Timothy Flood (8 January 1927 – 3 July 2014) was an Irish hurler who played as a left corner-forward for the Wexford senior team.
Born in Clonroche, County Wexford, Flood first arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of twenty two when he first linked up with the Wexford senior team. He made his senior debut in the 1947–48 National Hurling League. Flood went on to win three All-Ireland medals, six Leinster medals and two National Hurling League medals. He was an All-Ireland runner-up on three occasions.
As a member of the Leinster inter-provincial team on a number of occasions, Flood won two Railway Cup medals in 1954 and 1956. At club level he won three championship medals with Cloughbawn.
Flood's career tally of 26 goals and 59 points marks him out as Wexford's fourth highest championship scorer of all-time.
Throughout his inter-county career, Flood made 38 championship appearances for Wexford. His retirement came following the conclusion of the 1962 championship.
His brother-in-law, Oliver "Hopper" McGrath, and his son, Seán Flood, also enjoyed All-Ireland success with Wexford.
In retirement from playing Flood became involved in team management and coaching. He served as coach of the Cloughbawn junior hurling team before later serving as a selector.
Flood is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers of his era and has been voted onto teams made up of the sport's greats, including at left corner-forward on a specially-chosen greatest ever Wexford side in 2002.
Playing career
Club
Flood played his club hurling with Cloughbawn and, after playing just two minor championship games, joined the club's junior team in 1946, winning a junior championship medal that same year.
In 1949 Flood was a key member of the club's senior team, as Cloughbawn reached the final of the senior championship for the first time ever. A defeat of reigning champions Rathnure gave him his first championship medal.
Cloughbawn surrendered their championship title in 1950, however, the team reached the decider again in 1951. A 1–13 to 3–7 draw with Horsewood necessitated a replay. Flood scored 2–4 in that game and collected a second championship medal as Cloughbawn triumphed by 3–7 to 1–9.
Inter-county
Flood made his senior debut for Wexford on 26 October 1947 in a 7–4 to 4–11 defeat by Dublin in the opening round of the 1947-46 National League. It would be another two years before he was picked again for league action, however, after an impressive display against Tipperary he became a regular member of the starting fifteen.
After losing the provincial final to Kilkenny in 1950, Flood was at left corner-forward the following year as Wexford faced Laois in the Leinster decider. A 3–12 to 4–3 victory gave him his first Leinster medal as Wexford claimed the provincial crown for the first time since 1918. The subsequent All-Ireland decider on 2 September 1951 saw three-in-a-row hopefuls Tipperary providing the opposition. Nicky Rackard's goal-scoring ability was quelled by Tipperary goalkeeper Tony Reddin, while Séamus Bannon, Tim Ryan and Paddy Kenny scored key goals which powered Tipp to a 7–7 to 3–9 victory.
After back to back Leinster defeats over the next two years, Wexford faced Dublin in the 1954 decider. A huge 8–5 to 1–4 victory gave Flood his second Leinster medal. A record crowd of 84,856 attended the subsequent All-Ireland decider on 5 September 1954 with Cork providing the opposition. Wexford had a four-point lead with seventeen minutes left to play, however, history was against Flood's side when Johnny Clifford scored the winning goal for Cork with just four minutes left. A narrow 1–9 to 1–6 victory secured a third successive All-Ireland for Cork.
In 1955 Wexford continued their provincial dominance with Flood collecting a third Leinster medal following a 5–6 to 3–9 defeat of Kilkenny in a replay of the Leinster final. Galway, who had been given a bye to the final without ever playing a game, provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final on 4 September 1955. At half-time the men from the west led by 2–5 to 2–3 courtesy of two goals from eighteen-year-old schoolboy Paddy Egan. A goals by Flood nine minutes from the end clinched a 3–13 to 2–8 victory and a first All-Ireland medal. It was Wexford's first All-Ireland triumph in forty-five years.