Matt O'Gara

Matt O'Gara
Personal information
Sport	Dual player
Football Position:	Midfield
Hurling Position:	Midfield
Born	Toomevara, Co. Tipperary
Club(s)
Years	Club
	Toomevara
Club titles
	Football	Hurling
Tipperary titles	3	1
Inter-county(ies)
Years	County
1960s	Tipperary
Inter-county titles
	Football	Hurling
Munster Titles	0	2
All-Ireland Titles	0	2

Matt O'Gara is a former hurler from Toomevara, County Tipperary, Ireland. He played his hurling with his local club Toomevara, and Tipperary as midfield and wing back. He enjoyed great success winning a senior county title in hurling in 1960 and three senior titles in football between 1958 and 1960.

Playing career

Inter-county

O'Gara first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Tipperary minor hurling team in 1955. That team defeated Galway in the minor hurling final in Croke Park. O'Gara came on as a substitute for Joe Small of Borrisoleigh.

O'Gara’s performances at this level brought him to the attention of the senior team. In 1961 it was National League medal number one and Munster medal number one for O'Gara. In the subsequent All-Ireland final Tipp faced Dublin, however, in spite of being red-hot favourites, O'Gara's side were lucky to clinch victory by a single point, thus capturing his first All-Ireland senior hurling medal.

In 1962 Tipp were still the kingpins of Munster hurling with O'Gara capturing a second provincial medal. In the subsequent All-Ireland final the second instalment of the Tipperary-Wexford rivalry resulted in a win for Tipp and a second All-Ireland medal for O'Gara. He retired from inter-county hurling in 1963, following an eye injury.

Provincial

O'Gara was voted best new rookie in 1961 and narrowly failed to be selected on the Railway Cup team.

Honours

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: 2
- 1961, 1962
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship: 1
- 1955
Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship: 1
- 1960
Tipperary Senior Football Championship: 3
- 1958, 1959, 1960

Teams

Tipperary - 1961 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions (18th title)

1 D. O'Brien 2 M. Hassett (Capt.) 3 M. Maher 4 K. Carey 5 M. Burns 6 T. Wall 7 John Doyle 8 M. O'Gara 9 T. English 10 Jimmy Doyle 11 L. Devaney 12 D. Nealon 13 J. McKenna 14 B. Moloughney 15 T. Moloughney Subs used S. Mcloughlin for T. Wall T. Ryan for J. McKenna J. Hough for M. O'Gara Subs not used R. Mounsey P. Ryan L. Connolly Chairman of selectors P. Leahy

Reference: Tipperary GAA Archives Database searchable by team, year and/or player name.

Tipperary - 1962 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions (19th title)

1 D. O'Brien 2 John Doyle 3 M. Maher 4 K. Carey 5 Matt O'Gara 6 T. Wall 7 M. Burns 8 L. Devaney 9 T. English 10 Jimmy Doyle (c) 11 J. McKenna 12 T. Ryan 13 D. Nealon 14 T. Moloughney 15 S. McLoughlin Subs used L. Connolly for M. O'Gara T. Ryan for J. Doyle Subs not used M. Hassett R. Mounsey R. Slevin N. Murphy C. Hartigan Chairman of selectors P. Leahy Selectors M. Kennedy P. J. Kenny J. Stapleton P. O'Dwyer P. Ryan

Reference: Tipperary GAA Archives Database searchable by team, year and/or player name.

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