CENTURY'S BEST: Hurler

By Sean Moran

THE CANDIDATES: Ring, Mackey, Rackard, Keher, Doyle, Cregan

Christy Ring (Cork) - In a game as mythologised as hurling, Ring's universally accepted pre-eminence is remarkable. Yet he possessed everything from talent and ferocious application to longevity and a string of records, including eight All-Ireland medals. Obsessive about the game, he worked relentlessly to sustain a formidable array of techniques, complemented by great vision and anticipation. A shamanistic sense of his own distinctness added to a reputation for eccentricity, but Ring's greatness also demoralised opponents. Physically resilient and resourceful, he played senior inter-county between 1939-63.

Mick Mackey (Limerick) - The only contender for Ring's crown, he was central to Limerick's golden age which yielded three All-Irelands in 1934, '36 and '40. Mackey is described in de Burca's history of the GAA as being "accepted as the most colourful player the game has produced". His performances in the 1935 Munster semi-final and 1944 Munster final were described at the time as the greatest ever seen. In the 1936 Munster final he scored 5-3 in the win over Tipperary. All-Ireland captain and centre forward in 1936 and '40, his versatility saw him switched with great effect to centre back and centrefield when required.

Nicky Rackard (Wexford) - Of the celebrated brothers, it could be argued that Billy was the most successful and Bobby the sweetest hurler but Nicky remains the most charismatic. A fine, athletic centrefielder or centre forward in his prime, which had passed by the time of Wexford's successes, he lives in the memory as a colossus of a full forward whose power fashioned extraordinary scores and whose dispatch of the eponymous "Rackard specials" - 21-yard frees - struck terror into opposing defences.

Eddie Keher (Kilkenny) - From his All-Ireland debut as a minor in 1959 to what many viewed as his premature retirement in 1977, Keher was one of the great scoring forwards in the game's history. An impeccable free-taker and a prolific forward, his composure on big days was phenomenal and his All-Ireland final totals included 014 (1963), 2-11 (1971), 1-11 (1974) and 2-7 (1975).

Jimmy Doyle (Tipperary) - A sublimely gifted forward with pace and technique, he won six All-Irelands between 1958-71. Doyle was slight enough to encourage all sorts of physical intimidation, but also brave enough to play the 1961 final with an ankle injury which required six pain-killing injections before and during the match. In the Sunday Times, team-mate Babs Keating recalled Ring saying that had Doyle the physique of either of them, "there would have been no doubt about who was the best hurler ever".

Eamonn Cregan (Limerick) - Cregan's claims rest on a long career of outstanding ability and focus. The scoring forward whose 3-5 derailed Tipp's three-in-a-row ambitions in 1966, he famously switched to centre back in the 1973 All-Ireland final - a move which ranks as one the great big-match tactical coups - and backboned the county's last All-Ireland success.

THE VERDICT: Christy Ring