past Ger Cunningham for a brilliant goal to put Tipp 7 points up. In injury time he gained the vital free to put Tipp level. He scored 1-1.
In the replay, he again scored another great goal. A long clearance dropped in front of him and in one swift action he rose and buried it past Ger Cunningham, from quite a distance. His equalising point at the end was crucial. He gained possoession out the field and soloed towards the goal, and showing nerves of steel he coolly hand passed the ball over the bar to put the game into extra-time. The rest as they say is history as Mick Doyle and Donie O Connell finished off Cork with a deluge of goals.
In his autobiography Nicky says that the 1987 All-Ireland Semi-Final with Galway was the finest game of hurling he ever played in. Tipp were back in the big time with massive crowds at training and a lot of media attention. Nicky scored 6 points in the semi-final and played very well on Conor Hayes. He had 1 goal bound effort taken off the line, and 2 of his point shots were just over the bar. Despite Fox being on fire as well, Galway’s experience paid off as they advanced to the All-Ireland Final.
He won his fourth All-Star award in '87, and was in the best form of his life when the League campaign commenced. Having taken over from Fox as free-taker he was scoring freely in the latter stages of the League, with the national media following his every game with a lot of interest. In his own opinion, his best ever display was against Waterford in the League Semi-Final when he scored 2-11. In the Final win over Offaly he scored 1-3 as Pa O’ Neill collected the cup. However after being injury free for a few years he picked up a very bad hamstring injury. This was the start of long list of injuries, which would haunt the remainder of his career.
Due to the hamstring injury he did not play in the victory over Limerick in the Munster Semi-Final of 1988, but was back to score 9 points in the win over Cork in the final. Tipp struggled for long spells before finally dispatching Antrim in the Semi-Final with Nicky scoring 1-7. Tipp's build-up to the final was over-shadowed by controversy, with the captain Pa O’ Neill being dropped and Nicky being announced as his replacement. The divisions it caused are still festering to this day and in the build-up to the final there was unbearable pressure on Nicky who was Tipp’s main player, free taker, and through no fault of his own - the captain. He received abusive letters and cards before the final and was under the full glare of the media who got a lot of mileage out of the story. What was forgotten was that Leahy was the player who came on in Pa O’ Neill’s place and had a good game in the final.
It was a relieved Nicky who led Tipp onto the field for their first All-Ireland Final appearance since 1971. However the atmosphere seemed to get to most of the Tipp players and they were always chasing the game. Nicky was well marshalled by Conor Hayes and was unable to score from play (6 points from frees). The Tipp backs were playing well but the forwards were being well held by some superb Galway play,particulary from their half-back line of Keady, Finnerty, and McInerney. Nicky had a penalty right at the end, but his goal-bound effort was too high and Galway remained All-Ireland champions. He picked up his fifth All-Star in December as Colm Bonnar, Bobby and Declan also picked up statuettes. Tipp were getting closer and closer to the bigger prize and had progressed each year since Babs took over the reigns. 1989 would bring the reward dreamed about since he was kid hitting a ball off a wall in Cullen.
They were the dream full forward line that terrorised defences in Munster and in Croke Park, at the end of the 80’s and the early 90’s. Before Babs
Keating arrived few hurlers from the West of the county had made an impact on the Tipperary hurling team ; yet Babs had no regard for tradition or where a hurler came from. All he cared about was the ability of the hurler to produce it on the big day. They rewarded Babs' faith in them as in the 4 years that they started in the Tipp full forward line, the county only lost 1 championship game (92 V Cork). They were selected as the entire full forward line for the All-Stars in 89, (in 91 Fox and Bonner got awards), and 2 of them won Texaco Hurler of the Year Awards (89 English, 91 Fox). They were the entire full forward line on the West Tipperary Hurling team of the Millennium, scored nearly half of Tipp's Championship scores, and were at the forefront of leading Tipperary to 2 All-Irelands titles in 3 years.
Yet when Babs took over the team, few envisaged that either Fox or Cormac Bonnar would ever feature in his plans again. Both had spells with Tipp in the early 80’s, Fox had last played with Tipp in '85 where he got the run around from Thomas Mulcahy. Serious injuries to his knees had disrupted his career. Bonnar had a brief spell in the early 80’s and seemed to have more success with the Tipp footballers. Many Tipp people scoffed when both of them came back into the Tipp team, especially as forwards. Yet within minutes of both of their Championship debuts (under Babs) their immense value and potential was realised.
