<span class="postTitle">Lory Meagher (1899 - 1973)</span> Talk given at the Lory Meagher Museum, Tullaroan, Co. Killkenny, September 1999

Lory Meagher (1899 - 1973)

Talk given at the Lory Meagher Museum, Tullaroan, Co. Killkenny, September 1999

 

‘As steel-blue clouds spread like a mourning-pall across the evening sky, hundreds - rich and poor, gentle and simple, young and old, men and women, clerics and nuns and laymen - filed through the mortuary chapel of St. Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny for a last glimpse of all that was mortal of one of the great artists of the ash, a supreme craftsman of the caman.'

‘That the heavens themselves wept without restraint as the funeral procession wound its slow way through the narrow streets of Irishtown, old-world streets silent now, but streets that had so often re-echoed the thundering cheers of victory when the same Lory Meagher and his comrades came triumphantly home, garlanded with hurling glory.'

‘Now the only sound in those rain-swept streets came from the marching feet of the solid phalanx of All-Ireland stars who headed the cortege, the men of the Black and Amber, from Gaulstown’s 83-year old Dick Grace, who won his first All-Ireland away back in 1909, to Pa Dillon, from Freshford St. Lachtain’s, who won his last in 1972.'

‘At the boundaries of the old city of St. Canice, the hurlers split their ranks to form a guard of honour and the funeral moved on along the twisting road towards the Slieveardagh Hills to halt at last outside Clohosey’s solid farmhouse, where the men of Tullaroan were waiting, led by renowned members of two famed hurling families, Sean Clohosey and Tom Hogan. So it was, his coffin swaying on the shoulders of his old neighbours and their sons, that Lory Meagher from Curragh, the man whose name had for so long been part of hurling’s lore and legend, came home for the last time.’

 

So wrote Padraig Puirseal, in a tribute to Lory Meagher, entitled A Craftsman Supreme, in the 1974 edition of Our Games. Puirseal was one of the great admirers of Lory’s skill and had a fine appreciation of the man, as well as the hurler. In his appreciation of Lory in the Tullaroan history, he admitted: ‘Maybe I am prejudiced by the fact that Lory was at his greatest during my most impressionable years, but even after more than forty years since spent as a sports commentator, I have not seen the equal of his artistry, or watched a more supreme stylist. When the mood was on him Meagher was a veritable magician, with a caman for a wand; he was a wizard with the sliothar at his command.’

In fact, as a hurler, Lory has a clear record which establishes him as one of the greats of all time, but as a man he is an elusive individual, difficult to pin down, hard to define. This may be due to the evenness of his personality. Martin White, who knew him, hurled with him and played in all the All-Irelands he won, pinpointed this characteristic when talking to him last July. There were no extremes of behaviour in his make-up. He wasn’t given to outlandish attitudes or extravagant poses.

Perhaps this is the reason why much hasn’t been written about him. There is no biography, no spate of articles about the man. The occasional pieces are largely repetitive. It is as if this essentially quiet man revealed little about himself to others around him and to the friends and neighbours who knew him. In contrast with the accolades written about his hurling talent, most commentators are quiet about the man, and the personality behind the skilful exponent of the game of hurling.

Perhaps we can learn something of the man through his interests, other than hurling. He was an ardent supporter of G.A.A. ideals and proud of the family connection with the foundation of the Association at Thurles in 1884. Whereas it has never been established that his father, Henry J. Meagher, attended the foundation meeting, it is possible that he was in Thurles the day the Association was founded. There is a very definite tradition that Henry Meagher, and two other Tullaroan men, Jack Hoyne & Ned Teehan travelled to the 1884 meeting. They travelled by horse transport from Tullaroan to Thurles. Christopher Walshe, who wrote A Place of Memories, about the social, sporting, historical and political life of Tullaroan, claims that the late Jack Hoyne told him himself of their presence at Thurles on the day of the foundation meeting. Walshe adds that he doesn’t think they attended the actual meeting. There is no independent witness to their attendance and the possibility exists that the visit was mixed up with a subsequent meeting. (Frank Moloney of Nenagh confused a number of meetings and made a claim in 1906 that he was at the first meeting, whereas it is certain he wasn’t.) It is significant that Henry Meagher was not enamoured by what happened in Thurles later with the so-called Fenian split. Is it possible that he was remembering this convention rather than a visit in 1884. However, we must give him the benefit of the doubt.

Henry, whose father came from Cloneen, Co. Tipperary and who acquired land in Curragh with the break up of the Scully estate, was born in Tullaroan in 1865 and took a prominent part in public life in Kilkenny. He would have been only 19 years at the time of the foundation meeting in Hayes’s Hotel. Later he was to become a member of Kilkenny County Council and other public bodies. He was an uncompromising supporter of Charles Stewart Parnell and he courageously stood by the Chief in the North Kilkenny election of 1890. He attended Parnell’s funeral in Dublin in 1891.

To have taken the stand he did showed Henry to have a single mindedness and a good strain of moral courage. He had to stand out against the strictures of the clergy who spoke from the power of the pulpit. The following quotation is an example of how some of the clergy used their position at this time. A parish priest told his flock before an election in the early 1890’s: ‘Parnellism is a simple love of adultery and all those who profess Parnellism profess to love and admire adultery. They are an adulterous set, their leaders are open and avowed adulterers, and therefore I say to you, as parish priest, beware of these Parnellites when they enter your house, you that have wives and daughters, for they will do all they can to commit these adulteries, for their cause is not patriotism - it is adultery - and they back Parnellism because it gratifies their adultery.’ Strong stuff indeed and it took a strong man to stand up to it. Obviously Henry Meagher was made of stern stuff.

Henry was educated at St. Kieran’s College and later married Elizabeth Keoghan from Threecastles. A sister of hers was the mother of the famous Grace family, which was to garner fifteen All-Ireland medals in all. A cousin was Jack Keoghan, who won five All-Irelands with Sim Walton’s team. Jer Doheny, who captained the first All-Ireland winning team, was also a cousin. The pedigree was without doubt right.

Henry Meagher was a good friend of Tullaroan hurling. One of his fields was the practice ground where many a Tullaroan man first got the feel of the hurling stick. Even in Sim Walton’s time such was the security of tenure of the club there, that the man who learned how to win seven All-Irelands on its broad acres refers to it as ‘the sports field.’ But the provision of a practice ground was not by any means Henry’s only contribution to the club. Financially, and otherwise, he was ever there to help, and it was said of him that he never waited to be asked for aid - he was always endeavouring to assist the efforts of the little village.

Whatever the arguments for and against Henry Meagher’s attendance at Thurles on that November day, what is certain is that his sons inherited their father’s nationalist principles and sporting instincts. There were four of them in family. Lory was probably the most famous of the quartet and I shall deal with him later. Henry, who was born in 1902, was rated by the late Paddy Phelan, himself one of the outstanding half-backs in the game, as prolific a scorer as Mick Mackey. But Henry went to America in 1928 and his services were lost to Kilkenny. He married Kathleen Kirby of Carrick-on-Suir and died in 1982. He had the unique if, perhaps, doubtful distinction of having played with Mooncoin against Tullaroan in a county final. He was home on leave from the Irish Army and hadn’t been chosen on the Tullaroan side.

Willie, the first child, who was born in 1895, and Frank, who was born in 1897, played during the 1920’s. Willie was on the team beaten by Cork in the 1926 All-Ireland final. Kilkenny were offered a walk-over in that game but declined to take it. The Munster championship was delayed because of the three-match marathon between Cork and Tipperary, which Cork won. The latter were unable to meet the deadline fixed for the final. They asked Kilkenny to agree to a postponement, which was granted.

Henry Meagher had four daughters also. Kitty, Catherine, who was born in 1896, married Tom Hogan and they had two sons. One died and the surviving son, Dan, is the only male descendant of Henry’s. Elizabeth, born in 1898, became a nurse and died in 1987. Rose Angela, who was born in 1906, also became a nurse and died in 1984. Mary Agnes, who was born in 1901, married Ned Hogan and they had a daughter. She died in 1978. Willie, the oldest of the boys, married but there were no children. He inherited the home place and died in 1957 Frank became a priest, ministered in Australia, became Dean of a diocese and was buried there in 1971. Henry, as was said above, emigrated to America, married and had one daughter, Betty, who lives in New York. He won a Railway Cup medal in 1927. He died in the U.S. in 1982

Lory never married. It wasn’t that he hadn’t admirers. According to Martin White, he had a load of them. One of them was a girl called Bridie Walsh, who lived on a farm in the neighbourhood. She attended many matches with him, but they never married. She eventually married and died in Killarney in 1997. Her daughter, Dolores Daly, told me her mother spoke a lot about Lory. They were sweethearts and Lory shyly hinted marriage at one stage. But he was a very shy person and the hint never became a formal proposal. Although Bridie was very fond of him, her daughter believes she was intent on leaving the land and living in the city… She went on to marry a Tom Croke from Grawn, Ballingarry. He was a radio officer and returned to land to become the first radio officer appointed at Shannon Airport. But Bridie Walsh never lost interest in Lory. She went to many All-Irelands. She spoke to her daughter about him. She kept a picture of him in a Kilkenny team hanging on the wall. Since her death her daughter has found a small photograph of Lory among her effects. Before she died she visited the museum in Tullaroan and after her name in the visitor’s book, she wrote ‘an old sweetheart.’

Apart from his shyness, nobody has satisfactorily answered the question why he never married. The simple answer might be that he was married to hurling. It is true that some of the great hurling families shied away from marriage. One of the best examples is the Leahy family of Tipperary. There were five boys in that family and three of them remained unmarried. Johnny, the most famous and the captain of two All-Ireland winning teams, had the independence of being his own boss on a farm and never married. Neither did Paddy or Tommy.

In Lory’s case there was the added factor that he was only the second in command on the farm. Willie was the eldest and he was married in the home place. This may have inhibited him from taking the plunge. Amazingly, when Willie died in 1957 his widow and Lory lived on working the farm. Then after a number of years she decided to return to her folks and left Lory with the farm.. He might have got married then but didn’t. A reason given was his devotion to his mother. He continued to look after her for a long time. Dan Hogan recalls how he, and his late brother, Henry, used to visit Curragh to stay with his mother while Lory cycled the eight miles to Kilkenny to attend a meeting of Kilkenny County Board at the Central Hotel. Perhaps by the time of her death he believed the time had passed him by and he decided to remain a bachelor.

Lory, who was christened Lorenzo Ignatius, was born in Curragh, Tullaroan, on September 16, 1899. (This lecture was originally intended for yesterday week but I convinced Dan Hogan that a Friday would be a better date. However, September 17 coincided with a big wedding in the parish and it was deemed inappropriate to clash with it. So, we are celebrating the centenary of his birth eight days late.). An unusual christian name but one which was a tradition in the Meagher family. A grand uncle of Lory’s, he was a naval doctor, was also named Lorenzo. The tradition held that a family ancestor of that name came from Italy or Spain. He was known to all as Lory, pronounced ‘Low-ry’ in Tullaroan but ‘Lowery’ outside the parish. Some people thought initially that his name was ‘Glory’ and, of course, how right they were! The Meaghers were substantial farmers, farming about 130 acres of good land and living in a two storey, thatched, 18th century farmhouse. With his siblings Lory attended the local national school, where Danny Brennan was principal and Mrs. O’Neill was his assistant. There was a boys’ and a girls’ school under the same roof.

Christopher Walshe, already referred to, who was somewhat younger than Lory, grew up in the neighbouring townsland of Trenchardstown and had this to say about his boyhood: ‘As young boys we played hurling every evening during the summer months in a field owned by our next door neighbour and kinsman, Jackie Walshe. The farm had been divided between two brothers in an earlier generation. Jack’s name was a legend in Tullaroan and Kilkenny hurling lore. Neighbouring boys who played hurling with us were the Purcells from Killahy, the Teehan brothers from New England, all great hurlers later on, Paddy Hoyne, Matty Duggan, another character, and Dan Webster, another great hurler later on.

‘I remember Jackie Walshe would join us often with his hurley. His skill with the hurley and sliotar was always apparent. Another famous hurler who often dropped in on the evening’s hurling was the renowned Lory Meagher, who lived only a short distance away at Curragh. All us young lads at the time were in awe of his skill and control of the hurling ball. Little did we realise then that we were in the presence of one of the most famous players ever to grace a hurling field.’

The parish of Tullaroan, in which Lory grew up, is a farming community with a strong tradition of hurling. In 1988, two local farmers, Paddy Clohessy and Liam Kennedy, decided to become team selectors and name their club’s team of the century. The result - the fifteen chosen were holders of a staggering forty-five All-Ireland medals. It’s relevant to give the fifteen because many of them are household names.


