Tony Wall
Encyclopedia
Tony Wall is a retired Irish
hurling
manager
and former player. He played hurling with his local club Thurles Sarsfields
and with the Tipperary
senior inter-county team from 1953 until 1967. Wall captained Tipperary to the All-Ireland
title in 1958 and later coached the team for one season in 1986.
, County Tipperary
in 1934. He was educated locally at the Christian Brothers
school where his hurling
skills became apparent for the very first time. Wall played with the school team and was a key player when the school won two Harty Cup titles in 1950 and 1952.
Following his secondary education Wall had a very successful career as an Irish army
officer. The pinnacle of his career came when he was appointed adjutant general
of the army. In retirement Wall enjoys golf in retirement and is a member of Clontarf Golf Club in Dublin.
After his retirement Wall maintained a keen interest in the game of hurling. He published a book on the game in 1965 and took over as coach of the Tipperary senior hurling team for one unsuccessful season in 1986.
with the famous Thurles Sarsfields
club and enjoyed much success. He won his first senior county title
in 1952. It was the beginning of a very successful period for the club. Three years later in 1955 he won his second county medal. It was the beginning of five county victories in-a-row, with Wall captaining the club to the final two victories in 1958 and 1959. Thurles Sarsfields lost their county championship crown in 1960, however, the club bounced back by winning another five-in-a-row from 1961 until 1965. It was an unprecedented ten county titles from eleven championship campaigns with Wall playing a key role for all of those victories.
minor hurling team in 1950. That year he lined out in the centre-back position as he collected a Munster
title in that grade. Tipp later reached the All-Ireland final, however, Kilkenny
were victorious on that occasion.
Tipp lost their provincial title to Cork in 1951, however, Wall added a second Munster minor title to his collection in 1952 when he captained the team from the half-forward line. Once again the county reached the All-Ireland final. Dublin
provided the opposition on that occasion, however, Tipp trounced ‘the Dubs’ by 9-9 to 2-3 giving Wall a coveted All-Ireland
medal in the minor grade.
Wall immediately became part of the Tipperary senior team and made his debut in 1953. The county was going through a fallow period as Cork dominated the provincial championship in the early 1950s. Wall played in the full-back position for a number of years and collected a National Hurling League
medal in 1957. When Pat Stakelum
retired after the 1957 championship, Wall was the obvious choice to take over his position at centre-back. Not only that but he was appointed captain for the 1958 campaign. That year Tipp regained the Munster
title for the first time since 1951 following a 4-12 to 1-5 trouncing of Waterford
. It was Wall’s first Munster title at senior level. Tipp later defeated Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final before lining out against Galway
in the championship decider. Galway got a bye into the final without picking up a hurley. Liam Devaney
, Donie Nealon
and Larry Keane
all scored goals for Tipp in the first-half, while Wall sent a 70-yard free untouched to the Galway net. Tipp won the game by 4-9 to 2-5 giving Wall his first senior All-Ireland
medal and the honour of collecting the Liam McCarthy Cup
. Wall was also named as man of the match
and had now gone down in history as one of the few players to captain his county to All-Ireland titles at both minor and senior levels. He was later honoured by becoming the inaugural winner of the Texaco Hurler of the Year
award.
Wall won a second National League medal in 1959, however, Tipperary lost their provincial and All-Ireland crowns. The team signaled their intent in 1960 by capturing the National League title for the second consecutive year. Wall later captured a second Munster title as Tipp defeated Cork in what has been described as the toughest game of hurling ever played. This victory allowed Tipperary to advance directly to an All-Ireland final meeting with Wexford
. A certain amount of over-confidence was obvious in the Tipperary camp, particularly in trainer Phil Purcell’s comment that no player was capable of marking Jimmy Doyle
. It seemed that Purcell had tempted fate. The game ended in remarkable circumstances as the crowd invaded the pitch with a minute to go, mistaking the referee’s whistle for the end of the game. When the crowd were finally moved off the pitch Tipperary continued playing with only twelve men, however, Wexford won the game on a score line of 2-15 to 0-11.
