Tommy Doyle (hurler)

Tommy Doyle (1915–1988) was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Thurles Sarsfields and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team from the 1930s until the 1950s. He is regarded as one of Tipperary’s greatest-ever hurlers.

Playing career

Club

Doyle played his club hurling with the famous Thurles Sarsfields club and enjoyed much success. He won his first senior county title in 1935 and, coincidentally, it was the club’s first county title also. The rest of the 1930s saw Doyle win further county medals in 1936, 1938 and 1939. The 1940s saw him win county honours in 1942, 1944, 1945 and 1946, while Doyle captained Thurles Sarsfields to a ninth county medal in 1952.

Inter-county

Doyle first came to prominence on the inter-county scene in the early 1930s. He won an All-Ireland medal with Tipperary in 1933 and he quickly joined the senior team. He won a Munster title in 1937 and later played in his first All-Ireland final. The game was played in FitzGerald Stadium, Killarney and Tipp trounced Kilkenny by 17-points. As a result Doyle won his first senior All-Ireland medal. Three years later Tipperary were excluded from the championship because of anoutbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the county. As a result of this Cork were declared Munster champions and wnet on to win the All-Ireland title. In the delayed Munster final Tipp agained their revenge on Cork and Doyle collected a second Munster medal. In 1945 Doyle won a third Munster title which allowed him to make a second All-Ireland final appearance. Once again Tipp accounted for Kilkenny and Doyle won a second All-Ireland medal.

Four years later in 1949 Doyle was 34 years-old and was contemplating giving up inter-county hurling. On his way home from posting a letter to the county board announcing his retirement Doyle bumped into selector John Joe Callanan. Callanan told Doyle that the regular corner-back was ill, and asked Doyle if he would take his place and mark the great Christy Ring. Doyle agreed and he produced perhaps the greatest display of marking in the history of the game, hoding the legendary Ring scoreless through 150 minutes of championship hurling. Tipp defeated Cork and Doyle went on to win a fourth Munster medal. The Munster champions later played Laois in the championship decider and Doyle, the man who nearly retired, collected a third All-Ireland medal. 1950 saw Doyle add a National Hurling League medal to his collection. He later won a fifth Munster title and subsequently played in another All-Ireland final. That day Tipp continued their hoodoo over Kilkenny and Doyle won his fourth All-Ireland medal. In 1951 Tipp continued their provincial dominance and Doyle added a sixth and final provincial medal to his ever-growing collection. The men from the Premier County later went on to defeat Wexford in a thrilling championship decider, giving Doyle his fifth and final All-Ireland medal. He won a second National League medal in 1952 and subsequently retired from inter-county hurling.

Doyle also won Railway Cup medals with Munster in 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1948 and 1950.

Teams