Cork Football legend Larry Tompkins opens up about rare cancer diagnosis

Cork football legend Larry Tompkins has opened up on his battle with cancer.

He was inducted into the Gaelic Writers' Association Football Hall of Fame last Friday night, proudly supported by Dalata Hotel Group.

The former county manager was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer early this year.

He won two county medals and three Munster medals with Castlehaven.

While wearing the Cork jersey, Tompkins won six Munster medals and of course two All-Ireland medals with the undoubted highlight of his career being captain of the winning team in 1990. That was the year of the famous double as Liam and Sam spent the year on Leeside.

Larry was also a National League medalist and was a three-time All-Star recipient.

As manager, he guided Cork to a National League title and a Munster title in 1999.

It was fitting that Tompkins was recognised with an award after the year he has put down off the field. It’s no secret that he has been battling against illness.

“I was a bit annoyed that it wasn't caught a bit sooner, I had to get another consultant then, I changed over to a thoracic person and he looked after me then, a Limerick man, a good GAA man. So he had the bad news to tell me then that in January that I had this. I had previously been told that I was clear and then maybe a month later then to be told that I had cancer on the wall of the lung and it was a very rare cancer. Believe it or not, one in five million, I could be the only one in Ireland that might have it.

“They had to send all my discs and all my reports then to London, the Brompton Hospital in London, and there was a stage where I thought I'd have to go there for an operation, but they advised for no operation, because it would have been touch and go where the tumour was and the way the lung was.

“So I went on radian treatment during the summer. I got 25 goes of radiant treatment. I'm on immunotherapy tablet now every day and some more tablets for pain relief. I take about eight or nine tablets a day.

“But yeah, that's where I'm at the moment. The signs are that the tumour isn't growing, it's contained, also the positive sign is that the tumour hasn't spread and it's over three years now.

“So look, you know, hard times and I spent three months in hospital. There were stages when I just felt that I wasn't going to come through but look, the will and the fight, if you can just stay positive, you know, it's a good thing.” 

Tompkins was thrilled to have received the award last weekend. Another one for the collection.

“It's brilliant, you know what I mean. I suppose you can never replace playing, like it's always the greatest thrill of all like to put on the Cork jersey and I wore it like on big days,” he said.

“That's something that you can't replace, but look, it's brilliant to be recognised. I got into the Croke Park Hall of Fame (in 2019) and do you know what for years I was going up there with my kids and going into the museum and now to just think that I'm in there, it's nice.

“You feel like that you're after doing something right anyway. These awards are special and definitely when you get a bit older they're more special.” 

Despite being involved with Bishopstown over the last number of years where his son Jack plays, the Cork football legend hasn’t forgotten where it all started for him on Leeside. 

Castlehaven.

“The club is everything, it's the heart and soul, even though I didn't come from Castlehaven, and that's why even the club is more special because they just accepted me so well and the warmth of people down there is just incredible like and I just fitted in so well.

“My playing days with them, I'll never forget like. Every day I wore that jersey was such an honour and such a joy and to captain them to their first county in 1989. I always believe like it's like anything, you can get a breakthrough and the young people behind it see it and see the emotions and what it can do for a place, they want to do it then.

“They want to be part of it then and that's what's happening in the Haven. It's like a rollercoaster really to having no county to win your first in 1989. 

"Now they have seven counties. You just can't imagine like that could have happened, but that's the type of club they are, they have been just amazing the last few years to just go and see them play. I'd be saying to my own young fella like they play with their heart and soul, they wear their heart on their sleeve, no day that they don't go out, they don't give it 100 per cent and that's the way the Haven are. They're just a hell of a club.” 

The new rules have been a game-changer for the game of football. Tompkins has seen that first-hand having been involved with the Bishopstown minors this year.

“I think it certainly has helped enormously. I think maybe there could be a few more tweaks maybe.

"Overall you would have to be happy. Like the two-pointers suit the guys like, naturally David Clifford who can kick them all day, and teams now like Cork, in fairness to them were quite good this year with two-pointers. So like I think it's an area that people are going to have to really work on because they are killer scores like. 

"When you're after doing well to get three points to nil up and next minute one fella goes down the field and he kicks a two-pointer, the next minute you're right back in it, you know. Them two-pointers are crucial.” Tompkins concluded.