Fox was a craftsman with a hurley, which seemed to be an extension of his arm. He was under the shadow of Nicky in the early years but really came into his own on 1991 when he almost single handedly won the All-Ireland Final for Tipp scoring 5 points from play, on a day that both Bonnar and English were not fully fit. Bonnar not the most stylish or natural of forwards but he set up the scores for Fox and English, and often was over looked when praise was been handed out to the Tipp team. English was the darling of the media winning 6 All-Stars in 7 years, got the fancy scores and was the first one to be interviewed after the Tipp games. Yet the 3 of them combined superbly as a unit and were able to read each other’s game plan, and get the crucial scores that won games for Tipp.
B) THE BEFORE (75-88):
Pat Fox (1977-88)
The fact that Pat Fox is a modern-day legend in Tipperary and even National Hurling circles would have been laughed at in 1983 and 1984, as he was out with a serious long term knee injury. His list of medals and honours speaks for itself, having won All-Ireland medals in 4 decades and 2 centuries! He was born on 8th July 1961 and despite playing 3 years with the Tipp Minor hurlers he had no success. However he was part of the all-conquering Tipp U21 teams of 1979, '80 and '81, and starred in a variety of positions. He won his 1979 medal at midfield; the following year he was corner-back with Cormac Bonner at the edge of the square; and in 1981 he was again corner-back with Nicky English at wing-forward when they beat Kilkenny in Waterford 2-16 to 1-10, with both men outstanding. Fox was still underage for 1982 Tipp were surprisingly beaten by Limerick in the Munster Semi-final.
His first few Senior years were bad for Tipp, but good for Fox personally. Tipp were still without a championship win since 1973, when Fox made his debut in 1980 at midfield; (he moved back to corner back during the game), as Tipp lost to Cork 2-17 to 1-12. 1981 brought first round defeat to Limerick. Tipp blew a massive half time lead (2-10 to 0-3) to draw the game (3-13 to 4-10). Tip lost the replay 3-17 to 2-12. Pat lined out at corner forward, his brother Kevin was also a member of the Tipp team that day as well. (This was also the year that Mossy Carroll played with Tipp and his brother Brian played with Limerick). The heartbreak of this defeat was somewhat replaced when Fox was picked as a replacement All-Star and in a newspaper interview in 1992 he said that he played some of the best hurling of his career during those dark days for Tipperary hurling.
1982 promised to be a bright year for Tipp seniors, as the U21’s had been undefeated for the 3 previous years. Despite the Under 21 selectors taking over the senior team, and a lot of these players lining out against Cork in Pairc Ui Chaiomh in the Munster semi-final, the score-line (1-19 to 2-8) made depressing reading for Tipp supporters. Nicky English made his championship debut this day as well. However, a serious knee injury for Pat Fox during the summer of 1982, seemed to leave his hurling career in tatters.
He did not hurl with Tipp in 1983 and had to watch Tipp nearly win the Centenary Munster title in 1984 from the stand, and played on the Tipp Junior hurling team that lost Munster Final to Cork. 1985 saw him back in the Tipp Senior line-out at corner back. However, despite a replay win over Clare, Tipp lost the Munster final to Cork (4-17 to 4-11). Pat Fox says that the roasting he got off Thomas Mulcahy that day was his worst in Championship hurling. In 1986 both he and Nicky were in the stand injured in Ennis as Clare put an end to Tipp’s Championship dreams once again (2-10 to 1-11).
When Babs took over Tipp in the autumn of 1986 he was looking for players with the five S words ; speed, stamina, style, skill, leading to scores. Fox had all five of these qualities in abundance and his performances in the 1987 campaign proved this. The wheels nearly came unstuck in Killarney in May but with Fox in sparkling form; 1-10, Tipp won, (1-21 to 2-6). At the start of June Tipp were steeped to draw against Clare; 1-13 a piece with Fox again the top scorer with 0-7. He scored the same in the replay as Tipp cruised into the Munster Final 4-17 to 0-8.
