Tommy Quaid facts for kids

Tommy Quaid (born April 23, 1957 – died October 10, 1998) was a famous Irish sportsman. He was a brilliant hurling player. Tommy played for his local clubs, Feohanagh-Castlemahon and Effin. He was also the main goalkeeper for the Limerick county team from 1976 to 1993. Many people thought Tommy Quaid was one of the best goalkeepers of his time.

Tommy Quaid's Life Story

Tommy Quaid was born in Charleville, County Cork in 1957. His parents were Bridie and Jack Quaid. His family loved hurling, and his father, Jack, was a key player for Limerick. Jack Quaid helped Limerick win the All-Ireland junior final in 1954. He also won a senior Munster title in 1955.

Tommy's five brothers and sisters also played hurling. His brother John played for Limerick at younger levels. Pat also played for the Limerick under-21 hurling team. Noreen played for her county and local club.

When Tommy was young, his family moved to Feohanagh, County Limerick. He went to the local school there. Later, he attended secondary school in Newcastle West.

Tommy trained to be a fitter, which is someone who puts together machines. He later started his own engineering business. After he stopped playing hurling for the county, he focused on growing his business.

Sadly, in 1998, Tommy had an accident. He was working on a building in Charleville. He fell about twenty feet and was badly hurt. He passed away from his injuries a few days later, on October 10, 1998.

Tommy's sons, Tomás and Nicky, also played hurling for Limerick's younger teams. His son, Nickie Quaid, now plays in goal for the Limerick senior hurling team.

Tommy Quaid's Hurling Career

Playing for Clubs

Tommy Quaid played club hurling with his local team, Feohanagh-Castlemahon. Even though he was a goalkeeper for his county, he often played as a forward for his club. He was also usually the one to take the free shots.

His club career had a tough start. He lost two minor finals in a row. Then, he joined the under-21 team. He also lost four Under-21 West Division finals.

Tommy's biggest club success came in 1990. He was the captain when Feohanagh-Castlemahon won the West Limerick senior hurling title. However, he never won a county senior title. Later, he played for Effin. With Effin, he won three South Limerick junior hurling titles.

Playing for Limerick County

Tommy's great play for his club got the attention of the county selectors. He didn't make the Limerick minor team in 1973. But he joined the team as a goalkeeper the next year. He played for the Limerick minors for two years without much success.

Tommy then joined the county under-21 hurling team. He didn't have much luck there either. They had a tough Munster final in 1977.

In 1975, Tommy joined the Limerick senior hurling team. His first game was a National Hurling League quarter-final against Kilkenny. He was very nervous and had a difficult game. But by 1976, Tommy had improved a lot. He became the main goalkeeper for the championship, taking over from Séamus Horgan.

In 1976, Limerick played in the Munster final. But Cork won that game. Limerick's team then went through a tough period. In 1979, Cork beat them easily, winning their fifth Munster title in a row.

In 1980, Cork was trying to win their sixth Munster Championship in a row. For the fourth time in six years, Limerick was their opponent in the final. It was an exciting game. Limerick won 2–14 to 2–10, and Tommy won his first Munster medal.

This win meant Limerick went straight to the All-Ireland final. They played against Galway. Galway started well and were ahead at half-time. Éamonn Cregan from Limerick played amazingly, scoring 2–7 by himself. But it wasn't enough. Galway won the game, getting their first All-Ireland title since 1923.

Limerick won the Munster title again in 1981. They beat Clare 3–12 to 2–9. This gave Tommy his second Munster medal. In the All-Ireland semi-final, Limerick played Offaly. It was their first time playing each other in the championship. The game ended in a draw, so they had to play again. The replay was exciting, but Limerick lost 4–16 to 2–17.

After winning two Munster titles, Limerick's championship performance declined. However, Tommy's team had some good wins in the National League. In 1984, he won his first National League medal. They beat Wexford 3–16 to 1–9. This win was special because it was the 100th year of the Gaelic Athletic Association. Tommy won a second National League title in 1985, beating Clare.

After some time, Tommy won a third National League medal in 1992. They won by just one point against Tipperary. Limerick then reached the Munster final, but Cork won that game. Even though Limerick lost, Tommy's great performance earned him his first and only All-Star award.

After the 1993 Munster championship, Tommy decided to retire. He had been the goalkeeper for 18 championship seasons in a row. His cousin, Joe Quaid, took his place on the Limerick team.

Playing for Provinces

Tommy also played regularly for the Munster inter-provincial hurling team. He played for them between 1979 and 1992. In 1981, he won his first Railway Cup medal. Munster beat their rivals Leinster by ten points.

He won a second Railway Cup title in 1984, again beating Leinster. In 1985, Munster beat Connacht. Tommy won his fourth and last Railway Cup medal in 1992.

Poc Fada Competition

Tommy Quaid also won many awards in the All-Ireland Poc Fada Championship. This is a competition where players hit a sliotar (hurling ball) as far as they can.

In 1983, Tommy and Joe Shortt from Armagh won the pairs competition. They made 154 pucks. Three years later, in 1986, he won another pairs title. His partner this time was John Kelly from Offaly.

Tommy and Des Donnelly from Antrim won the title in 1990. In 1991, he kept the pairs competition title with Michael Sahughnessy from Galway. That same year, Tommy also won the All-Ireland title in the singles competition.

Tommy Quaid's Coaching Career

After he stopped playing for the county, Tommy Quaid started coaching hurling teams. In 1998, he coached the Limerick intermediate hurlers. They won a Munster title, beating Tipperary 2–11 to 0–15.

Tommy's team then reached the All-Ireland final. They were set to play against Kilkenny. Sadly, Tommy had his fatal accident at work in the same week as this game. He passed away on the day the game was played. However, his Limerick team, filled with emotion, went on to win the game 4–16 to 2–17. A poem called Lament for Tommy Quaid was written by Garry McMahon after his death.

Tommy Quaid Perpetual Cup

On May 1, 2008, a special golf competition was started in Tommy's honor. It's called the Tommy Quaid Perpetual Cup. It takes place in Castletroy, County Limerick. Only men who have worn the Number 1 jersey (goalkeeper) for one of the six Munster counties can join.

The Tommy Quaid Perpetual Cup is given to the winner of this yearly competition. The event will move around the six Munster counties in future years. Many current and former hurling goalkeepers from Munster have been excited to take part. The event was launched by former Clare goalkeeper Davy Fitzgerald. Brian Murray (Limerick goalkeeper) and Donal Óg Cusack (Cork goalkeeper) were also there.