Martin O'Doherty
Encyclopedia
Martin O'Doherty is a retired Irish
sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local club Glen Rovers
and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1971 until 1982. O'Doherty captained Cork to the All-Ireland
title in 1977.
with the famous Glen Rovers
club on the north side of Cork city and enjoyed much success. After little success in the minor of under-21 grades, O'Doherty joined the club's senior side in the early 1970s. In 1972 he captured a senior county championship
winners' medal as 'the Glen' defeated Youghal
in the county decider. Glen Rovers later represented Cork in the provincial club championship and even reached the final. A 2-9 to 1-10 defeat of Roscrea
gave O'Doherty a coveted Munster
club winners' medal. Glen Rovers later qualified for the All-Ireland final with St. Rynagh's
of Offaly providing the opposition. Tom Buckley and Red Crowley inspired 'the Glen' to a 2-18 to 2-8 victory, giving O'Doherty a coveted All-Ireland
club winners' medal.
After defeats in the county finals of 1973 and 1975, Glen Rovers bounced back in 1976 with a 2-7 to 0-10 defeat of Blackrock
in the county championship decider. It was O'Doherty's second county title. Once again 'the Glen' reached the Munster club final. A 2-8 to 2-4 defeat of Limerick side South Liberties gave O'Doherty a second provincial winners' medal and the opportunity to reach another All-Ireland final. Camross of Laois were the opponents on this occasion, however, Glen Rovers had a relatively comfortable 2-12 to 0-8 win. It was O'Doherty's second All-Ireland club winners' medal.
with the various Cork underage hurling
and football
teams. In 1968 he won an All-Ireland
medal at minor level with the footballers, before winning a Munster minor football medal in 1969. That year O’Doherty also won his first Munster title with the hurlers. This was later converted into an All-Ireland
medal. In 1970 O’Doherty repeated this feat by winning a second set of both Munster and All-Ireland minor honours. He also claimed an All-Ireland
under-21 football medal that same year. Doherty continued his great run of success in 1971 by winning both Munster and All-Ireland
honours in hurling at under-21 level. He also claimed both Munster and All-Ireland honours with the footballers at under-21 level that same year. Two years later in 1973 Doherty added another All-Ireland under-21 hurling medal to his haul.
By 1971 O’Doherty had joined the Cork junior football team where he played along with such future stars as Dinny Allen
and Brian Murphy
. He won a Munster medal that year before collecting an All-Ireland
junior medal in 1972.
In 1974 the Cork hurling team bounced back somewhat with O'Doherty capturing a National Hurling League
winners' medal after a defeat of Limerick
. Cork's championship campaign came to an abrupt end at the first attempt.
1975 saw the Cork hurlers return to the big time with O'Doherty playing a key role as full-back. He captured his first Munster
winners' medal that year following the provincial final trouncing of reigning champions Limerick. Cork, however, were defeated by surprise package Galway in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final.
1976 saw Cork retain their Munster title with another huge 4-14 to 3-5 win over neighbouring Limerick. It was O'Doherty's second Munster winner’s medal. This victory allowed Cork to advance directly to the All-Ireland final where Wexford
provided the opposition. Both sides had high expectations. Cork got off to the worst possible start in an All-Ireland final and trailed by 2-2 after six minutes. Cork battled back, however, the game hung in the balance for much of the seventy. With ten minutes left Wexford were two points to the good, however, three points by Jimmy Barry-Murphy
, two by Pat Moylan
and a kicked effort from captain Ray Cummins
gave Cork a 2-21 to 4-11 victory. It was O'Doherty's first All-Ireland
winners' medal.
In 1977 O'Doherty was appointed capatin of the team and Cork reached their third consecutive Munster decider with Clare
as the opposition. ‘The Rebels’ got off to a great start with a Tim Crowley
penalty after just seventy-five seconds. Clare fought back, however, Cork still defeated fourteen-man Clare by 4-15 to 4-10. A subsequent defeat of Galway set up a second consecutive All-Ireland final showdown with Wexford. Like the previous year the game turned into a close, exciting affair. A Seánie O'Leary
goal, together with some brilliant saves by goalkeeper Martin Coleman
helped Cork to a 1-17 to 3-8 victory. The victory also resulted in a second All-Ireland winners’ medal for O'Doherty, while he also had the honour of lifting the Liam McCarthy Cup
.
