Timmy Moloney – A Player of Outstanding Talents
The passing of Timmy Moloney on September 30th, 2023 at the relatively young age of fifty years made his friends and acquaintances in Cashel, Tipperary and further afield reflect on the life of a hurling talent that was extraordinary and a playing career that brought excitement and memorable moments to all who saw him.
As a young boy the indications were obvious that Timmy possessed something special when it came to hurling ability. His first chance of revealing it was when he lined out with the under-12s in hurling and football in 1985. While the team didn’t enjoy any success Timmy revealed through his skill and his stature that he was a talent to be reckoned with.
His first real success at underage level was as a sixteen-year old in 1989, and it was in football rather than hurling. Cashel did qualify for the under-16 West hurling final but were beaten by Arravale Rovers. They had the consolation of defeating Emly in the Feile na nGael final. A sign of Timmy’s physical development, as well as his football ability, were his selection on the minor football team that went all the way to the county final. Cashel got revenge on Arravale in the West final, and Timmy played an important part in the victory. Arravale were two points up near the end when he netted to put Cashel ahead for the first time and become champions. The club went on to defeat Thurles Sarsfields in the county semi-final but lost the final to Fethard.
Timmy was on the successful West under-16 Garda Cup football selection that won the inter-divisional competition. He was also on the West under-16 hurling side that took part in the Munster competition. He was part of the West Tipperary panel of nineteen players, who attended a weekend hurling coaching course at Rockwell College in July.
In 1990 Cashel minors had victory snatched from their grasp as the result of Ger Butler goal in the last minute. A sign of his growing stature as a player Timmy dominated at centrefield, scoring eight points of Cashel’s total of 1-13. He also played at under-21 level and was on the successful side that won the West final, with victory by 1-12 to 0-7 against Cappawhite-Eire Óg. Timmy played at centrefield and contributed three points to the winning total. Cashel won the double when they added the under-21 football title by defeating the same opposition by 2-7 to 1-2, with Timmy adding a point from his position at wing-forward. The winners didn’t stop there! Cashel defeated Eire Óg, Nenagh in the county semi-final by 2-9 to 2-8, with Timmy scoring a goal, and made history when they won the county final by beating the favourites, Clonmel Commercials, by 0-8 to 0-5, at Kilsheelan on January 13, 1991. Timmy played at full-forward on this historic occasion and scored a point.
To properly appreciate his achievements at this time, it is important to state that Timmy Moloney was still only 17 years of age, having been born in June 1973!
Timmy became part of Cashel King Cormac’s historic year when he was drafted into the senior panel in 1991 and contributed to the club’s greatest ever success. The West title was won by beating Cappawhite by 0-12 to 0-8 at Clonoulty on September 22. Victories over Carrick Swan and Toomevara qualified the team for the county final against Holycross at Semple Stadium on September 10 and victory by 2-8 to 1-5, with Timmy introduced as a sub. It was then on to Ennis for victory over Clarecastle, and Mitchelstown for an historic Munster club championship victory. This was followed by the excitement of a trip to London for a successful encounter with Sean Treacy’s in the All-Ireland series, followed by three games against Kiltormer, which ended in defeat. In the latter series of games Tim was on the bench at Cashel, won the Man of the Match for a tally of 1-4 at Ballinasloe, and also played in the 2-8 to 1-8 defeat at Croke Park.
Timmy added an under-21 county title to his list of successes in 1991 when Cashel trounced Cappa-Eire Óg in the West final, Timmy contributing eight points, and defeated Erin’s Hope in the county final to take their first ever county final at this level. Timmy was on the panel of the Tipperary minor panel that won the Munster final but lost the All-Ireland.
Cashel were aiming for a third senior title in a row at Bansha in 1992 but lost by 2-15 to 1-11 on a day that Timmy scored six points. There was a second senior loss to Loughmore in the county quarter final. There was even greater disappointment in the county minor hurling final when hot favourites, Cashel, lost by 1-12 to 1-7 to Moneygall. Timmy’s contribution was 1-2 on the day. Timmy was captain and one of four Cashel players on the county under-21 side that went down badly to Clare in the Munster semi-final at Ennis on June 17. Playing at centre-forward, he scored two points of the side’s total of 0-13.
There was one success that year. Cashel entered the Carlow Elevens for the first time in 1991 and won the Shield competition. They went one better in 1992, when they won the competition proper. Timmy was on the successful team.
Timmy made a major decision in 1993 when he departed for London. He was still only nineteen years of age and had already revealed such a special talent that he was on the threshold of becoming a member of the Tipperary senior hurling panel. He had all the attributes of a senior player, a fine physique, an extraordinary level of skill with the ball in hand, the ability to reach into the air and catch the ball with either hand, a high level of commitment. On top of that he had a lethal stroke of the sliotar. I have spoken to backs and goalkeepers who played against him and they preferred to be any place but between the posts for his twentyones. His shot didn’t swerve left or right but went straight at you like dagger!
Timmy soon settled into life with the Sean Treacys G.A.A. club and his achievements with them are spectacular, including 3 senior championship wins in 1993, 1994 and 2002, 4 Seven-A-Side Great Britain championship wins, 4 Collins Cup wins, 3 Ryan Cup wins, 4 senior league wins. He also represented London and played in the Ulster championship against Antrim, scoring 10 points on the occasion and receiving the Man of the Match award. He also made the G.A.A. Team of the Week after that performance. Awards included 2 Player of the Year awards from the Sean Treacy Club, the Irish World London Player of the Year award 1999. The citation read: ‘I’ve never seen a more accomplished player in London. His fielding and free taking from any distance was a sight to behold.’
Timmy did return home during these years following a letter from Cashel trainer, Justin McCarthy, in 1995. He was part of the Cashel team that made it three in a row West senior hurling championships, when they defeated Kickhams in the final. Timmy contributed 7 points to the winning total of 2-11 to 0-10. He was the individual star when Cashel beat Loughmore in the county quarter final, and he scored 1-11 of Cashel’s total in the semi-final, when they agonisingly lost by a point to Nenagh Eire Óg. In the same year Timmy was part of the Cashel team that had their second victory in the Carlow Elevens. Following his displays Timmy was drafted into the Tipperary side for the early league games at the end of the year. The year 1996 wasn’t as successful. There was a win in the Crosco Cup, defeat in the West final and Cashel were blitzed by Boherlahan in the county semi-final. Timmy had the consolation of winning the Carlow Elevens for the second time, in this case as captain and as top marksman in the competition with the impressive tally of 4.20! He returned to London by the end of the year.
When he came back to Cashel in 2003 and to play with Cashel King Cormac’s once again, Timmy turned his hand to the future generations, guiding many underage teams to success, including his son, Daniel. Not only was the G.A,A, club the benefactors of his coaching prowess, he also worked with teams in Cashel Camogie club, and brought them successes including Community Games, under-14A county and Munster champions 2017, plus county under-14 A summer league, championship and Feile wins in 2018. The highlight for Timmy must have been the hat-trick of goals scored by his daughter, Ciara, in the championship final!
During these years Timmy also played rugby and contributed to some of the successes of Cashel RFC including winning Junior and Challenge Cups alongside his brother, Barry, in 2005.
Timmy’s contribution to the sporting life of Cashel, Tipperary and London has been immense. Wherever he performed he left an imprint and a memory and tales of his exploits and his lethal stroke of a sliotar will be remembered by many.
PDF of this article is available here.
( I’m grateful to a number of people, particularly Eileen Moloney, (Martin Carroll in London) and Donal O’Donoghue, for their contributions to this article.)