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Patrick Horgan.

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Replying To Viking66:  "Brick Walsh and Kevin Moran?"
Declan Hannon
Started off in the forwards, often the free taker (I remember he had a 'mare on frees v Clare in AI semi in 2013, but that was out of character), won a Munster medal and nominated twice for an All Star over six seasons
Then switched to center back for 9 seasons and won 3 All Stars and 5 All Irelands

Yadse (Limerick) - Posts: 213 - 12/10/2025 18:11:32    2639518

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Replying To Viking66:  "Brick Walsh and Kevin Moran?"
Sure Ken McGrath played as much hurling in defense after he switched from the forwards. Liam Rushe too.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2583 - 12/10/2025 18:16:12    2639523

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Replying To Bon:  "Sure Ken McGrath played as much hurling in defense after he switched from the forwards. Liam Rushe too."
Both true too. Lee Chin has played in the backs for Wexford also. Kyle Hayes has done the same for Limerick.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17517 - 12/10/2025 19:14:41    2639539

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I apologise for not clarifying an earlier post. When I said 'how many players have done that?' I was referring to players who switched positions before or during All Ireland finals to bring Liam MacCarthy home. All of the players mentioned since are indeed brilliant hurlers. I think Cregan making that switch in 1973 was something not really seen in those days.

A lot of the modern coaching methods have made players more versatile. I imagine Lee Chin for example could play in any outfield position and do a great job there.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6627 - 12/10/2025 21:55:37    2639604

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The great Tommy Walsh of Kilkenny has all-stars, nine in a row to boot, at mid-field, left corner back, left half forward, left half back, and his remaining five at right half back. Now, there was a man who could hurl, left, right and center.

foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 2396 - 13/10/2025 17:29:56    2639823

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Replying To foreveryoung:  "The great Tommy Walsh of Kilkenny has all-stars, nine in a row to boot, at mid-field, left corner back, left half forward, left half back, and his remaining five at right half back. Now, there was a man who could hurl, left, right and center."
Was never really a scoring forward though. One of the best hurlers of all time all the same.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17517 - 13/10/2025 20:19:32    2639841

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Replying To slayer:  "Saw Tony Doran play late in his career. 1983 League semi final, Limerick v Wexford in Thurles. As a youngster I was listening to the auld lads around me and the talk was that if Doran got a ball in his hand he was deadly with a hand pass.

Lo and behold he got a ball in his hand, was bottled up but fell backwards towards goal and hand passed to the net. I'd say he was a handful.

Limerick got over the line that day 3-10 to 2-6. After a Wexford fightback Joe McKenna came on to get a late goal for us.

Those players then might seem like they wouldn't last in today's game but come championship most hadn't a pick of day on them and played with blood and thunder. A different game back then but I think some would have played in any era. Yadse mentioned Eamonn Cregan and I fully agree. Brilliant hurling brain. A scoring machine in the forwards, a great provider. In 1973 he moved to centre back after Jim Howard was injured in the semi final. How many players have done that? Off hand I can think of Brian Whelehan and Brian Corcoran, both who were also brilliant hurlers."
Tony Doran and Paddy Coady would lay into to each other and no complaints from either. They remained life long friends until Paddy died tragically. Colm Doran was as good a center back as ever picked up a hurley.

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 3206 - 15/10/2025 18:53:37    2640194

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Replying To Canuck:  "Tony Doran and Paddy Coady would lay into to each other and no complaints from either. They remained life long friends until Paddy died tragically. Colm Doran was as good a center back as ever picked up a hurley."
Colm Doran usually hurled on the wing at no. 7, with Mick Jacob in the center at 6. Two fine players.

foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 2396 - 15/10/2025 20:27:12    2640204

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Replying To Bon:  "These guys were all great within their own era's, its hard to compare guys from different era's. ie most of the older guys there wouldn't last in the modern game, they wouldn't be fit enough in the slightest to begin with."
Older guys is one thing, but dead guys is another. Dead guys couldn't compete at all in the modern era, and would have no chance of enhancing the credentials of themselves or their eras, to say nothing of assessing their fitness for modern combat.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4467 - 16/10/2025 08:29:37    2640234