1978 saw Cork dominate the provincial championship once again. Clare provided the opposition in second consecutive Munster showdown between the two sides. The game was a close affair and one which Cork could have lost. At the full-time whistle Cork still had a narrow 0-13 to 0-11 win to give O'Doherty a fourth Munster title. This victory paved the way for Cork to take on Kilkenny
in the subsequent All-Ireland final. The stakes were high as Cork were attempting to capture a first three in-a-row since 1954. The game, however, was not the classic that many expected. Cork were never really troubled over the course of the seventy minutes and a Jimmy Barry-Murphy goal helped the team to a 1-15 to 2-8 victory over their age-old rivals. This victory gave Cork and O'Doherty a third All-Ireland title in succession.
In 1979 Cork were invincible in the provincial championship once again. A 2-15 to 0-9 trouncing of Limerick gave the county a record-equaling fifth consecutive Munster title. After this game it looked likely that Cork were set for a fourth consecutive appearance in the All-Ireland final and the chance to equal the seemingly unbeatable record of four championships in-a-row. The All-Ireland semi-final saw Galway catch Cork on the hop once again. A 2-14 to 1-13 defeat ended the dream of four in-a-row.
Cork captured back-to-back National league titles in 1980 and 1981, however, O'Doherty's move to Los Angeles
resulted in him missing these campaigns. After a few years out of the championship limelight Cork returned in 1982 with O'Doherty winning his sixth Munster hurling winners' medal following a 5-31 to 3-6 trouncing of Waterford
. At one stage of that Munster final game Cork were nearly thirty points ahead when Ray Cummins
got through on goal. He could have sent the sliotar into the net for a goal, however, in a sporting gesture, he handpassed it over the bar. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Cork take on Kilkenny. 'The Rebels' were the red-hot favourites, however, Kilkenny surprised. Christy Heffernan
scored two goals in a forty-second spell just before the interval to take the wind out of Cork's sails. Ger Fennelly
got a third goal within eight minutes of the re-start, giving Kilkenny a 3-18 to 1-15 victory. It was to be O'Doherty's last outing for Cork as he later decided to retire from inter-county hurling.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
sportsperson. He played hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
with his local club Glen Rovers
Glen Rovers GAA
Glen Rovers is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Ballyvolane and Blackpool areas of Cork city, Ireland. The club was founded in 1916 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling.-Colours:...
and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1971 until 1982. O'Doherty captained Cork to the All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
title in 1977.
Club
O’Doherty played his club hurlingHurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
with the famous Glen Rovers
Glen Rovers GAA
Glen Rovers is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Ballyvolane and Blackpool areas of Cork city, Ireland. The club was founded in 1916 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling.-Colours:...
club on the north side of Cork city and enjoyed much success. After little success in the minor of under-21 grades, O'Doherty joined the club's senior side in the early 1970s. In 1972 he captured a senior county championship
Cork Senior Hurling Championship
The Evening Echo Cork County Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Cork County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in the county of Cork in Ireland....
winners' medal as 'the Glen' defeated Youghal
Youghal GAA
Youghal GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the town of Youghal, in County Cork, Ireland. The club fields both Hurling and Gaelic football teams. The club is a member of Cork GAA and Imokilly divisional board.-History:...
in the county decider. Glen Rovers later represented Cork in the provincial club championship and even reached the final. A 2-9 to 1-10 defeat of Roscrea
Roscrea GAA
Roscrea GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club is located in the town of Roscrea in North County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland. The club's ground ground shares its name with St. Cronan's BNS in Bray, Co. Wicklow. The club's colours are red and white and they play at Páirc Naomh Cronáin Roscrea...
gave O'Doherty a coveted Munster
Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for the top hurling clubs in the province of Munster in Ireland...
club winners' medal. Glen Rovers later qualified for the All-Ireland final with St. Rynagh's
St. Rynagh's GAA
St. Rynagh's is a Gaelic Athletic Association club that encompasses the towns of Cloghan and Banagher in County Offaly, in Ireland. Formed in 1961, the club gained almost immediate success - winning the senior championship in 1965. St. Rynagh's went on to appear in three All-Ireland club finals...
of Offaly providing the opposition. Tom Buckley and Red Crowley inspired 'the Glen' to a 2-18 to 2-8 victory, giving O'Doherty a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge...
club winners' medal.
