Dick Stokes (hurler)

Stokes first played in goal for the Doon CBS secondary school team in the Dr. Harty Cup.

In 1938 he was moved to midfield and was a reserve on the Munster colleges team.

The following year Stokes partnered Vin Baston at midfield in the All-Ireland colleges decider and played a key part in bringing the title back to Munster.

During his studies at University College Dublin, Stokes was a star on both the university's hurling and football teams.

He first enjoyed success on the hurling field in 1941. A 2-8 to 2-4 defeat of University College Galway and a 7-10 to 3-1 win over University College Cork gave Stokes his first Fitzgibbon Cup medal. Three years later in 1944, UCD made a clean sweep of the series once again, giving Stokes, who was now captain of the team, a second Fitzgibbon Cup medal.

In 1945 Stokes was named at full-forward on the UCD football team. A 3-8 to 0-2 defeat of UCC gave him a Sigerson Cup medal.

Stokes began his playing career with Pallasgreen, however, it was as a dual player with University College Dublin in the Dublin county championships that he enjoyed his greatest successes.

In 1943 UCD's senior football team reached the final of the county club championship. A 1-8 to 1-6 defeat of Seán McDermott's gave Stokes a Dublin Senior Football Championship medal.

Four years later in 1947, Stokes was on the UCD hurling team lined out against Faughs in the county decider. A 6-12 to 4-9 of the hurling kingpins of Dublin, gave Stokes a championship medal in the small ball code.[3] UC retained the title the following year.

Stokes first appeared on the inter-county scene as a dual player at minor level, however, he enjoyed little success.

In 1940 Stokes made his senior debut with the Limerick senior hurling team in a tournament game against Cork. He was subsequently included on the Limerick championship team, and made his debut in a drawn Munster semi-final against Waterford. It took two late goals from Jackie Power and a storming display by Mick Mackey to level the game. Another late rally gave Limerick a victory in the subsequent replay. Stokes's side put in another excellent performance in the Munster final to draw the game with Cork. At half-time in the replay Limerick looked like a spent force. Held scoreless for the entire thirty minutes, team captain Mick Mackey got the recovery underway in the second-half with a point from a seventy. He later moved back to the defence where Cork were running riot with goals. A pitch invasion scuppered the game for ten minutes, however, Limerick held on to win by 3-3 to 2-4 and Stoke collected a Munster medal. The subsequent All-Ireland decider on 1 September 1940 brought Kilkenny and Limerick together for the last great game between the two outstanding teams of the decade. Early in the second-half Kilkenny took a four-point lead, however, once Mick Mackey was deployed at midfield he proceeded to dominate the game. Limerick hung on to win the game on a score line of 3-7 to 1-7. The win gave Stoke an All-Ireland medal.

Limerick took a back seat to Cork and Tipperary in the Munster series of games for the next few years.

In 1947 Stoke won a National Hurling League medal as Limerick defeated old rivals Kilkenny by 3-8 to 1-7 following an earlier drawn game.

Stokes also lined out with the Limerick junior football team. In 1950 he won a Munster medal following a 3-6 to 1-6 defeat of Cork.