Cork hurler Patrick Horgan up there with legends, says Bishop Buckley

Cork hurler Patrick Horgan, who announced on Tuesday his decision to retire from inter-county hurling, deserves to be remembered in the same breath as his fellow Glen Rovers players, Christy Ring and Jack Lynch, the former bishop of Cork and Ross has said.

Mr Horgan, who retires after 18 seasons, during which he amassed 32 goals and 683 points, was described in these pages as “likely to carry the tag of the best hurler never to win an All-Ireland”.

Bishop Emeritus John Buckley said the best tribute he could pay to Mr Horgan, who will continue to play with his club, the Glen, would be to quote the late former taoiseach Jack Lynch.

“I think of the words that Jack used at the funeral of Christy Ring, and I think the same words might be applied to describe Pat Horgan,” Bishop Buckley said.

In a 26-year career, Christy Ring gathered eight All-Ireland winners’ medals, nine Munster championships, and three in the league. He played on 18 victorious Munster sides in the inter-provincial Railway Cup.

He retired in 1964, aged 43, estimating that he had played more than 1,200 games.

When Christy Ring died of a heart attack in March 1979, at the shockingly young age of 58, his old friend and teammate Jack Lynch spoke at his funeral.

“As a hurler he had no peer,” said the then taoiseach.

“As long as young men will match their hurling skills against each other on Ireland’s green fields, as long as young boys bring their camáns for the sheer thrill of the tingle on their fingers of the impact of ash with leather, as long as hurling is played, the story of Christy Ring will be told.

“And that will be forever.”

Bishop Buckley told The Echo that he felt the same words might be applied to Mr Horgan.

“Pat’s skills were enormous, and he made a great contribution to Cork hurling, he gave people great joy and happiness, and we should never forget the sacrifices that he made, socially and professionally, in training for the matches,” he said.

Asked if Cork would see the likes of Pat Horgan again in a hurry, Bishop Buckley said: “I’d say not for a while yet, but never say never, there are always stars coming along.”

In the circumstances, perhaps a quote from Christy Ring might apply:

“Let no one say the best hurlers belong to the past, they are with us now, and better yet to come.”