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Great players back then would be great players now.
Yes the game has changed, and yes the like of Tony Doran standing on the edge of the square, grabbing the ball and handpassing would not happen.
But they'd be coached differently. Johnny Pilkington or Adrian Fenlon whipping the ball on the ground, they'd rise it now and still put clever ball in to the forwards. In fact, a more clever one than they did.
Just because the game has changed, doesn't mean that great players wouldn't be so today. Nickey Rackard would be as big a handful for Huw Lawlor as he was for the Kilkenny full back of the 50's with the sort of coaching and preparation Lee Chin has had in his career.

ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1510 - 16/10/2025 10:12:12    2640247

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "Older guys is one thing, but dead guys is another. Dead guys couldn't compete at all in the modern era, and would have no chance of enhancing the credentials of themselves or their eras, to say nothing of assessing their fitness for modern combat."
Could modern players handle the type of hurling played back then?

Yadse (Limerick) - Posts: 213 - 16/10/2025 20:56:02    2640345

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Replying To Yadse:  "Could modern players handle the type of hurling played back then?"
The gang ye put together 2018-2025 would likely have thrived in any era anyway, and that is for sure. Am I safe putting a closing date of 2025 on it, is the question?

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4467 - 17/10/2025 08:30:17    2640357

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Replying To foreveryoung:  "The great Tommy Walsh of Kilkenny has all-stars, nine in a row to boot, at mid-field, left corner back, left half forward, left half back, and his remaining five at right half back. Now, there was a man who could hurl, left, right and center."
A great hurler can play anywhere and as Tommy used to say 'you're still chasing the same white ball no matter what position you are in'.

Past hurler (None) - Posts: 997 - 17/10/2025 09:21:40    2640362

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "The gang ye put together 2018-2025 would likely have thrived in any era anyway, and that is for sure. Am I safe putting a closing date of 2025 on it, is the question?"
I think and hope we can land one more. Great to hear JK say on TG4 that a review of the whole 2025 season has taken place.

From 2018-2023, getting out of Munster was the hard part. In 2024 and 2025 it unravelled in Croker. Both were 2 point defeats, narrow margins.

Our hurlers owe us nothing, but for themselves winning the all Ireland again would be very sweet. I don't think they get enough credit for their achievements and perhaps if another all Ireland arrived then they would. Something tells me that Liam Cahill and Tipperary could be even better in 2026 with him asking his team to do something not done for 60+ years and win back to back titles. The pace, youth and intelligence they have at the right areas of the pitch will be hard to contend with.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6627 - 17/10/2025 10:40:03    2640370

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Replying To slayer:  "I think and hope we can land one more. Great to hear JK say on TG4 that a review of the whole 2025 season has taken place.

From 2018-2023, getting out of Munster was the hard part. In 2024 and 2025 it unravelled in Croker. Both were 2 point defeats, narrow margins.

Our hurlers owe us nothing, but for themselves winning the all Ireland again would be very sweet. I don't think they get enough credit for their achievements and perhaps if another all Ireland arrived then they would. Something tells me that Liam Cahill and Tipperary could be even better in 2026 with him asking his team to do something not done for 60+ years and win back to back titles. The pace, youth and intelligence they have at the right areas of the pitch will be hard to contend with."
A couple of things there. Firstly I don't anyone isn't giving the current Limerick panel enough credit. Most of the recent hurling team debate has been about who was the best team of all time, that Limerick team or the Kilkenny team of the late noughties.
Secondly while Tipp might be better next year, depending on if their Senior players recommit, or fully commit maybe moreso, they won't have the surprise factor they had this year. Other counties will have more homework done on them. They certainly won't be underestimated, which I think they were this year.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17517 - 17/10/2025 14:28:42    2640409

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Replying To foreveryoung:  "Colm Doran usually hurled on the wing at no. 7, with Mick Jacob in the center at 6. Two fine players."
Two great men. Yes Colm played mostly at wing back. I did see him play center on occasions.

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 3206 - 17/10/2025 22:20:54    2640469

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