Larry Tompkins inducted in to the Munster GAA Football Hall of Fame

On Saturday December 14th at the 2024 Munster GAA Awards in Fota Island Resort Cork, Larry Tompkins was inducted in to the Munster GAA Hall of Fame in honour of his outstanding Gaelic Football career.

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Video – Highlights from the career of Cork’s Larry Tompkins

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Larry Tompkins – Hall of Fame Football

Mick O’Dwyer once described this year’s Hall of Fame recipient as ‘one of the best players ever to play Gaelic Football’, coming from a man of such stature in our games that is some statement.

His career began in his native Kildare with the Eadestown Club winning Junior and Intermediate County titles. As a 16 year old he was a member of the Kildare Minor team and also featured with the Under 21 side, winning a Leinster title in 1983 beating Louth in the Final.

By now he was well established on the Senior team, and regularly travelled back from New York where he was working to play with the Lily Whites. While still in New York struck up a friendship with members of the Collin’s Family from Castlehaven in County Cork, and as they say the rest is history.

Larry joined the ‘Haven in 1987 and two years later in 1989 they won their very first Cork County Senior title, they now have seven having retained the Andy Scannell Cup a short few weeks ago.

In all, Larry won 2 County Senior medals, 3 Munster Club title’s, one year as the nominated team as Beara were County Champions, but the All-Ireland Club medal never came his way, 3 semi-final defeats a source of great disappointment.

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Billy Morgan called Larry into the Cork panel in 1987, and it heralded a glorious and successful era for the Rebels, where an intense rivalry with Meath dominated the headlines.

Larry won 6 Munster Championship medals and of course 2 All-Ireland medals with the undoubted highlight of his career Captain of the winning team in 1990, I suppose fittingly beating Meath in the Final, the year of the famous double as Liam and Sam spent the year on Leeside.

Larry was also a National League Medal and was a 3 time All-Star recipient, before having been beset by injuries called time on his inter-county career in 1996.

Later that year he succeeded Billy Morgan as Cork Manager guided the team to a National League title and a Munster title in 1999 but the bid for a second All-Ireland double came up short somewhat ironically when Meath triumphed in the Final.

In more recent years Larry has been involved in coaching Bishopstown, where his son Jack is developing into a very promising player.

Larry Tompkins name will be forever linked to a glorious and successful era with Cork Football and his contribution will never be forgotten by the Rebel County supporters.