National Forum

Best U-21 hurling team

(Oldest Posts First)

There's been some outstanding u21 hurling teams in recent times waterford this year,clare 2012-2014 and the limerick 3 in a row 2000-02

Personally I think the tipperary 2010 team tops the list 7 of that side started this year's all ireland final

Just wondering what other people feel?I'm only old enough to remember the last 20 years was any sides prior to that worth a mention?

bostonredsox (Wexford) - Posts: 4368 - 03/01/2017 00:13:13    1942720

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Replying To wexico15:  "There's been some outstanding u21 hurling teams in recent times waterford this year,clare 2012-2014 and the limerick 3 in a row 2000-02

Personally I think the tipperary 2010 team tops the list 7 of that side started this year's all ireland final

Just wondering what other people feel?I'm only old enough to remember the last 20 years was any sides prior to that worth a mention?"
waterford 1992 gave out tony browne paul flynn ken mcgrath johnny brenner fergal hartley and a few others

juniorjudge (Waterford) - Posts: 383 - 03/01/2017 01:18:49    1942721

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I'd go with Clare 2012-14. Impressive along with winning a senior title in the middle of it.

Gael85 (Dublin) - Posts: 1433 - 03/01/2017 01:19:27    1942722

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Hard to look past that Clare u21 team, from a Limerick perspective the three in a row teams were so consistent but gave very few genuinely outstanding inter county seniors, the 2015 team were more outstanding being so young and winning the final by a cricket score.

73forever (Limerick) - Posts: 89 - 04/01/2017 13:13:06    1943026

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Replying To juniorjudge:  "waterford 1992 gave out tony browne paul flynn ken mcgrath johnny brenner fergal hartley and a few others"
You sure Ken Mc Grath was on the 92 team? Didn't think he was,
Thought this years Waterford U21's look good, fair few of them on the senior set up

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 1908 - 04/01/2017 13:26:32    1943032

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The Kilkenny team of 2004 was savage they hammered tipp in the final, the kilkenny team of 1999 wasnt too bad either with the likes of Eddie Brennan, Henry Shefflin, Martin Comerford, Noel Hickey to name !

Ben (None) - Posts: 101 - 04/01/2017 13:52:48    1943035

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Replying To wexico15:  "There's been some outstanding u21 hurling teams in recent times waterford this year,clare 2012-2014 and the limerick 3 in a row 2000-02

Personally I think the tipperary 2010 team tops the list 7 of that side started this year's all ireland final

Just wondering what other people feel?I'm only old enough to remember the last 20 years was any sides prior to that worth a mention?"
I would agree, its rare that you have 9 players on an U/21 team who have won senior AI medals the previous week by beating KK in an AI final.
They won that u/21 final by 25 pts beating what was a good Galway team which contained alot of guys who would themselves win an AI the following year.

PremierGold (Tipperary) - Posts: 121 - 04/01/2017 14:41:15    1943042

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Replying To juniorjudge:  "waterford 1992 gave out tony browne paul flynn ken mcgrath johnny brenner fergal hartley and a few others"
Ken was not on the 1992 team he was only u15 in 1992. Flynner only started one game as he was involved with the minors until they lost to Galway and started the final replay.

Tipp team of 2010 is the top of my list Barry, Bubbles, O' Meara, Noel McGrath , Brendan Maher, Padraic Maher , Patrick Maher and Michael Cahill. Some team thought after they came through that they'd dominate for years.

dubshurling7 (Dublin) - Posts: 1017 - 04/01/2017 18:48:38    1943092

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The only four in a row belongs to Cork. The county achieved this feat 1968-1971. Indeed. between 1966 and 1973 the county annexed six Under 21 titles. Among the notables who played in that era for Cork were Ray Cummins, Seánie O'Leary, Mick Malone and backs John Horgan (RIP), Pat McDonnell and Martin O'Doherty; all six starred in Cork's senior winning teams in the 70s.
The Under 21 team going for the four-in-a-row in 1971 had as full forward, John Rothwell who scored four goal in the semi-final and four in the final.
It was probably the 1966 final that made the Under 21 as glamorous as it is. The three games between Cork and Wexford to decide the result had all GAA followers enthralled. I remember my late parents speak with joy of the games.

ballagoballa (UK) - Posts: 49 - 04/01/2017 19:47:00    1943112

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yup well spotted about ken, i was in 2 minds about something else

juniorjudge (Waterford) - Posts: 383 - 04/01/2017 22:36:57    1943144

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Replying To wexico15:  "There's been some outstanding u21 hurling teams in recent times waterford this year,clare 2012-2014 and the limerick 3 in a row 2000-02

Personally I think the tipperary 2010 team tops the list 7 of that side started this year's all ireland final

Just wondering what other people feel?I'm only old enough to remember the last 20 years was any sides prior to that worth a mention?"
I'm biased but I would agree. There would almost certainly have been 8 if Seamus Hennessy wasn't so unfortunate with his injury. Captained Tipp U21's in his first year out of minor and was already developing into a leader within the senior panel as mentioned by Brendan Cummins.

