The 12th season of the popular GAA documentary series Laochra Gael is back on TG4 this spring with ten episodes in all. The fifth episode features Larry Tompkins, the Kildare footballer who became an icon in Cork.

A passionate and dedicated player, the top forward helped lead the Rebels to two All-Ireland titles in 1989 and 1990 but as Larry remembers it all started very differently. A young star with Kildare in the early eighties he recalls the incident with the County Board that ended his playing career with his native county forever.

As an emigrant in New York it was amongst the GAA community that Larry found a new home, with the Castlehaven club in Cork. Shortly after Billy Morgan came calling and in 1987 Larry joined the Cork senior footballers. He was quick to make an impression and the coolheaded freetaker was key to Cork's defeat of the mighty Kerry team that had dominated Munster for so long.

However Cork weren't the only new team to emerge in the late 80s, in Meath they met their match and the two became fierce rivals battling for victory in the All Ireland finals of 1987, 1988 and 1990. Larry recalls the ferocity of those games and the heartbreak of defeat in 1987 and 1988.

A sportsman who pushed himself to the limits Larry battled injury a lot in his career but none more so than in 1990 when as captain he tore his cruciate ligament during the All Ireland Final. So determined was Larry that their old foes Meath would be defeated that he picked himself up and played through the pain. His sacrifice paid off and Larry climbed the steps to lift the Sam Maguire as Cork captain.

Later Larry took over from Billy Morgan as Cork manager and in 1999 guided them all the way to the All Ireland final but unfortunately they suffered defeat. As passionate on the sidelines as he was on the pitch Larry remained on as manager till 2003.

As well as Larry himself the programme also features interviews with Niall Cahalane, Seán Boylan and Eamonn Ryan.

Sunday 2nd March at 5.55pm on TG4 Tweet

Most Read Stories