By Cian O’Connell

For a couple of decades it was a familiar and most reassuring sight for Wexford hurling supporters.

With a flair for the dramatic, Tony Doran was stationed on the edge of the square, frequently gathering altitude deliveries before planting goals.

In Buffer’s Alley Doran, an All Ireland winner with Wexford in 1968, schooled the next generation about how to play the game, how to represent club and county with distinction.

Tom Dempsey, who was part of Liam Griffin’s brigade in 1996, recalls being a youngster phoning Doran about games and the possibilities that existed.

“He was so accessible, we were very lucky in the 70s in Buffer's Alley,” Dempsey says. “In 1976 and 1977 were my earliest years going to All Irelands, I was at the '74 football All Ireland, but '76 and '77 were the first two years for hurling.

“Buffer's Alley at that time had Fr Martin Casey, Mick Butler, Henry Butler, Colm Doran, and Tony Doran. We had five guys on the senior hurling panel. Your formative years, to have those guys at training when you are Under 11 or Under 10, those guys would be walking up and down the field.

“They always knew you. Tony, in particular, knew every single player by name, he would have a word with you going by. One word from somebody like Tony, you'd nearly jump over the crossbar really.”

Following his exploits in the 60s Doran’s credentials as a Wexford great were cemented, but Dempsey recalls the thrill of eventually playing alongside him for Buffer’s Alley.

“I was lucky I came on to the Buffer's Alley team in 1982, I was just 17,” Dempsey states. “I came on to a team that started the four in a row, I hurled with Tony right through until 1991. That was his final year really, he came on as a sub in the county final.

“I got the honour of hurling with him, I could always say when I retired that I hurled with Doran. It really is a nice thing to say.

“People down in Cork would say they hurled with or against (Christy) Ring and people in Wexford might say (Nickey) Rackard, but really for our era he was the seminal figure. Tony Doran was the man in our time, he was the carrier of the legendary status. It was great to hurl with him during the period.”

A deep and meaningful tradition exists in Buffer’s Alley and Wexford. Doran won 12 Wexford, three Leinster, and one All Ireland club title with Buffer’s Alley, while the inter-county scene also brought glory.

Through the generations Dempsey has witnessed the baton being passed on in the south east. “Absolutely, there is one thing about Wexford, the heroes of periods in Wexford counted,” Dempsey admits.

“Nickey Rackard was the icon of the 50s, he drove it on. I think Tony Doran took that mantle over. For a county that is so deep rooted in GAA, the heroes of hurling down here, the Rackards and Tony Dorans, they define Wexford really.

“If Wexford are winning and things are going reasonably well, not necessarily winning All Irelands, we won a Leinster last year. In the last couple of years we've done pretty well and it actually defines the mood of the county.”

It isn’t always necessarily about silverware. Sport is important, hurling is loaded with relevance according to Dempsey.

“What is unusual about Wexford hurling is that we've had very little success when you look at Cork and Kilkenny,” Dempsey adds.

“Sometimes it isn't that hard to keep things going, but if you were just to go on success hurling would have struggled in Wexford. It never really does, it is so deep rooted in Wexford people, it is quite incredible.

“Despite the lack of success I think it is a tribute to Wexford people that it is so deep rooted. One of the reasons it is so deep rooted, but for every era and 20 year period we always have those type of heroes down in Wexford. At the moment the young lads want to be Lee Chin.

“We always had our Joe Cannings and Henry Shefflins despite not having as much success as other counties.

“From 1967 until the day he pulled off his club jersey for the last time Tony was that one we all aspired to be in that period. Nickey Rackard before that.

“One thing is that once you've a hero to aspire to, and in fairness to those guys we were very lucky that we had those guys, they did do a great service to Wexford hurling.”

Even now Dempsey reflecting back on how hurling has altered and evolved still stresses the value and role of an imposing inside man.

“There is something about the traditional full forward,” Dempsey comments. “Conor McDonald has done well lately when the ball is driven in, he has a great chance of catching, and he has great wrists when he does.

“We were brought up in an era in the 70s with Joe McKenna, Ray Cummins, those type of full forwards, a one on one battle with the full back. If the forward won it, the roar and the ball ended up in the net.

“It was a great thing. The way the game is now it is a little bit less because you're to win your own ball in the forwards or whatever. It was a great era.

“We had a tradition over the years of a big full forward that created excitement. Jimmy Houlihan did it when he was playing for Wexford, Billy Byrne was a brilliant man under a dropping ball, Tony a great man at full forward.

“Rackard, I don't remember him, but seen as an incredible man under a dropping ball. We were always seen as good big men and good men to catch it. There is nothing as exciting as a long ball going in near the square for someone to catch it.”

As a teenager Dempsey watched Doran inspire Wexford and Buffer’s Alley. Club matches against Carnew remain vivid in his mind, how thousands flocked to watch battles unfold.

Doran was the figurehead and talisman for Wexford. “For years of my life watching Tony Doran I know that an awful lot of Wexford people went to Croke Park just for the simple reason to see two or three high balls dropping near the square and him catching it,” Dempsey remarks.

“I've never seen anything before or after it to generate the excitement of the long delivery towards Tony Doran knowing he probably had an 80% chance of catching the ball.

“Then the ball was delivered to the net. In some ways Wexford people went home knowing at least we had that even if we hadn't got the victory.”

Tony Doran is something Wexford always will have.