Pat ‘Fox’ Maher (1)

Jack Keoghan (5) Tommy Grace (0) Jack Hoyne (2)

Dan Kennedy (6) Dick Grace (5) Paddy Phelan (4)

Lory Meagher (3) Dr. Pierse Grace (3) + 2F

Sean Clohesy (1) Henry Meagher (0) Martin White (3)

Tom Walton (1) Sim Walton (7) Jer Doheny (1)

 

There was no place on that team for such talent as Rev. Frank Meagher, Willie Meagher, Billy Burke of the 1939 team, John Holohan of the 1922 team, Paddy Walsh of the 1931 team, Jim Hogan, Ned Teehan, who played in six All-Irelands, or Paddy Malone, who captained Kilkenny in 1949. What I’m implying is that there was so much talent in the parish there had to be such omissions.

In such a rich hurling melieu was Lory to develop and come to manhood. From the pictures of Lory that have survived from the days of his prime, he comes across as a lean angular man. Jimmy Walsh of Hugginstown described him thus in 1973 about the time of his death: ‘He was a tall, lean man with square shoulders but one thing that made him so recognisable from his team mates was that he always wore the jersey outside the togs, be it black and amber or white with a green sash, and strange to say it always looked well that way on him. His duels with Jimmy Walsh, Carrickshock in Shefflin’s Field at Ballyhale were a treat to behold.’

Another description of him was as follows: ‘Nothing was impossible for Lory Meagher when he was at his peak. Usually a centrefield player does not score often during a hurling game, but this rule did not apply to the hurler from Tullaroan. With long effective strokes, as straight as a bullet out of a gun, he caused the flags to be raised often and fast and, as sure as Easter falls on Sunday, he shook the net with the sliotar when most often needed. Lory was also a hurler who never stooped to ‘dirty’ play and even in the toughest encounters he played, as always, honestly and skillfully. He was a man of slender build without any extra flesh but still he had a great capacity for capturing the sliotar in a tough corner, and as for his speed, Caoilte Mac Ronain of the Fianna would not outpace him.’

In his book, A Lifetime in Hurling, contemporary Tipperary hurler, Tommy Doyle, chose Lory Meagher at centrefield, with Jim Hurley of Cork, in his best fifteen hurlers. He had this to say: ‘Lory Meagher was one of the greatest hurlers Kilkenny ever produced. When the occasion demanded few hurlers could rise to the same brilliancy as the Tullaroan captain, and for a period of ten years or so he inspired his county to many notable triumphs. It is the exception rather than the rule to see midfielders figure high in the scoring list in any match. But Lory Meagher needed only the slightest opening at midfield and he could notch points from the most difficult angles. And, as often as not, his long drives found the net at a vital stage of a championship game. Built on light wiry lines, he was a grand, crisp striker, with a skill and ash style all his own.’

And Padraig Puirseal, already mentioned, had this to say of Lory: ‘He was a slight, lithe young man, with the power of his hurling already in wrist and forearm, an easy grace in his every movement on the field, and a remarkable sense of position and anticipation that made it look as though he could attract the ball to wherever he happened to be. He made hurling expertise look simple.’

‘There was Lory as I remember him first in the days when all the world was young, tall and slight, lithe and lissom, his flashing caman weaving spells around bemused Dubliners on a sunny Maytime Sunday at the Old Barrett’s Park in New Ross, long, long ago. Or memories of Meagher on that same playing field in 1929, playing such hurling in torrential rain that men said afterwards, as they splashed down the hilly road by the Three Bullets Gate, that Lory could talk to the ball and make the ball talk to him.’

On a personal level, I was very young when I first heard the name Lory Meagher and, if I remember correctly, I heard of him as Lory in ‘Over the bar, Lory.’ I always associated him with scoring points and put him in the same league as Jimmy Kennedy, Liam Devaney or Jimmy Doyle. I never did discover very much else about the player until the time the Team of the Century was announced in 1984. It came then as a surprise to find Lory picked at centrefield and only then did I learn it was in that position that he reigned supreme. He was a scoring centrefield player at a time when centrefield play was much more important than today. Because the ball didn’t travel as far as it does today, the puckouts landed in the centre of the field rather than on the forty or further on. To have a player who could catch the puckout and send it over the bar was a major asset to a team. Or. more often, Lory doubled on the ball, sending it on its way to the forward line. He always kept the two hands on the hurley and expounded that theory in training. This is what Lory was capable of doing and it made him unique in his time.

One surprising thing about Lory’s career is the lateness at which he arrived on the scene. Born in 1899, he made his first appearance for Kilkenny against Dublin in the Leinster final of 1924. He would then have been in his twenty-fifth year. Kilkenny lost by 3-4 to 1-3. Lory did not score. He was to turn out for the black and amber until 1937, when he went on as a substitute in the All-Ireland final at Killarney. During his career he won five county finals with Tullaroan, in 1924, 1925, 1930, 1933 and 1934. He won three All-Irelands, in 1932, 1933 and 1935 and was on the losing side in 1926, 1931, 1936 and 1937. He won two Railway Cup medals, in 1927 and 1933.

A curious stroke of fortune marked his introduction to inter-provincial honours and finally set him on the path to hurling fame. It was in the Railway Cup semi-final of 1927 between Leinster and Connacht, played at Portlaoise. He described what happened in a newspaper interview: ‘I was not on the Leinster team but I was brought to Portlaoise by one of the players, who got me a place on the team. I played the game of my life that day. I held my place for the final against Munster on St. Patrick’s Day, but my good friend lost his. Leinster won by 1-11 to 2-6.’ Some might say a small enough return for such a superb talent. Because of his injury in the second game against Cork in 1931 he lost out on selection on the victorious Leinster team in 1932.

One of the reasons proposed for Lory’s late arrival on the inter-county scene was the precarious state of club senior hurling in the years following the Rising. The 1916 championship wasn’t completed until August 24, 1919. The final was played at Knocktopher and Mooncoin defeated Tullaroan by 5-2 to 2-3 in a replay. There was no championship in 1917 and 1918 and these years were combined with the 1916 championship. The championship of 1919 was declared null and void when Tullaroan and Mooncoin could not agree on a venue. There was no championship from 1920 to 1922. The final of the 1923 championship, in which Dicksboro defeated Mooncoin, wasn’t played until October 19, 1924. The final of the 1924 championship was played on March 22, 1925. In an interview Lory stated: ‘I was put on the senior team right away and I won my first county championship in 1924. Since Lory made his first inter-county appearance in the Leinster championship of 1924, played in the same year, it would appear that the player had come to the eyes of the selectors before he won his first county championship. Even so, he was still 25 years old. There is a suggestion that he may have made his first appearance with his club in 1919, in the final of the 1916 championship. Because of the difficulties in running the championship during these years, Lory wouldn’t have got many opportunities to declare his wares until 1923-24. Tullaroan didn’t feature in the 1923 final which was played in October 1924. They were beaten by Mooncoin in the semi-final the previous month. There is also a suggestion that he had a polio attack in the early twenties, which may have halted his hurling development.

As stated above Lory made his debut for the county in the 1924 championship, when Kilkenny lost to Dublin. In 1925 Laois were beaten and Kilkenny lost to Dublin in the Leinster final. The loser’s objection was upheld and Kilkenny went on to contest the All-Ireland semi-final against Galway. The selectors made a decision which turned out to be disastrous. Following Mick Burke's poor display against Dublin they dropped him and recalled John T. Power. The Piltown man had not played since he went on as a substitute for Burke in the 1920 Leinster final. Power at this time was out of hurling for years and was around 43 years of age. He was picked on form shown with the 1904-13 team against the current side in a benefit game for Matt Gargan. Galway scored a decisive 9-4 to 6-0 victory.

Kilkenny hoped that the worm would turn in the 1926 championship. There was great interest in the meeting of Kilkenny and Dublin at New Ross, as a result of the objection of the previous year. Matty Power, a stalwart of Kilkenny hurling, threw in his lot with Dublin as a result of joining the Gardai in 1925. Kilkenny survived by the minimum of margins in a close, exciting game. Lory contributed 1-3 to Kilkenny’s total, his goal coming from a free. After the excitement of this victory the Leinster final against Offaly was a tame affair, which Kilkenny won easily.

Kilkenny had lost to Galway in the 1923 and 1925 semi-finals but they survived on this occasion. (It should have been Munster’s turn to play Galway but, because of the delay in the Munster championship, it fell to Kilkenny to play the Connaght representatives.) It was a game of goals, 6-2 for Kilkenny and 5-1 for Galway. John Roberts got five of Kilkenny’s, the other was got by Wedger Brennan. Lory had a quiet day. The All-Ireland final wasn’t played until October 24 because of the marathon Munster final between Cork and Tipperary. Kilkenny gave a disappointing display and the forwards made little headway. The first half was even enough with Cork holding an interval lead of one point but Kilkenny slumped in the second half, going down to a twelve point defeat on a scoreline of 4-6 to 2-0. Few Kilkenny players performed well. Lory was one of the few exceptions.

The defeat must have been galling for the Meagher family. There were three members on the team. As well as Lory, Willie played in the full-back line and Henry in the full-forward line.

There was little joy in 1927. Easy wins against Laois and Offaly put Kilkenny in confident form going into the Leinster final against Dublin in Croke Park. They had a disastrous first half and were behind by twenty points at the interval. They rallied in the second half but were ten points behind Dublin at the final whistle. As well as Matty Power, a second Kilkenny man, the famous Jim ‘Builder’ Walsh, helped Dublin to victory.

Defeat in the first round was Kilkenny’s lot in 1928. They were beaten by Dublin in the first round. There was dissent in the camp because of a dispute between Dicksboro and Tullaroan. The losers fielded without the Tullaroan players, including Lory. Neither did the team do any training together in preparation for the game and failed to last the pace.

There was some better luck in 1929. Kilkenny found it difficult to beat Meath in the first round, with Jack Duggan and Lory Meagher finding it difficult to get on top at midfield. Kilkenny played Dublin in the Leinster final. There was still dissent in the camp. The Dicksboro club, which had three players on the team and three substitutes, asked their players not to play because they disagreed with the selection committee’s choice. The dispute caused a delay in taking the field. Kilkenny won by 3-5 to 2-6 but Dublin objected on the grounds that Kilkenny were late taking the field. The referee reported that they were seventeen minutes late, but Dublin were also late. The final was declared null and void.

Kilkenny were nominated for the All-Ireland semi-final against Galway at Birr. Whether upset by the Dublin objection or because of overconfidence, or, as suggested by The Kilkenny Journal, that a few of the players were under the influence, Kilkenny produced a lifeless performance. They led at half-time but fell away completely in the second half and were beaten by six points. Lory was mentioned in despatches as one of Kilkenny’s better players.

Kilkenny reached a kind a nadir in their hurling existence in 1930 when they suffered one of their rare championship defeats at the hands of Laois in the Leinster semi-final. Their forwards could make no impression. They led by five points at half-time but Laois stormed back in the second half to win by two points. This defeat, however, was to be an unlikely prelude to a great thirties during which the county was to win four All-Irelands and seven Leinster titles.

In September 1930 Lory Meagher celebrated his thirty-first birthday. Many hurlers of that age would be retiring or, at least, have thoughts in that direction. Had Lory taken that route he would probably have gone down in the history books as another good player from the parish of Tullaroan, but he would have been one of many. He wouldn’t have much to show in the line of achievements. He had a Leinster medal from 1925, won in the boardroom rather than on the field of play. He had another medal from 1926, which was won easily against Offaly. He had another victory in 1929 but no medal to show for it. He had a Railway Cup medal for 1927, although he hadn’t originally been picked to play on the team. He had played in one All-Ireland.

His achievements reflected the state of the game in Kilkenny during the twenties. The county won one All-Ireland, beating Tipperary in 1922. They were beaten in one in 1926 and were beaten in three All-Ireland semi-finals, in 1923, 1925 and 1929. In short five Leinster finals brought one All-Ireland success during the course of the decade. The thirties were to bring a dramatic improvement.

When we think about the thirties we remember the period as Limerick’s greatest hurling era; but during the same decade Kilkenny wrote one of the finest chapters in its hurling history. A glance at the record puts the decade in perspective. In the ten years from 1931 to 1940 Kilkenny played in eight All-Irelands, winning four. After the marathon against Cork in 1931, they won three in the following four years and then lost two on the trot. They came back to win in 1939 and lose in 1940 to finish a glorious period. During the same time Limerick played in five All-Irelands, winning three. Two of these victories were over Kilkenny, and their two defeats were by the same team.

It was in the National League that Limerick reigned supreme. In fact the great Kilkenny-Limerick rivalry may be said to have started with the National League final of 1932/33, which the Noresiders won decisively by 3-8 to 1-3. Following that defeat Limerick were to record five consecutive victories in the competition, while Kilkenny had no further success.

