In 1968, a group of hurlers in the Ballinakill and Woodford areas of south-east Galway decided it was their time to act. Separately, they were operating as junior hurling teams, but together, they could be so much more.
The kitchen was in Cyril Farrell’s house, adjoining the pub run by his parents. The six or seven players who attended were all in agreement about what needed to be done.
“If we’re going to go anywhere…”
They had to do this, and they had to do it now.
Within a few short years, the Tommy Larkins club were crowned Galway senior hurling champions. Farrell was one of the forwards on that team who defeated Carnmore in the 1971 final on an unusual scoreline of 5-2 to 1-12.
A match report in the Connacht Tribune aptly described the newcomers as the “surprise packet” of the competition, arriving with a “tremendous new attitude to hurling like a fresh wind through the hitherto cobwebbed corridors of Galway hurling”.
That same kitchen was the setting of another important meeting when the local pitch went up for auction. Those who were present pooled their money together to make a bid of £600 in Irish punts. Farrell can’t recall exact times or dates, but he can attest to the impact of those events.
And now, 55 years after that breakthrough success, Tommy Larkins have returned to the senior county final with a freshness in their play that has unsettled the hurling powerhouses. The defending champions Loughrea are waiting for them on the main stage this Sunday.
“The present generation has never been there before since 1971,” Farrell adds. “It’s bigger than I thought it would be.”
What’s in a name?
Cyril Farrell being carried by supporters after manaing Galway to All-Ireland glory in 1988. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
There’s always been an ease about Cyril Farrell. You could sense it through the screen during his many appearances on the Sunday Game. Instead of nerves at the thought of speaking to the nation, Cyril gave us the tone of a fireside chat. And he brought that same energy to the co-commentary seat as much as he did to the studio chair for some 30 years. Talking about hurling was never a job to him.
You’ll be happy to learn that Farrell has the same demeanour in person. It’s a bank holiday Monday on county final week as Farrell stands to greet The 42 in the foyer of the Loughrea Hotel.
This could be considered enemy territory for him. After all, Loughrea are the Galway champions, and All-Ireland finalists who are hoping to complete a three-in-a-row this weekend. Tommy Larkins are the neighbouring side who are hoping to steal their crown.
“It’s funny because if we weren’t involved, Loughrea would be our second team,” Farrell explains.
“We’d know one another very well. There would be great rivalry, but everyone would know everyone. They’d all be drinking together and going out together. For the Ballinakill area, Loughrea would be their shopping town.”
We’re at the tail end of Storm Boelo, but Farrell has already been out today covering juvenile matches with Galway Bay FM. The harsh weather has no power over his enthusiasm. Or his relaxed manner.
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He doesn’t even mind that we’ve been calling him by the wrong name all this time. His real name is Cyril O’Farrell, son of Vincent and Lucy, and proud native of Woodford where he still resides today.
The clarification is long overdue, but he never felt the need to correct anyone.
Cyril Farrell sitting alongside Liam Sheedy in the Sunday Game studio. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
“I’ve often been called worse,” he says, still unbothered by it. “It started donkey’s years ago. I think way back, [the name] might come from Longford.”
When our coffees arrive, The 42 reaches for a phone to pay, but Farrell is already on his feet, handing cash to the waiter. All attempts to intervene prove futile.
He is explaining the origins of the Tommy Larkins name. Rather than try to fit all the place names into the title, the founders went for something more symbolic to represent what they were about.
Two individual men by the name of Tommy Larkin were chosen. One was a priest, Fr Tom Larkin, from Ballinakill, who was part of the management team with the Galway side who won the 1923 All-Ireland hurling final.
The other Tommy Larkin was from Woodford. He played a huge role in the resistance against landlordism in the 1880s in the hope of forcing Lord Clanricarde to reduce rent for his tenants in the area. He was arrested for his bravery and later died in Kilkenny Gaol in 1887 due to neglect.
Two men who embodied what the members of the Woodford-Ballinakill alliance wanted to achieve.
