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The old Hogan Stand has an anniversary this weekend Inpho
Rewind

On this weekend in GAA history….

Already looking forward to the weekend ahead, Ewan MacKenna has gone through the archives and had a look back in time as well.

1912: You know the way the top counties like to slap each other about with their record when it comes to All Ireland wins.

We never bought into that and here’s yet another example of why.

On 2 June, Kilkenny were declared the 1911 All Ireland hurling champions courtesy of a walkover. The initial final had been scheduled for Croke Park but bad weather meant the pitch was unplayable and when the game was rescheduled for Thurles, Limerick refused to play there not once, but twice.

Another final against the Tipperary champions was later cobbled together and by 2012 Kilkenny had a three-in-a-row. They didn’t repeat that feat until 2008 surprisingly enough, although their first effort was very much tainted.

1945: Remember all that talk of the drive for five not so long ago. We presume the Irish media hadn’t invented the phrase when Cork’s bid for an unprecedented record was undone in the Munster semi-final in Thurles. Quite a mauling it was too as Tipperary won by 2-13 to 3-2 on the way to an All Ireland of their own. However just like Kilkenny in 2011, the year after a failed shot at history Cork did come back and make it five from six.

1959: The new Hogan Stand was opened. Of course it’s now the old Hogan Stand — a seat from which is actually in my shed after an early morning raid on a piece of history during reconstruction.  It probably wasn’t legal but seemed worth the risk. Anyway, we digress, but just thought you’d like to know.

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