The death of Peter Cregan, which occurred last weekend, further reduced the dwindling ranks of the 1940 Limerick senior hurling team that won the All-Ireland title that year by defeating Kilkenny 3-7 to 1-7. There are now only three survivors of that oft recalled team, Tommy Cooke, Dick Stokes and Tony Herbert. Peter Cregan was born in Manister in 1918. In his youth, he pulled tug-o-war with a very successful local side and own his first medal at the sport. He was very prominent in athletics and was runner-up to Vincent O'Connor in the Limerick County Championship over 200 yards at Meanus sports. Manister had no hurling team at that period and all the Cregans, Peter, Tom, Joe, Jack, Michael, Stephen and Paddy played with Croom. Peter first played minor hurling for Croom at the age of 14 years. He played in two Munster Minor hurling finals but suffered defeat to Tipperary and Cork. Peter's first medal was a West Limerick minor hurling medal in 1936 and a county championship in the same grade, although the final of same was not played until 1939. He won seven West Limerick senior medals between 1936 and 1943 and two county senior hurling championship medals against famed Ahane in 1940 and 1941. Playing with Limerick, Peter Cregan won a National Hurling League medal in 1938, an Oireachtas insignia in 1939 and of course, that All-Ireland success in 1940. He won Thomand Feis medals in 1940 and 1944 and played with Munster in the Railway Cup between 1941 and 1947, winning more coveted medals. Peter always bemoaned the fact, that there is such little interest in the Railway Cup competition nowadays. Peter continued to play intercounty hurling with Limerick until 1945 when he broke his collar bone in training. He came back in 1946 for the Munster final which Limerick lost narrowly. Peter was married to the former Frances McCarthy and they happily had five children, Joan, a well known athlete, who is married to Donal Hartnett, who does tremendous work for City Bord an nOg as PRO, Patricia and Brenda and two sons, John, a former All-Ireland Intermediate Cross Country champion and Seamus, who is married to Sheila Grimes, a sister of Eamonn Grimes who captured Limerick to All-Ireland success in 1973. Sincere sympathy is extended to all Peter's surviving relatives. There was a wide and representative gathering at the removal of remains and funeral. The late Mr Cregan died at a Fedamore Nursing Home. Courtesy of the Limerick Leader, August 2004 Tweet

Most Read Stories