1961 saw Wall collecting a fourth National League medal, however, he missed the subsequent Munster final against Cork due to his duties with the army. The absence of the All-Ireland semi-final allowed Tipp to advance directly to the final itself with Dublin first native hurling team providing the opposition. The game was a close run thing, however, Tipp held on to win by 0-16 to 1-12. It was Wall’s second All-Ireland medal.
In 1962 Tipperary defeated all before them in the Munster Championship yet again, giving Wall his third provincial title. Tipp’s nemesis of two year’s earlier, Wexford, waited in Croke Park to test them once again in the subsequent All-Ireland final. Wexford, however, were not the force of old and the side got off to possibly the worst start ever by a team in a championship decider. After just ninety seconds the Leinster champions were down by 2 goals, however, the game turned out to be much closer than people expected. Tipp eventually secured the win on a score line of 3-10 to 2-11, giving Wall a third All-Ireland medal.
Tipp lost the 1963 Munster final to Waterford in one of the hurling shocks of the decade. The team bounced back in 1964 with Wall collecting a fifth National League medal. Tipp later cantered casually past Cork in the provincial decider, giving Wall a fourth Munster title. Kilkenny, the reigning All-Ireland champions and staunch local rivals of Tipp, provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final and were installed as the firm favourites. Tipp had other ideas and their fourteen-point winning margin, 5-13 to 2-8, was the biggest All-Ireland final win since Tipperary had overwhelmed Laois
in the 1949 decider. It was Wall’s fourth All-Ireland medal.
In 1965 Wall won a sixth National League medal before Tipp demolished all opposition in the provincial championship giving him a fifth Munster title. Wexford were Tipp’s opponents in the subsequent All-Ireland final, however, the game failed to live up to the two classic games between the two sides in 1960 and 1962. Victory went to Tipp on that occasion by 2-16 to 0-10 with Wall a fifth and final All-Ireland medal.
Tipp lost their provincial and All-Ireland crowns in spectacular fashion at the first hurdle in 1966 when a young Limerick
team took them by surprise. The team bounced back in 1967 with Doyle collecting a sixth Munster title. By this stage, however, Tipp’s pool of players was ageing and the county’s hurling fortunes were in decline. Kilkenny provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final and provided more than a match for Tipperary. Three quick goals laid to rest a bogey that Tipperary had over Kilkenny since 1922. This was Wall’s last appearance for Tipp as he retired from inter-county hurling shortly afterwards.
in the inter-provincial hurling competition and enjoyed much success. He first played for his province in the Railway Cup in 1958 and captured his first medal that year. Wall captured further titles in 1959, 1961, 1963 and 1966.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
manager
Manager (Gaelic games)
In Gaelic games, a manager or coach is an individual involved in the direction and instruction of the on-field operations of a team. Managing, or coaching, entails the application of sport tactics and strategies during the game itself, and usually entails substitution of players and other such...
and former player. He played hurling with his local club Thurles Sarsfields
Thurles Sarsfields GAA
Thurles Sarsfields is a Gaelic Athletic Association hurling club located in the town of Thurles in Tipperary, Ireland. The club was founded in 1881...
and with the Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
senior inter-county team from 1953 until 1967. Wall captained Tipperary to the All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
title in 1958 and later coached the team for one season in 1986.
Biography
Tony Wall was born in ThurlesThurles
Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
in 1934. He was educated locally at the Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
school where his hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
skills became apparent for the very first time. Wall played with the school team and was a key player when the school won two Harty Cup titles in 1950 and 1952.
Following his secondary education Wall had a very successful career as an Irish army
Irish Army
The Irish Army, officially named simply the Army is the main branch of the Defence Forces of Ireland. Approximately 8,500 men and women serve in the Irish Army, divided into three infantry Brigades...
officer. The pinnacle of his career came when he was appointed adjutant general
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
of the army. In retirement Wall enjoys golf in retirement and is a member of Clontarf Golf Club in Dublin.