60,000 fans crammed into Thurles on 12th of July to see Tipp face Cork in the Munster Final. Tipp started in whirlwind fashion and midway through the second half lead 1-14 to 0-10 and seemed to be home and hosed, however Cork scored 1-6 without reply and Kevin Kingston’s goal and John Fenton’s point left Tipp trailing by 2 points approaching injury time. With Tipp looking for inspiration it was “the little Big Man” who stepped up and like a man with ice in his veins put 2 high pressure frees over the bar to leave it 1-18 a piece, (Fox scored 0-9). While Nicky claimed all the media attention with his silky skills, in the end it was Fox who saved Tipp with his calm thinking and superb free-taking.
The replay was back to Killarney and over 45,000 people showed up for another Cork-Tipp classic. It started off badly for Tipp, and after a lethargic first half they trailed Cork by 5 points. Tipp slowly came back into it when Fox scored “the goal that never was” after a pass from Nicky when he blasted the ball to the net, but the shot it hit the back stanchion and the ball came back into play. Tipp levelled for the first time in the 23rd minute through Fox, however it needed a hand-passed Nicky point to put the game into extra time. Extra-time saw Michael Doyle score 2 goals and Donie O’Connell 1, set up by Fox, which led a mass pitch invasion, and Richard Stakelum’s speech that contained the famous original line “the famine is over”. It was a day that any Tipp person who experienced will never forget and brought the Munster Cup to Tipp for the first time since 1971. Fox was again Tipp’s top scorer with 11 points as Tipp triumphed 4-22 to 1-22.
Tipp peaked for the Cork game and were a raw team outside of Munster, facing a Galway team in determined mood to make up for losing the previous 2 All-Ireland Finals. In a superbly fast game of hurling Tipp took the lead through Nicky after only 9 seconds, but played catch up for the rest of the game. Fox again was very influential scoring a goal from a penalty just before the break to leave Tipp trailing by 4. Another Fox goal in the second half seemed to put Tipp on their way but goals from Eanna Ryan and Noel Lane left Tipp trailing after a pulsating game 3-20 to 2-17, with Fox scoring 2-3. The year finished on a high note for Fox when he collected a richly deserved All-Star at corner forward after being the leading scorer in the championship with 3-47.
Tipp collected their first League title since 1979 with a 3-15 to 2-9 win over Offaly in Croke Park in April 1988. Fox contributed 6-40 in the League campaign.
Tipp got the Munster Championship off with a very unimpressive victory, (0-15 to 0-8) in Cork as Tipp without Nicky struggled; Fox scored 0-7 points - as Culbaire put it in the Tipp Star - “sweet but not intoxicating". Tipp had to play a Cork team up for revenge in the Munster Final in the Gaelic Grounds. Tipp cruised through the first half and lead 1-13 to 0-5 points at the break. However, Cork stormed back through a goal by Tom Cashman and some superb points. The Tipp selectors then moved Nicky out the field, and brought on Cormac Bonnar who scored a vital goal for Tipp. Fox relinquished his free-taking duties and was held scoreless. Tipp won 2-19 to 1-13.
Tipp beat Antrim in the All-Ireland semi-final by 3-15 to 2-10. Fox got proceedings underway with a goal from a penalty and he also got the crucial goal at the end to kill the game off. A highlight of the game was the understanding between Fox and English who seemed to know exactly where the other was. Fox ended up with 2-1.
So Tipp advanced to their first All-Ireland Final since 1971. The pressure and atmosphere was very tense and it was a relief to the players to eventually take the
field on the 4th of September. Fox never got the better of his marker Ollie Kilkenny, and Conor Hayes had Nicky in trouble for most of the day as well. However, Tipp went in trailing by only 4 at the break and with the wind at their backs seemed to be well placed to launch an attack. Declan Ryan was having a great game and ended up with 4 points from play. However Tipp’s luck was summed up when a Donie O’ Connell goal was called back for a free-in, and superb saves were made by John Commins from Leahy and Fox. Noel Lane's goal was the difference between the teams. Tipp had a chance at the death but a point by Nicky left it 1-15 to 0-14. Fox was again held scoreless, and was the subject of some criticism from the manager Babs Keating. Again another season with no All-Ireland Senior Medal but progress was being made and it would pay off in 1989.
