Art Foley - The Save From Christy Ring

The Save From Christy Ring

The most famous moment in Foley's career, was his vital save in the dying minutes of the 1956 All-Ireland Hurling Final. With seconds remaining in the final and Wexford gone into a two point lead, the ball broke to Christy Ring and he headed straight for goal with the Wexford back line in pursuit. When he got to the 21 yard line he let off a shot that was set to rattle the back of the net, but the shot was somehow blocked by Foley and then cleared by him too. Much has been said about it, and newspapers pages have been filled as regards this particular save but what happened after it also.

People for decades have always maintained that Art caught the ball in that final. But this was completely not true and the ball was blocked by his hurley. Christy Ring remarked in an interview many years later "When I got through I thought I had it, but Foley had other ideas, and fair play to him he made a great save"

But what exactly was said between Art and Ring? This particular incident has been told in so many different ways, and wasn't fully answered until the publication of Martin Codd's book "The Way I Saw It" in 2005 when a written letter from Foley explained the incident, and events leading up to it in great detail. Christy after Art had made the save, raced in grabbed Art by the hair and said "You little black bastard you've beaten us"; Foley replied "It's about so and so time someone did" but he then went on and congratulated him and went off in search of another chance. Within a minute the ball dropped into Foley again and after it was cleared it made its way up the pitch and was buried in the back of the Cork net by the masterful Nicky Rackard. Tom Dixon tagged on another point to put the icing on the cake. Wexford 2-14, Cork 2-8

A popular goalkeeper amongst the Wexford faithful and regarded as one of the heroes in the 1956 All-Ireland final, he has written his name firmly into the hurling archives. He has also had many articles written about him in newspapers mainly due to the myth surrounding his save from Christy Ring which has been literally talked through the generations.

Foley is currently living in Long Island America where he has been for the last fifty years. He emigrated in 1958. He has come home many times for all the get-togethers and presentations, with his former hurling team mates.

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