John Fenton: It’s a possession game now and it’s doing nothing for the game of hurling as a spectacle

In any highlights reel of past Limerick-Cork hurling games, Nickie Quaid’s spectacular ‘steal’ on Cork’s Séamus Harnedy in the 2018 All-Ireland semi-final is bound to feature prominently.

But even that moment of inspiration from the Limerick goalkeeper may cede to what many consider the greatest goal of all time, scored by John Fenton in the 1987 Munster SHC. Ironically Quaid’s late father Tommy was Limerick goalkeeper as Fenton unleashed that ferocious ground shot from around 40 metres that there was simply no time or way to save.

To this day the reminders of the connection Fenton made come constantly to the Cork midfield great who, for all his influence with Cork especially in the 1980s is most associated with that goal. “People talk to me about it alright. It’s in my head,” said Fenton “They were different times.”

Ground hurling was still a cornerstone of the game when Fenton let fly shortly before half-time. “When we started training with Cork, Johnny Clifford [coach] would throw 20 balls out on the field and you were told, ‘lads, I don’t want to see a ball stopping for the next 15 minutes.’ Those balls were flying up and down the field.

“I hit more balls like that on the ground and most of the Cork players did at that time, so it was the norm for us. Damien Irwin, a friend of mine, who would have played for Cork said to me afterwards, ‘you hit so many balls on the ground that you were bound to hit one right.’” said Fenton.

“When I was hurling with the likes of Seánie O’Leary, Jimmy Barry-Murphy, Ray Cummins, Charlie McCarthy, the instruction was from them, ‘get the ball into us hard and fast’. “They didn’t care if the ball was high or low, hard and fast is what they wanted and often, not dilly-dally around the place.

“It was a good day, a lively sod and the ball took off. I did that thousands of times in training. I was bound to get one right. I scored goals similar to that in club matches and with Cork previously but that’s the one that’s highlighted. If it’s a career marker, I’ll settle for it.”

He met Tommy Quaid at one of the three Cork-Wexford league finals in Thurles in 1993. “I was going into the stand with my son and for some reason there was a football game on before it, and Tommy was standing at the entrance gate into the Thurles pitch,” recalled Fenton.

“I said to him, ‘Jesus, Tommy, don’t tell me you’re taking up that game!’ He turned around and said, ‘At least I might see that ball.’ That’s the only conversation I had with Tommy about it. Look, he just happened to be the goalkeeper that was there, he was a great goalkeeper and his son is doing fantastically well now.”

Fenton doubts that a similar goal will not be scored again because of the nature of the game and even the reduced length of today’s hurleys.

“It’s a spectacle and on the rare occasion when somebody pulls on the ball on the ground and makes a connection the reaction from the crowd is spontaneous. They love to see it,” he said. “At Féile [he was in Wexford as chairman of Midleton GAA], I was looking at some of our fellas’ hurleys.

“If you held them, they wouldn’t touch the ground they’re so small. They’re 32”, 33”, my hurley was 35”, an extra three inches to strike the ball on the run. It’s a possession game now and I think it’s doing nothing for the game of hurling as a spectacle. At the time, we were spontaneous,” added Fenton.

Cork are now 19 years without an All-Ireland title, seven years longer than their previous famine between 1954 and 1966. But they did beat the reigning champions in Páirc Uí Chaoimh at the beginning of May.

“This 20-year hiatus has been hard to take in Cork,” he acknowledged. “Hurling lifts Cork people and Cork people love hurling and love winning and with style as well. That was a typical Cork victory and it lifted the whole county.”

Fenton feels Cork could have a “surprise in store” for Limerick despite a tapering off in form since the conclusion of the Munster Championship.

“Limerick have made history this year with six Munsters in a row, they’re quite capable of doing it [five-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles] but they are quite capable of [being exposed to] something happening in between as well. Kilkenny tried to do it, they failed to do it.”

*John Fenton was speaking at the launch of the Circet All-Ireland GAA Golf Challenge which takes place in Killarney on October 17-18.

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