Kildare's best XV of the past 50 years

Subject: Kildare's best XV of the past 50 years Tue May 15, 2012 1:39 am

As decided by the Irish Independent

Ollie Crinnigan

John Crofton
Paddy O'Donoghue
Denis Dalton

Glen Ryan
Mick Carolan
Anthony Rainbow

Pat Mangan
Niall Buckley

Jack Donnelly
Larry Tomkins
Dermot Earley

Pat Dunney
Tommy Carew
John Doyle

have to say, i am a generation behind the vast majority of these so not in a position to have any significant argument for or against. Any notable absentees?

There are 2 Kildare men in the Cork team too Laughing

The Kerry team is scary by the way...

All-Star Posts : 1017 Join date : 2011-08-10

Yeah I would be with u on this one. I know of the older players but have not seen them. I would have to say Christy Byrne would surely be very close for the goal. Also a few of the 98 squad would be close. What day was that in the paper?

All-Star Posts : 2251 Join date : 2010-02-09

Only saw the last few years of Crinnigan, Dunny, Dalton, Mangan and Carew era. Carew was class even then. Surprised to see Denis Dalton in there- I would have gone for Davy. Team of 98 and today didn't fare too well but history may ultimately judge them better, after all the 60 s and 70s team won F-all apart from an u-21 All Ireland. Not even a Leinster at senior level, something hopefully the current team will do! I laughed at Shay Fahy making Cork team and not good enough for Kildare btw!

Intermediate Posts : 66 Join date : 2012-01-17

Crinnigan won an all star while dublin and Kerry were dominating the all Ireland scene. It was a massive achievment at the time as he was playing with a very average Kildare team.Christy was the 2nd best keeper I evver saw in the black jersey. We discussed this topic over afew beers after the league final and we got 13 out of the 15 selectad, Tompkins was deemed a traitor so was not selected and none of us even mentioned denis dalton. Dunny was subbed out twice but made our final selection on the vote of the over 50s.

All-Star Posts : 681 Join date : 2011-03-05

Those great players likes of crinnigan , carew and the few who came off the 65 u-21 winning team deserved a leinster at least. How unlucky was that team to loose 6! Its also a pity that nuxer wasnt around for a few more years. Who knows what diffference he could have made after 98. I for one reckon had he been on in 2000 against galway we might have had a different story!

Intercounty Posts : 361 Join date : 2010-06-29

milltownmary wrote:: Crinnigan won an all star while dublin and Kerry were dominating the all Ireland scene. It was a massive achievment at the time as he was playing with a very average Kildare team.Christy was the 2nd best keeper I evver saw in the black jersey. We discussed this topic over afew beers after the league final and we got 13 out of the 15 selectad, Tompkins was deemed a traitor so was not selected and none of us even mentioned denis dalton. Dunny was subbed out twice but made our final selection on the vote of the over 50s.

Would have to disagree with you on 'the very average' Kildare team. 5 or 6 of that team were off the u21 All Ireland team. Any team with Crinnigan, Carew, Mangan and Dunney would have to be more than average. Carew was regularly among the top scorers in the country.

All-Star Posts : 2572 Join date : 2010-01-31

I remember John Roddy picking the team of his lifetime a few years ago for the Nationalist and Allenwood and all as he was (and he was), he left Johnny Doyle out. Wonder if he would have now. Dunno if Brendan Coffey is reading this, he might dig the team up. I can't remember who he had instead.

Interesting that Larry made both Cork and Kildare's best team. Some operator. Shea Fahy made the Cork team too... some sickener for Kildare people to lose two of the best there ever were.

Jimmy Barry Murphy and Ray Cummins made Cork's best teams in football and hurling. Haven't gone through it all so don't know if anyone else was picked for both... Liam Currams for Offaly must have been in with a shout.

Subject: Re: Kildare's best XV of the past 50 years Tue May 15, 2012 7:37 pm

what do you make of the cork hurling team ogie? Would have thought Ring is a glaring omission considering there were players on other squads picked from the 50's-60's era, ditto Mick O'Connell in Kerry. "The rock" another big omission imo

All-Star Posts : 622 Join date : 2010-07-01

The Kilkenny half-forward line

DJ Carey
Henry Shefflin
Eddie Keher

A scary thought

The great Meath full - forward line of O'Rourke , Stafford and Flynn made the team intact. One of the best.

Being a Carbury man , I have to say the choice of Ollie Crinnigan was a no brainer. A legend. He played a National League game against Kerry the week after his selection and conceded 7 or 8 goals to the great Kerry team. He might kill me for mentioning this but it always brings him down a peg or two and the Sash ( where he now resides ) keep reminding him too.

All-Star Posts : 1674 Join date : 2010-07-05

Have to say that most of the players selected are worthy of inclusion but would think that we surely have better players for the full back line. Dont know about Dalton but there is a serious lack of pace in that line. There were some wonderfully talented footballers on that 65 team and its a terrible pity that could not win a Leinster. I have heard that there was often a very poor attitude to training during the 70's which would never be tolerated by McGeeney. There is no doubt imo that Buckleys absence cost us that game against Galway in 2000 as we just could not win enough ball in the 2nd half when we were in a winning position. It would be a great shame if another wonderful bunch of Kildare footballer dont get the reward they deserve.