After defeats in the county finals of 1973 and 1975, Glen Rovers bounced back in 1976 with a 2-7 to 0-10 defeat of Blackrock
Blackrock GAA
Blackrock National Hurling Club is a G.A.A. club located on the southside of Cork City, Ireland. The club was founded in 1883 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling.-History:...
in the county championship decider. It was O'Doherty's second county title. Once again 'the Glen' reached the Munster club final. A 2-8 to 2-4 defeat of Limerick side South Liberties gave O'Doherty a second provincial winners' medal and the opportunity to reach another All-Ireland final. Camross of Laois were the opponents on this occasion, however, Glen Rovers had a relatively comfortable 2-12 to 0-8 win. It was O'Doherty's second All-Ireland club winners' medal.
Minor, Under-21 and Junior
O’Doherty first came to prominence in the late 1960s as a dual playerDual player
Dual player or dual star is a term used in Gaelic games to describe a player who plays both Men's Gaelic football and Hurling or Ladies' Gaelic football and Camogie. The player doesn't necessarily have to play at the same standard in both sports...
with the various Cork underage hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
and football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
teams. In 1968 he won an All-Ireland
All-Ireland Minor Football Championship
The All-Ireland Minor Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for under-18 competitors of the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland...
medal at minor level with the footballers, before winning a Munster minor football medal in 1969. That year O’Doherty also won his first Munster title with the hurlers. This was later converted into an All-Ireland
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
medal. In 1970 O’Doherty repeated this feat by winning a second set of both Munster and All-Ireland minor honours. He also claimed an All-Ireland
All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship
The All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and are played during the summer months...
under-21 football medal that same year. Doherty continued his great run of success in 1971 by winning both Munster and All-Ireland
All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of hurling played in Ireland...
honours in hurling at under-21 level. He also claimed both Munster and All-Ireland honours with the footballers at under-21 level that same year. Two years later in 1973 Doherty added another All-Ireland under-21 hurling medal to his haul.
By 1971 O’Doherty had joined the Cork junior football team where he played along with such future stars as Dinny Allen
Dinny Allen
Denis 'Dinny' Allen is a retired Gaelic football manager and former dual player. He played both hurling and Gaelic football with his local club Nemo Rangers and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county teams in both codes from 1972 until 1989...
and Brian Murphy
Brian Murphy (dual player)
Brian Murphy is a retired Irish sportsperson. A dual player at the highest levels, he played hurling and Gaelic football with his local club Nemo Rangers and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county teams in both codes between 1972 and 1982.Born in Cork in 1952, Brian Murphy is regarded as...
. He won a Munster medal that year before collecting an All-Ireland
All-Ireland Junior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Junior Football Championship is a Gaelic Athletic Association competition for junior gaelic football inter-county teams in Ireland. The definition of what constitutes a junior player differs from county to county. In some, the junior team is the second team after the senior team...
junior medal in 1972.
Senior
In 1971 O'Doherty made his senior championship debut with Cork. It was a poor year for the senior inter-county team as they were defeated on their first outing. In spite of making his debut that year it took O'Doherty a number of years to establish himself on the team/In 1974 the Cork hurling team bounced back somewhat with O'Doherty capturing a National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
winners' medal after a defeat of Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
. Cork's championship campaign came to an abrupt end at the first attempt.
1975 saw the Cork hurlers return to the big time with O'Doherty playing a key role as full-back. He captured his first Munster
Munster Senior Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland....
winners' medal that year following the provincial final trouncing of reigning champions Limerick. Cork, however, were defeated by surprise package Galway in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final.
1976 saw Cork retain their Munster title with another huge 4-14 to 3-5 win over neighbouring Limerick. It was O'Doherty's second Munster winner’s medal. This victory allowed Cork to advance directly to the All-Ireland final where Wexford
Wexford GAA
The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wexford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wexford. The county board is also responsible for the Wexford inter-county teams.-History:Hurling has been played in...
provided the opposition. Both sides had high expectations. Cork got off to the worst possible start in an All-Ireland final and trailed by 2-2 after six minutes. Cork battled back, however, the game hung in the balance for much of the seventy. With ten minutes left Wexford were two points to the good, however, three points by Jimmy Barry-Murphy
Jimmy Barry-Murphy
James "Jimmy" Barry-Murphy is a former Irish hurler, Gaelic footballer and association footballer and is the current manager of the Cork senior hurling team...
