A Sporting Memory

1940 Munster SHC Semi-Final: Limerick v. Waterford

Mick Mackey was marking Christy Moylan, a delightful exponent of the code and their duels were the highlight of the game. On two occasions, both players got a little rough with each other, and on the second such occasion after they were separated, play was suspended because of an injury to a player at the other end of the field.

Mick Mackey ran to the sideline and asked for an orange which a spectator supplied and on returning to his position divided the orange in two and threw half to his opponent Christy Moylan who was down on his knee six or seven yards away.

The gesture received a tremendous ovation and when the full time whistle blew, with the teams level, these two great sportsmen were seen to hug and embrace each other in the middle of the field.

From The Munster GAA Story by Jim Cronin:

This game was played in Killarney on 16 June 1940, and ended Limerick 4-2 Waterford 3-5. The replay was held in Clonmel on 14 July 1940. Both teams had played at this venue in the same stage of the Munster championship in 1937. This game was described as one of the best during the Shannonsiders' reign at the top when they pulled the game out of the fire in added time. The amount of added time played was a bone of contention with Waterford officials and supporters for many years afterwards. 

The 1940 replay was another titanic struggle with a similar pattern to previous encounters between the teams. Waterford were in the ascendancy for most of the contest only for Limerick to pull it out of the fire in the final minutes. Limerick went on to win the All-Ireland, beating Kilkenny 3-7 to 1-7 in the final. This win was the final curtain for this great Limerick team. The county did not win another senior All-Ireland until 1973.