1995 and Mr Boombastic

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Tipperary’s 1995 All-Ireland Under 21 success when they defeated Kilkenny in the final at Semple Stadium. Kiladangan native Brian Flannery played for Tipperary that day before going on to have an illustrious career with Waterford at senior level and recalls that cherished success.

There are occasions when I’m home alone on a Friday evening that I find myself flicking between the channels. Recently I stumbled upon channel 143, BBC 3. It only starts from 7.00pm but Friday nights are reserved for old Top of the Pops (TOTPS) episodes. A few weeks back the year of choice was 1995. Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise", Shaggy’s “Boombastic” and Michael Jackson’s “You’re not alone” among the titles of the day. It brought back memories.

Not a bad year for music or the Tipperary under 21 hurlers. I was fortunate to part of a panel of players that without much expectation went onto to win Munster and All-Ireland titles.

The previous summer I was an unused sub when Tipp lost to Waterford at Walsh Park. The late great Mick Minogue from Roscrea was a selector with that outfit but 1995 heralded a new management team. Michael Doyle (Holycross and Killarney ’87 fame) was the manager with Portroe’s Jerry O’Brien a selector. When the call came from Michael Doyle there was no hesitation. You couldn’t meet a straighter man.

I recall I had a ropey game against Limerick in the opening round. I did everything wrong apart from falling over the ball.

The following game we played Cork at Semple. Before the game we had a puck-around in the grounds of St Pat’s seminary in Thurles. I have vivid memory of Michael Doyle pulling me aside and laying down the law. I dared not disappoint. Playing half-back, the first ball I went up for found me sandwiched between two Cork players, leaving me coughing up blood on the ground. I survived.

The atmosphere around the Munster final against Clare was toxic. Clare had looked for a change of fixture because their seniors. To be fair, they hadn’t objected when the fixtures was announced at the start of the year so it was a bit late crying foul the week of the U21 Munster final. As some kind of protest the Clare team arrived fifteen minutes late onto the field leaving us not certain the game was even going ahead. We weren’t happy so any faint bit of sympathy evaporated pretty quickly. We won and weren’t sorry.

My only memory from the semi-final win over Antrim was the grass at Navan was up to our ankles. Not used to hurling games in Navan I imagine, then or now.

The final was played in Thurles as part of an U21 double header with Kerry v Cavan in the football while we hosted Kilkenny.

A huge crowd was in attendance. The game was uncompromising. It all turned on a goal from our own ‘Mr Boombastic’ the blonde bombshell that was Philip O’Dwyer from Boherlahan. The rest is history.

While not being one of those teams with expectation the 1995 U21 winning team supplied quite a few Tipp seniors in the years that followed. Winning underage titles doesn’t guarantee senior success but is doesn’t do any harm either.

Best of luck to all involved this Saturday!