After his retirement Wall maintained a keen interest in the game of hurling. He published a book on the game in 1965 and took over as coach of the Tipperary senior hurling team for one unsuccessful season in 1986.
Club
Wall played his club hurlingHurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
with the famous Thurles Sarsfields
Thurles Sarsfields GAA
Thurles Sarsfields is a Gaelic Athletic Association hurling club located in the town of Thurles in Tipperary, Ireland. The club was founded in 1881...
club and enjoyed much success. He won his first senior county title
Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship
The Tipperary Senior Hurling Club Championship is an annual club competition between the top Tipperary hurling clubs...
in 1952. It was the beginning of a very successful period for the club. Three years later in 1955 he won his second county medal. It was the beginning of five county victories in-a-row, with Wall captaining the club to the final two victories in 1958 and 1959. Thurles Sarsfields lost their county championship crown in 1960, however, the club bounced back by winning another five-in-a-row from 1961 until 1965. It was an unprecedented ten county titles from eleven championship campaigns with Wall playing a key role for all of those victories.
Inter-county
Wall first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the TipperaryTipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
minor hurling team in 1950. That year he lined out in the centre-back position as he collected a Munster
Munster Minor Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for the youngest competitors in the province of Munster in Ireland...
title in that grade. Tipp later reached the All-Ireland final, however, Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
were victorious on that occasion.
Tipp lost their provincial title to Cork in 1951, however, Wall added a second Munster minor title to his collection in 1952 when he captained the team from the half-forward line. Once again the county reached the All-Ireland final. Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
provided the opposition on that occasion, however, Tipp trounced ‘the Dubs’ by 9-9 to 2-3 giving Wall a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
medal in the minor grade.
Wall immediately became part of the Tipperary senior team and made his debut in 1953. The county was going through a fallow period as Cork dominated the provincial championship in the early 1950s. Wall played in the full-back position for a number of years and collected a National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
medal in 1957. When Pat Stakelum
Pat Stakelum
Pat Stakelum was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Holycross-Ballycahill and was a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county team from 1947 until 1957. Stakelum captained Tipperary to the All-Ireland title in 1949....
retired after the 1957 championship, Wall was the obvious choice to take over his position at centre-back. Not only that but he was appointed captain for the 1958 campaign. That year Tipp regained the Munster
Munster Senior Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland....
title for the first time since 1951 following a 4-12 to 1-5 trouncing of Waterford
Waterford GAA
The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...
. It was Wall’s first Munster title at senior level. Tipp later defeated Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final before lining out against Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
in the championship decider. Galway got a bye into the final without picking up a hurley. Liam Devaney
Liam Devaney
Liam Devaney is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Borrisoleigh and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team in the 1950s and 1960s.-Club:...
, Donie Nealon
Donie Nealon
Donie Nealon is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling at various times with his local clubs Burgess in Tipperary and UCD in Dublin and was a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county team from 1958 until 1969.-Club:Nealon played his club hurling with his local Burgess-Youghlarra club,...
and Larry Keane
Larry Keane
Larry Keane is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Thurles Sarsfields and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team in the 1950s and 1960s.-References:...
all scored goals for Tipp in the first-half, while Wall sent a 70-yard free untouched to the Galway net. Tipp won the game by 4-9 to 2-5 giving Wall his first senior All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
medal and the honour of collecting the Liam McCarthy Cup
Liam McCarthy Cup
The MacCarthy Perpetual Challenge Cup is a trophy awarded annually by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the hurling team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.-The trophy:...
. Wall was also named as man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
and had now gone down in history as one of the few players to captain his county to All-Ireland titles at both minor and senior levels. He was later honoured by becoming the inaugural winner of the Texaco Hurler of the Year
Texaco Hurler of the Year
The Texaco Hurler of the Year is a hurling award, created in 1958, that honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. The award is part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields are honoured....
award.