, two by Pat Moylan
Pat Moylan
Pat Moylan is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician and member of Seanad Éireann.Born in Banagher, County Offaly, where he still lives, he is married with three sons and one daughter....
and a kicked effort from captain Ray Cummins
Ray Cummins
Ray Cummins is a retired Irish sportsperson. A dual player at the highest levels, he played hurling with his local club Blackrock and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1969 until 1982. Cummins also played Gaelic football with his local club St...
gave Cork a 2-21 to 4-11 victory. It was O'Doherty's first All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
winners' medal.
In 1977 O'Doherty was appointed capatin of the team and Cork reached their third consecutive Munster decider with Clare
Clare GAA
The Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. The county board is also responsible for the Clare inter-county teams....
as the opposition. ‘The Rebels’ got off to a great start with a Tim Crowley
Tim Crowley
Tim Crowley is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with Newcestown and Cork in the 1970s and 1980s.-Playing career:...
penalty after just seventy-five seconds. Clare fought back, however, Cork still defeated fourteen-man Clare by 4-15 to 4-10. A subsequent defeat of Galway set up a second consecutive All-Ireland final showdown with Wexford. Like the previous year the game turned into a close, exciting affair. A Seánie O'Leary
Seánie O'Leary
Seanie O'Leary is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Youghal and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1971 until 1984.-Early & private life:...
goal, together with some brilliant saves by goalkeeper Martin Coleman
Martin Coleman
Martin Coleman is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Ballinhassig and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1970 until 1979.-Club:...
helped Cork to a 1-17 to 3-8 victory. The victory also resulted in a second All-Ireland winners’ medal for O'Doherty, while he also had the honour of lifting the Liam McCarthy Cup
Liam McCarthy Cup
The MacCarthy Perpetual Challenge Cup is a trophy awarded annually by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the hurling team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.-The trophy:...
.
1978 saw Cork dominate the provincial championship once again. Clare provided the opposition in second consecutive Munster showdown between the two sides. The game was a close affair and one which Cork could have lost. At the full-time whistle Cork still had a narrow 0-13 to 0-11 win to give O'Doherty a fourth Munster title. This victory paved the way for Cork to take on Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
in the subsequent All-Ireland final. The stakes were high as Cork were attempting to capture a first three in-a-row since 1954. The game, however, was not the classic that many expected. Cork were never really troubled over the course of the seventy minutes and a Jimmy Barry-Murphy goal helped the team to a 1-15 to 2-8 victory over their age-old rivals. This victory gave Cork and O'Doherty a third All-Ireland title in succession.
In 1979 Cork were invincible in the provincial championship once again. A 2-15 to 0-9 trouncing of Limerick gave the county a record-equaling fifth consecutive Munster title. After this game it looked likely that Cork were set for a fourth consecutive appearance in the All-Ireland final and the chance to equal the seemingly unbeatable record of four championships in-a-row. The All-Ireland semi-final saw Galway catch Cork on the hop once again. A 2-14 to 1-13 defeat ended the dream of four in-a-row.
Cork captured back-to-back National league titles in 1980 and 1981, however, O'Doherty's move to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
resulted in him missing these campaigns. After a few years out of the championship limelight Cork returned in 1982 with O'Doherty winning his sixth Munster hurling winners' medal following a 5-31 to 3-6 trouncing of Waterford
Waterford GAA
The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...
. At one stage of that Munster final game Cork were nearly thirty points ahead when Ray Cummins
Ray Cummins
Ray Cummins is a retired Irish sportsperson. A dual player at the highest levels, he played hurling with his local club Blackrock and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1969 until 1982. Cummins also played Gaelic football with his local club St...
got through on goal. He could have sent the sliotar into the net for a goal, however, in a sporting gesture, he handpassed it over the bar. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Cork take on Kilkenny. 'The Rebels' were the red-hot favourites, however, Kilkenny surprised. Christy Heffernan
Christy Heffernan
Christy Heffernan is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Glenmore and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team in the 1980s and 1990s. Heffernan is regarded as one of Kilkenny's greatest-ever players.-Club:...
scored two goals in a forty-second spell just before the interval to take the wind out of Cork's sails. Ger Fennelly
Ger Fennelly
Ger Fennelly is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1974 until 1989. Fennelly captained Kilkenny to the All-Ireland title in 1979.-Biography:Ger Fennelly was born in Piltown, County...
got a third goal within eight minutes of the re-start, giving Kilkenny a 3-18 to 1-15 victory. It was to be O'Doherty's last outing for Cork as he later decided to retire from inter-county hurling.