There is no doubt about the dominance of the two teams. Dublin was the only other Leinster team to appear in an All-Ireland, losing in 1934 and winning in 1938. Cork won in 1931 but lost in 1939. Three other Munster teams made it to All-Ireland day: Tipperary did so successfully in 1937, but Clare in 1932 and Waterford in 1938 fell at the final hurdle.

Limerick’s dominance in the National League left meagre pickings for other teams. Cork won twice, and Galway and Dublin each had victories. Tipperary were on the losing end on four occasions.

The thirties is a fascinating period. It seems as if Limerick won the publicity war. The team strides across the decade like a colossus, larger than life and built in the heroic mould.. They are led by a giant named Mackey and at their best they are unstoppable. They excite the public and they are great showmen. They win leagues and All-Irelands and build churches all over the place. They win five of the ten Munster finals, four of them in a row from 1933 to 1936 inclusive.

Kilkenny were less flamboyant. They did things on a quieter note. I suppose the contrast between the personalities of Mick Mackey and Lory Meagher reflects the differences between the teams. While Limerick might have been doing things dramatically, Kilkenny were doing them effectively. And, they were an effective force during the decade, winning eight Leinster titles, - the two that escaped them were lost in replays, - and four All-Irelands. It appears to me as if Kilkenny felt a certain envy at the publicity Limerick drew on themselves. There is a newspaper quotation from 1935 which reflects this feeling. Limerick were favourites for this final, being All-Ireland champions. In a terrific struggle Kilkenny won by a point and were ecstatic. The Kilkenny Post was triumphant. Its headline blared: ‘Limerick forced to acknowledge defeat.’ The report added: ‘Kilkenny’s hurling idols have carried the day. The very laws of nature have been defied. The veterans, the stale champions of 1933, have rocked the Gaelic world to its foundations with an amazing comeback, a glorious and memorable victory. Tradition has been upheld, nay, enriched, a thousand-fold and the children of Clann na nGaedhael worship at the shrine of Kilkenny - the nation’s greatest hurlers.’

So, if Lory’s successes were poor during the twenties, he was to garner a rich harvest during the thirties. Success came in 1931. Kilkenny beat Wexford, Meath and Laois to take the Leinster final. They beat Galway convincingly in the All-Ireland semi-final on a day of wind and rain. Lory gave a star performance.

Cork were the opponents in the final on the first Sunday in September. It was a rousing match which enthralled the spectators. The first half was closely contested, with a goal from ‘Gah’ Aherne helping Cork to a half-time lead of 1-3 to 0-2. Cork stretched the advantage to six points in the second half, but Kilkenny came storming back with a goal and then four points on the trot to take the lead by one point. In the dying moments Eudie Coughlan got possession and made his way towards the goal. As he did so he slipped and fell but struck the ball while he was down on his knees, and it went over the bar for the equalising point.

The replay five weeks later was a superb game and was voted by many the greatest hurling exhibition of all time.. The radio broadcast of the drawn game by P. D. Mehigan had increased interest and swelled the attendance. Cork got off to a great start and led by 2-4 to 1-3 at the break. In the second half Kilkenny drew level and went ahead and again the Leesiders had to get the final score, as on the first day, to level the match at 2-5 each, the equaliser being their only score in the second half.

Even greater interest was generated by the second replay, which became a talking-point throughout the length and breadth of the country. At a meeting of the Central Council it was suggested that the two counties be declared joint champions, but this proposal was defeated by ten votes to six, and November 1 was fixed for the replay.

As it was now November, the crowd was somewhat down on the second game, to thirty-two thousand. Many supporters said they weren’t going to the match because Lory wasn’t playing. When the county board heard this they had Lory appear at the station with hurley and boots the day before the match, even though he had no chance of playing. Some people who were taken in by this ruse never forgave the county board. Kilkenny were severely handicapped. As well as missing their captain, Paddy Larkin and Lory, Dick Morrissey were also out because of injury. Kilkenny kept pace with Cork for about forty minutes of the game but collapsed after that and Cork ran out easy winners, by 5-8 to 3-4.

Dinny Barry Murphy’s comment on these notable tussles was that he thought the second match was the fastest he ever played in. ‘To tell you the truth,’ he said, I was dazed with the speed at which that ball was moved and I found it hard to even think.’ And that came from a man about whom this piece of doggerel was written:

Dinny Barry Murphy, boy,
Great hurler, boy! 
He’d take the ball out of your eye, boy,
And he wouldn’t hurt a fly, boy! 

Eudie Coughlan, whose contribution on the days was enormous, later stated: ‘Kilkenny were a young team coming along that year. We were old and experienced, nearing the end of our tether if you like. I think that was one of the main reasons that Cork won.’ How right he was! During the remainder of the decade Kilkenny went on to win four All-Irelands, while Cork’s name does not appear once on the roll of champions.

Lory became a national hero during these epic games. He scored three points of the 1-6 in the first game and four points of the 2-5 in the second game. His loss on the third day was incalculable. Padraig Puirseal takes up the story: ‘Lory Meagher did not achieve nationwide renown until Kilkenny and Cork met three times in the famed 1931 final. He starred in the first game, a game featured by patches of brilliant hurling, in which many critics felt that the relatively inexperienced men in black and amber had missed an opportunity of springing a surprise on the seasoned opposition. Even still, after almost half a century, old-time hurling followers go into nostalgic raptures about the first replay when two great teams again finished level. Through a tense, thrilling second half, Meagher was a dominant figure, his ball-control, the style and accuracy of his striking, his uncanny sense of anticipation never more evident.

’That evening and through the ensuing weeks, Lory Meagher’s name rang around Ireland. And then the sad news broke. Because of rib injuries Meagher would be unable to take the field in the second replay. Undaunted, Kilkenny made a brief bid to achieve victory, even without his inspiration. They led Cork for forty minutes but then, as the tide of battle rolled against them, they began to fall away. In the closing stages a Kilkenny player retired injured and all eyes turned towards the bench where the reserves sat, while a wail arose from Noreside supporters: ‘Lory, Lory’, they called and there was the start of an abortive cheer when a becapped figure in black and amber came bounding onto the field.

‘Alas, the spectators quickly realised that the newcomer was not Meagher and I can still see him in my mind’s eye, as I saw him then in his best suit, hunched and bowed on the touchline seat, white-knuckled hands clasped tightly on a hurley, tears running down his cheeks because he could not answer his county’s urgent call.’

Maybe a bit exaggerated, definitely a colour piece of writing with echoes of the dying Cuchulainn breaking through. Exaggerated or not it does appear as if Lory was transformed, as a result of his displays in the drawn game and the first replay, from a Tullaroan and Kilkenny player to one of national stature. After this he was in a super league of heroes, which would include Mick Mackey and Christy Ring. He became a household name and his fame was such that when the Team of the Century was picked, over fifty years later, in 1984, he got more votes than any other player for the centrefield position..

How did Lory’s ribs get broken? I asked Martin White and he thought the question surprising. If he knew he wasn’t prepared to tell me. Obviously the name of the player responsible was known. We should have no problem today with our instant action replay. In an interview with John D, Hickey, Lory had this to say: ‘In that game I hurled for fifty-five minutes with three broken ribs and hardly knew it. The mishap happened under the Hogan Stand when I got possession of the ball and as soon as I did a second Cork man came up to tackle me, charged me and I went down.

‘Dick Grace came over to me and after a while I got up and scored a point from the free that we got for the foul. I continued to the end and despite my injuries, I look back with most pleasure on that match.’

The last sentence is significant. If he looked back ‘with most pleasure on that match’, it must have been because of his display. It satisfied him completely and it made him a hero among his supporters. In that game he reached the peak point of his form and set the seal of greatness on a colourful hurling career.

But, to return to the injury. It happened in the opening minutes of the game. This is confirmed by another statement made by Lory in the above interview: ‘In that game I hurled for fifty-five minutes with three broken ribs and hardly knew it.’ That statement makes his performance all the more amazing.

So, who was the guilty party and was the tackle a deliberate one to take Lory out of the game? The most likely culprits were the Cork midfield pair of Jim Hurley and his partner Micka O’Connell. It has taken me some time to find out the player responsible. There is a code of silence, a kind of omerta, on the subject among those who might know or to whom the information has been passed down. After a lot of digging I’m fairly certain the man was Cork centre-back, Jim O’Regan. The story goes that on their way on to the field O’Regan said to Hurley: ‘We’ve got to do something about Lory.’ He had dazzled them with his play in the first game and was their greatest threat.

There is another significance to this injury. Key players attract close attention from opponents. Sometimes the attention borders on the illegal or spills over into unacceptable behaviour. Lory must have been open to such treatment and yet, with the exception of the incident in the first replay, he does not appear to have suffered many injuries. Martin White told me he wasn’t a marked man, as one might have imagined him to be. And sometimes the treatment of star players is more severe at club level than at intercounty level. In another interview Lory expressed the opinion that in spite of his many strenuous inter-county battles, the hardest games he ever played were in the county championships. ‘In inter-county games,’ he pointed out, you meet the cream of each county’s talent, but in local games you are up against every type of hurler.’ A very revealing statement I would suggest!

The year 1932 was going to bring Lory the kind of reward he deserved and for which he waited so long. Victories over Meath and Laois brought Kilkenny to a Leinster final against Dublin. In a great decider Kilkenny came through by four points and qualified to meet Clare in the All-Ireland final. The Banner were making their first appearance since 1914. With twenty minutes to go Kilkenny led by 3-2 to 0-3, their third goal coming from a sideline cut by Lory, which was finished to the net by Martin White. Clare staged a great rally and reduced the margin to two points. In a last desperate effort Clare launched another attack. Their star forward, Tull Considine, got through and seemed set for a goal but Podge Byrne came out of nowhere, tackled Considine and put him off his shot, which went wide.. In the remaining time Kilkenny got a point to win by a goal. Lory played his best game of the year. Clare took their defeat sportingly and invited the Kilkenny team and officials to their banquet in Barry’s Hotel. Here the players mingled in a friendly atmosphere.

Kilkenny were clear favourites for the All-Ireland in 1933, following their win in the National League final. They qualified for the Leinster final after beating Meath. This game was played at Wexford Park against Dublin and was a remarkable decider. Kilkenny were outpaced and out-manoeuvred in the first half and Dublin led by 5-4 to 2-1 at the interval. The second half was in complete contrast with Kilkenny sweeping all before them. With ten minutes to go the sides were level, the equalising point coming from Lory. However, Dublin went ahead again by a point. Then Kilkenny got a free and the Dublin defenders probably thought Lory would go for a point to level the scores. But Lory, seeing an opening, crashed the ball into the net to take the lead. In the remaining minutes Kilkenny got two more scores to win handsomely by 7-5 to 5-5. In the semi-final at Birr, Galway went into an early lead but two goals from Lory from frees put Kilkenny into the lead by half-time. They eventually won by 5-10 to 3-8 with Lory’s contribution outstanding.

The All-Ireland final was a repeat of the league final and Limerick were determined to reverse that result. The biggest crowd (45,176) up to then to see a hurling or a football All-Ireland, packed Croke Park. The gates were locked long before the game started and thousands more were left outside. The game was played at a breathless pace, full of grimness and determination. It was very close, with the sides locked at four points each at the interval. The game remained close in the second half until a goal by Johnny Dunne put light between the teams for the first time and gave Kilkenny victory by 1-7 to 0-6. Lory was not as prominent as usual and scored a point. It was a great victory for Kilkenny but particularly for their magnificent defence.

There was a check to the forward march of Kilkenny hurling in 1934. They beat Laois in the first round and then went on a six weeks tour of the USA. Lory’s name had gone before him and he got the headlines, as the newspapers cashed in on his fame to generate publicity. There is one story told of Lory during his time on the tour. The party were at Coney Island one day and amongst a host of attractions there was a chap on the beach with buckets of golf balls and drivers. Customers teed up and belted balls to sea. Closely woven nets were spread out over a 200 yard X 100 yard area out to sea and you paid your fee and belted balls towards the horizon. Lory, among others, was curious and lined up. He never had a golf club in his hand before. After he had hit a dozen balls well beyond the limit of the nets the guy turned to him and said: ‘So, you’re a professional - where do you play?’ It’s not recorded if Lory replied: ‘Tullaroan.’ 

Kilkenny came back to the Leinster final against Dublin. It was another sensational game. Dublin led by six points at half-time and by eight with five minutes to go. But, with their supporters leaving the field, Kilkenny staged a great rally which yielded three goals to take the lead, Dublin needed a Tommy Treacy point from a free to level. Lory was one of Kilkenny’s heroes on the day. Portlaoise was again the venue for the replay. Kilkenny were very bad in the first half, failing to raise a flag, while Dublin scored 3-3. The hoped-for rally in the second half didn’t materialise and Kilkenny were beaten by six points and failed in their bid to record four Leinster titles in a row. The losers made a tactical error by opting to play against the wind in the first half. It died down after the interval.

