better of Tipperary in another classic Munster final. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw the clash of Cork and Wexford. A record crowd of 84,000 people crammed into Croke Park, all anticipating a high-scoring game. The game was a close and tense affair, with Cork coming from four-points down to win by 1–9 to 1–6. It was a third consecutive All-Ireland title for Cork and a record eighth All-Ireland winners’ medal for Christy Ring. 1955 to 1956 – Wexford arrive Wexford had been the All-Ireland runners-up on two occasions earlier in the decade. All changed in 1955 with "the yellowbellies" reaching a third final since 1951. Galway, who received a bye into the final without picking up a hurley, were the opponents. The men from the west proved no opposition as Wexford claimed a first title in forty-five years on a score line of 3–13 to 2–8. In 1956 Wexford proved that their victory the previous year was not a fluke by reaching the championship decider again. A sterner test awaited them as Cork provided the opposition. In one of the most famous All-Ireland deciders of them all, Nicky Rackard bested Christy Ring to help his county to a 2–14 to 2–8 victory and an unprecedented second consecutive championship. 1957 to 1959 – Kilkenny and Waterford come in from the cold The hurling world witnessed a shock in 1957 when Waterford emerged from Munster after a nine-year period in the wilderness. A series of unexpected victories saw the men from ‘the Deise’ qualify for the All-Ireland final against neighbours Kilkenny. Waterford nearly confounded the critics as they led by six points with three-quarters of the game played. Kilkenny fought back to win by 4–10 to 3-12, thus coming in from the wilderness themselves to claim a first championship since 1947. In 1958 Waterford were unable to retain their provincial title as Tipperary fought back with one last kick by the great three-in-a-row team of the early part of the decade. Kilkenny also failed to retain their All-Ireland title as Tipp faced Galway in the championship decider. The men from the west received a bye into another final; however, it did little to revive the flagging fortunes of hurling in Connacht. Tipp got four goals against the wind in the first half to secure a 4–9 to 2–5 win. Following this defeat Galway retreated to the Munster championship, where they played for