“You’ve a big area but population-wise, it’d be very small,” Farrell adds, referring to the Slieve Aughty Mountains where their club is based. “The land wouldn’t be great in a lot of it.
“When you have two parishes coming together, it united the whole lot. Small beginnings, but then it started to flow.”
Local Pride
Entrance to the Tommy Larkins grounds. Sinéad Farrell
Sinéad Farrell
The road leading down to the Tommy Larkins pitch gives Farrell a brilliant vantage point during training sessions. It’s on a slope, just off the main street of Woodford. He parks his car and takes it all in.
Farrell never did stray too far from his home village. He gave up hurling young, although he can’t remember why now. A successful coaching career took over as his main focus. He spent some time in Dublin but never fully moved away. Nor did he need to. He found what he needed in the quiet pace of life outside his door.
“Nowhere better to live. The air is clean. Woodford is a funny place. It probably hasn’t changed for the last 100 years in the sense that you know you’re just surviving. There’s no factories or big industries.
“But it’s a place where the key is in the door. You walk into a kitchen and everyone knows everyone. Everyone’s out to help everyone. There’s no rat race. Time hasn’t caught up with it. Now, people would say that’s a bad thing, but I’d consider it a very good thing.
“There’s no other club in the area. God forbid, if there’s a funeral or whatever, it’s the club that looks after everything. They celebrate the victories, and also in sadness, they’re there as well.”
The village has always appreciated him too. On the nights when he managed Galway to All-Ireland hurling glory in 1980, 1987 and 1988, the locals poured out onto the streets to celebrate the county’s success, and the local mastermind behind it all.
The scenes in 1980 were particularly memorable as Galway folk marked the return of Liam MacCarthy for the first time in 57 years.
A sign in Woodford supporting the Tommy Larkins team. Sinéad Farrell
Sinéad Farrell
“They would march up and down the village. Have a little band on the Sunday night and Monday night. They’d sing and dance all night. Woodford would be known for traditional music. There’d be no winter in the Woodford area.
“The celebrations in 1980 were unreal altogether. We went so long without winning one, and a lot of good people were gone before we actually won. It went on for months.”
Farrell’s opinion on hurling still matters. That’s why you can still hear his voice on Galway Bay FM and StreamSport.ie, enhancing the coverage of hurling games with his insights.
He’s still welcome to attend a training session for the Galway hurlers if he wishes. And Tommy Larkins would greet him the same way. Farrell leaves the heavy lifting to manager Niall Kelly, along with his coaches Shane Kelly and Portumna native Johnny Kelly, who is also the manager of the Offaly hurlers, but Farrell is still a well-respected adviser.
“I love looking at the training to see how lads are going. They might have a challenge game coming up, and they might half let me know their gameplan. It’s lovely to see them, and to see the combination between the Junior A team and the seniors.
“You want to help out as much as you can, but you wouldn’t interfere. You’d be in the background.”
Back Again
The village of Woodford is decorated in black and red bunting this week. Sinéad Farrell
Sinéad Farrell
Tommy Larkins were underdogs in 1971, and it’s a similar situation for the 2026 final. And just as they were 55 years ago, Farrell sees a group of players who are difficult to break down.
They’ve already beaten Sunday’s opponents Loughrea in the group stage, and have taken out title favourites Turloughmore (quarter-final) and Clarinbridge in what was their first senior semi-final appearance since 1982.
Having their star player Jason Flynn fully available has also been a key factor, according to Farrell. The 2017 All-Ireland winner retired from Galway last year and has been a standout player in this championship while carrying an injury.
“Even with the U10s and U12s, all these young lads look up to Jason. He’s been the star all along, and he’s having a fantastic season half-injured.
“The support they’re getting, I’ve never seen it before. When the lads were down at half-time in the quarter-final, the U12 team formed a guard of honour and clapped them out at half-time. It’s easy to clap when you win.”
Larkins are storming through the Galway championship again, and bringing a new attitude from Cyril O’Farrell’s kitchen down the mountain as they go. One more step to take against Loughrea in Pearse Stadium on Sunday.