Cormac Bonnar
The first glimpse most of the newer generation of Tipperary supporters got of Cormac Bonnar was in the 1988 Munster Final at the revamped Gaelic Grounds. Midway through the second half Tipp were in serious trouble; Cork had pulled Tipp’s large lead back to 3 points, when the call went to the dugout for the big man from Cashel to tog off. While younger people went scrambling for the programme to see who this huge bearded helmeted man was ambling into the full forward position, older people recognised him as 29-year-old Cormac Bonnar, older brother of Colm. Soon after his arrival a line ball by Paul Delaney was flicked to the net by “The Viking”, and a modern Tipp Legend was born.
Born on the 31st May 1959, at his peak Bonner weighed in at 14st, standing an inch over 6 foot. He first came to prominence in Tipp when he played Minor football and hurling for the County. He then starred on the all-conquering U21 hurling teams of 1979 and 1980. He was full back in 1980 and was drafted onto the senior panel in the autumn of that year. He was on the bench in 1981 as Tipp blew a 13-point lead to Limerick. He made his senior Championship debut in 1983 when he came on as a second half sub at midfield as Tipp won their first Championship match in 10 years with a victory over Clare at Limerick. The next few years were spent in the wilderness. Serious injuries, work abroad, and lack of form meant that outings with the Tipp footballers in 1986 seemed to spell the end for his Senior Inter-County experience.
All this was to change with the introduction of Babs as Tipp manager in late 1986. Throughout 1987 and the early stages of 1988, Babs had tried various players at the edge of the square such as Nicky, Bobby Ryan, Declan Ryan, Pat McGrath, and Donie O’ Connell. But what he required was someone with a large presence at the edge of the square to win the ball and set up scores. After watching Tipp struggle to beat Limerick in the Munster Semi-Final in 1988, Babs saw what he wanted in a West Senior Championship game; Cashel V Clonoulty, with Cormac Bonnar at centre forward. Although not particularly impressive, he was called up to the Tipp team and 2 weeks later, after only a few training sessions with the Tipp Senior hurlers he was happily warming the bench for Munster final. Tipp were struggling in the second half and he answered the call when after being introduced as a sub he touched the ball to the net, for his first ever score for Tipp. Although his only other contribution in the 1988 campaign was as a late sub in both All-Ireland Semi-Final and the Final, he was developing into a Tipperary match winner.
Never the most prolific of scorers; (see Appendix 1) he was what Babs wanted a big man at the edge of the square, who despite his size and appearance was the fittest man on the Tipp panel. He had terrific control of the ball, and once he won the ball it usually resulted in him setting up a score for Tipp or else drawing a free. As a fitness fanatic ; he befitted hugely when physical training expert Phil Conway took over as Tipp trainer at the start of 1989. As a converted defender he readily admits to having to work extremely hard to adjust to life in the forwards, and spent hours and hours on his own honing his hurling skills. His main concern was that Tipp won and he did not care who got the scores. With him at full-forward this completed the missing piece of the jigsaw for Tipp forwards. It allowed Nicky to have more freedom as corner forward and created a focal point of the Tipp attack and a superb target man. While Fox and English got much of the credit for Tipp success in 1989 and 1991, it was Bonner who took the battering of hard uncompromising full backs, so that the men in the corners could get the scores. He often left the field bloodied and dazed but always after giving his all for the Tipperary jersey.
Such was his value to Tipp, that the only only lost 1 Championship game in which he started, 1992 Munster Semi Final v Cork, a game in which he was "taken out" by a late Denis Mulcahy challenge, which required Bonnar to go off at half-time. He starred on Conor Hayes in the 1989 League Final when Tipp lost to Galway by 2-16 to 4-8. Although he started on the bench for the first round of the Championship against Limerick, he came on as a sub and transformed the game, keeping his place for the 1989 Munster Final - his first start for Tipp in the Championship.
Nicky Enlish
Czar” “God”, “Nicky God”, “Hurling’s Maradona” and “Superstar” were just some of the titles that were that were bandied about when the Prince of Modern Tipperary hurling was at his peak. The papers at the time had a pretty standard heading for Tipp after Nicky had played a good game and it went “X given an English Lesson” (with X being the county that Tipp had just played). He is the best hurler that I, and indeed many of the newer generation of Tipp hurling followers have ever seen. In match-day programmes when many of the current Tipp players are asked for the player they most admired the majority mention Nicky English. He was the one player who during the 80’s and early 90’s who gave opposing defences sleepless nights before and after games. English was a hurler of superb natural ability and a very reliable free-taker. He got many spectacular scores, such as the kicked goal in the 1987 Munster Final kicked goal, and many other crucial ones such as in the 1987 Munster final replay to take the game into extra time. He also carried Tipp’s hurling expectations on his shoulders for a number of years before 1987.
