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2) Cormac Bonnar (1975-88)
The first glimpse most of the newer generation of Tipperary supporters got of Cormac Bonnar was in the 1988 Munster Final at the revamped Gaelic Grounds. Midway through the second half Tipp were in serious trouble; Cork had pulled Tipp’s large lead back to 3 points, when the call went to the dugout for the big man from Cashel to tog off. While younger people went scrambling for the programme to see who this huge bearded helmeted man was ambling into the full forward position, older people recognised him as 29-year-old Cormac Bonnar, older brother of Colm. Soon after his arrival a line ball by Paul Delaney was flicked to the net by “The Viking”, and a modern Tipp Legend was born.
Born on the 31st May 1959, at his peak Bonner weighed in at 14st, standing an inch over 6 foot. He first came to prominence in Tipp when he played Minor football and hurling for the County. He then starred on the all-conquering U21 hurling teams of 1979 and 1980. He was full back in 1980 and was drafted onto the senior panel in the autumn of that year. He was on the bench in 1981 as Tipp blew a 13-point lead to Limerick. He made his senior Championship debut in 1983 when he came on as a second half sub at midfield as Tipp won their first Championship match in 10 years with a victory over Clare at Limerick. The next few years were spent in the wilderness. Serious injuries, work abroad, and lack of form meant that outings with the Tipp footballers in 1986 seemed to spell the end for his Senior Inter-County experience.
All this was to change with the introduction of Babs as Tipp manager in late 1986. Throughout 1987 and the early stages of 1988, Babs had tried various players at the edge of the square such as Nicky, Bobby Ryan, Declan Ryan, Pat McGrath, and Donie O’ Connell. But what he required was someone with a large presence at the edge of the square to win the ball and set up scores. After watching Tipp struggle to beat Limerick in the Munster Semi-Final in 1988, Babs saw what he wanted in a West Senior Championship game; Cashel V Clonoulty, with Cormac Bonnar at centre forward. Although not particularly impressive, he was called up to the Tipp team and 2 weeks later, after only a few training sessions with the Tipp Senior hurlers he was happily warming the bench for Munster final. Tipp were struggling in the second half and he answered the call when after being introduced as a sub he touched the ball to the net, for his first ever score for Tipp. Although his only other contribution in the 1988 campaign was as a late sub in both All-Ireland Semi-Final and the Final, he was developing into a Tipperary match winner.
Never the most prolific of scorers; (see Appendix 1) he was what Babs wanted a big man at the edge of the square, who despite his size and appearance was the fittest man on the Tipp panel. He had terrific control of the ball, and once he won the ball it usually resulted in him setting up a score for Tipp or else drawing a free. As a fitness fanatic ; he befitted hugely when physical training expert Phil Conway took over as Tipp trainer at the start of 1989. As a converted defender he readily admits to having to work extremely hard to adjust to life in the forwards, and spent hours and hours on his own honing his hurling skills. His main concern was that Tipp won and he did not care who got the scores. With him at full-forward this completed the missing piece of the jigsaw for Tipp forwards. It allowed Nicky to have more freedom as corner forward and created a focal point of the Tipp attack and a superb target man. While Fox and English got much of the credit for Tipp success in 1989 and 1991, it was Bonner who took the battering of hard uncompromising full backs, so that the men in the corners could get the scores. He often left the field bloodied and dazed but always after giving his all for the Tipperary jersey.
Such was his value to Tipp, that the only only lost 1 Championship game in which he started, 1992 Munster Semi Final v Cork, a game in which he was "taken out" by a late Denis Mulcahy challenge, which required Bonnar to go off at half-time. He starred on Conor Hayes in the 1989 League Final when Tipp lost to Galway by 2-16 to 4-8. Although he started on the bench for the first round of the Championship against Limerick, he came on as a sub and transformed the game, keeping his place for the 1989 Munster Final - his first start for Tipp in the Championship.