Results

Recap

Galway ended an agonizing sequence of two All-Ireland Final defeats in two years by defeating Kilkenny 1-12 to 0-9 in a tense and low-scoring All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (SHC) Final at Croke Park on 6th of September 1987. [Reference: 23]

The All-Ireland Finals series had begun in Casement Park, Antrim where London, the British Provincial Champions and All-Ireland Senior Hurling B Champions had put up a brave fight against the Ulster representatives, who had no opposition in the Championship prior to meeting the exiles. Antrim eventually prevailed 3-14 to 1-15 [Reference: 20].

Likewise, Galway, with no opposition at this level in Connacht, were playing their first game of the Championship when they defeated surprise Munster Champions Tipperary in the Semi-Finals by 3-20 to 2-17 [Reference: 21]. Antrim were not the pushover that was expected against Kilkenny in the Semi-Finals in what was turning out to be an entertaining and highly competitive Championship [Reference: 22]. Kilkenny eventually saw off the gallant Ulster county 2-18 to 2-11, before succumbing to the Tribesmen in the All-Ireland Final. [Reference: 22-23]

About the GAA All-Ireland SHC Finals 1987

The 1987 GAA All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (SHC) Finals featured the Provincial Champions of Leinster (Kilkenny) and Munster (Tipperary) as well as Galway (the sole Connacht representatives at this level); and in a Quarter-Final Qualifying game Antrim (the sole Ulster representatives at this level) versus London (the winners of the GAA All-Ireland Senior Hurling B Championship) in a single elimination (knockout) Championship for the Liam McCarthy Cup. The SHC was at the time, and still is, the highest level Hurling Inter-County Competition in Ireland. [References: 19-23]

References

[19] GAA All-Ireland Hurling Championship Semi-Final Galway v Tipperary Programme. 9 August 1987. pg. 6, 8, 9, 33, 35, 36, 37, 39.

[20] Anon. (1987) “London Blitzed” Irish Independent. Monday, July 20, 1987. pg. 13. Available on the Internet at the Irish Newspaper Archive: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ [Accessed 18 March 2022]

[21] Donal Keenan (1987) “Galway grab the spoils in Titanic tussle” Irish Independent. Monday, August 10, 1987. pg. 12. Available on the Internet at the Irish Newspaper Archive: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ [Accessed 18 March 2022]

[22] Paddy Hickey (1987) “Antrim’s gallant bid” Irish Independent. Monday, August 17, 1987. pg. 10. Available on the Internet at the Irish Newspaper Archive: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ [Accessed 18 March 2022]

[23] Anon. (1987) “Galway agony over” Irish Independent. Monday, September 7, 1987. pg. 15. Available on the Internet at the Irish Newspaper Archive: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ [Accessed 18 March 2022

Crest references

[1] Galway GAA Facebook (2021) Profile Picture, `February 25, 2021 [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/GalwayGAAOfficial/photos/a.304582009580320/3843070445731441/ [Accessed 27 January 2022][Actual Crest Reference at: https://scontent-dub4-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/154645754_3843070455731440_5679092197977740786_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=09cbfe&_nc_ohc=wmFtrh8kfCcAX9Z0Aue&_nc_ht=scontent-dub4-1.xx&oh=00_AT8qcV-MbwVF9kP4-HwyLyXn8v5qvMYdcgnxaQLSgN0zCA&oe=6215FE9C [Accessed 27 January 2022]

[8] Seeklogo (2021) kilkenny-gaa-logo-8C142E60F2-seeklogo.com [Internet] Available from: http://seeklogo.com/images/K/kilkenny-gaa-logo-8C142E60F2-seeklogo.com.gif [Accessed 27 June 2021]

[23] Tipperary GAA (2021) tipperary-crest [Internet] Available from: https://tipperary.gaa.ie/wp-content/themes/c_and_c_tipperary/img/tipperary-crest.png [Accessed 27 June 2021]

[24] Antrim GAA (2021) antrim-crest [Internet] Available from: https://www.antrim.gaa.ie/images/antrim-crest.png [Accessed 3 July 2021]

[34] London GAA (2019) London GAA Crest [Internet] Available from: http://londongaa.org/wp-content/themes/realsoccer-v1-03/assets/images/logo.png [Accessed 30 August 2019]

GAA Crest Reference

[100] Wikipedia (2020) Gaelic_Athletic_Association [Internet] Available from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ga/a/ad/Gaelic_Athletic_Association.png [Accessed 11 November 2020]

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to Anton “Pippo” O’Grady and Decy Maher

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American & World Sports Archive / GAA World Archive

Last Updated: 19 March 2022

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2022

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