Playing career Tom Cheasty

1 playing career

1.1 club
1.2 inter-county
1.3 inter-provincial

playing career
club

cheasty started club hurling local ballyduff lower gaa club winning junior hurling county medal in 1961. club merged neighbours portlaw gaa in late 1960s. won 1 county titles ballyduff lower/portlaw in 1970. ballyduff , portlaw went separate ways in 1971 , cheasty elected play portlaw, winning 4 more county championships, last in 1977 @ age of 43. later win junior hurling county medals native club ballyduff lower in 1983, few months shy of 50th birthday.

inter-county

after unsuccessful dual minor career, cheasty s senior hurling career had of unorthodox beginning. while attending national league game between waterford , kilkenny @ walsh park spectator, former team short of players selectors resorted searching crowd hurlers. cheasty volunteered services on occasion, , within 2 years had become regular member of waterford s championship fifteen.

in 1957 waterford made long-awaited breakthrough in championship. 1–11 1–6 defeat of reigning provincial champions cork gave cheasty first munster medal. subsequent all-ireland decider saw kilkenny provide opposition. waterford had one-point lead @ interval , looked destined claim second all-ireland crown when stretched lead 6 points in second-half. kilkenny revival put end waterford s hopes, cheasty s side facing narrow 4–10 3–12 defeat.

after surrendering provincial title following year, waterford bounced in 1959. 3–9 2–9 defeat of cork gave cheasty second munster medal. once again waterford subsequently lined out in championship decider, kilkenny providing opposition once again. game exciting affair , ninety seconds left in game kilkenny ahead 3 points. séamus power scored equalising goal force remarkable 1–17 5–5 draw. replay great game both sides giving all. waterford scored 3 goals in opening thirty minutes, cheasty finding net twice, side 3–12 1–10 win. victory gave him all-ireland medal.

cheasty added oireachtas medal collection in 1962 following 4–12 3–9 defeat of tipperary.

in 1963 cheasty found himself in unusual situation when, after starring waterford in national league home final against tipperary, missed final proper against new york after being suspended violating gaa s controversial ban having attended dance run local soccer club. returned inter-county activity championship, , won third munster medal following 0–11 0–8 victory on three-in-a-row hopefuls tipperary. third successive time kilkenny turned out waterford s opponents in subsequent all-ireland final. things weren t going cheasty s side , @ 1 stage waterford eleven points in arrears. men déise clawed deficit 2 points expert display of free-taking eddie keher proved difference kilkenny won 4–17 6–8.

cheasty retired inter-county hurling in 1967 after breaking finger in provincial defeat of all-ireland champions cork.

inter-provincial

cheasty had honour of lining out munster in inter-provincial series of games.

in 1958 first called action province, , subsequently won railway cup medal following 3–7 3–5 defeat of leinster.

after one-year absence, cheasty on munster team in 1960 , 1961. back-to-back defeats of leinster brought railway cup medal tally three.