The Summer of 98 recalled on RTE
Talking BallsThis Sunday evening at 7pm, RTÉ Radio 1’s Documentary on One relives the excitement of 1998’s dramatic hurling season. Who Fears to Speak of ‘98 follows the events of the most famous season in the history of hurling, where the summers’ games became the national soap opera.
The documentary tells how Offaly lost the Leinster Final to Kilkenny and then embarked on an epic journey after their manager Babs Keating was sacked for calling them ‘a heap of sheep’.
Clare and Waterford drew in the Munster Final. It rained just before the ball was thrown in for the replay. Willie Barrett, the referee, delayed the throw in while he spoke with officials on the sideline. The summer erupted. Two players were sent off and Colin Lynch - Clare midfielder - eventually got a lengthy ban. The following night, RTÉ Radio 1’s programme, Sportscall was - to put it mildly - heated and Ger Loughnane gave a frank and controversial interview to Clare FM.
Following this, Clare met Offaly and the tense affair ended in a draw. Clare and Offaly met again and with Clare three points up, the referee ended the game three minutes early. The Offaly supporters sat down on the pitch in protest. The affair is named after the referee - Jimmy Cooney. Offaly defeated Kilkenny in the All Ireland Final.
Who fears to speak of ‘98 contains extraordinary archive interviews and recordings of the time. Interviews with Johnny Pilkington, Willie O’Connor, Paul Flynn, Fergie Touhey, Jimmy Cooney, Willie Barrett, Con Murphy, pieced together with extraordinary archive material and interviews going back to 1998 bring that summer back to life in its most detailed telling to date.
Exclusive unedited interviews with all the documentary interviewees will also be available online www.rte.ie/radio1/ from next week.
RTÉ Radio 1’s Documentary on One: Who fears to speak of ‘98 is presented by Peter Woods and produced by Peter Woods and Liam O’Brien.
Listen back to the Documentary on One: Who fears to speak of ‘98? : http://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/