Club Notes: 13th April 2020

Post date: Apr 13, 2020 6:23:39 PM

Notaí CLG Tulach an Iarainn sponsored by Goalpost Ireland.

I spoke to Colin Cunningham this week on his involvement with Tallow throughout the years as player, selector. manager, referee and vice chairman of the club.

Part One Bubbles talks about his favourite games he was involved with as a player. Here is his accounts.

Colin Cunningham: My best memory of playing with Tallow was the under 21 A western hurling final in 1988. I was under 16 and Tallow were struggling to field a team for the mid-week final in Cappoquin. Pat "legend" Murphy who was manager of the team saw me play for the west Waterford team in the Munster under 16 divisional championship semi-finals that year. He and his selectors Johnny Geary and Tomas "Hocker" McCarthy took on punt on me and gave me the number 4 jersey for the game. We were playing a star-studded Lismore team who were the hottest of favourites. On the night there were some heroics from our lads and after watching the video down through the years I still don't know how billy Curley in goals made save after save and how Eddie (bill's dad) who was camera man could keep a steady hand while videoing it. Paul Curley at full forward was just outstanding and Lismore couldn't handle him. Kieran "spud" Murphy and Dermot Henley in midfield covered every blade of grass and all our lads put bodies on the line to win that game. John Joe Henley's goal in the second half was one of the best ever seen in Cappoquin as he often reminded me when sharing a house with him in Dungarvan. I’ll never forget the celebrations afterwards in John Lyons bar and even my dad Dennie joined in. My older brother Michael T was at full back so it was nice to win something playing alongside him as he later emigrated to Germany. We played Ballygunner in the county final months later and lost which was the only county hurling final I ever played in so the year 1988 was a nice memory for me. When you get a taste of success no matter how small it was, I couldn't wait to make the step up to senior and to make the break through to the team of 1990 and represent Tallow at the highest level. I was 18 when I started playing with the Tallow senior hurling team. In my first 3 years as a player we lost 3 county senior semi-finals in a row from 1990 to 92. All 3 teams Roanmore, Lismore and Ballygunner went on to win the finals in them years. I would love to have played in a county senior final for Tallow but the semi-final of 92 was the last chance I got to play in one. I had many great times playing senior for Tallow after 92 without winning very much. I was living in Dungarvan and Cork from 1993 to 2002 so playing hurling with Tallow kept me in touch with was going on in the town when I was doing flying visit up on my Honda 50. We had many good teams but Lismore, Ballygunner and Mount Sion were one step ahead of the rest so making the breakthrough was very hard.

Happy birthday to the bóthar himself Mike Prendergast who celebrated his eightieth at the weekend. Let's hope him and everyone are keeping safe.