Wing back who ended up in goals – not once but twice

Talking Sport with Stephen Glennon

It’s one thing to start at wing-back in one All-Ireland championship fixture and finish the game between the posts but to do it twice almost beggars belief.

Yet, this is what happened to former Galway hurling star Fergus Benson and this is one of the many stories that punctuates his life and times.

Sitting in his home in Loughrea, with his wife Nuala serving up the delicious home-baked treats, Benson looks as fresh today as he did when he guided Galway to a famous Oireachtas Cup final win over Wexford in 1958. He is certainly still as feisty . . .  even if, as he says himself, he is “eighty-one and a half” years young!

No matter how much copy inches are made available, this will not do justice to Benson – a man who served both club and county with great distinction. No doubt, he has some wonderful tales of a bygone era while his views on the game are as trenchant now as they were back 60 years ago.

This story begins back in 1950 when Benson first sprung to prominence in Galway’s All-Ireland minor semi-final against Tipperary. Having commenced the game in the left-half back berth, he was subsequently redeployed to goals to stop what was becoming a hugely embarrassing rout.

By half-time, they trailed 5-5 to 0-1 but with Benson replacing Portumna custodian Laurie Burns, Tipperary struggled to pick off the scores, particularly goals, and the Munster champions only added another 1-4 to their tally in the second period. Sadly, Tipp still won the game 6-9 to 0-5.

For his goalkeeping heroics, Benson had the honour of being selected as back-up ‘keeper to Sean Duggan when Galway travelled to London that year for a tournament. While he thoroughly enjoyed the experience, he incredibly would not make his senior debut for another eight years.

In the interim, he played with Galway’s junior team, losing an All-Ireland home final to Cork on a 3-10 to 4-5 scoreline in 1955. “That was one we could have won as well,” sighs Benson, who lined out in goals.

“I got a belt on the head that day and I let in two goals after it. I was still reeling from the hit when the ball came back in again. We had been going well at the time before I was polaxed. No remarks passed. The only thing I was sorry for was that the same fellow didn’t come in again!”

The Cork man, perhaps, knew better but, in any event, Benson’s star was on the rise. Three years later he was in the senior set-up and by season’s end he had graced hurling’s biggest stage – an All-Ireland senior hurling final. However, for Benson, it turned out to be a case of déjà vu.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.