However it all could have been all so different! Nicky grew up in Cullen close to the Limerick border in a football area and it was not until he went to Secondary School in Tipp Town that he played his first competitive hurling game. While he was an outstanding footballer, (Co. Minor Football team 78-80) hurling was his first love. Unusually his first his first Munster medal was in neither sport it was in tennis when he was part of the Lattin Tennis club team that won the Munster U14 in 1977. In 1979 he did not make the final panel for the Tipp minor team because of his lack of size and physical strength. However his luck changed in 1980 when he was picked for the Tipp minor hurling team. He scored a point against Cork in the first round at midfield with Joe Hayes. He suffered a broken leg that Summer, missing the Munster Final, but despite only being out of plaster for 5 weeks, he played in the All-Ireland Final at corner forward and scored a goal.
The next phase was the most crucial of his developing from a scrawny hurler into 1 of the most feared forwards in the country. In the autumn of 1980 he entered UCC and when he left (eventually!) in the spring of 1985 he had 5 Fitzgibbon medals under the tutelage of Fr. Michael O’ Brien being captain in 1985. In 1981 he was on the Tipp U21 team with Fox, Bobby Ryan, Pat McGrath and Ger O’Neill, they won the All-Ireland with Nicky at corner forward. They beat Kilkenny in Waterford in the All-Ireland Final.
Nicky was also a superb footballer and played for 3 years each with the Tipp Minors and U21 footballers. In 1980 he played on the Tipp minor football team that were 7 points up on Kerry with 6 minutes to go but 2-2 from Kerry in the closing minutes won a game that Kerry that scarcely deserved to win (Liam Kearns the current Limerick football manager got 1 of the goals). In 1981 he was on the Tipp U21 football team that was desperately close to beating Cork, losing by only a point. Another point that also seems to have been forgotten is that Nicky was a very versatile. He played at midfield during his minor days, and also was a superb centre back, regularly playing there for his club and UCC. He gave one of his best ever hurling performances when he went centre back for UCC in the Fitzgibbon Cup Semi-Final of 83.
In October of 1981 he played his first game for Tipp a challenge against Offaly in Coventry, and the following month he made his League debut against Waterford. Tipp, with a lot of the U21’s got a rude awakening in the League, when expose to senior hurling. On his championship debut, he lined out as a half-forward when Tipp were well beaten by an experienced Cork side by 1-19 to 2-8. He went on the All-Stars trip to America as a replacement. The following year was an historic one as Tipp won their first Championship game in 10 years against Clare in Limerick. Nicky was struggling in the corner, but he went centre forward and excelled on Sean Stack as Tipp won. Reality struck harshly 3 weeks later when Tipp were battered off the field by a physical Waterford team. Nicky was stretchered off - with the game almost over - with a busted mouth and teeth and had a spell in hospital. He got consolation with his first All-Star award. He would go on to win 6 in the next 7 years ; missing out in 1986 when he was injured.
1984 was a massive year for the GAA, but more especially in Tipp, with the All-Ireland hurling final due to be played in Thurles. Tipp got to the League quarter Finals but lost to Limerick. Nicky won his first Railway Cup medal in 1984. In the Munster semi-final, Tipp beat Clare by 2 points courtesy of a last minute goal. Nicky was influential in almost all the Tipp scores. The Munster Final was against old and feared rivals Cork in Thurles. In a pulsating game Tipp again fell short, they were 4 points up with 6 minutes to go when a pass from Mick Doyle to Nicky never made it, preventing Nicky adding to his brilliant first-half goal. Cork being Cork went down the other end, scoring 2 late goals to snatch the game from Tipp. This was a shattering defeat for Tipp, particularly as the All-Ireland Final - which Cork easily won - was played on Tipp's home soil.