The good times for Kilkenny and Lory returned in 1935. Lory was also captain, as a result of Tullaroan’s defeat of Carrickshock in the 1934 final. It was his fifth county final, the earlier wins coming in 1924, 1925, 1930 and 1933. Offaly were easily beaten in the Leinster semi-final. Laois, who had surprisingly beaten Dublin in the other semi-final, gave a spirited performance for about three-quarters of the final before going down to a superior Kilkenny side. There was an easy victory over Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final at Birr.

It was Kilkenny and Limerick for the All-Ireland final. A record number of 45,591 spectators turned up for the game, which was played in a steady downpour. In spite of the difficult conditions the players served up a magnificent exhibition of hurling, and the match stands out as one of the greatest finals ever played. There was fierce rivalry between these teams by this stage. They had been vying for honours since 1933. They knew one another inside out. They had divided successes and failures. Many of the players had also encountered each other on opposite sides in the Railway Cup. One such set of opponents was Mickey Crosse and Johnny Dunne. The Kilkenny side was expressed in the cant: Why was Mickey Crosse? Answer: When he saw Johnny Dunne! The Limerick version was: Why was Johnny Dunne? When he saw Mickey Crosse! In that encounter in 1935 they tore skelps off each other. A friend of mine who was present at the game as a young fellow, sitting with his father in the Canal End, with a close-up of this intense duel remembers the blood streaming down Mickey Crosse’s face from a blow on the forehead, the whole scene made almost horrific by the rain washing the blood on to the jersey. And, not to be outdone, Johnny Dunne had an injury on the back of his head, which also bled profusely, again exaggerated by the rain. He recalls the only treatment Dunne gave his wound was to drag his cap back over it, to staunch the flow.

Limerick took an early lead but Kilkenny came back and were a point in front at the interval, 1-3 to 1-2. Early in the second half Limerick levelled, but then Kilkenny went in front and had a five-point advantage with fifteen minutes to go. The last quarter was breathtaking as Limerick sought to reduce the lead. A Mick Mackey free was rushed to the net; another point followed and in a welter of excitement during the dying minutes, Limerick fought for another score and Kilkenny defended doggedly. In the end the Noresiders got the verdict by the smallest of margins, 2-5 to 2-4. Tommy Leahy, Lory’s partner at centrefield, got man of the match. He had received good assistance from Lory, who contributed a point to his side’s total, but his overall contribution was impressive. Padraig Puirseal was very impressed: ‘But for me, as for many another, Meagher’s finest hour did not arrive until the final of 1935, in the autumn of his distinguished hurling career. Kilkenny started that day rank outsiders against Limerick, the reigning champions, then on the surge of successes. Hurling fans thronged Croke Park for what promised to be a classic confrontation between the old champions and the new . . . and then the rains came, and in torrents. It was not, one would have thought, a day when a stylist like Meagher could use his unique talents and subtle touches to best effect; yet, if ever he taught a sliotar to obey his every wish, it was on that September Sunday of 1935; he guided that sodden ball over the rain-drenched sod and wherever he willed. His amazing ball-control under such conditions foiled Limerick time and again around midfield, while his shrewd and accurate passes to his forwards forged the second-half winning scores, despite all Mick Mackey’s herculean efforts to cancel them. It was a heart-stopping finish with Lory captaining Kilkenny to one of its greatest victories.’ 

As captain Lory was presented with the cup. On the following evening he led the victorious Kilkenny team in a victory parade through the city. He was the only Tullaroan man to receive the McCarthy Cup. Two other Tullaroan men captained All-Ireland winning teams before the McCarthy Cup was presented for the first time in the 1923 All-Ireland, Jer Doheny, when Kilkenny won their first All-Ireland in 1904, and Sim Walton, who was the successful captain in 1911 and 1912. 

Kilkenny were in great form in the semi-final of the 1936 Leinster championship, beating Dublin by 20 points. In a dogged Leinster final, Laois were overcome and Kilkenny qualified for another tilt with Limerick in the All-Ireland final. A crowd of over fifty thousand, more than was to attend the football All-Ireland, packed into Croke Park on September 6. Limerick determination was at its height. The first half produced a game in keeping with previous clashes, and Limerick had a two point advantage at half-time. In the second half Limerick took over and their superiority was unquestioned. They swept aside the Kilkenny challenge, which could muster only a point in the half, and were in front by 5-6 to 1-5 at the final whistle. Few Kilkenny players added to their reputations.

Lory’s impact on the Kilkenny team had been getting more muted during the previous year. He was picked for the opening games of the 1937 championship. Dublin were beaten in the semi-final and surprise packets, Westmeath, making their first and last appearance in a Leinster final, were overcome in the final minutes of the Leinster final. For the semi-final against Galway at Birr, Lory was among the substitutes, the first time for him to find himself there since 1924. Kilkenny won by a couple of points and qualified to play Tipperary in the final at Killarney. Work had begun in February 1936 on a development in Croke Park which involved the terracing of Hill 16 and the erection of a new double-decker stand to be named in memory of Michael Cusack, but a two-month strike prevented the work being completed by the contract date of August 1937. Killarney was chosen as the alternative venue. Kilkenny were a veteran side but nobody expected their performance to be as poor on the day. For the forty-three thousand who attended, the game could hardly have been worse. It was too one-sided to draw even a decent cheer. From the start Kilkenny were beaten all over the place, and the final score was 3-11 to 0-3 in favour of Tipperary.

Lory came on as a sub, and his appearance was to be his last in the black and amber, the colours he had worn with such distinction since 1924. Although he played his part it was evident that his youthful speed was gone and that age was taking its toll. His arrival may have done nothing to change the direction of the game but he got Kilkenny’s only second-half score. He got a free, tried for a goal as was his wont, and it was saved at the expense of a point. Lory was just two weeks short of his 38th birthday. He must hold the record with Frank Cummins of being the oldest centrefield players to play in an All-Ireland.

Lory retired from hurling after the debacle in Killarney but he never lost his interest in the game, the G.A.A. and, in fact, all things Irish. Looking back on his achievements it might be said he didn’t get the reward his talent deserved. He played in seven All-Irelands and lost four. He should have been good enough for the 1922 team, having been 22 years old at the time. He was probably unfortunate to be in his prime at a time when Kilkenny hurling was unsuccessful. There were ten years between 1922 and 1932 during which Kilkenny went without an All-Ireland success. They were the prime years in Lory’s life. According to Martin White he wasn’t recognised until he was past his prime. Had he lived in the decade from 1903 to 1913 what a difference there would have been! 

Where did Lory’s greatness lie? Moondharrig, a contemporary hurling commentator, said of him: ‘Meagher was the stylist of the hurling fields, not alone in the hey-day of his career, the late ‘20’s and early ‘30’s, but possibly in our life-times. Certainly no sweeter striker of the ball has graced the senior championship for Meagher was equally effective off the ground or in the air, from play or from the side-placed ball. Because of the remarkable power that he carried in his forearms, Meagher was a master of the short-swing, the kind of push stroke that we see all too seldom nowadays, when the wide-open all-round swing, which was the hall-mark of what we used to call the ‘five-acre field’ hurler, and which can so easily be hooked from behind seems to have become the accepted practice even among All-Ireland stars.’ Moondharrig continues: ‘Striking a ball from his hand in open ground or from a placed-ball lift, Lory Meagher had the perfect swing and what a pity it is that it was never preserved on film as a model for a new generation.

‘But, especially in the later years of his career, he was a master of the side-line cut, as Clare and Limerick found to their cost in All-Ireland finals. From a touch-line ball out around the 25 yard mark, Meagher was deadly. Once in Waterford nearly forty years ago, I saw him score two goals off line-balls within five minutes, one from the left-hand touch-line and the other from the right, and each time the sliotar flashed to the net off the inside of the far upright.’

Martin White makes the point that he wasn’t a fast man. Like all men who follow horses, he didn’t hurry. He went about centrefield in a canter. He had such a great sense of anticipation that he seemed always to be where the ball was. Actually it was uncanny how he got round centrefield when he seemed never to be straining himself. He had great hands and great strength in the upper portion of his body. He also had a great follow-through. It used to be said of him that he would have made a perfect golfer. On the top of everything he had excellent accuracy.

Asked if Lory would have fitted into today’s game, Martin White has absolutely no doubt. According to him Lory would have fitted into the game at any time and in any place.

One of his outstanding skills was the drop-puck. It was a wonderful stroke. He had the ability to bat down a ball and drop-puck it as it hit the ground. Another tactic was to use it when in trouble. He would throw the ball forward, sometimes illegally, and running after it drop puck it as it reached the ground. The stroke had great direction. It was a favourite stroke of Lory’s at close play.

He had another great talent in overhead striking. He gave a great display of it in the 1931 struggle against Cork. He didn’t catch the ball at centrefield but doubled on it again and again. He was up against Jim Hurley that day, who had inches on Lory and who was another good exponent of the same skill. Despite lacking in the stature of Hurley, Lory came well out of the contest. 

Another contemporary recalls: ‘His duels with Jimmy Walsh of Carrickshock in Shefflin’s Field were a treat to behold. It will always stay in my mind of a point scored in one such game. The ball was coming down from a puck-out but in the next instant it was sailing high in the air over the bar at the other end of the field without ever touching the ground, as a result of an overhead connection by Lory.’

Above all, Lory had a quality without which all his skills would have been as naught, and that was a great will to win, a determination never to lose. It was expressed in his willingness to carry on with broken ribs in the replay of 1931. It also found expression in his desire to continue playing into his thirty-eighth year. There are two photographs of Lory which express for me the focus and determination of the man. One was taken at the 1945 Leinster final, showing Lory standing beside goalkeeper, Jimmy Walsh. He’s actually standing in the goals, hands in pocket, cap on head, fag in mouth, completely intent on whatever is happening at the other end of the field. The second picture is of him on a reaper and binder, shirt sleeves rolled up, head bare and fag in mouth, holding the horse in rein and totally rapt in what he is doing.

Despite his quiet demeanour Lory showed outstanding qualities as captain and chairman. These were revealed in the 1931 games with Cork and during the successful year of 1935. Late in his life when he served as chairman of the Tullaroan Club his leadership qualities were shown in his chairman’s addresses and in his words to the players before leaving the dressingroom to play. In his quiet way he could send men on to the field inspired to perform above themselves. He enjoyed a good partnership with club secretary, Danny Brennan. He served for a period on the Leinster Council. Lory was offered a commission is the early days of the Garda Siochana, with a view to encouraging sport in the force. He was also offered a nomination to stand in a general election but turned it down.

During the remainder of his life, Lory devoted his time helping out with club and county teams, and looking after his farm. He was a terribly shy and retiring person, modest and unassuming to a fault. He never sought the limelight, in actual fact shunned any self-publicity with a passion. Nicky Purcell got to know him during his thriteen years as manager of Tullaroan Creamery: ‘Because the Meagher farm practically surrounded the creamery, I often saw Lory at work there. Even in work one could see he was gifted with his hands. Nobody could improve on the way he would cut and lay a fence or plough a field. Everything he did had style and quality about it. At the time I became Manager, Lory’s brother, the late Bill, was a member of the committee and later became chairman. When Bill died, Lory succeeded him on the committee. During his time there he contributed regularly to discussions and was a shrewd judge of situations and problems. Because of this his suggestions and observations were keenly sought and often accepted.

‘In private life I would rate Lory as a reserved and even shy man. To my knowledge he never sought the limelight. I am well aware that he often refused interviews with press men around All-Ireland time. He seemed to be at his happiest strolling down through the fields to the sportsfield on a summer’s evening, enjoying a smoke on his ever-present pipe. At the same time he enjoyed ‘leg pulling’ and was adept at getting the best out of characters like Peter Butler, Mick Dunphy and Liam Kennedy - all of whom sadly have passed away also. All in all I suppose it is fair to say that when Lory died, the game of hurling lost one of its brightest stars, and county Kilkenny and, in particular, his native parish of Tullaroan, lost not only a star hurler but also a highly respected member of its community. It was a pleasure and an enrichment of my life to have known him.’

I asked Martin White was Lory a popular man. He found it a difficult question. Lory wasn’t the type who make popular heroes. He didn’t court popularity. He didn’t put himself in the way of being popular. He did his own thing in a quiet way. I suppose a better word to describe public response to him is to say he was much respected. He had brought honour to parish and county. He had served both well. He had done everything that was asked of him, and oftentimes much more. And, if he were respected at home, he was very much respected outside the county. That respect is best illustrated by two stories. Martin White tells of a meeting between Timmy Ryan of Limerick and Lory many years later. They had played many tough encounters against each other. On this day they met in Dublin and embraced for surely five minutes before getting into animated conversation with one another. Another great opponent was Jim Hurley. When Lory was introduced to Jim’s widow at his funeral, she clasped his right hand in her own and raising her voice said: ‘Oh, Lory Meagher, the most oft repeated player’s name in our house.’

