Until the topic came up in the past few weeks, not too many would have known when the last time Cork and Tipperary shared the same sod on the final day of the national hurling league. It was all of 65 years ago, hurling's greatest rivals colliding in the 1960 decider before a massive attendance at the old Cork Athletic Grounds. It was an iconic venue until it was demolished in 1974 to make way for the brand new stadium that became Páirc Uí Chaoimh which was officially opened two years later it was the home of the GAA in Cork. The facilities at the old Athletic Grounds became far too primitive with the passage of time but during its existence it housed some thunderous battles, both at club and inter-county level featuring some of the greatest hurlers of an era now long past. For those of us who can remember, it was a ground of a thousand memories, that despite its lack of grandeur had an atmosphere all of its own and where our great love for the game began in that old place. The long walk down the Centre Park Road, past Fords and Dunlops, in anticipation of what might follow provided us with reminiscences that time has not erased. That league final of 1960 with the blood and bandage of Cork against the blue and gold of Tipperary was another glorious chapter in the great story of two counties, a rivalry all of its own, games that took on a life of their own and still do. To the much younger folk who will form the 40,000-plus attendance next Sunday those games from yesteryear have little relevance today but there's nothing wrong with a walk down memory lane and recalling the deeds of some of the greatest players who ever held a hurley in their hands. Cork and Tipperary was unique, is unique and always will be as long as hurling is played and that final of 65 years ago featured players from both counties that are still household names. It was our privilege to watch them in action and to actually get to know quite a few of them as the years passed. League titles back in those days carried a lot more currency than they do now, victory in the secondary competition was of a higher status and it was very often the prelude to greater glories. It still can be but its relevance has diminished. The competition back then was played over two calendar years, beginning in October and concluding in May of the following year. After a protracted campaign, Cork and Tipp found themselves as the last two still standing in the 1959-1960 competition and it was Tipp's turn to come to Leeside as it is next Sunday for their time of renewal. The media coverage in those days was just a fraction of what it is now but the levels of support have remained steadfast down the years and will do so for generations to come. Tipperary were just at the beginning of a golden era for the county and were the defending league champions on that May Sunday in 1960. In fact, in the years that followed, with a team containing legendary names of the Doyles, John and Jimmy, Mick 'Rattler' Byrne, Michael Maher, Liam Devaney, Donie Nealon, Tony Wall and so on won four All-Irelands in the aftermath of that league final, 1961, 1962, 1964 and 1965. While the game has much changed and has evolved so much that Tipperary team and subs is regarded as one of the greatest of all time. In some of those years, Cork were at the wrong end of some severe beatings and were forced to take a back seat as their greatest rival ruled the hurling world. Cork finally ended 12 years in the wilderness when they won out in Munster in 1966 and stunned Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final of that year. In that year of 1966, raging hot favourites Tipp were stunned in Munster by a Limerick team that contained Eamon Cregan who scored 3-5 that day. There wasn't breathing space in the Athletic Grounds for that 1960 league final, supporters lined the galvanised roof of the ramshackle of a stand on the riverside, many believing that they were risking their lives by being up there at all. But that's the way it was, it all made for a cracking atmosphere, ferocious intensity and it was Tipp's day at the final whistle on a scoreline of 2-15 to 3-8. Cork had just four scorers that day in 1960, the great one from Cloyne and the Glen fired home three goals and four points in one of his last major games in a Cork jersey in the old ground. Glen Rovers clubmate Patsy Harte, Castlemartyr's Liam Dowling and Tracton's Terry Kelly were the other scoring contributors. The Cork players of that era were probably very unlucky insofar as they were competing with a quite magnificent Tipp team fielding such iconic names as those mentioned above. As youngsters we were mesmerised with the sheer physicality that they possessed, the Hell's Kitchen of a full-back line of Kieran Carey, John Doyle and Mick Maher and whose motto was, thou shall not pass. The 'Rattler' Byrne was corner-back in that 1960 league final, a player and a man who became one of Christy Ring's best friends and a man that I was very fortunate to speak to on a number of occasions. Jimmy Doyle played for our fiercest foe but we marvelled at his scoring exploits that are still so fondly recalled by the older generation and a person of great humility and who it was this writer's great privilege to interview many years ago when he spoke so wonderfully of the great friendship that he formed with so many of the Cork players that he faced in battle. Life, of course, is much changed now from what it was in those years, it was much simpler too but for all the ferocity of those Cork and Tipp games of long ago, one thing is constant, the respect between both counties has not changed and next Sunday in the great sporting theatre that SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh now is we will hope again for a game in the best traditions of both counties. CORK v TIPP 1960: M Cashman (Rockies); J Brohan (Rockies), D Riordan (Glen Rovers), S French (Glen Rovers); D Murphy (St Finbarr's), J O'Sullivan (Glen Rovers), M McCarthy (Glen Rovers); N Gallager (Youghal), Eamon Goulding (Glen Rovers); P Harte (Glen Rovers), T Kelly (Tracton), P Fitzgerald (Midleton); P Barry (Sarsfields), L Dowling (Castlemartyr), C Ring (Glen Rovers).