This article is from page 99 of the 2008-06-03 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 99 JPG
ON SATURDAY evening just af- ter 6pm Clare GAA president, John Hanly, was sitting on the bench that lies near the Magpie pub in Clarecas- aloe
He hadn’t got his thumb out look- ing for a lift, but you knew he was waiting for a lift. It was destination Ruan – the only place to be for old hurlers on Saturday night.
They came from near and far – Hanly and Michael Slattery from Clarecastle, Whitegate’s Naoise Jordan, Bishop Willie Walsh, Cyril Lyons from Ruan, Pa Howard from over the road in Tubber, Tony Red- dan all the way from Tipperary.
All were there to honour one of
Clare and Ireland’s greatest ever hurlers – Jimmy Smyth. To be com- memorated at all is a signal honour, but its extra-special when that hon- our is conferred by your own.
That’s what Ruan GAA club did on Saturday evening, unveiling a plaque they commissioned noted sculptor Mike McTigue to craft in honour of Smyth, their greatest hurling son.
The piece of sculpture told the story – the Harty and All-Ireland Colleges successes, the eight Railway Cups, the Oireachtas, county champion- ships and much more.
No All-Ireland medal, but as All- Ireland winner Cyril Lyons and many other said on Saturday: “greatness is not judged by All-Ireland medal’.
Jimmy Smyth is one of the great-
est players to play the game – Christy Ring said so himself. He’s even had a stamp issued in his honour by An eye
The stamp of greatness was there when An Post was known the Posts and ‘Telegraphs.