The respect in which he was held was shown in the attendance at his funeral. G.A.A. funerals are powerful affairs but this one was special in the huge number of past players who turned up to pay their final respects. Six of his opponents from Cork in the great 1931 games, including Jack Barrett, Eudie Coughlan, Fox Collins and Jim Regan, asked at his funeral for the privilege of carrying his coffin from the altar to the waiting hearse.

It is an indication of how Lory touched lives through his brilliant hurling skill. But he did more than touch lives. He gave his native place a fame that its size and its importance could never claim. Like the other great stars of the game. Lory lifted his native place on to a higher plain. Anyone who passes through Tullaroan is no longer passing through a quiet village but connecting with Lory Meagher and all the myths an legends associated with his name. Long may his name be remembered.

 

 

<span class="postTitle">Sounding Off</span> Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1999, p 64

Sounding Off 

Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1999, p 64

 

The headline on the Sunday paper of November 1 said it all: 'Back door open for four more years'. It was heading the report of the G.A.A. Special Congress at Rosslare the previous day which had voted to extend the experiment of the 'back door' for another four years. It did make one change. The runners-up in Leinster and Munster will no longer be protected. Henceforth they will go into the hat with the Connaght and Ulster champions in order to decide the pairings. 

At the end of almost 90 minutes of debate, the experimental format brought in for a two-year period in 1997, received an overwhelming vote of confidence from the delegates, with the exception of Offaly. The delegates, however, refrained from enshrining it permanently in the rule book. Offaly, in spite of benefiting from it in a spectacular fashion in 1998, remained opposed to it as they had when it was advocated two years previously. The county delegate, Andy Gallagher, argued that the experiment had not raised standards at under-age level, had not done anything for the weaker counties and was damaging the game at club level. Con Murphy agreed with the latter point, the marginalisation of the game at club level, while more and more hype was being focused on it at the very top. 'We don't want an elite association at one end and an association dying at the other,' remarked the former president of the GAA. 

Those in favour of the new format showed how hurling had enjoyed an unprecedented rise in popularity, both in the numbers attending games and in the television audience watching at home. The substantial increases in revenue meant that Croke Park was able to invest £2.5 million over a three-year period into the development of the game at grassroots level. 

The Future

At the moment there is no need to speculate on what will happen at the end of the four years when the second 'experimental' period comes to an end. This second period of assessment may be a sop to the traditionalists and/or a way of retaining the freedom to adjust to new thinking at the end of the four-year period. Whatever happens then it is most unlikely that we shall ever revert to the pre-1997 situation. 

In assessing the situation it is important to recall the reasons why the experiment was brought in in the first place. It was an attempt to increase the number of hurling games available in the championship and to take into consideration the state of the game in Connaght and Ulster. Central Council was trying to ensure that the best hurling teams in the country qualified for the All-Ireland semi-finals. Over and above all these aims was the hope that more games would mean more T.V. coverage and that such exposure would increase the profile of the game and help to propagate it to a wider audience. 

So far, so good. The experiment has worked. The game has got a great shot in the arm and the best teams are making it to the All-Ireland. Not only have the numbers attending hurling games increased but so also has the audience watching it on television. There is a hype about the game and its enormous attractiveness as a spectator sport is being more widely recognised. 

What Should be Done Now? 

I believe much more needs to be done and much more can be done. The new format has given us two extra games, the two quarter finals. Not a great number by any means and of concern and value only to the runners-up in the Munster and Leinster championships. More games are needed in order to make a bigger impact and propagate still more the game of hurling. If we follow the philosophy of advertising the name of the game is as much exposure as possible. 

How can we do that? The most obvious way would be through an open draw for the All-Ireland championship, a competition which would become independent of the provincial championships. As it is we have really abandoned the provincial championship as a qualifier for the All-Ireland by ignoring the status of the provincial winners: runners-up as well as winners qualify under the present system. Why discriminate against teams that don't qualify for the finals of provincial championships? Why not let all teams into the All-Ireland series? 

Such a development would be a logical conclusion of the present system. All teams would get a crack at the All-Ireland championship. Remember that Kerry haven't got a shot at that championship since the boys from Ballyduff won it in 1891 and other counties haven't got an opportunity since the open draw was abolished in 1888. The open draw would increase the number of hurling games. Under the present system there is an increase of two. In an open draw with twelve teams there would be an increase of eleven games. This would be a dramatic increase in the exposure of the game with the possibility of mid-week games for some of the opening rounds. This scheme of things would generate interest through unusual pairings, bringing together teams that would never have a chance of meeting each other. 

Of course there would be an added bonus in this for the traditionalists in that it would bring back the strict knock-out system, which some believe has been sacrificed under the present experiment. There would be no backdoor since the championship would stand on its own two feet. 

The Provincial Championship

And what of the provincial championship? It would continue as it is and need not be diminished in any way, at least no more or less than it is diminished under the present system. At the moment its winners are not recognised. There is no reason to doubt that the desire in counties to win a Munster or a Leinster championship would grow any less. The championship would run concurrently with the All-Ireland and it would give teams, knocked out in one, the opportunity to fall back on the other. 

So, roll on 2002 and another Special Congress to decide what to do with the well-tested 'experimental format'. Understandably there will be voices raised for a return to the old certitudes. There will be apocalyptic visions of the effect on club hurling. (On that matter it is interesting to recall the club situation in Tipperary this year and we were beaten in the semi-final of the Munster championship. Our divisional championship finals weren't played until the first Sunday in September and our county final not till the first Sunday in November! Were we any better off by being knocked out at an early stage?) But I hope whoever is decision-making on that occasion will grasp the nettle and introduce the open draw, the logical outcome and a progression from the present situation. 

Another Matter

This piece is called 'Sounding Off', so I can jump at this stage to a totally different matter, the throw-in in hurling. I'm more and more convinced it needs to be abolished. The solution is simple. Whichever team loses the toss at the start of a game pucks out the ball. It's so simple and look what it will avoid. Recall the throw-in between Waterford and Clare in Thurles in the replay! And that incident wasn't a lone swallow. Again and again you find referees delaying the throw-in for various reasons. They have the players lined up too early. They are waiting for the time to be right? They are revelling in their positions of power, fussing that everything is so-so, sending balletic gestures to their linesmen and umpires, rechecking their watches for the fourth time. And all the time the four midfield players are getting hyper and more hyper as the pep talk from the dressing room drums in their ears and the proximity of the enemy drives them to frenzy. 

It could all be avoided by starting the game with a puck out. And, when I'm at it the throw-in at the sideline should also be ended for good. It does nobody any good and is conducive to injury. How can that be eliminated? By getting the linesman to make up his mind and decide who should get the puck instead of taking the easy option of a throw-in. Do you ever see a throw-in in soccer or rugby? Never! The decision is always made. Why should it be different in hurling or football?

 

<span class="postTitle">Remembering Galbertstown G.A.A. Club (1954-61)</span> Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1999, p 53

Remembering Galbertstown G.A.A. Club (1954-61)

Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1999, p 53

 

You may talk about legends and heroes
And of men of great fame and renown
But come listen well to the story I tell
Of the hurlers of Galberstown. 
Their names are not heard in high places
And they’re not in the Hall of Fame
They were solid and strong and they seldom did wrong
When they played the Great Hurling Game.

 

This is the first verse of a song composed by Margaret Heaphy to commemorate the hurlers of Galbertstown on the occasion of the unveiling of a memorial to their memories at Volkes Cross in Galbertstown on September 6, 1998. Not only did she write the song but she also sang it splendidly on the occasion. It was in fact her first venture into song writing and she wrote it in a fortnight. She had a personal interest in the commemoration as a number of her brothers were involved with the club.

The impressive monument is of Killough limestone, on which are cut the names of the officers and players of the club, and it is set in a wall built with stones taken from the house of Molly, and the late Bill Flanagan, which was used by the players for togging out. The unique stonework is a tribute to Galbertstown native, Donie Fogarty, now living in Ballagh.

The club had its origins at a meeting of local people after a Stations Mass in 1954. At that stage Galbertstown was in the parish of Moycarkey-Borris (it transferred to Holycross-Ballycahill in the early seventies) and it was a long distance to the G.A.A. pitch in Littleton. There were a lot of hurlers in the area and it was believed that a separate club was necessary to cater for their needs. The club was affiliated to the mid board in the same year and the players met for the first year in the late Bill Flanagan’s field and for the remaining six years of their existence in the field of the late Johnny Shanahan. The founding members were Michael McCormack, John Flanagan (M), Brian Shanahan, Michael Spillane, Johnny Shanahan and John Maher.

The colour chosen by the club was white and it was known as the lily white of Galbertstown. It was remarked on the evening of the unveiling how significant it was that the real Lily Whites should be making history when Galbertstown was being remembered. The club didn’t have any success. Its best achievement was getting to a mid junior final. Two players from the club did achieve success with the county. Michael Lonergan was on the county All-Ireland panel in 1964 and John Flanagan won a medal in 1971. One team photograph was taken and it was incorporated in the memorial.

The monument was the culmination of about twelve months’ work by the local organising committee of some forty enthusiasts. The officers are - Chairman: Johnny Flanagan; Secretary: Raymond Flanagan; Treasurer: Conor Spillane; Assistant Treasurer: Donie Shanahan; Vice-chairman: Jim Flanagan; Assistant Secretary: Paggy Shanahan. In fact so great was the enthusiasm and so successful the fund-raising that the job was completed much more quickly than originally envisaged. Much research was done into the history of the club and the committee hope to bring this out in book form in the near future.

It was a great occasion for the people of Galbertstown and an opportunity for them to reveal pride in their place and their history. The guest speaker was Tomas O Baroid, Runai, Tipperary County Board. The chief concelebrant of the Mass was Fr. Liam Ryan, whose brother, Michael, had played with Galbertstown. He was assisted by Fr. Tom Breen, Fr. Richard Ryan and Fr. Paudie Moloughney. To commemorate the great occasion the Offertory Procession was a special one. Many items associated with the club, which are preserved to this day, were presented. The monument was unveiled by Jim Cormack, the oldest man in Galbertstown, and John Shanahan, son of Paggy and the late John Joe Shanahan. The Master of Ceremonies was Raymond Flanagan and the Moycarkey-Borris Pipe Band were on duty and concluded the proceedings with Amhran na bhFiann. At a function in Kevin Ryan’s of Holycross afterwards, plaques were presented to former members and players or their representatives.

They were men of might and of splendour
They were heroes of renown
And we’ll never again see the likes of those men
The Hurlers of Galbertstown. 

 

 

<span class="postTitle">Recent G.A.A. Publications - 1998</span> Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1999, pp 41

Recent G.A.A. Publications - 1998

Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1999, pp 41

 

There's an absolute dearth of club publications in the county this year. No club has gone to print! Talking to Seamus McCarthy recently about Tipperary's All-Ireland junior football victory and his own receipt of the Tipperary Sport Star award, I asked him about the Bansha book. This was promised a few years ago. According to him he is hoping to close the final chapter in the New Year. Galtee Rovers' achievements have been outstanding this year and their victories would make a fine closing chapter, plus, of course, his own impressive achievements. 

If no club published a history in 1998, one club P.R.O. got the highest recognition. Bridget Delaney of the Burgess G.A.A. Club won a McNamee Award for her club media presentation. As club P.R.O. since 1992, she has produced the club notes for the Guardian every week, fifty-two weeks in the year. She received her award for the comprehensiveness and completeness of her effort, offering a weekly diet of news of matches, events, functions, obituaries, any club activity worthy of mention. She supplements her notes with appropriate photographs and so convinced is she of the value of the picture to draw attention to the text that she is presently pursuing a photography course in Cork. As well as her P.R.O. work, Bridget is also working assiduously on the club history. Much work has been completed, many photographs have been collected. In fact, progress has been so good that, if she acquired a sponsor to cover the cost of publication, she would be in print in the not-too-distant future. 

A number of books, published during the past year, are worthy of mention. Sport, Culture, Politics and Scottish Society - Irish Immigrants and the G.A.A. by Joseph M. Bradley (Edinburgh, 1998) traces the history of Gaelic sport in Scotland from its beginnings in 1897 up to the present. It puts the sport in the context of Scottish nationalism and shows how national identification tended to be with Glasgow Celtic rather than with the G.A.A. The book is about much more than sport, being a commentary on the historical, social and political development of the Irish in Scotland. 

