The left corner forward on the team of the Millennium died yesterday aged 76. Jimmy Doyle won six All-Ireland titles with Tipperary between 1958 and 1971.
Today with Sean O'Rourke invited on Babs Keating to pay tribute to Doyle. Babs played in two of those All-Ireland wins with Doyle in 1964 and 1971, famously playing most of the latter in bare feet.
He recalled how he used to work the same beat as Christy Ring. Both were involved in the oil business in the 70s and they used to lunch once a fortnight.
This particular day in Mallow, a few people came over to talk about hurling. They threw a question at me, 'who is the best hurler ever in your opinion?'.
I wouldn't answer in Christy's presence but we were walking out afterwards to the car and Christy walked beside me, shrugged his shoulders and said: 'Do ya know Babs, if Jimmy Doyle was as strong as you and I... no one would ever ask who was the greatest hurler'.
Probably the greatest the compliment that was ever paid to any hurler.