By my calculations about 17-18 of the players that played that day have pulled on the Senior jersey in league or cship at some stage. The 2016 winning senior team had 1-2 players in each line in the field from this team (with the exception of the goalie).

KK had an exceptional team in 2005 ( I think) with likes of Cha and Richie but an average Tpp team brought them to a replay. 2016 Waterford team have the ability to be the greatest U21 team, time will tell. It's something that's hard to judge but it's rare to have so many from an underage team being on a successful senior team. Most counties would be happy to pull 2-3 quality players every year

tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 05/01/2017 12:56:48    1943209

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Replying To tiobraid:  "I'm biased but I would agree. There would almost certainly have been 8 if Seamus Hennessy wasn't so unfortunate with his injury. Captained Tipp U21's in his first year out of minor and was already developing into a leader within the senior panel as mentioned by Brendan Cummins.

By my calculations about 17-18 of the players that played that day have pulled on the Senior jersey in league or cship at some stage. The 2016 winning senior team had 1-2 players in each line in the field from this team (with the exception of the goalie).

KK had an exceptional team in 2005 ( I think) with likes of Cha and Richie but an average Tpp team brought them to a replay. 2016 Waterford team have the ability to be the greatest U21 team, time will tell. It's something that's hard to judge but it's rare to have so many from an underage team being on a successful senior team. Most counties would be happy to pull 2-3 quality players every year"
Now I'm 100% biased, but I'm also a hurling fan through & through and I go for Limerick 2000-2002.

Hammered Cork by 21 points in the replayed 2000 Munster Final. That game was on a Thursday night and we had to play Antrim in Parnell Park on the Saturday afterwards (won that one 1-21 to 2-9).
Hammered Galway by 16 points in the 2002 All-Ireland Final (3-17 to 0-8)
Won a litany of tight games, from the beginning of the run with a win over Clare in 2000, right through to 2002 Munster Final.

You name it, this side did it. Victory over Galway three years in a row. Beat Cork in Cork, Tipp in Tipp (Gaelic Grounds was being done up). In the 2002 Munster Final, Eoin Foley had to put away a 21 yard free to draw the game. In the replay, were 4 points down in injury time & scored 1-1 to draw it. We won after extra time. The All-Ireland finals of 2000 & 2001 were tight affairs and Limerick won by 1-13 to 0-13 v Galway in 2000, then 0-17 to 2-10 v Wexford in 2001. Possibly the only way the run could have been surpassed would have been to beat Kilkenny along the way, but that didn't happen and all in all thinking back on those games makes me immensely proud to be a Limerick Man.

They were three class teams.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 05/01/2017 13:25:31    1943226

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Replying To slayer:  "Now I'm 100% biased, but I'm also a hurling fan through & through and I go for Limerick 2000-2002.

Hammered Cork by 21 points in the replayed 2000 Munster Final. That game was on a Thursday night and we had to play Antrim in Parnell Park on the Saturday afterwards (won that one 1-21 to 2-9).
Hammered Galway by 16 points in the 2002 All-Ireland Final (3-17 to 0-8)
Won a litany of tight games, from the beginning of the run with a win over Clare in 2000, right through to 2002 Munster Final.

You name it, this side did it. Victory over Galway three years in a row. Beat Cork in Cork, Tipp in Tipp (Gaelic Grounds was being done up). In the 2002 Munster Final, Eoin Foley had to put away a 21 yard free to draw the game. In the replay, were 4 points down in injury time & scored 1-1 to draw it. We won after extra time. The All-Ireland finals of 2000 & 2001 were tight affairs and Limerick won by 1-13 to 0-13 v Galway in 2000, then 0-17 to 2-10 v Wexford in 2001. Possibly the only way the run could have been surpassed would have been to beat Kilkenny along the way, but that didn't happen and all in all thinking back on those games makes me immensely proud to be a Limerick Man.

They were three class teams."
They were great times - the u21 team nearly had as much of a following as the seniors - as I mentioned earlier pity so few came through to be genuine top quality seniors - so much talent gone a begging - whether through the calamitous senior regimes or personal ambition/discipline lacking it was a missed chance to Limerick to move up the rankings - instead of that it was a slide down to being 4th or 5th in the munster rankings nevermind nationally.

