Colm Sheehan

Colm Sheehan

Personal information
Irish name	Colm Ó Síocháin
Sport	Hurling
Position	Full-forward
Born	1942 Ovens, County Cork, Ireland
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Club(s)
Years	Club
1950s-1970s	Éire Óg
Club Titles
Cork titles	0
Inter-county(ies)
Years	County	Apps (scores)
1965-1968	Cork	9 (5-5)
Inter-county titles
Munster titles	1
All Irelands	1
NHL	0

Colm Sheehan (born 1942 in Ovens, County Cork, Ireland) is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Éire Óg and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1965 until 1968.

Playing career

Club

Sheehan played his club hurling with his local Éire Óg side and enjoyed much success. In 1960 he was barely out of the minor ranks when he captured a Mid-Cork junior championship title following an eight-point drubbing of Ballincollig.^[1] It was the first of three divisional titles in-a-row for Sheehan and Éire Óg as Cloughduv and Ballincollig were subsequently defeated in the finals of 1961 and 1962. The latter win saw Éire Óg reach the final of the county junior championship. East Cork champions Carrigtwohill were the opponents, however, Éire Óg triumphed on a score line of 3-4 to 2-4.^[2]

This victory allowed Éire Óg to move into the county intermediate championship. In their very first year in the new grade Sheehan's side captured the county intermediate league title.

Two years later in 1965 Éire Óg reached the final of the intermediate championship. Cork kingpins Glen Rovers were the opponents and an exciting hour of hurling developed. At the long whistle Sheehan ended up on the losing side as 'the Glen' recorded a 3-8 to 3-5 victory.^[3]

Inter-county

Sheehan first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Cork intermediate hurling team in 1964. That year he captured a Munster title in that grade following a 4-13 to 1-10 defeat of Galway.^[4] Cork, however, were later defeated by Wexford in the All-Ireland 'home' final.

Sheehan's performances on the intermediate team brought him to the attention of the Cork senior selectors and he joined the team in 1965.^[5] He made his debut against Waterford in a drawn Munster semi-final. Cork won the replay and met Tipperary in the provincial decider. That game turned into a rout as Tipp won by 4-11 to 0-5.

In 1966 Cork hurling returned to centre stage. That year Sheehan's side avoided Tipperary, their old tormentors in the provincial championship, and qualified for a Munster showdown with Waterford. An entertaining hour of hurling followed, however, victory went to Cork by 4-9 to 2-9 for the first time in ten years. It was Sheehan's first senior Munster winners' medal.^[6] This victory allowed Cork to advance directly to the All-Ireland final where arch-rivals Kilkenny provided the opposition. It was the first meeting of these two great sides since 1947 and ‘the Cats’ were installed as the firm favourites. In spite of this a hat-trick of goals by Sheehan gave Cork a merited 3-9 to 1-10 victory over an Eddie Keher-inspired Kilkenny. It was Sheehan's first All-Ireland winners' medal.^[7]

Cork failed to retain their provincial and All-Ireland titles in 1967 while Tipperary trounced Cork by nine points in the Munster final a year later. Sheehan left the Cork team following this defeat.

References

1. ^ "Muskerry Junior A Hurling Finals 1926 - 1970". Cork GAA site. http://homepage.eircom.net/~kod/muskerry_junior_a_hurling_finals_1.htm. Retrieved 2010-08-29. 
2. ^ "Junior A County Hurling Finals 1925 - 1970". Cork GAA site. http://homepage.eircom.net/~kod/junior_a_county_hurling_finals_1.htm. Retrieved 2010-08-29. 
3. ^ "Intermediate Hurling Finals 1909 - 1969". Cork GAA site. http://homepage.eircom.net/~kod/intermediate_hurling_1.htm. Retrieved 2010-08-29. 
4. ^ "Munster Intermediate Hurling Finals". Munster GAA. http://munster.gaa.ie/history/ih_teams/. Retrieved 2010-08-29. 
5. ^ "Cork's Senior Hurling Championship Teams 1960-1969". Cork GAA. http://www.sportsmanager.ie/uploaded/7/SHC%201960-1969.pdf. Retrieved 2010-08-29. 
6. ^ "Munster Senior Hurling Finals". Munster GAA. http://munster.gaa.ie/history/sh_teams/. Retrieved 2010-08-29. 
7. ^ "Cork GAA profile". Hogan Stand. http://www.hoganstand.com/Cork/Profile.aspx. Retrieved 2010-08-29. 

Teams

Persondata
Name	Sheehan, Colm
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1942
Place of birth	Ovens, County Cork
Date of death
Place of death