Sitting here in late 2014, the era of the dual player appears to be dying fast. The travails of Aidan Walsh, Eoin Cadogan and Podge Collins this year have prompted all three of them to make a definite choice between one or the other for 2015.
While there have been numerous legendary examples of dual players over the years, a massively disproportionate amount of whom come from Cork, there are many others who have played inter-county in both codes and received little fanfare or even acknowledgement.
Perhaps because their county is the poor relation in one of the codes or because they were forced to choose between one or the other in the early days of their senior career. Here are 8 players who you mightn't have known played both inter-county football and hurling.
Michael 'Brick' Walsh
The iconic centre-half back (one's status as an icon is improved immeasurably by the presence of a punchy, ideally monosyllabic nickname between one's forename and surname) began his inter-county career with the Waterford footballer, persisting with both codes for a couple of years, before concentrating properly on hurling.
In 2003, he starred at midfield as Waterford shocked Kerry in the U21 Munster final. The previous year, at senior level, he had scored freely in the qualifiers as Waterford were beaten by Roscommon.
Former Waterford manager John Tierney has insisted he is 'one of the best footballers in Munster.'
Waterford football managers have frequently bemoaned his unavailability to them.
David Tierney
In sporting terms, Galway appears to be divided into two counties. The hurlers have established control over the south and east of the county, while the footballers dominate the north and west. It is this stark geographical divide which has accounted for the relative paucity of dual players.
The odd mutant crosses the border. Corofin's Daithi Burke played centre-half back with the Galway hurlers in this year's championship (yes, Corofin!). Alan Kerins is perhaps the most noted dual player. While he was first and foremost a hurler, he won an All-Ireland medal with the footballers in 2001, though by the time the final arrived, he was reduced to cameo roles.
Tierney is less well known as a dual player, but he was a decent one, playing in numerous NFL games in the John O'Mahony era, his flowing hair not caged by a helmet.
Frank Lohan
While not regarded as a dual player hub in quite the same way Cork is, Clare nonetheless have a decent collection of dual players. Long before Podge Collins tried to make a go of both of them, Frank Lohan tried his hand. He came on in the breathless 1996 Munster semi-final against Cork, kicking a point to put Clare three points in front, before they were reeled in and pipped in extra-time.
The following year Clare did beat Cork thanks to a famous last minute goal but the Clare hurlers had a much busier year so Lohan played no part.
David Herity
A star forward for the Kilkenny footballers in the mid-2000s to the early part of this decade, Herity scored 0-6 in the O'Byrne Cup Shield (losers group) against DIT in 2006. Sadly Kilkenny were murdered in the game.
Herity has argued that Kilkenny could have 'a serious team' if half of those capable of playing for them actually played for them.
Paul Galvin
It's no secret that Paul Galvin plays hurling. Thanks to that hurley brandishing supporter from Kilmoyley. What was less well known was that he played inter-county hurling for Kerry as a young tyke in the late 90s. His debut appearance for the Kerry seniors has stuck with him, as he told Second Captains last week.
My first senior inter-county game for Kerry was actually in hurling. It was against Wicklow in Nenagh. I was wing back, I was about 17 or 18 and caught a few early on and was doing okay. And next thing there was a puck-out and the ball was a good 50 yards away and this guy pulled over my head. And I was on the ground and I said, 'Jaysus, you pulled about five minutes before the ball there'. And he said 'I fuckin' know I did'.
Keith Higgins
Very few GAA supporters at this stage, don't know Keith Higgins is a dual player, but a tiny proportion of those have actually seen him play hurling. Higgins has competed in the Christy Ring Cup for years and was appointed captain of the side for the 2012 season. He has even managed to break onto Connacht Railway Cup teams (often just jokingly referred to as 'Galway') in the past.
He refers to hurling as his first love.
Declan Browne
Brendan Cummins is possibly the most celebrated dual player in Tipp's history, though his handiness at football is hardly a secret. Less well known is legendary Tipp footballer Declan Browne's prowess as a hurler. He won an All-Ireland minor hurling title in 1996 and was good enough to be included in the Tipp senior panel in the late 90s and early 2000s, featuring in a number of League games.
Johnny McGurk
The diminutive hero of 1993 also featured for the Derry hurlers playing 8 championship games in the late 80s and early 90s. McGurk wasn't the only member of that team to tog for the hurling side with Seamus and Henry Downey joining the cause. The brilliantly named Geoffrey McGonagle, who wasn't there in '93, was another stalwart of both codes.
