Cork's surprise victory over Kilkenny in the 1966 All-Ireland final will go down as one of Cork hurling's best ever days

On Sunday, September 4th 1966, the Liam MacCarthy Cup famine ended.

The Cork hurlers had just beaten Kilkenny in the All-Ireland senior hurling final.

Cork hurling came in from the cold as Leesiders in vast numbers unshackled their irons, the scars of 12 years of heavy defeats had taken their toll as many shed tears of delight, and Micheal O'Hehir in his television commentary said he had never seen such wild scenes of celebration on the hallowed turf of Croke Park.

This iconic victory for Cork hurling was truly tinged with emotion. 

It was an All-Ireland won by a Rebel team who lined out without Christy Ring for the first time in a quarter of a century. 

It was a team who had little big match experience.

It was a young team who had four U21 players in the side.

It was a team which included four boxers, and it was a team who were starved of success and who would display a hunger fuelled by raw courage. 

The final score of Cork 3-9 to 1-10 for Kilkenny mattered little to most supporters. 

Be it five points or five goals, the bottom line was where the truth lay, Cork were the All-Ireland champions and that is all that mattered. 

The match was a sell out with an attendance of 68,000 patrons.

The price of entry was Hogan stand 10 shillings, Cusack Stand 5 shillings, and the terraces a half crown.

The official match programme was selling for one shilling. 

Meanwhile, there were no souvenir shops in Croke Park in those days, few if ever came back with anything out of the Jones Road headquarters, except an occasional opportunist. 

This arose during some game when the sliotar was driven high into the crowd on the terraces, many hands would reach out, and that sliotar in the twinkling of an eye would often end up in some fella's pocket, and later he would boast about this for many years after as the souvenir he got in Croke Park. 

While the game was going on in Dublin fans in Cork were making their own arrangements to keep themselves up to date with all the action in the capital. 

Most had radios, few had televisions. 

This was the first All-Ireland final ever shown live on TV for a Cork team. 

Most people wanted to see it in a pub. 

It was rumoured that shebeen lockins were unofficially organised all over the city and the county.

The Gardai in Union Quay in Cork the following day said they received no complaints. 

In the city centre, three TV stores organised great facilities to watch the black and white final for followers of the game. 

Fitzgerald's Electric on the Grand Parade had a huge window display with eight big TV's showing the game and the sound was available as well. Another store to show the game was K and N on the North Main Street, and the third store on that famous day for Cork hurling was the big Phillip's TV Store on St Patrick Street.

Recently, a magnificent reunion for many of that 1966 team took place to mark the 60th anniversary of that famous final. 

This event was sponsored by businessman Michael O'Flynn. 

Those in attendance included all those pictured on the photo in this page. 

This was a classic occasion filled with warm memories with special thoughts of appreciation also for those who are now gone on to their eternal reward. 

The most recent of that group being Ger O'Leary, who was a sub in the final, and sadly, his funeral took place recently on September 4th, exactly 60 years to the day of the match.

The year 1966 was extraordinary in many ways. 

It was the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising, the Golden Jubilee of Glen Rovers, the year Jack Lynch was elected Taoiseach, and it was the year that Christy Ring at 46 years of age led his club to win the first Munster club championship. 

This occurred on Easter Sunday when the Glen defeated Mont Sion and Ring, the oldest man on the pitch, was the top scorer.

In May, the focus was on the impending Munster hurling inter-county championship and Ring's good form brought him into focus for Cork selection. 

The composition of this Cork team was far from settled. 

Despite reaching a league semi final in Croke Park, and recording a great victory over Wexford in the Whit Tournament, played at Wembley Stadium before a crowd of over 40,000, the team was not easily picked. 

This game was seen live on TV.

In those days, all championship matches were knock out. 

In the first-round Cork were drawn against Clare with this game fixed to take place at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick on Sunday, June 19th. 

The Cork goalkeeper was Finbarr O'Neill, but no Glen players were considered for selection as they were all inoculated before going to the USA to mark the club's Golden Jubilee. 

Instead, Paddy Barry was named as the Cork goalkeeper. 

This first round game against Clare saw a very sluggish performance by Cork and the Rebels found themselves three points down with time almost up. 

A last gasp free was secured by Cork, thirty-five yards out on the left-hand side of the posts.

Then followed the defining moment of Cork's 1966 championship campaign. 

Up stepped Justin McCarthy and he billowed the Clare net with the veracity of a scud missile. 

Justin had now saved the day and the championship. 

He was later that year presented with the hurler of the year award by the new Taoiseach Jack Lynch.

In the replay, Cork hammered Clare, then defeated Limerick and Waterford in the Munster final as the Rebel tide began to rise it was on to Croke Park for the All-Ireland final. 

Now the big scramble was on for tickets. 

On the morning of the game the Cork team headed for Croke Park from their Dublin base at the Lucan Hotel. 

They sang all the way to Jones Road  the song 'we all live in a yellow submarine,' however, scenes of ticket desperation were to be seen everywhere outside Croke Park. 

Kevin Cummins, who had captained the Cork minors to All-Ireland glory two years prior had no ticket. 

He was accompanied by Mick O'Halloran, whose brother John was playing in the final that day and he too had no ticket. 

They had thumbed it up the day before and slept in a train carriage in Connolly Station. 

Then in a moment of heavenly intervention the Black Raven Pike Band were going in the official’s gate. 

This band always played before the minor final. 

A small young bandsman was struggling with the base drum, suddenly assistance came from on high Cork men. 

Two Leeside angels swopped down and lifted the drum for the struggler. 

Their assistance assured the two bucks from Blackrock were now inside Croke Park – how could Cork now loose this All-Ireland final?

They couldn't and they didn't to set off scenes of wild celebration in Cork Park and back in Cork.