# Blackrock National Hurling Club

Blackrock National Hurling Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club located on the southside of Cork City, Ireland. The club was founded in 1883 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling. No other Cork-based GAA club has won more Senior County Hurling titles or All-Ireland Club Championships. The club is sometimes known as 'The Rockies'.

## History

Blackrock Hurling Club was officially founded in 1883, one year before the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association itself. It is therefore the oldest hurling club in Cork. Until 1888 the club was known as Cork Nationals, at which time it changed its name to National Hurling Club of Blackrock, and – later in the same year – to Blackrock National Hurling Club.
Blackrock won eight of the first nine Cork Senior Hurling Championship titles and, in the early years of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (SHC) – when the winning club represented the county – subsequently claimed the All-Ireland titles for Cork in 1893 and 1894. Blackrock once again claimed the All-Ireland SHC title for Cork in 1903, and were such a dominant force in Cork hurling that – until the 1930s – many Blackrock players made up the county team in that period.
In subsequent years, Blackrock's dominance in Cork hurling was challenged by Glen Rovers and St Finbarr's; however, Blackrock have consistently been at the top of the Roll of Honour. The team had a successful spell in the 1970s, winning All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship titles in 1972, 1974 and 1979, along with five Munster titles in the same decade.
Blackrock's most recent Senior County Championship was in 2020 when they defeated Glen Rovers in the final.

## Honours

* All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships: 5
** 1893, 1894, 1903, 1925, 1931
* All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championships: 3
** 1972, 1974, 1979
* Munster Senior Club Hurling Championships: 5
** 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979
* Cork Premier Senior Hurling Championship: 33
** 1887, 1889, 1891, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1897, 1898, 1903, 1908, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1920, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1956, 1961, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1985, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2020
* Cork Intermediate A Hurling Championship: 1
** 2019
* Cork Junior A Hurling Championship: 5
** 1895, 1901, 1910, 1931, 1947
* Cork Under-21 Hurling Championships: 5
** 1976, 1977, 2012, 2014, 2015
* Cork Minor Hurling Championships: 11
** 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1994, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013
* Cork City Junior Hurling Championships: 7
** 1931, 1947, 1949, 1970, 1973, 2003, 2013
* Croke Cup Winners: 3
** 1903, 1910, 1913
* Féile na nGael All Ireland Champions: 1
** 1971

## Notable hurlers

This is a list of Blackrock players that have had championship successes with the club, or have played for the Cork senior hurling team.
| Player | Era | Club titles | Club titles | Club titles |
| Player | Era | All-Ireland | Munster | County |
| Mick 'Gah' Ahern | 1920s-1930s | | | 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931 |
| Paddy 'Balty' Ahern | 1920s-1930s | | | 1920, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931 |
| John Bennett | 1950s-1960s | | | 1956, 1961 |
| Jimmy Brohan | 1950s-1960s | | | 1956, 1961 |
| Alan Browne | 1990s-2000s | | | 1999, 2001, 2002 |
| John Browne | 1990s-2000s | | | 1999, 2001, 2002 |
| Richard Browne | 1980s-1990s | | | 1985 |
| Jim Cashman | 1980s-1990s | | | 1985, 1999 |
| Mick Cashman | 1950s-1960s | | | 1956, 1961 |
| Tom Cashman | 1970s-1980s | 1979 | 1978, 1979 | 1978, 1979, 1985 |
| Donie Collins | 1970s-1980s | 1972, 1974, 1979 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979 |
| Eudie Coughlan | 1920s-1930s | | | 1920, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931 |
| John Coughlan | 1920s-1930s | | | 1920, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931 |
| Pat Coughlan | 1880s-1890s | | | 1887, 1889, 1891, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1897, 1898 |
| Alan Cummins | 1990s-2000s | | | 1999, 2001, 2002 |
| Brendan Cummins | 1970s-1980s | 1972, 1974 | 1971, 1973 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1985 |
| Frank Cummins | 1970s-1980s | 1972, 1974, 1979 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1985 |
| Ray Cummins | 1960s-1980s | 1972, 1974, 1979 | 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1985 |
| Paddy Delea | 1920s-1930s | | | 1924, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931 |
| Stephen Hayes | 1880s-1890s | | | 1887, 1889, 1891, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1897, 1898 |
| John Horgan | 1970s-1980s | 1972, 1974 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979 |
| Jim Hurley | 1970s-1980s | | | 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930 |
| Dermot Mac Curtain | 1970s-1980s | 1979 | 1975, 1978, 1979 | 1975, 1978, 1979, 1985 |
| Billy Mackessy | 1900s-1910s | | | 1903, 1908, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913 |
| Pat Moylan | 1970s-1980s | 1972, 1974, 1979 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979 |
| John 'Curtis' Murphy | 1880s-1890s | | | 1887, 1889, 1891, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1897, 1898 |
| Seán Óg Murphy | 1910s-1920s | | | 1913, 1920, 1924, 1925 and 1927 |
| Frank Norberg | 1960s-1970s | 1972, 1974 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1979 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979 |
| Edward 'Marie' O'Connell | 1920s-1930s | | | 1924, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931 |
| Éamonn O'Donoghue | 1970s-1980s | 1974, 1979 | 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979 | 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1985 |
| Peter 'Hawker' O'Grady | 1920s-1930s | | | 1924, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931 |
| John O'Halloran | 1960s-1970s | 1974 | 1973 | 1961, 1971, 1973 |
| Johnny Quirke | 1920s-1930s | | | 1929, 1930, 1931 |
| Fergal Ryan | 1990s-2000s | | | 1999, 2001, 2002 |
| Mick Ryan | 1950s | | | |
| Wayne Sherlock | 1990s-2000s | | | 1999, 2001, 2002 |

## Notable teams

| Year | Competition | Team A | Score | Team B | Score | Result |
| 1972 | All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship Final | Blackrock | 5-13 | Rathnure | 6-9 | Bernard Hurley; Pat Casey, Paddy Geary, John Horgan (Capt.); Simon Murphy, Frank Cummins, Frank Norberg; Michael Murphy, Pat Kavanagh; Donie Collins, Ray Cummins, Pat Moylan; Brendan Cummins, John Rothwell, Dave Prendergast. |
| 1974 | All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship Final | Blackrock | (2-14) 3-8 | Rathnure | (3-11) 1-9 | Tim Murphy; John Rothwell, Paddy Geary, John Horgan (Capt.); Frank Cummins, C. O’Brien, Frank Norberg; Jack Russell, Pat Moylan; Pat Kavanagh, John O’Halloran, Donie Collins; Dave Prendergast, Ray Cummins, Éamonn O’Donoghue. Subs: S. Kearney, D. Buckley. (Note: Brendan Cummins played in the drawn game.) |
| 1979 | All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship Final | Blackrock | 5-7 | Ballyhale Shamrock | 5-5 | Tim Murphy; Frank Nornerg, C. O’Brien, John Horgan (Capt.); Dermot Mca Curtain, Frank Cummins, Andy Creagh; Tom Cashman, J. O’Grady; Pat Moylan, Tom Lyons, Donie Collins; Éamonn O’Sullivan, Ray Cummins, Éamonn O’Donoghue. Subs: D. Buckley. |