Subject: Re: Kildare's best XV of the past 50 years Tue May 15, 2012 11:03 pm

Ogie wrote:: Jimmy Barry Murphy and Ray Cummins made Cork's best teams in football and hurling. Haven't gone through it all so don't know if anyone else was picked for both

Babs is in both the Tipp teams.

It beggars belief that Mick O'Connell is omitted from that Kerry team.

All-Star Posts : 1347 Join date : 2010-07-03

Can someone explain to me how a team that was beaten out the gate in three Leinster finals has more representatives than the current team and the team of 98/00 combined? Both the latter teams achieved more in a year than the team of the 70s achieved in a decade.

Don't get me wrong, all fine players, but someone had the rose-tinted glasses out for this one...

All-Star Posts : 838 Join date : 2010-01-31

Ohtoohtobe, everything was better years ago.....rose tinted glasses or not......summers were better sunny

, evenings were longer, money went further, girls were friendlier Wink

, umpires and linesmen seen nothing Neutral

, a good row (shamosal) at a match was expected Evil or Very Mad

, if you couldn't have a few pints before the match it was hardly worth going, and a good few more on the way home was encouraged drunken

, football was football, men were men, none of this ould hamstring, cruicate or quad injuries.......sore leg was a sore leg, no matter what part of it was hurt scratch

.......them were the days...... Wink

Junior A Posts : 23 Join date : 2010-12-24

ohtoohtobe,
The achievements of particular teams are irrelevant, it is individual players that are being judged here. The success of a team is dependent on more than just individual talent- a team may have four or five wonderful talents, but if the other ten couldn't get a kick in a stampede, success is unlikely. It's a bit like all the Dutch 'Masters' down through the years in soccer-they've had some of the best players to grace a soccer pitch but Holland have only ever won Euro '88.
Realistically, JD and Earley are the only ones from the current team that deserve to be near this fifteen at the min imo.

All-Star Posts : 1347 Join date : 2010-07-03

Well Adam91 Mick Foley and Peter Kelly have All Stars - do they deserve to be near the team? Why not Bolton or Callaghan?
I actually wouldn't have any of those four on it just yet, but they have achieved as much as anyone on the team bar the 98 and 2000 boys.
And to be honest I think that team of the late 90s deserved greater representation. If the team of the 70s have so many representatives, you could nearly argue that the team of the early 90s deserves more - they were in two Leinster finals and an NFL final.
And of course the team's strength is relevant - great players lead teams to greatness. I know sometimes there's a great player in a poor era who deserves recognitions but that's not the case with the 70s. There was nothing wrong with that team talent-wise, but they simply didn't train.

All-Star Posts : 2572 Join date : 2010-01-31

kickingking wrote:

Ogie wrote:: Jimmy Barry Murphy and Ray Cummins made Cork's best teams in football and hurling. Haven't gone through it all so don't know if anyone else was picked for both

Babs is in both the Tipp teams.

It beggars belief that Mick O'Connell is omitted from that Kerry team.

I forgot Babs was a top footballer.

I'm presuming you'd have had him in instead of Darragh Ó Sé?

All-Star Posts : 2572 Join date : 2010-01-31

Loads of Pints wrote:: what do you make of the cork hurling team ogie? Would have thought Ring is a glaring omission considering there were players on other squads picked from the 50's-60's era, ditto Mick O'Connell in Kerry. "The rock" another big omission imo

Maybe the picked lads that played in 50s but their form in the 60s was sufficient to get them in. By my reckoning, Ring would have been 38 in 1960. His best days were long behind him. And it's supposed to be from 1962 - 50 years.

As for the Rock, some inspiration, savage hurler, savage leader. Struggled his last couple of years. Corcoran and Doherty were better though. I didn't see Denis Murphy but I think he's made either teams of century/millennium or some such. I've heard plenty about him anyway as a brilliant corner-back. I'd have though Brian Murphy would have been close back there too. But Jesus Corcoran was sensational there as a 19-year-old in 1992 - Hurler of the Year in debut season and they didn't even win the All-Ireland. Powerful man. (Stop, I'm going to cry....)

Intermediate Posts : 51 Join date : 2010-08-23

Thanks for that summary of wisdom Overthebar... pure class Laughing

Junior A Posts : 29 Join date : 2012-01-20

totally agree with Ohtoohtobe,
The team is far too top heavy with players of the past who were involved in a era of famine for kildare. the argument of winning an all-ireland u21 doesn't wash with me, do the u21 from a few years ago warrant inclusion because they made the final? i dont think so.

The team of 98/2000 should be more heavily represented. Christy Byrne, Lynch, Lacey, Finn, E McCormack, Kerrigan and Fennin are all poor omission IMO as they delivered silverware to this county and gave years of hard service both on the pitch AND the training field!!
Of the current crop - Bolton, Lepar, Foley, Morgan and Flynn deserve consideration.

All-Star Posts : 1017 Join date : 2011-08-10

I think the older players always get on these teams while the currecnt crop get overlooked. In 20 years time a couple of the current squad will be on it imo

Junior C Posts : 9 Join date : 2012-05-15

yeah id agree with botch the current crop maybe just get overlooked, in time a few could get in like leper conway and bolton IMO they've the class.

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