Family ties continue to drive Limerick hurling team

THE GAA has a long history of families supplying multiple players for club teams and county and Limerick teams have been no different.

Since the famous win in 1973, Limerick have had their fair share of brothers in arms fighting for the cause with the Morrisseys and Caseys being the current set of brothers representing the county's senior team.

Tom and Dan Morrissey have been mainstay's of the Limerick senior team now since 2016, while Mike and Peter Casey have also played huge roles, despite their respective injury woes in recent times.

However, the sibling representation goes back a lot further than the current stock. The team of 1973 is currently in the midst of celebrating the 50th anniversary of their win that saw Bernie and Pat Hartigan, as well as Richie and Phil Bennis at the fulcrum of that victory.

Bernie and Pat were supreme athletes as well as great hurlers. Bernie represented Ireland in the hammer and discus throwing, to name but a few sports, while Pat is recognised as one of the great hurling full backs.

Bernie says that despite the passing years, winning the Liam MacCarthy Cup is still fresh in his mind. “When you pass 80 years of age, you realise there is a lot gone behind you and not a lot in front of you,” he joked when talking to Leader Sport this week.

“The 1973 team were relieved in a way then the 2018 team managed to win it. I met a fella after a game once and he said to me that 'we will never win anything until ye are all dead.' The 2018 win got the monkey off Limerick's back.”

Following the Hartigan's and the Bennis' were the Fitzmaurices of Killeedy. Paudie Fitzmaurice was a sub on the 1973 team and later captained Limerick to success in the 1981 Munster final, while Willie Fitzmaurice also represented his county with great distinction in the 1970s and 1980s.

The next high profile set of brothers to don the Limerick green were Mike and Declan Nash who won Munster titles with Limerick in 1994 and 1996.

The Tobins, Pat and Kevin, as well as the Morans, James, Ollie and Niall also donned the Limerick jersey in the 1990s and 2000's respectively. You also had the Ryan's from Garryspillane.

TJ, Dave and Donie all played for Limerick. TJ in the 1994 and 1996 finals and TJ also managed the Limerick team for a few years. The Foley's, Jack and Mark, also made great strides during the 90's and 00's as well.Then came the success of recent times with the Morrissey's and the Casey's very much to the fore.

Bernie believes that the stars of today have a much better system with regard to the amount of games they get to play, when compared to the system that was in place during his playing days.

“I was talking to Babs Keating recently and we were discussing the amount of games that players play these days. In our day it was one defeat and then that was it for the summer.

“I remember one particular loss to Cork in the 1960's and coming home in utter depression after it because that was the end of hurling with Limerick for the year.

“We had a function in Croke Park at an All-Ireland final a few years back where the GAA recognised all the brothers that represented their counties.

“Myself and Richie (Bennis) were there from Limerick. You had the Quigleys from Wexford, the Powers from Waterford. It's what makes the GAA great.

“It's wonderful to watch from afar now. It's a game of running. You have to be able to run and make short passes. It's chalk and cheese from what we did.

“Defenders and lads in midfield got the ball and hit it as hard as they could into the forwards. It's better now. I don't know why we didn't play like that in our day.”