Wexford Hurling in the 1950s

Wexford Team, National League Final 1952

Photograph of Wexford hurling team 1952, National League Final. Back row:B.Esmonde, N.O'Donnell, J. Russell, J.Morrissey, M. Hanlon, P.Kelly, P.Kehoe, N. Culleton, N.Wheeler, B. Wickham, P.Kehoe, W.Stamp, B. Rackard, J.English, W.Thorpe, M. Redmond, J.Canavan. Front row: T.Kehoe, M.Flood, N.Rackard,B.Rackard, A.Foley, S.Hearn, J. Cummins, D.Aherne, T. Flood, T.Butler.

Ned Culleton Collection

Wexford Team, National League Final 1952
Ned Culleton Collection

Wexford Team, National League Final 1952

Photograph of Wexford hurling team 1952, National League Final. Back row:B.Esmonde, N.O'Donnell, J. Russell, J.Morrissey, M. Hanlon, P.Kelly, P.Kehoe, N. Culleton, N.Wheeler, B. Wickham, P.Kehoe, W.Stamp, B. Rackard, J.English, W.Thorpe, M. Redmond, J.Canavan. Front row: T.Kehoe, M.Flood, N.Rackard,B.Rackard, A.Foley, S.Hearn, J. Cummins, D.Aherne, T. Flood, T.Butler.

Ned Culleton Collection

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Wexford Team , Leinster Senior Hurling Championship 1952

Photograph of Wexford team, Leinster Senior Hurling Championship 1952. Back row: M.Byrne, B.Rackard, J.Morrissey, J.Walsh (selector), M.Hanlon, N.O'Donnell, M.Flood, P.Kelly, S.Browne, W.Thorpe, P.Kehoe, T.Flood, N.Culleton, J,Canavan & E. Cullen(selectors). Front row: T.Kehoe, J.Cummins, A.Foley, T.Russell, B.Rackard, P.Kehoe, D.Ahearne, S.Hearne, N.Wheeler. Wexford played without Nicky Rackard who was injured in the National League final against Tipperary.

Ned Culleton Collection

Wexford Team , Leinster Senior Hurling Championship 1952
Ned Culleton Collection

Wexford Team , Leinster Senior Hurling Championship 1952

Photograph of Wexford team, Leinster Senior Hurling Championship 1952. Back row: M.Byrne, B.Rackard, J.Morrissey, J.Walsh (selector), M.Hanlon, N.O'Donnell, M.Flood, P.Kelly, S.Browne, W.Thorpe, P.Kehoe, T.Flood, N.Culleton, J,Canavan & E. Cullen(selectors). Front row: T.Kehoe, J.Cummins, A.Foley, T.Russell, B.Rackard, P.Kehoe, D.Ahearne, S.Hearne, N.Wheeler. Wexford played without Nicky Rackard who was injured in the National League final against Tipperary.

Ned Culleton Collection

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The Decade that saw pride restored to Wexford Hurling
 

The 1950s will surely be remembered by the unbiased hurling followers not for the wonderful games between Cork and Tipperary, superb though they were, which marked the early years of the decade, nor for the thrilling nip-and-tuck clashes between Waterford and Kilkenny that saw out the period.


They will be remembered for the meteoric rise and ultimate triumph of the mighty men of Wexford, that grand and gallant band of hurlers who through most of the fifties brought fresh glory to their county.


They had a glamour all of their own, though glamour seems a peculiar word to apply to so stalwart a body of athletes. Maybe it was because, especially in their earlier years, they carried with them onto the field all the hopes and all of the ambitions of all the "weaker" counties.


For forty years, three or four counties had dominated the hurling fields of Ireland. Other teams had indeed flamed, but faded, unable to sustain their challenge for more than a year or two. Now, quite suddenly, from villages and parishes of which hurling centres in Ireland had seldom ever heard from Rathnure and Cloughbawn and Camross and Horeswood, from the towns of New Ross and Enniscorthy with no more than a man or two from the traditional hurling districts of 'over the water' a superb set of hurlers stepped into the limelight and held it year after year.

From the article 'The Glory Years of Wexford Hurling 1950-1960' by Sean Nolan in the 'Centenary Tribute to the G.A.A. in Wexford 1884-1984'.