Just heard the sad news that my old friend Kevin Cashman passed away on Tuesday night. Many of the people reading this will probably never heard of Kevin, but those of a certain age will remember his writings about the game of hurling, to me the greatest ever scribe about the beautiful game.
I haven’t heard much of him for many years now but the day after the brilliant Cork v Limerick All Ireland semi-final my good friend Noel and I were saying what a pity it was that Kevin wasn’t still writing about the game, for he had such a great way of describing such days, especially when his native Cork were involved.
It was Noel who first brought Cashman to my attention when he showed me an article the Cork man had written in the Magill magazine about the 1980 Munster hurling final, when Limerick beat Cork in a classic game in Thurles. The standard may have been a good bit short of the classic fare we witnessed two weeks ago in Croke Park, but it was a great contest nonetheless, with great displays from Eamon Creggan, Ollie O’Connor and Joe McKenna for the Treaty men, who ran out winners by four points – 2-14 to 2-10.
Kevin didn’t study journalism and got into it in a roundabout way. When the Cork legend Christy Ring died Magill magazine carried an article on the hurling legend. When Cashman read it he was not impressed and contacted Magill venting his displeasure. The magazine’s editor Vincent Browne got back to him and told him if he thought he could do better go ahead and write one yourself. Cashman did just that and so started a great career writing exclusively about hurling… he was not a fan of the big ball game. After a while he joined the Sunday Tribune and for a spell the Irish Independent and wrote extensively about the game for many years, though he didn’t always get along with the editors he worked under.
I first met Kevin Cashman at the north Antrim dinner in the Thornlea Hotel in October 1983. Loughgiel had won their first All Ireland title earlier that year and he came up to do a piece on the win. He was always a champion of the underdog and had a great grá for Antrim hurling. He had many trips up here after that and was great friends with Liam McGarry in the Pound Bar in Loughgiel. There were many late night discussions with Liam, Ita and the family in the kitchen after the bar had closed. The McGarry’s were great Galway followers and to be honest Kevin was not particularly fond of the Tribemen, so there were a lot of heated arguments, but everyone always parted as friends.
In 1989 after Antrim beat Offaly in the All Ireland semi-final he came out to the Grand Hotel in Malahide after the game along with the team and ended up coming up to Antrim for a week after the semis.
He had many trips to the Pound over the years after that, and when Liam McGarry sadly passed away suddenly in January 2005 Kevin travelled up to the funeral. That was his last visit as far as I am aware and though I met him occasionally at big games in Croke Park they were only short chats now and then. In later years he fell into ill health and sadly he lost his fight for life just two days ago.
Kevin Cashman was a genius who wrote about the game of hurling better than anyone I ever read. Over the years when many of the southern scribes were taking a dig at Antrim hurling, Casman was always there, keeping up our corner. It is ironic that he passed away just days before Cork take on Clare in the All Ireland final.
To his family and friends we at the Saffron Gael offer our sincere condolences.
The bright light of heaven to you Kevin boy!
