Club Achievements

Achievements

All Ireland Senior Hurling: 1958, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965.
Munster Senior Medals: 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968.
All-Ireland Minor Hurling: 1955.
Munster Minor Hurling: 1954, 1955.
National Hurling League: 1958/59, 1959/60, 1960/61, 1963/64, 1964/65, 1967/68.
Oireachtas Hurling: 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964.
Railway Cup: 1963.
Brennan Cup (New York) 1959, 1960.
North Tipp. Minor: 1951, 1953, 1955.
North Tipp. Junior: 1953.
North Tipp. Senior: 1957, 1964.
Dublin Senior League with Faughs: 1960/61, 1961/62.

Over the years, Nenagh, as a great hurling town has produced many great players that have worn the Tipperary jersey with distinction. Amongst them is the prince of wing backs Mick Burns. He first came to the notice of the Tipperary hurling fraternity when he captured All-Ireland minor hurling honours with the Blue and Gold in 1955. It did not take him long to come to the notice of the Tipperary Senior Hurling selectors because in 1958 when the McCarthy Cup came back to the Premier County after a seven-year lapse the young Burns was a panellist thus winning the first of his five Celtic crosses. After the retirement of the great Jimmy Finn in 1959 with a serious eye injury Mick Burns stepped into the breach and for the next ten years he claimed the number 5 jersey as his own.. During that period he played in seven All-Ireland finals winning four in 1961, 1962, 1964 and 1965 and losing three in 1960, 1967 and 1968. Also during that period, Mick Burns won numerous National League, Oireachtas and Railway Cup medals.

With Nenagh, Mick had less success than with Tipp and even though he captured North Tipperary Senior medals with Nenagh Eire Og in 1957 and 1964 the elusive County Senior Hurling medal that would have made his medal collection complete eluded him - Indeed, it could be said that he had to wait until 1995 to enjoy this achievement when his son Ronan completed the collection for him. In 1957 he had played a huge part in the capture of its first North Tipp senior title since 1915 and, as captain, he led the club again to victory in 1964.

Mick Burns was unsurpassed for pure skill with a hurley. He had the hands, the balance, vision and plenty of pace as he proved by winning an All-Ireland Colleges Relay Medal with Munster Colleges. Although equipped with a light frame, Mick had wrists of steel and his senior inter county career compares with the best. It can truly be said that Tipp has never been short of brilliant half-backs. Among those who saw him in his prime, Mick Burns will be remembered among the greatest.

To many of the younger generation, Mick Burns name would have been just another item in history but those that had the privilege of seeing him play fondly remember him as one of the greatest hurling defenders in Tipperary hurling history.