For Love of Town and Village by Jack Mahon (Dublin, 1997) explores the exciting success of the AIB G.A.A. Club All-Ireland championships. The club unit has always been the bedrock of the G.A.A. In the early days the AII-Irelands were contested between clubs representing counties, with the first ever titles of 1887 won by Thurles and Limerick Commercials. This practice continued right up to the 1920s. From then onwards counties were represented by selections from all the clubs in the counties and the club unit tended to count for less. The revival of the club championship in 1970 gave the clubs back something precious and something that has proven enduring. It is the one 'modern' competition that has caught the imagination of the public. The Oireachtas and the Railway Cup may have declined but the club championship goes from strength to strength. It gives supporters the opportunity to see some top class hurling and football and meaningful competition during the winter months. The book not only tells the story of the victorious sides but highlights some of the personalities who played. Two chapters of particular Tipperary interest are titled Roscrea: First in Hurling and Lovely Fair Ieigh. It's a wel­come addition to the G.A.A. library. 

Sambo: All or Nothing by Terence McNaughton (Dublin, 1998) tells the story of Antrim hurling through the experiences of the writer. It's a lively read and Tipperary don't come very well out of it. Writing about the aftermath of the 1989 All-Ireland and the banquet for the All-Ireland teams at Kilmainham, the following day, he has this to say: 'We didn't want to be at that banquet - we wanted to be home with our families. It wasn't a question of bad sportsmanship. We were hurt and humiliated. We had been beaten by a better side, beaten by 18 points. If we didn't deserve to win, neither did we deserve the insults of a few - and I'd emphasise a few - of the Tipperary players. One made a comment about my 'hairstyle'. If I'd a penny for every time I'd had someone slag me about my dome, I'd be rich. It was the manner in which it was said that day. Offence was intended and it wasn't just that we were raw from losing. They tried to rub our noses in it. They showed us no respect whatsoever and lacked manners. One said he 'didn't rate winning the All-Ireland because we only beat Antrim'. Another said: 'We'll have to win another All-Ireland medal because this one won't count.' One of them subsequently refused me an autograph for my son. When I asked, he turned and said, 'Why, who are you?' And there is more! 

Wexford Old Gaels' Story, 1982-1997 compiled by Larry Larkin (Enniscorthy, 1997, is a totally different kind of book. It is about an organisation, founded in Wexford in 1982, to ensure that the work of dedicated G.A.A. people is recognised and remembered. Hundreds of testimonial awards have been presented in the past fifteen years. Those who scaled the heights in their playing days and those who attained the top official posts have been included. But, more importantly, many of those who have played and worked for their clubs with dedication without ever achieving major success have also been recognised and honoured. The motto of the organisation is that 'it is important that we do not forget to remember.' Maybe there's room for a similar organisation in this county. 

On a personal note, The Clash of the Ash in Foreign Fields: Hurling Abroad (Cashel, 1998), was published during the year. It completes the work begun in A History of Hurling. In fact, the work began as a chapter in the latter book but, because the book had gone beyond the limits laid down by the publishers, had to be withdrawn. It was just as well because what I had tried to cram into one chapter was too much. To attempt to cover the history of hurling in the U.K., North America, Argentina, South Africa, Australia and other places in a chapter was not on. It deserved a book and has got just that (200 pages in A4 size) in The Clash of the Ash in Foreign Fields. The book covers the attempts made by the G.A.A. to spread the gospel of hurling abroad by sending top teams of hurlers on promotional trips to foreign places, beginning with the American 'Invasion' in 1888 and continuing right down to the All-Star trips of modern times. It also relates the efforts of the Irish diaspora to organise the game in a meaningful way wherever they found themselves in large numbers.

 

<span class="postTitle">The Nenagh Co-op County Senior Hurling Championship - 1998</span> Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1999, pp 30-31

The Nenagh Co-op County Senior Hurling Championship - 1998

Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1999, pp 30-31

 

Toomevara returned to the pinnacle of Tipperary hurling on November I when they regained the Dan Breen Cup after a three-year absence. 

They defeated the 1997 champions, Clonoulty-Rossmore, by 0-16 to 1-10 and in doing so re-established themselves as the premier club of the nineties, with four victories out of five final appearances. Although only three points separated the sides at the final whistle, this was an emphatic Toomevara victory fashioned out of a wide spread of hurling talent from a tight and composed backline to a versatile set of forwards. It was a sweet victory for a club which, after the promises of the early nineties, had to suffer the frustration of failure over the past three years. 

Although Tipperary's inter-county hurling success was negligible during the year, the divisional championships fell well behind. This was partly explained by the success of the senior footballers who reached the Munster final, played at Thurles on August 2, and the juniors, who surprised everyone except themselves in bringing the first football All-Ireland to the county since 1934. All four divisional finals were played on the first weekend of September and, what may well be unique, new champions were declared in all cases. 

Divisional Finals 

The mid final was played on Saturday evening at Semple Stadium and it will be remembered not for the quality of the hurling but rather for a great-hearted display by Loughmore-Castleiney who, with limited resources, beat a much more talented Boherlahan-Dualla side by 0-10 to 1-5. The west final, on the following day, was played in atrocious conditions at Emly. Clonoulty-Rossmore were the favourites and they won, perhaps none too convincingly, by 0-12 to 0-8, against a very spirited Golden-Kilfeacle side, which lacked effective fire power up front. On the same afternoon at Monroe, Ballingarry proved too good for Carrick Swans and their victory by 1-14 to 1-7 was thoroughly deserved. There was a surprise in store for patrons of the north final at Cloughjordan. Firm favourites and unbeaten-to-date Toomevara were shocked by a Nenagh side, which gave an outstanding display and defeated the champions by 1-11 to 0-11.


Quarter Finals

The line up for the quarter finals was North v South and Mid v West. The North-South contests were played in Sean Treacy Park, Tipperary on September 20. In the first game Eire Óg, Nenagh were on song against a Carrick Swan side, which failed to do themselves justice on the occasion. In fine hurling conditions the North champions had effectively brushed aside the Swan challenge by the interval, when they led by 1-12 to 0-4. The second half dragged its slow length along to an inevitable conclusion when the score stood at 2-21 to 0-5. The highlight of the game was the exceptional performance of Nenagh's John Kennedy, who scored 1-10 of his side's total.

The second game was a much better contest. Toomevara got off to a blistering start and were ahead by 1-7 to 0-2 after twenty minutes but Ballingarry fought back and were 2-8 to 1-6 in arrears at the interval. However, the North men were a bridge too far for the South champions and, try as they might, they could not overcome the deficit and were still five points behind at the final whistle on a scoreline of 3-14 to 3-9. The most telling statistic of the game was the number of wides shot by Toomevara. To their fourteen points they added fifteen wides whereas Ballingarry struck only five in the course of the hour. It was a good indication of the overall dominance of the Toom men. 

The third of the quarter-finals was played at Cashel on September 27. The game was eagerly awaited as Clonoulty-Rossmore had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in their previous meeting in the 1997 county semi-final. On this occasion it was the reigning county champions who' controlled the game all the way and it was Boherlahan-Dualla who made the late surge, but in vain. The West champions led by 0-9 to 0-6 at the interval and had three points to spare on a scoreline of 2-1 1 to 1-1 1 at the final whistle. 

The last of the quarter-finals was delayed because of the need to have the play-off between the West runners-up and the Crosco Cup winners. Golden-Kilfeacle and Kickhams played at Cashel on Sept-tember 27 and the result of an exciting encounter was a victory for Kickhams by 3-16 to 2-15. They played LoughmoreCastleiney at Cashel on October 4. In a tough, tense battle Kickhams gave one of their better displays to come out on top by 1-8 to 0-10. Going into the game as underdogs, their display might have justified a better margin of victory but their supporters were quite happy with a result which put them into a county semi-final for the first time since the 1950s. It was also a sweet achievement for a team which had failed to reach its own divisional final. 

The Semi-Finals

The semi-finals were played at Semple Stadium on October 18. For Toomevara it was an easy victory. They had eighteen points to spare over a thoroughly disappointing Kickhams side in a poor game. The story is simply told. Kickhams started off well but a goal by Tommy Dunne in the eighth minute established the North side's dominance. They led by 1-11 to 0-5 at the interval and were in front by 4-19 to 0-13 at the final whistle. They showed themselves a skillful bunch of players with a bit of toughness thrown in and their display established them as favourites for the final.

The second game was a more exciting contest. Nenagh came into the match as the team of all the talents. They had beaten Toomevara in the North final and annihilated the hapless Swans in the quarter-final. They had the advantage over Clonoulty-Rossmore in the first half but allowed them back into contention.The concession of an own goal early in the second-half was a disaster. However, they fought back and were three points in front with ten minutes remaining. But that lead was gradually whittled away and the sides were level with five minutes to go. In the remaining period it was the determination and spirit of Clonoulty-Rossmore, aided by poor shooting on the part of Nenagh that gave the West champions victory. The shot that scored the winning point came from declan Ryan, who spied half a chance from the old stand sideline, and took it to give his side a place in the final by 3-1 I to 1-16. For Nenagh it was a most disappointing performance, the memory of which will send shivers of irritation through the system. They played some beautiful hurling which came to nought through woeful inaccuracy.

The Final

The traditional venue, Semple Stadium, hosted the county final on November 1. A week's rain beforehand was hardly the proper preparation for the premier event in county hurling. The poor conditions gave way to a dry, blustery day but a disappointing crowd of only 9,000 spectators turned up for the occasion. 

Toomevara went into the game as favourites but there were some, influenced no doubt by Clonoulty-Rossmore's survival experiences en route, who believed that the West men would create a surprise. The big men of the West and the heavy going would combine to reduce Toom's potential and give the red and green victory. 

Such was not to be. It was a close final but the closeness belied Toom's superiority. The sides were level six times in a hard fought first half but it was significant that after dropping a two-point advantage, they regained it and deservedly led by three points at the interval, 0-10 to 0-7. It could be argued that Clonoulty-Rossmore were unlucky not to score two goals during this period and there's a point in the argument. But equally valuable is the contention that it was the brilliance of the Toomevara backs which deprived them of the goals and that is borne out by the splendid display of the same backs in the second half, particularly the half-back line spearheaded by Tony Delaney. 

The Toom dominance continued after the break and within ten minutes they were six points in front. Then came Clonoulty-Rossmore's great moment, a goal from a penalty by Declan Ryan. It was a superb shot, striking the back of the net before the defenders knew it had passed them. It should have lifted the West men but instead it brought one of the finest scores' of the hour, a point from Tommy Dunne almost from the puck out. It was a swift retort and restored the four point lead. For the remainder of the game Clonoulty-Rossmore tried very hard to reduce the deficit but could never get it below three points and so it remained until the final whistle. 

It was a happy and deserved return to the top for Toomevara. They are a well co-ordinated side with talent all over the field and plenty on the sideline as well. We wish them well in Munster as they have unfinished business in the club championship. There is no substitute for victory but Clonoulty-Rossmore can look back on a year during which they gave great satisfaction to their supporters and revealed that they have young players of great potential in Liam Kearney, Michael Heffernan, Kevin Lanigan-Ryan and Bonny Kennedy. 

Toomevara: J. Cotrell, G. Frend, R. Brislane, A. Maxwell, P. Hackett, T. Delaney, P. Shanahan (capt.), P. King, Terry Dunne, P. O'Brien, Tommy Dunne, K. Dunne, M. Bevans, K. Kennedy, K. Cummins. Subs: D. Kelly for K. Kennedy; Paul McGrath for P. King. 

Clonoulty-Rossmore: A. Fryday (capt.), M. Ryan, P. Brennan, R. Ahearn, M. Heffernan, A. Butler, L. Kearney, M. Brennan, K. Lanigan-Ryan, M. Quirke, K. Ryan, M. Kennedy, D. Quirke, D. Ryan, M. 'Shiner' Heffernan. Subs:J. Hayes for M. Quirke; A. Kennedy for M. 'Shiner' Heffernan; L. Manton for M. Ryan. 

Referee: Willie Barrett (Arcfinnan) 

Man of the Match award: Tony Delaney (Toomevara). 

 

Results at a Glance:

County Final

Nov. 1, 1998 at Semple Stadium:

Toomevara 0-16 Clonoulty-Rossmore I -10 Referee: Willie Barrett (Arcfinnan) 

 

Semi-Finals

Oct. 18, 1998 at Semple Stadium:

Toomevara 4-19 Kickhams 0-13 Referee: Tommy Lonergan (Kilsheelan)

Clonoulty-Rossmore 3-11 Nenagh Eire Og 1-16 Referee: Willie Clohessy (Drom-Inch) 

 

Quarter Finals

October 4, 1998 at Leahy Park:

Kickhams 1-8 Loughmore-Castleiney 0-10 Referee: Michael Cahill (Kilruane-MacDonaghs) 

September 20, 1998 at Sean Treacy Park:

Toomevara 3-14 Ballingarry 3-9 Referee: John Ryan (Cashel King Cormacs)

Nenagh Eire Og 2-21 Carrick Swans 0-5 Referee: Richard Barry (Cappawhite) 

September 27,1998 at Leahy Park:

Clonoulty-Rossmore 2-11 Boherlahan-Dualla 1-1 Referee: Johnny McDonnel1 (Roscrea) (Drom-Inch). 