73forever (Limerick) - Posts: 89 - 05/01/2017 15:02:20    1943262

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Replying To tiobraid:  "I'm biased but I would agree. There would almost certainly have been 8 if Seamus Hennessy wasn't so unfortunate with his injury. Captained Tipp U21's in his first year out of minor and was already developing into a leader within the senior panel as mentioned by Brendan Cummins.

By my calculations about 17-18 of the players that played that day have pulled on the Senior jersey in league or cship at some stage. The 2016 winning senior team had 1-2 players in each line in the field from this team (with the exception of the goalie).

KK had an exceptional team in 2005 ( I think) with likes of Cha and Richie but an average Tpp team brought them to a replay. 2016 Waterford team have the ability to be the greatest U21 team, time will tell. It's something that's hard to judge but it's rare to have so many from an underage team being on a successful senior team. Most counties would be happy to pull 2-3 quality players every year"
Yeah seamus hennessy and Brian o'meara were the 2 I remember from that team who never really made the breakthrough.

We're both held back by injuries and are they still hurling away at club level?

bostonredsox (Wexford) - Posts: 4368 - 05/01/2017 23:32:48    1943383

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Replying To slayer:  "Now I'm 100% biased, but I'm also a hurling fan through & through and I go for Limerick 2000-2002.

Hammered Cork by 21 points in the replayed 2000 Munster Final. That game was on a Thursday night and we had to play Antrim in Parnell Park on the Saturday afterwards (won that one 1-21 to 2-9).
Hammered Galway by 16 points in the 2002 All-Ireland Final (3-17 to 0-8)
Won a litany of tight games, from the beginning of the run with a win over Clare in 2000, right through to 2002 Munster Final.

You name it, this side did it. Victory over Galway three years in a row. Beat Cork in Cork, Tipp in Tipp (Gaelic Grounds was being done up). In the 2002 Munster Final, Eoin Foley had to put away a 21 yard free to draw the game. In the replay, were 4 points down in injury time & scored 1-1 to draw it. We won after extra time. The All-Ireland finals of 2000 & 2001 were tight affairs and Limerick won by 1-13 to 0-13 v Galway in 2000, then 0-17 to 2-10 v Wexford in 2001. Possibly the only way the run could have been surpassed would have been to beat Kilkenny along the way, but that didn't happen and all in all thinking back on those games makes me immensely proud to be a Limerick Man.

They were three class teams."
They slipped my mind. Fantastic team. Its a shame id didn't transfer to a senior success. Played fantastic hurling .

tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 10/01/2017 13:58:35    1944549

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Replying To wexico15:  "Yeah seamus hennessy and Brian o'meara were the 2 I remember from that team who never really made the breakthrough.

We're both held back by injuries and are they still hurling away at club level?"
Yes. Hennessy is back going well with the club but looks like his injury issues will prevent him from playing at the highest level. O'Meara came out of nowhere in early 2010 club cship games racking up huge scores and was thrown straight into full forward for 2010 defeat in Cork for the seniors having only played one challenge game against Dublin (I stand to be corrected on that one). Eoin Cadogan literally devoured him that day. Big man but not the mobility, fitness or hurling for the top level. Both are from the same club.
In fact the 3 standout players in U21 final by some distance were those two and Sean Carey (who was my MOTM) who hit 1-3. They hit 2-9 between them and Carey and Hennessy set up a lot of other scores.
That was a decent Galway team too, looking at it now.

tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 10/01/2017 14:06:44    1944555

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Replying To tiobraid:  "Yes. Hennessy is back going well with the club but looks like his injury issues will prevent him from playing at the highest level. O'Meara came out of nowhere in early 2010 club cship games racking up huge scores and was thrown straight into full forward for 2010 defeat in Cork for the seniors having only played one challenge game against Dublin (I stand to be corrected on that one). Eoin Cadogan literally devoured him that day. Big man but not the mobility, fitness or hurling for the top level. Both are from the same club.
In fact the 3 standout players in U21 final by some distance were those two and Sean Carey (who was my MOTM) who hit 1-3. They hit 2-9 between them and Carey and Hennessy set up a lot of other scores.
That was a decent Galway team too, looking at it now."
Thats true on OMeara and I had forgotten about Sean Carey and the impact they had. Micky Heffernan had been good too.
All these guys were give chances at senior grade but could not make it.
U/21 is a very entertaining grade but often no guide to future senior performances.
Hennessey was very unlucky would be a certain starter on senior team now , and still playing very well for his club.

PremierGold (Tipperary) - Posts: 121 - 10/01/2017 15:41:29    1944581

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Kilkenny lost that all Ireland 2005 to Gallway 16 of that team went on to win all Ireland senior medals with kilkenny, they drew with Tipperary 2006 beat them in the replay.

johnwhite12 (Kilkenny) - Posts: 306 - 11/01/2017 19:24:08    1944949

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