1985 saw Tipp win their first trophy since 1979 when they beat Galway in the Ford Open Draw Final. Tipp had to have 2 attempts to beat Clare in the Semi-Final, with Nicky scoring the equaliser in the drawn game and getting 2 goals in the replay. Tipp again faced Cork in front of 50,000 in Cork but despite great forward play by Ger O’ Neill and Nicky (2-3) Tipp lost 4-17 to 4-11. Such was his display in the Munster final that he picked up another All-Star. In 1986 he was in superb form but a punctured lung kept him in the stand in Ennis as Tipp were well beaten by Clare.
1987 saw the famine finally over with an historic Munster Final victory. An ankle injury kept Nicky in the stand for the Kerry game. In the semi-final against Clare in Killarney, Nicky lined out at corner forward and scored 1-2 in a drawn game despite playing poorly. In the replay, with Aidan Ryan in inspired form, Tipp cruised into the Munster final with Nicky scoring 2-4. The drawn Munster Final was the one that shot Nicky to national prominence. Despite playing poorly in the first half, (played corner, wing and full forward), he got a superb goal in the second half which has been shown repeatedly on telly to this day. Nicky found himself through on goals, (without his hurley again!), and controlled the ball with his first touch then curled it past Ger Cunningham for a brilliant goal to put Tipp 7 points up. In injury time he gained the vital free to put Tipp level. He scored 1-1.
In the replay, he again scored another great goal. A long clearance dropped in front of him and in one swift action he rose and buried it past Ger Cunningham, from quite a distance. His equalising point at the end was crucial. He gained possoession out the field and soloed towards the goal, and showing nerves of steel he coolly hand passed the ball over the bar to put the game into extra-time. The rest as they say is history as Mick Doyle and Donie O Connell finished off Cork with a deluge of goals.
In his autobiography Nicky says that the 1987 All-Ireland Semi-Final with Galway was the finest game of hurling he ever played in. Tipp were back in the big time with massive crowds at training and a lot of media attention. Nicky scored 6 points in the semi-final and played very well on Conor Hayes. He had 1 goal bound effort taken off the line, and 2 of his point shots were just over the bar. Despite Fox being on fire as well, Galway’s experience paid off as they advanced to the All-Ireland Final.
He won his fourth All-Star award in '87, and was in the best form of his life when the League campaign commenced. Having taken over from Fox as free-taker he was scoring freely in the latter stages of the League, with the national media following his every game with a lot of interest. In his own opinion, his best ever display was against Waterford in the League Semi-Final when he scored 2-11. In the Final win over Offaly he scored 1-3 as Pa O’ Neill collected the cup. However after being injury free for a few years he picked up a very bad hamstring injury. This was the start of long list of injuries, which would haunt the remainder of his career.
Due to the hamstring injury he did not play in the victory over Limerick in the Munster Semi-Final of 1988, but was back to score 9 points in the win over Cork in the final. Tipp struggled for long spells before finally dispatching Antrim in the Semi-Final with Nicky scoring 1-7. Tipp's build-up to the final was over-shadowed by controversy, with the captain Pa O’ Neill being dropped and Nicky being announced as his replacement. The divisions it caused are still festering to this day and in the build-up to the final there was unbearable pressure on Nicky who was Tipp’s main player, free taker, and through no fault of his own - the captain. He received abusive letters and cards before the final and was under the full glare of the media who got a lot of mileage out of the story. What was forgotten was that Leahy was the player who came on in Pa O’ Neill’s place and had a good game in the final.
It was a relieved Nicky who led Tipp onto the field for their first All-Ireland Final appearance since 1971. However the atmosphere seemed to get to most of the Tipp players and they were always chasing the game. Nicky was well marshalled by Conor Hayes and was unable to score from play (6 points from frees). The Tipp backs were playing well but the forwards were being well held by some superb Galway play,particulary from their half-back line of Keady, Finnerty, and McInerney. Nicky had a penalty right at the end, but his goal-bound effort was too high and Galway remained All-Ireland champions. He picked up his fifth All-Star in December as Colm Bonnar, Bobby and Declan also picked up statuettes. Tipp were getting closer and closer to the bigger prize and had progressed each year since Babs took over the reigns. 1989 would bring the reward dreamed about since he was kid hitting a ball off a wall in Cullen.
Will we ever forget this Goal??,drawn munster final1987