 

 

<span class="postTitle">Senior Relegation</span> Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1999, p 23

Senior Relegation

Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1999, p 23

 

One of the major developments in the 1998 county senior hurling championship was the introduction of relegation at divisional level. The brainchild of the Games Development Committee, the intention behind it was to reduce the number of senior teams in the county: there were too many and the result was doing the standard of senior hurling no good. 

It was decided that one team would go down in each of the four divisions in 1998 and 1999. With the winning team in the intermediate championship getting promotion to senior status in each of these years, the result would be a reduction of six in the number of senior teams, from 32 to 26, over the period. 

The divisions were given freedom to decide their method of relegation and the chief one used was a play-off among teams defeated in the first round of the championship. In the south, where the championship was played on a league basis, a decision was taken that the lowest team at the end of the league stage would be relegated. Cahir found themselves in that position and were relegated after two years at senior grade. 

The relegated teams in the other divisions were Lorrha in the north, Gortnahoe in the mid and Arravale Rovers in the west. They were beaten by Borrisokane, Drom-Inch and Eire Og respectively. 

Loss of Status

Of the four teams to be relegated probably the greatest heartache was felt in Lorrha. Whereas the other teams have oscillated between senior and intermediate status over the decades, Lorrha has enjoyed uninterrupted senior statue since 1946 and won five divisional finals. In contrast, Arravale won west divisional honours twice in 1966 and 1970, while Gortnahoe and Cahir have never achieved senior success. 

Lorrha gained senior status as a result of winning the intermediate title of 1946. The north final was played in November of that year but the county semi-final and final weren't played until the end of 1947. In the semi-final Lorrha beat Galtee St. Pecauns at Thurles on November 16 and the final, against Moycarkey-Borris, was played at Gaile on the first Sunday in December. The choice of venue was very interesting, only a mile from the parish of Moycarkey-Borris. It was as close as it was possible to get to Moycarkey without actually being in it! 

Injuries 

No report of the match was published in any of the local papers. Probably the result didn't please the powers that were in control in the county at the time. As far as has been discovered the result was 4-4 to 3-4 in favour of Lorrha. The referee let everything run its course in a fairly tough game. The Lorrha centre-back, Paddy O'Sullivan, retired with an injury five minutes into the second half. When he went into Thurles to have attention the doctor, on hearing of the match, said: 'I can expect more so!' He was unnecessarily pessimistic as Billy Hogan, who had to get a few stitches in the mouth, was the only other casualty. 

As a result of winning the north final the team went senior in 1947, getting to the semi-final before going down to Borrisileigh. Of course, the team got a great new recruit in February of that year when Tony Reddin came across the bridge of Portumna from Mullagh. He was to make a name for himself with Lorrha and Tipperary over the next decade. His presence on the Lorrha team in 1948 was most responsible for the team's success in the north final and qualification for the county final in which they went down to Holycross-Ballycahill. 

The Future 

All of that was fifty years and more ago and it returned the club to the status it has held from the foundation of the G.A.A. until 1940. In the latter year it had been regraded to intermediate and it remained in that status until winning the championship in 1946. It is hoped that the club's present relegation is for an even shorter period. There may even be some good to come from a stay in the intermediate ranks, an opportunity to rejuvenate the club and put it on a stronger footing. Probably the greatest motivation will be a determination to get back to senior status. 

For the record then, and not something to be proud of, as Ken Hogan pointed out to me at the Toome-Blackrock game, the Lorrha team which was defeated 2-7 to 0-9 by Borrisokane in the relegation playoff at Cloughjordan on September 6 was as follows: Ken Hogan, Cathal McIntyre, Tom Madden, Martin Younge, Stephen Hogan, John Mclntyre, David Haughton, John Madden, Enda Moran, Barry Moran, Declan O'Meara, Noel Hogan, Pat Kennedy, Aidan Mclntyre, Rory Coen. Subs: John Sherlock for B. Moran, Padraic Madden for A. McIntyre, Donal O'Donoghue for Kennedy.

 

 

<span class="postTitle">Rockwell College 1922 - 1923</span> Rockwell College Annual 1998-1999, pp 86-91

Rockwell College 1922 - 1923

Rockwell College Annual 1998-1999, pp 86-91

 

Rockwell College suffered many disturbances during the school year 1922-1923, a year which coincided with the Civil War, which officially began with the shelling of the Four Courts at the end of June 1922 and ended with the order to the anti-Treaty force on May 24th, 1923 to "dump arms" and "cease fire". The Journal, kept by a member of the Rockwell Community, contains numerous references to the impact of the war on life in Rockwell. 

The College re-opened on September 14th when about 46 boys "managed to get back". It took some time for the schoolboy population to build up to a final figure of 101. There is a fascinating entry of October 2nd - "Boys continue to dribble in. Two have just arrived from Castletown Bere. Thence they had a thirteen-hour voyage to Cork, aboard a cargo boat laden with pigs. Many of the poor brutes got seasick and had to be jettisoned. From Cork the pair came here by motor." Another entry for January 7th 1923 states that a boy named Condon from Valentia arrived that day. He had been unable to travel during the previous term. We can only presume that this was because of the disturbances caused by the war. 

All the Fathers had returned to the College by September 14th, with the exception of Fr. McAllister. He was referred to in the Journal as Prefect of Worship in the 1921 entry but now is given the title of Prefet de Culte. All the lays (sometimes referred to as lay hands) returned, with the exception of Mr. Mansfield. He's referred to in an entry for the previous year as "ex-prefect, still wearing the habit" He eventually arrived back on September 17th as a layman. On December 16th he left to join the new Civic Guards in Dublin. 

There is a bit of bad news. Fr. Cotter, the Assistant Superior, had some sort of seizure on the first evening of term and fell downstairs. He was put to bed. However, things did not seem to be too serious as he was up and out the following day and heard confessions. But it must have been a false recovery because we read that the next day that he was sinking fast and was anointed. He expired at 10 a.m. on Monday, September 18th. 


The Community and Others

The religious community of Rockwell College at that time was comprised of Fr. J. Byrne, the Superior and his assistant was the above-mentioned Fr. J. Cotter. The Organist was Fr. N. J. Muller, a German. Another German member of the Community was Fr. C. Schmidt. Fr. J. McGrath was Dean of Studies and Fr. J. Kingston was Bursar. The Journal was kept by Fr. J. O'Neill. There was also Fr. M. Colgan, Fr. P. Brennan, Fr. P. J. Meagher and Fr. T. Cunningham. The Dean of Discipline was Fr. D. Leen. There was also Fr. P. McAllister, mentioned above, Fr. J. McCarthy, Director of Scholastics and Master of Singing. All the Fathers took class except Fr. Superior, Fr. Cotter and Fr. Kingston. 

The Prefects were Mr. Mackey and Mr. McGrea who were in charge of the study, Mr. Murren and Mr. Hanrahan who were in charge of the Seniors and Mr. Danaher and Mr. Reidy who were in charge of the Junior. 

The lay teachers were Mr. Gallagher, Mr. Twomey, Mr. Mansfield, Mr. Nagle and Mr. O'Shea. Mr. T. Enright was the Farm Steward and the Nurse was Miss Marrinan. 

There was a rather leisurely introduction to the year. On the day after arrival, the boys had six ten-minute classes from 12 noon until 1 p.m! They did have class on Saturday and on the first Saturday, there were six half-hour classes. 

Electric Light

There was a problem and that was light. The Community and the students had to make do with candles as the electric light was not yet fully installed. The old gas lighting system throughout the College was in the process of being replaced. The old acetylene fittings had been removed throughout most of the College. Apparently the work of installing the electric light had gone on during the summer. It was hoped to have it ready for September and the beginning of the new school year but the work was badly hampered as there were no trains "to bring in the needed apparatus." 

By September 19th, the electric light was on in the Fathers' rooms but it was very weak. "We miss the acetylene". The light continued to be unsatisfactory. On October 5th it was reported that a storage battery of 54 cells was being obtained. Six days later there was no light for two nights as the storage batteries were being charged. On October 12th, it was reported that the newly-charged batteries were providing light and it was a great improvement. But October 17th brought another hiccup. The light was cut off when a carpenter inadvertently drove a nail into the wires. In December we learn that a new engine had been purchased to drive the dynamo. When it arrived it was found to have been damaged in transit. On the night of celebration to mark the winning of the Harty Cup in April, the light short-circuited and the boys went to bed at 8.30 p.m. 

The disturbed state of the country was evident in other ways too. A postal strike started on September 9th. There were few outsiders at Fr. Cotter's funeral on September 20th - because of the strike, it was impossible to inform people of his death. The same was the case at the funeral of a former Provincial, Fr. Cornelius O'Shea, who died in Cork. His body was brought to Rockwell for burial in a Ford touring car because no motor hearse was procurable. The postal strike ended a month later, on October 9th, but a strike on the Great Southern and Western Railway a week later stopped letters and papers. Near the end of the month, there was a further problem. Some mails arrived at the college, bearing the legend, "Censored by the LR.A." There had been a hold-up of mails in Boherlahan, between Cashel and Holycross. 

 

A Sick Boy

One of the boys, Brendan Mallen, developed appendicitis on Septernber 25th, He was brought to Cashel Workhouse the next day and operated on by Drs. J. Ryan, Cusack and Foley. Mr. Mackey, one of the Prefects, amid a downpour, rode to Tipperary to get Dr. Ryan to come. Mallen must haye recovered because we read no more about him. On February 17th, we read that a student named Feehan ran away, seemingly with some idea that it was his obligation to report for duty to the Fianna. He returned two days later. 

The examination results were good. The Journal entry reads. "Our passes were excellent. In total, they got 78 out of 89, a percentage far exceeding that of the rest of Ireland. There was a free day for the results on October 3rd. The boys walked to the Rock of Cashel. Immediately after dining, the boys came home as the evening was threatening." Six days later, the Intermediate Prize List arrived. Rockwell was awarded four exhibitions, three book prizes, two composition prizes - nine distinctions in all. The boys got the following day off. 

The Civil War impinged on the life of the Community and the School. On September 16th, we learn that Fr. O'Neill, who went to Clerihan on ministry, had to make a rather devious journey as the Irregulars had barricaded the roads in preparation for an abortive ambush in New Inn. During the second week of October, there was a pastoral letter from the Irish Bishops, condemning as immoral the Irregulars' armed resistance to the will of the majority of the people and forbidding the sacraments to be administered to such as persisted in the armed revolt. The letter also suspended, ipso facto, any priest who publicly or privately advocated or encouraged armed resistance. The letter had to be read at the public Masses in Rockwell on successive Sundays. 

On November 3rd, Free State troops did a round-up at Heffernan's near the back gate of the College and the officer commanding, O'Dwyer, mortally wounded Iregular leader, Sadleir. Both O'Dwyer and Sadleir were both former Rockwell students. Miss Marrinan, the Nurse and Fr. McAllister were sent to attend the dying man. 

On Both Sides

A week later we read that half-a-dozen Irregulars were captured in a dugout at Ballydoyle. They included two Rockwell past students, Gus McCarthy of Fethard and Andy Moloney of New Inn. A few days later, there was another abortive ambush by Irregulars at Marlhill - a tree was felled after the Free State troops had passed. There was a sign posted on the tree that nobody remove it on pain of death. It was not, in fact, moved until January 3rd. 

On December 3rd, people coming to Mass in Rockwell were horrified when passing the crossroads near Cliffords to see a man lying on the road with his brains blown out and with a label attache'd to his clothing, alleging he was a spy and had been shot as such by the Irregulars. 

Two days later, we read that a military cycle patrol arrested Patsey Carey, a Rockwell worker, and took him to Cashel for having in his pockets incriminating literature, notably, a military signal code. However, on the following day, through the good offices of Commandant W. Quinlan, another former Rockwell students, Carey was released at noon. A week before Christmas, Free State troops on the march from Kilkenny turned into the College about 1 p.m., drenched and weary and asked if they could have food. Dinner was provided and a "chit" for payment was proffered. The usual Midnight Mass was not celebrated on Christmas Night because of the disturbed state of the countryside. We read for January 14th - 'Some of our servants were commandeered last night to help or rather to screen the Irregulars in communication-blocking arrangements. A tree of ours, adjoining Marlhill, was felled in the process." 

