Limerick's 1992 NHL final win - Ray Sampson's knock-out blow and the end of radio days

THE late 1980s and early 1990s saw the re-emergence of Tipperary as a major force in hurling.

Under their charismatic manager Michael ‘Babs’ Keating they won their first Munster title for sixteen years in 1987, quickly followed by All-Ireland successes in 1989 and again in 1991.

In the spring of 1992 they qualified for the National Hurling League final where they faced Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds.

Tipperary had defeated Kilkenny the previous September to win the Liam MacCarthy Cup and were red hot favourites to defeat the Shannonsiders and claim a clean sweep of both All-Ireland and National League titles.

Limerick went into the final as underdogs owing in no small part to the fact that Tipperary had knocked them out of the championship in each of the previous four years running (1988 –1991).

Despite Limerick’s underage successes at both minor and u21 level in 1984, 1986 and 1987, they had not yet been able to transfer this success into the senior grade.

However under the guidance of their manager Phil Bennis of Patrickswell, Limerick had performed well throughout the League campaign during the winter of 1991-92; having secured notable victories in the group stages over the likes of Tipperary themselves and Kilkenny, as well as qualifying for the decider with an impressive win over a good Cork side in the semi-final.

And so on May 10th, 1992 an expectant home crowd packed the Gaelic Grounds on a wet Sunday afternoon hoping that their years of frustration would finally be coming to an end.

However, by contrast, my own frustrations facing into that day were particularly acute as I was unable to attend the League final that year. Having been involved in a road traffic accident the previous month I was on the mend in St. Patrick’s Ward at Croom Orthopaedic Hospital.

As luck would have it the patient next to me was a young Tipperary fanatic who hailed from the scenic Glen of Aherlow. Despite not being able to attend the match, my circumstances would still provide me with a most memorable and unique experience as a Limerick supporter.

In the days leading up to the game all the talk in the ward was about the forthcoming clash between the two Munster rivals.

My fellow hospital inmate had a Tipperary poster on the wall over his bed and he even received a visit from Tipperary star Pat Fox a couple of weeks before the match. The banter between us was great, much to the amusement of all the hospital staff.

Defeat it would seem, was inconceivable to anyone in Tipperary at the time; least of all to the patient in the neighbouring bed to mine, who was certain that Tipperary had “a much superior team” to Limerick. They were in for the shock of their lives!

The day of the game finally arrived and we both had various relatives and friends calling in to see us on their way to the game.

It was indeed a strange experience for me to see them all with their colours on as they made their way to the Ennis Road venue, while I was left behind, looking out of a hospital window.

Also, it must be noted this was 1992 and it would be another couple of years before games outside of the All-Ireland series would be shown live on television.

So we had to borrow a radio from one of the hospital porters and listen to Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh’s commentary on RTE Radio One.

Radio has always played such a huge part in the history of sport in Ireland; particularity for the GAA going back to the early days of the wireless when the likes of Mick Mackey were hurling’s first superstars of the airwaves.

This game would have to be enjoyed very much in that ‘old-school’ fashion! So we tuned in and waited patiently for the start of the game. When it finally began, there wasn’t a word from either of us as we stared blankly into space, hanging on every syllable that came from Mícheál’s mouth.

The first half turned out to be a disaster for Limerick; Tipperary, with Fox, English, Cleary and the Ryans in great form, led at the interval by a very impressive 8 points (0-11pts to 0-3).

It seemed that our losing streak against the men in blue and gold could well be about to continue. As far as my near neighbour in the hospital ward was concerned the match was already over and the National Hurling League title winners of 1992 were Tipperary (as he belted out Slievenamon at the top of his voice!).

Without doubt the same feeling of over confidence descended upon the Tipperary followers in Páirc na nGael that day. However, while they were counting their chickens, the Limerick team and management were hatching a plan of their own in the dressing room at half-time.

Nobody could have really foreseen the dramatic change in fortunes for Limerick in the second half as they tore into their opponents with great passion and purpose. Kirby, Hegarty, Reale, Fitzgibbon and Carey swarmed forward and began to reduce the arrears bit by bit, backed by an ever-tightening Limerick defence.

The eight point lead that Tipp had at half time was being eaten away and as Limerick got closer, the home supporters got behind them more and more.

The excitement was also being felt in St. Patrick’s ward, Croom Hospital as brave Limerick closed in on their opponents facing into those last few tense minutes.

By that stage the hospital porters and nurses alike had gathered around the radio for the final moments of this epic battle. It felt just like those times in the 1930s and 1940s when many people would all gather around a radio for a match, listening intently in unison to the action unfolding while all remaining motionlessness.

With not much time left to go Ciarán Carey levelled the match and it was clear that Tipperary were now on the ropes. Then shortly afterwards came the knockout blow – a dramatic point from substitute Ray Sampson, himself a surviving member of Limerick’s last League title win in 1985.

With that came the resounding cheers of the Limerick crowd which bellowed out from the radio speaker and echoed around the ward.

When Ó Muircheartaigh’s excited voice announced that the game was finally over and Limerick had won by 0-14 points to 0-13, there were scenes of joyous celebration in Croom Hospital to match those at the Gaelic Grounds.

We had won our first National League Title for seven years, and it was a victory made all the sweeter by beating the reigning All-Ireland champions to clinch the title.

By this stage, my Tipperary neighbour was firmly ensconced under his bedclothes, not to be seen or heard from for some time!

Later that evening, we both had many visitors who had been at the game. They had all been soaked in the heavy rain that had fallen that day.

Of course it was the people who visited me that were much the happier. They spoke about the game with an obvious feeling of elation and a sense of excitement in their voices. I just couldn’t wait for RTE’s highlights coverage of the Final to start later that evening, so I could see with my own eyes our magnificent victory.

The stirring Limerick display in the second half, capped by Ray Sampson’s batted point that won the game (after a wonderful move involving Declan Nash and Joe O’Connor), looked every bit as good on television as Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh had described it on the radio. 

I marvelled at the sight of Joe O’Connor lifting the National Hurling League trophy in the Mackey Stand.

Any feelings of regret that I may have had on having missed out on attending the game itself were all but erased by the hospital staff who cheered me up no end.

They enhanced the victory further still by putting up green and white streamers and balloons all over the ward to add to the celebrations.

Needless to say there was one person in the vicinity not so appreciative of such merriment! So all in all from a hospital bed I had still enjoyed the magic of a very special occasion and a momentous result for Limerick hurling.

At last, the players who had graduated from the successful underage teams of the eighties were beginning to come good at senior level.

This result would go on to have major consequences for both counties. Tipperary would struggle somewhat for the rest of the nineties to reach the dizzy heights of their previous year’s success.

Whereas Limerick, on the other hand, would go on to become one of the teams of the decade, playing some great hurling and providing many great days and memories for us all.