Wall won a second National League medal in 1959, however, Tipperary lost their provincial and All-Ireland crowns. The team signaled their intent in 1960 by capturing the National League title for the second consecutive year. Wall later captured a second Munster title as Tipp defeated Cork in what has been described as the toughest game of hurling ever played. This victory allowed Tipperary to advance directly to an All-Ireland final meeting with Wexford
Wexford GAA
The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wexford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wexford. The county board is also responsible for the Wexford inter-county teams.-History:Hurling has been played in...
. A certain amount of over-confidence was obvious in the Tipperary camp, particularly in trainer Phil Purcell’s comment that no player was capable of marking Jimmy Doyle
Jimmy Doyle
James 'Jimmy' Doyle , is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with the famous Thurles Sarsfields club from 1956 until 1975 and was a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county team from 1957 until 1973...
. It seemed that Purcell had tempted fate. The game ended in remarkable circumstances as the crowd invaded the pitch with a minute to go, mistaking the referee’s whistle for the end of the game. When the crowd were finally moved off the pitch Tipperary continued playing with only twelve men, however, Wexford won the game on a score line of 2-15 to 0-11.
1961 saw Wall collecting a fourth National League medal, however, he missed the subsequent Munster final against Cork due to his duties with the army. The absence of the All-Ireland semi-final allowed Tipp to advance directly to the final itself with Dublin first native hurling team providing the opposition. The game was a close run thing, however, Tipp held on to win by 0-16 to 1-12. It was Wall’s second All-Ireland medal.
In 1962 Tipperary defeated all before them in the Munster Championship yet again, giving Wall his third provincial title. Tipp’s nemesis of two year’s earlier, Wexford, waited in Croke Park to test them once again in the subsequent All-Ireland final. Wexford, however, were not the force of old and the side got off to possibly the worst start ever by a team in a championship decider. After just ninety seconds the Leinster champions were down by 2 goals, however, the game turned out to be much closer than people expected. Tipp eventually secured the win on a score line of 3-10 to 2-11, giving Wall a third All-Ireland medal.
Tipp lost the 1963 Munster final to Waterford in one of the hurling shocks of the decade. The team bounced back in 1964 with Wall collecting a fifth National League medal. Tipp later cantered casually past Cork in the provincial decider, giving Wall a fourth Munster title. Kilkenny, the reigning All-Ireland champions and staunch local rivals of Tipp, provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final and were installed as the firm favourites. Tipp had other ideas and their fourteen-point winning margin, 5-13 to 2-8, was the biggest All-Ireland final win since Tipperary had overwhelmed Laois
Laois GAA
The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois and the Laois inter-county teams.-History:...
in the 1949 decider. It was Wall’s fourth All-Ireland medal.
In 1965 Wall won a sixth National League medal before Tipp demolished all opposition in the provincial championship giving him a fifth Munster title. Wexford were Tipp’s opponents in the subsequent All-Ireland final, however, the game failed to live up to the two classic games between the two sides in 1960 and 1962. Victory went to Tipp on that occasion by 2-16 to 0-10 with Wall a fifth and final All-Ireland medal.
Tipp lost their provincial and All-Ireland crowns in spectacular fashion at the first hurdle in 1966 when a young Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
team took them by surprise. The team bounced back in 1967 with Doyle collecting a sixth Munster title. By this stage, however, Tipp’s pool of players was ageing and the county’s hurling fortunes were in decline. Kilkenny provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final and provided more than a match for Tipperary. Three quick goals laid to rest a bogey that Tipperary had over Kilkenny since 1922. This was Wall’s last appearance for Tipp as he retired from inter-county hurling shortly afterwards.
Provincial
Wall also lined out with MunsterMunster GAA
The Munster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Munster.-Constituent counties:*Cork*Clare*Kerry*Limerick*Tipperary*Waterford-Honours:...
in the inter-provincial hurling competition and enjoyed much success. He first played for his province in the Railway Cup in 1958 and captured his first medal that year. Wall captured further titles in 1959, 1961, 1963 and 1966.