Playing career Jimmy Smyth (hurler)

1 playing career

1.1 colleges
1.2 club
1.3 inter-county
1.4 inter-provincial

playing career
colleges

smyth first enjoyed success on hurling field during tenure @ st. flannan s college, famed hurling nursery in ennis. @ flannan s hurling protégé, going straight dean ryan cup team thirteen-year-old , winning first medal when ennis won junior championship.

in second year made debut on harty cup team. won first harty cup medal year st. flannan s defeated north monastery of cork take title. subsequent all-ireland final saw smyth s side face st joseph s of marino. 7–10 2–3 trouncing gave smyth first all-ireland medal.

st flannan s retained harty cup crown in 1946 following defeat of north mon. o connell school dublin opponents in all-ireland final , close game developed. 5–7 5–2 score line gave smyth second all-ireland medal.

smyth collected third consecutive harty cup medal following defeat of st. colman s college in 1947. once again st flannan s reached all-ireland decider st joseph s of roscrea provided opposition. 6–8 3–1 victory gave smyth third consecutive all-ireland medal.

at st flannan s smyth won 3 inter-provincial colleges medals munster selection.

club

smyth played club hurling ruan , enjoyed success.

in 1948 smyth represented ruan in minor, junior, intermediate , senior grades. successful year ruan defeated clarecastle in county decider, giving smyth first championship medal. collected intermediate championship medal same year.

having secured first championship title, ruan captured second 3 years later in 1951.

after period in doldrums smyth s side reached championship decider once again in 1959. defeat of Éire Óg gave smyth third championship medal. defeat of scariff in final of 1960 gave ruan famous two-in-a-row. smyth s fourth championship medal.

three-in-a-row proved beyond ruan, however, team reached final once again in 1962. sixmilebridge fell on occasion, giving smyth fifth , final championship medal.

inter-county

smyth first came prominence on inter-county scene member of clare minor hurling team. made debut fourteen-year-old in 1945 , subsequently set must all-time record clare playing @ grade 5 years in-a-row. in debut year clare reached munster decider. 8–10 0–2 trouncing tipperary clare s lot on occasion.

as seventeen-year-old smyth made senior debut in national hurling league game against galway in 1948. played no part in subsequent 1949 championship due involvement captain clare junior hurling team. won munster medal in grade following 3–3 0–6 defeat of cork. clare later defeated kilkenny before facing london in all-ireland decider. close game developed and, @ full-time whistle, clare narrowly defeated 3–7 3–6.

smyth made senior championship debut in munster semi-final defeat tipperary in 1950. within few seasons became known 1 of prolific scorers in championship. 6–4 against limerick in munster quarter-final in 1953 record still stands.

in 1954 clare qualified final of post-season oireachtas tournament. all-ireland runners-up wexford provided opposition on occasion, however, game ended in 2–8 apiece draw. replay close affair clare triumphing 3–6 0–12. smyth s first silverware clare senior hurling team.

the following year smyth s side dominated provincial championship. defeats of cork , tipperary led clare being installed favourites take munster crown first time since 1932. limerick provided opposition , went on defeat optimistic clare side 2–15 2–6.

smyth added thomond feis medal collection in 1956 clare won pre-season warm-up tournament.

in late 1964 smyth dropped out of clare team. surprising prolific ever, scoring 16–27 clare in 7 outings in 1963. retirement inter-county scene @ stage premature returned play clare intermediate team in 1966 before making return clare senior team in 1967. year lined out in second ever munster decider. 4–12 2–6 defeat tipperary brought curtain down on smyth s inter-county career.

inter-provincial

smyth had honour of lining out munster in inter-provincial series of games. first lined out team in 1952 , unused substitute munster claimed railway cup year.

by 1955 smyth had made way onto starting fifteen. won first railway cup medal on field of play year munster defeated connacht 6–8 3–4.

after surrendering title in 1956, munster bounced following year smyth lining out in forwards. 5–7 2–5 defeat of leinster gave him second railway cup medal. first of 5 successive railway cup titles munster smyth playing prominent role in of successes.

six-in-a-row proved beyond munster, however, province reached railway cup decider again in 1963. narrow 2–8 2–7 defeat of leinster in replay gave smyth seventh railway cup medal on field of play , 8 on all. last appearance munster.