“Larkins would have a tradition of being very hard to beat, and if they get into a final they’re extremely hard to beat. Through good times and bad times, they’d have great people keeping the club alive.”
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The meeting in Cyril Farrell's kitchen, and the long road back to a Galway hurling final
IT STARTED AROUND a kitchen table.
In 1968, a group of hurlers in the Ballinakill and Woodford areas of south-east Galway decided it was their time to act. Separately, they were operating as junior hurling teams, but together, they could be so much more.
The kitchen was in Cyril Farrell’s house, adjoining the pub run by his parents. The six or seven players who attended were all in agreement about what needed to be done.
“If we’re going to go anywhere…”
They had to do this, and they had to do it now.
Within a few short years, the Tommy Larkins club were crowned Galway senior hurling champions. Farrell was one of the forwards on that team who defeated Carnmore in the 1971 final on an unusual scoreline of 5-2 to 1-12.
A match report in the Connacht Tribune aptly described the newcomers as the “surprise packet” of the competition, arriving with a “tremendous new attitude to hurling like a fresh wind through the hitherto cobwebbed corridors of Galway hurling”.
That same kitchen was the setting of another important meeting when the local pitch went up for auction. Those who were present pooled their money together to make a bid of £600 in Irish punts. Farrell can’t recall exact times or dates, but he can attest to the impact of those events.
And now, 55 years after that breakthrough success, Tommy Larkins have returned to the senior county final with a freshness in their play that has unsettled the hurling powerhouses. The defending champions Loughrea are waiting for them on the main stage this Sunday.
“The present generation has never been there before since 1971,” Farrell adds. “It’s bigger than I thought it would be.”
What’s in a name?
There’s always been an ease about Cyril Farrell. You could sense it through the screen during his many appearances on the Sunday Game. Instead of nerves at the thought of speaking to the nation, Cyril gave us the tone of a fireside chat. And he brought that same energy to the co-commentary seat as much as he did to the studio chair for some 30 years. Talking about hurling was never a job to him.
You’ll be happy to learn that Farrell has the same demeanour in person. It’s a bank holiday Monday on county final week as Farrell stands to greet The 42 in the foyer of the Loughrea Hotel.
This could be considered enemy territory for him. After all, Loughrea are the Galway champions, and All-Ireland finalists who are hoping to complete a three-in-a-row this weekend. Tommy Larkins are the neighbouring side who are hoping to steal their crown.
“It’s funny because if we weren’t involved, Loughrea would be our second team,” Farrell explains.
“We’d know one another very well. There would be great rivalry, but everyone would know everyone. They’d all be drinking together and going out together. For the Ballinakill area, Loughrea would be their shopping town.”
We’re at the tail end of Storm Boelo, but Farrell has already been out today covering juvenile matches with Galway Bay FM. The harsh weather has no power over his enthusiasm. Or his relaxed manner.
He doesn’t even mind that we’ve been calling him by the wrong name all this time. His real name is Cyril O’Farrell, son of Vincent and Lucy, and proud native of Woodford where he still resides today.
The clarification is long overdue, but he never felt the need to correct anyone.
“I’ve often been called worse,” he says, still unbothered by it. “It started donkey’s years ago. I think way back, [the name] might come from Longford.”
When our coffees arrive, The 42 reaches for a phone to pay, but Farrell is already on his feet, handing cash to the waiter. All attempts to intervene prove futile.
He is explaining the origins of the Tommy Larkins name. Rather than try to fit all the place names into the title, the founders went for something more symbolic to represent what they were about.
Two individual men by the name of Tommy Larkin were chosen. One was a priest, Fr Tom Larkin, from Ballinakill, who was part of the management team with the Galway side who won the 1923 All-Ireland hurling final.
The other Tommy Larkin was from Woodford. He played a huge role in the resistance against landlordism in the 1880s in the hope of forcing Lord Clanricarde to reduce rent for his tenants in the area. He was arrested for his bravery and later died in Kilkenny Gaol in 1887 due to neglect.
Two men who embodied what the members of the Woodford-Ballinakill alliance wanted to achieve.
