2005 Nicky Rackard Cup final

{{Short description|Hurling decider}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=August 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox football match | title = 2005 Nicky Rackard Cup final | image = Croke park hogan stand.jpg | image_size = 250 | event = 2005 Nicky Rackard Cup | team1 = {{GG|London|hurling}} | team1association = 40px | team1score = 5-08 | team2 = {{GG|Louth|hurling}} | team2association = 40px | team2score = 1-05 | date = 21 August 2005 | stadium = Croke Park | city = Dublin | man_of_the_match1a = | referee = Tiernach Mahon (Fermanagh) | attendance = 39,975 | weather = | previous = | next = 2006 }} The '''2005 Nicky Rackard Cup final''' was a hurling match played at Croke Park on 21 August 2005 to determine the winners of the 2005 Nicky Rackard Cup, the inaugural season of the Nicky Rackard Cup, a tournament organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association for the third tier hurling teams. The final was contested by London of Britain and Louth of Leinster, with London winning by 5-8 to 1-5.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/london-rock-louth-with-barrage-of-killer-goals-25971911.html|title=London rock Louth with barrage of killer goals|publisher=Irish Independent|date=22 August 2005|access-date=26 September 2015}}</ref>

The Nicky Rackard Cup final between London and Louth was the very first championship meeting between the two teams.

The final was played as a curtain-raiser to the All-Ireland semi-final between Galway and Kilkenny.

While Louth scored the first two points of the game, the first of which came after 13 seconds, London soon recovered and had scored a point from a 65. In the 14th minute, London scored two goals within one minute, to take a 2-2 to 0-2 lead. At half time, London went in at the break leading by 2-4 to 0-5.

In the second half, London scored several goals, with Louth only obtaining one score (a goal) in the half. The final score was London 5-8 to Louth's 1-5.

By winning the Nicky Rackard Cup final, London became the first team to have won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship and Rackard Cup titles. They remain the only winners of both championships.

==Match details== {{GAAmatchbox |date = 21 August 2005<ref>{{cite news|title=Defensive errors cost Wee County as London clinch title|date=24 August 2005|work=Dundalk Democrat}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/hurling/2005/0821/195548-london/|work=RTÉ Sport|title=London cruise to Nicky Rackard success|date=14 June 2007}}</ref> |time = 1.30pm |team1 = {{GG|London|hurling}} 20px|border |score1 = 5-08 {{small|(23)}} |score2 = {{small|(8)}} 1-05 |team2 = 20px|border {{GG|Louth|hurling}} |goals1 = McMullan (2-1), Bourke (1-4, 2f, 1'65') Shortall, Quinn (1-0 each), Foley, Harding, O'Meara (0-1 each) |goals2 = G. Smyth 1-1 (1'65'), Callan (0-2), D. Dunne, McEneaney (0-1 each) |attendance = |HT = 2-04 – 0-05 }} {| style="width:100%;" |- |style="vertical-align:top; width:50%"| {| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" |- !width="25"| !!width="25"| |- |GK||'''1'''|| John Joe Burke (Kilburn Gaels) |- |RCB||'''2'''|| Eamon Phelan (Sean Treacys) |- |FB||'''3'''|| Tom Simms (Fr Murphy's) |- |LCB||'''4'''|| Brian Forde (Kilburn Gaels) |- |RHB||'''5'''|| John Dillon (Robert Emmetts) |- |CHB||'''6'''|| Fergus McMahon (Robert Emmetts) (c) |- |LHB||'''7'''|| Brian Foley (Robert Emmetts) |- |MF||'''8'''|| Michael Harding (Fr Murphy's) |- |MF||'''9'''|| Mick O'Meara (St Gabriel's) |- |RHF||'''10'''|| Daragh Smyth (Fr Murphy's) |- |CHF||'''11'''|| Jim Ryan (Cúchulainns) |- |LHF||'''12'''|| John McGaughan (Robert Emmetts) |- |RCF||'''13'''|| Dave Bourke (Sean Treacys) |- |FF||'''14'''|| Barry Shortall (Sean Treacys) |- |LCF||'''15'''|| Kevin McMullan (Robert Emmetts) |- |colspan=3|'''Substitutes:''' |- | ||'''16'''|| Gary Fenton (Robert Emmetts) for O'Meara |- | ||'''17'''|| Eric Kinlon (Fr Murphy's) for Smyth |- | ||'''18'''|| Seán Quinn (Robert Emmetts) for Shortall |- | ||'''19'''|| Paul Doyle (Sean Treacys) for Phelan |- | ||'''20'''|| Paddy Finneran (St Gabriel's) for McMullan |- |colspan=3|<br/>'''Manager:''' |- |colspan="4"| Mick O'Dea |} |style="vertical-align:top; width:50%"| {| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="margin:auto" |- !width="25"| !!width="25"| |- |GK||'''1'''|| Stephen Smyth (Pearse Óg) |- |RCB||'''2'''|| David Black (Wolfe Tones) |- |FB||'''3'''|| Aidan Carter (Wolfe Tones) |- |LCB||'''4'''|| Shane Darcy (Knockbridge) |- |RHB||'''5'''|| David Mulholland (Pearse Óg) |- |CHB||'''6'''|| Paul Dunne (Knockbridge) (c) |- |LHB||'''7'''|| Ronan Byrne (Knockbridge) |- |MF||'''8'''|| Diarmuid McCarthy (Wolfe Tones) |- |MF||'''9'''|| Shane Callan (Pearse Óg) |- |RHF||'''10'''|| Trevor Hilliard (Knockbridge) |- |CHF||'''11'''|| Johnny Carter (Wolfe Tones) |- |LHF||'''12'''|| Declan Byrne (Naomh Moninne) |- |RCF||'''13'''|| Gerard Smyth (Pearse Óg) |- |FF||'''14'''|| David Dunne (Knockbridge) |- |LCF||'''15'''|| Niall McEneaney (Wolfe Tones) |- |colspan=3|'''Substitutes:''' |- | ||'''16'''|| Seán Conroy (Pearse Óg) for Black |- | ||'''17'''|| Ger Collins (Naomh Moninne) for R. Byrne |- | ||'''18'''|| Seán Byrne (Knockbridge) for J. Carter |- | ||'''19'''|| Alan Mynes (Wolfe Tones) for McEneaney |- | ||'''20'''|| Niall Byrne (Knockbridge) for Darcy |- |colspan=3|<br/>'''Selectors:''' |- |colspan="4"| Paul Callan, Kevin McDonnell, Séamus Moore |} |- |}

==References== {{reflist}}

Nicky Rackard Cup Final Category:London county hurling team matches Category:Louth county hurling team matches Category:Nicky Rackard Cup finals Category:GAA finals at Croke Park Category:August 2005 sports events in Europe Category:2000s in Dublin (city) Category:August 2005 in Ireland