“You’ve a big area but population-wise, it’d be very small,” Farrell adds, referring to the Slieve Aughty Mountains where their club is based. “The land wouldn’t be great in a lot of it.
“When you have two parishes coming together, it united the whole lot. Small beginnings, but then it started to flow.”
Local Pride
The road leading down to the Tommy Larkins pitch gives Farrell a brilliant vantage point during training sessions. It’s on a slope, just off the main street of Woodford. He parks his car and takes it all in.
Farrell never did stray too far from his home village. He gave up hurling young, although he can’t remember why now. A successful coaching career took over as his main focus. He spent some time in Dublin but never fully moved away. Nor did he need to. He found what he needed in the quiet pace of life outside his door.
“Nowhere better to live. The air is clean. Woodford is a funny place. It probably hasn’t changed for the last 100 years in the sense that you know you’re just surviving. There’s no factories or big industries.
“But it’s a place where the key is in the door. You walk into a kitchen and everyone knows everyone. Everyone’s out to help everyone. There’s no rat race. Time hasn’t caught up with it. Now, people would say that’s a bad thing, but I’d consider it a very good thing.
“There’s no other club in the area. God forbid, if there’s a funeral or whatever, it’s the club that looks after everything. They celebrate the victories, and also in sadness, they’re there as well.”
The village has always appreciated him too. On the nights when he managed Galway to All-Ireland hurling glory in 1980, 1987 and 1988, the locals poured out onto the streets to celebrate the county’s success, and the local mastermind behind it all.
The scenes in 1980 were particularly memorable as Galway folk marked the return of Liam MacCarthy for the first time in 57 years.
“They would march up and down the village. Have a little band on the Sunday night and Monday night. They’d sing and dance all night. Woodford would be known for traditional music. There’d be no winter in the Woodford area.
“The celebrations in 1980 were unreal altogether. We went so long without winning one, and a lot of good people were gone before we actually won. It went on for months.”
Farrell’s opinion on hurling still matters. That’s why you can still hear his voice on Galway Bay FM and StreamSport.ie, enhancing the coverage of hurling games with his insights.
He’s still welcome to attend a training session for the Galway hurlers if he wishes. And Tommy Larkins would greet him the same way. Farrell leaves the heavy lifting to manager Niall Kelly, along with his coaches Shane Kelly and Portumna native Johnny Kelly, who is also the manager of the Offaly hurlers, but Farrell is still a well-respected adviser.
“I love looking at the training to see how lads are going. They might have a challenge game coming up, and they might half let me know their gameplan. It’s lovely to see them, and to see the combination between the Junior A team and the seniors.
“You want to help out as much as you can, but you wouldn’t interfere. You’d be in the background.”
Back Again
Tommy Larkins were underdogs in 1971, and it’s a similar situation for the 2026 final. And just as they were 55 years ago, Farrell sees a group of players who are difficult to break down.
They’ve already beaten Sunday’s opponents Loughrea in the group stage, and have taken out title favourites Turloughmore (quarter-final) and Clarinbridge in what was their first senior semi-final appearance since 1982.
Having their star player Jason Flynn fully available has also been a key factor, according to Farrell. The 2017 All-Ireland winner retired from Galway last year and has been a standout player in this championship while carrying an injury.
“Even with the U10s and U12s, all these young lads look up to Jason. He’s been the star all along, and he’s having a fantastic season half-injured.
“The support they’re getting, I’ve never seen it before. When the lads were down at half-time in the quarter-final, the U12 team formed a guard of honour and clapped them out at half-time. It’s easy to clap when you win.”
Larkins are storming through the Galway championship again, and bringing a new attitude from Cyril O’Farrell’s kitchen down the mountain as they go. One more step to take against Loughrea in Pearse Stadium on Sunday.
“Larkins would have a tradition of being very hard to beat, and if they get into a final they’re extremely hard to beat. Through good times and bad times, they’d have great people keeping the club alive.”
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Club stories cyril farrell Galway GAA Galway Hurling Final Hurling Loughrea GAA October Tommy Larkins GAA