Things Get Worse

Because of the republican leanings of the College President, Fr. J. Byrne, there were regular rumours that Rockwell was a haven for Irregulars. As early as November 15th, the Journal entry stated that a report in Tipperary Town claimed that Rockwell had been raided from roof to cellar the previous day by Free State forces. The writer was concerned about the report which was groundless. "These lying rumours grow monotonous." But, groundless or not, they persisted. The entry for February 24th reads; "The Archbishop called and, in a half-hour's talk with the Superior, had his mind disabused of some of the ideas engendered by the reports that branded Rockwell as a centre of Irregular and anti-episcopal activity." 

On March 2nd, a tree was felled by the Irregulars near the back gate and this prevented the fishwoman from getting past to deliver her wares. Three local Irregulars were captured and one of them was John O'Brien, who, until some time previously, had been assistant cook in the College. 

The rumours had some influence on the civil authorities. On March 3rd, about 30 Free State troops searched the grounds and the servants' quarters. Less than two weeks later, the place was searched again, on this occasion the servants' quarters, the farmyard and the Lake House. In the last-named building, John O'Brien, nicknamed Scaddy or de Valera, was captured. O'Brien had been gassed in France, when fighting in the British Army during World War I and was drawing a British pension. Also arrested with him was a man called O'Neill, who was Brother Nicephorus' assistant tailor. 

There was another thorough search of the College by the Free State soldiers on April 14th. They had heard that Eamon de Valera was hiding there. The soldiers arrived again at 5 a.m. the following morning and remained until after the People's Mass. 

O'Brien was released from prison in Templemore on May 5th as his health was poor and he had signed an undertaking not to share in armed resistance to the Free State. There was a further search of the College on May 13th. It began at 5 a.m. and covered the farmyard, the Scholasticate and the servants' quarters. A baker, by the name of Grace, was arrested but he was released later on the intervention of an ex-Rockwell student, Sergeant Brophy. There was another raid at 4 a.m. four days later. It was to be the final raid of the school year. 

Ordinary Life

In spite of the political turmoil in the land and the interference with ordinary life, the daily routine continued at Rockwell. There was long spell of dry weather. There are a number of references in the Journal to the lake drying up. The entry for October 14th reads - "The fish are dying in scores in the diminishing lake, the roach resisting better than the trout." 

The scarcity of things was felt. On November 27th, the entry reads - "The coal supply is short and the stout can't be got any longer from Clonmel. The Fathers, many of them cut and carry their own fuel, are referred to by the writer as "the hewers of wood and the drinkers of water." 

For December 8th, the Witch Scene from "Macbeth" and some other dramatic selections were produced by Mr. Hanrahan, the Senior Prefect. The Christmas examinations were held from December 15th to 19th. The results were read out at 5.30 p.m. on the last day. Afterwards, there was a dramatic entertainment. Naboclish, a comedy in two acts, as well as other entertainment, was put on at 7 p.m. The following day, the boys went home. They had to walk most of the way to the railway station in Cashel and depart baggageless because, owing to the sudden frost, cars could not travel in time. 

In January, the electric light was installed in the St. Joseph's House, the Scholasticate, and, soon after, work commenced on the wiring of the Chapel. Around the same time, the front avenue was "well-macadamized and cambered" and the back avenue patched. In March we read that the road to Cashel is being steamrolled "after a fashion". 

Gaelic Games

There is no mention of rugby or cricket during the year and occasional references to Gaelic football. The chief game was hurling and the College had a good team, winning not only the Harty Cup, but the All-Ireland as well. The soldiers may have been searching the grounds of the College but this did not prevent the boys from getting in their hurling practice. The semi-final of the Harty Cup was played on March 18th. Earlier, Fr. Leen, the Dean of Discipline, tried to secure Cashel Sportsfield for the game against Thurles "but Mr. Looby refused to let us have it." No reason was given for the refusal, which leaves one intrigued. The loss of the home advantage did not make any difference as Rockwell had a comfortable win over Thurles C.B.5. 

The final, against limerick C.B.S., was played on April 22nd. The reporter on The Tipperary Star set the scene: "Sunday in Thurles reminded me of the old days before the Troubles arose in this grand green isle of ours. It was the occasion of the crossing of the camans between the boys from Rockwell College, renowned the world over wherever an Irishman is to be found in educational circles, with the Limerick representatives, or the boys from the Treaty Stone, in the final of the Dr. Harty Cup and set of medals." 

About a thousand people attended and Rockwell had the better of the exchanges. They were somewhat heavier than their opponents and, with the aid of the breeze, led 3-2 to 0-0 at the interval. In the second half, they held their advantage, partly due to bad marksmanship on the part of Limerick, and were ahead by 5-2 to 2-1 at the final whistle. The victorious side was Sheehan (Captain), Fleming (goal), PooIe, ColI, Foley, Scully, Brosnan, Ryan, Chawke, Hickey, Duffy, McCarthy, O'Connell, Hackett, McCall. 

According to the Journal, Fr. McGrath and Mr. Mackey brought a "Galaxy" of prizemen to the match. When the team and the supporters returned to the College, the Superior made a short speech to the victors. That was at 8 p.m. but "because the light short-circuited, the boys went to bed at 8.30." The next day was a free day in celebration of the win. The Fathers had coffee after dinner. 

The All-Ireland was not played until June 3rd. No fear then of injury to the examination students! In Preparation, the team played'a strong fifteen from Thurles at Rockwell on May 6th. Tom Semple came with the team and put up two "rise and strike" medals to be competed for by Rockwell and Thurles. A Rockwell boy was the winner in each competition. The team went to Blackrock the night before in preparation for the match against Roscrea at Croke Park the following day. In a very moderate game, Rockwell overwhelmed their opponents by 6-1 to 1-0, having led by 3-0 to 1-0 at the interval. Roscrea had 160 boys that year as against 101 at Rockwell. 

Lighthearted Moments

One of these was referred to as "The Tragedy of the Gorgonzola". Apparently in January, Fr. Colgan received a present of a large piece of Gorgonzola cheese and stored it in a hideaway near the parlour. The Nurse scented it out, and objecting to the aroma, consigned the whole thing to the flames. 

The Superior, Fr. Byrne, had befriended Fr. Matt Ryan, PP, Knockavilla. On St. Patrick's Day, Fr. Ryan and the Knockavilla clergy dined with the community. There were songs and speeches over coffee. According to the entry, "Mr. Hanrahan's 'company' gave a performance of the 'Eloquent Dempsey' which fell a bit flat." 

At the end of March, most of the boys went home for Easter. Not all, however. Some twenty stayed on together with eight scholastics. On April 2nd, the Prefects, scholastics and the boarders went to the matinee at the Kinema (sic), Cashel. 

In May the scholastics began to complete the handball alley. They also acquired a new boat which was christened the Stella Maris. Two coracles, which they had been using up to then, were deemed unseaworthy and burned. Towards the end of the month, they started croquet.

End of Year

Winning the All-Ireland earned the boys a free day on June 4th. A week after, the non-examination students, forty boarders and eighteen scholastics, went home. Nine scholastics were held back for manual labour. There were sixty boarders and ten scholastics for examination. There were two centres in the boys' Refectory. The examinations began on June 12th with Mr. Cooney superintending. The boys went home on June 21st with the exception of the Matric students. As well as the Rockwell boys doing the Matric here, there were five outsiders, four from Cashel and one from Bansha.

 

 

<span class="postTitle">Rockwell College 1923-1924</span> Rockwell College Annual 1998, pp 26-31

Rockwell College 1923-1924

Rockwell College Annual 1998, pp 26-31

 

The year got off to the best possible start. When the results arrived on September 11 they were pronounced 'excellent'.  They included the best prize list since 1916 and a record pass list. In the senior grade 17 passed out of 18. In the middle grade it was 19 out of 20, and all passed in the junior grade. The prize list brought 8 exhibitions, 1 book prize, 4  composition prizes and 4 medals. Donal McCarthy of Middleton, the brightest star in the Rockwell academic firmament got 3 junior grade medals. First places were achieved in French, Algebra, Arithmetic, History and Geography. No wonder the boys were 'granted recreation  instead of the last class' and the promise of a free day in the future. The community had punch after dinner! 

The results drew a flattering editorial from the Nationalist on October 23: 'Rockwell's year was probably the best in its long and splendid record . . . A school which wins no fewer than 11 exhibitions, 4 medals and 4 composition prizes on a total entry of 62 is something to be proud of. And it will be recalled that during last season Rockwell boys distinguished themselves also in the athletic field.' 

There was to be a free day on the 13th but unlucky day it was and turned wet. The day was postponed. There was another postponement on the 17th as the weather was again bad. The chance was taken on the 24th and the boys went on a picnic to Athassel but they were caught in a downpour. A half-day was given for the results on the 28th and a whole day on October 1st. On this occasion the boys had a picnic to the Rock of Cashel and afterwards a matinee in Hannigan's cinema in the town. (The latter facility had opened some years previously and a dance hall was to be added the following March . Somebody was against this development as an attempt was made to set it alight the night before the opening, somebody perhaps influenced by Rev. Fr. Chrysostom O.E.M. Galway, who had sounded off about dancing the previous month: 'The purpose of modem dancing is not good. It makes for the corruption and strangling of the word of God and the corruption of the hearts and souls of of young people.' He added that modem dances, now in vogue, were direct incentives to sensuality and sin. 

There were a few changes in the staff of the college. Fr. Cotter had died and Fr . P. Meagher of the previous year's staff had left. Fr. Griffin came in as Dean of Discipline in place of Fr. Leen. One of the lay staff, Mr. Twomey, had departed to take up an inspector-ship under the Education Board. There was a large batch of Brothers, helping out in the running of the place. Patrick was in charge of the shop and cellar, Brandon of the linen room, Dalmas of the tradesmen, Nicophorus the tailor, Albert of the indoor servants, Elimien the cook, Canice of the poultry and electric plant, Kieran of the garden, Malachy of the book shop, Aidan of the dairy, Finnbarr of the outdoor staff, Kevin of the brothers' refectory, Eugene of the boys' refectory and John Baptist was 'superannuated'. 

Aftermath of the Civil War

The unsettled state of the country at the time impinged on the life of the college. On Otober 1 the farmyard was searched by Free State troops and not finding anything, they entered the Dean's wing where they were accosted by Fr. McGrath. He assured them that no wanted man was being harboured and they searched no further. Interestingly they had no warrant. Somebody had  informed them that some of the 'boys' had been seen around the college at 6 p.m. the previous evening. 

Early in October it was reported that there were eight Rockwell past pupils prisoners in the Curragh Camp, including Dr. John J. Comer of Galway.  A week later a letter was received in the college asking prayers for past pupils, P. and M. O'Sullivan of Macroom, who were on hunger strike in Mountjoy jail and were ill in the prison hospital. Two weeks later the Journal reports: 'These days after Mass the boys pray for the prisoners, some thousands of whom are on hunger strike.' On November 19 we read that a past pupil, Jimmy White of Clonmel, was released from the Curragh Camp and, reflecting the divisions of the period, it is also reported that his brother, Eddie, was medical officer to the prisoners.  In March we are informed that one of the servants, O'Brien, nicknamed de Valera, was arrested and tried with others before J. H. Rice, B.L., D.J., on the charge of 'raiding under arms.'  He was sent to Limerick jail but acquitted on a technical flaw in the charge some time later. This experience may have had a shattering effect on his system because there is the following entry in the Journal for June 17: 'Thunderstorm at 10 p.m., in consequence of the shock of which the servant, O'Brien (De Valera), had to be attended by priest and doctor. ' 

It was a tough time for teachers. The Free State Government was imposing it's will in the new state. Notice came that to qualify for grants teachers should have eighteen hours class per week. Heretofore it had been fifteen. In November teachers' salaries were cut by ten percent, which meant a drop in salary of from £47 to £42 per annum. At a local level we read, in October, that 'Notes for boys' were introduced at last. But the entry continues: 'No notice having been given many of the professors handed in no marks.' The government also changed. the exam system. The old system of junior, middle and senior grades was to give way the following year to a two-examination structure, the intermediate and leaving certificate examinations. The year was the last year for the old system and the government had done away with medals, composition and book prizes. Only exhibitions remained but in future they would be known as scholarships. 

There's an interesting entry for November 8. The results of the catechetical exams arrived. The college had come almost last in the diocese. The writer of the Journal has a query: 'Was the standard of the marking anything like uniform?' The reason for the query is spelled out. It was the Fathers themselves who had corrected the papers of the school, Ursuline Convent, Thurles, which had headed the list! 


Financial Problems

Beneath the surface all was not well in Rockwell. The big problem was the decline in numbers and the resulting drop in income. It was put starkly in the Journal entry for December 3: 'We have 101 boarders now as against 224 in 1916.' A later entry gives as the cause the slump in farmers' profits after the war, the unsettled times and 'our reputation for diehard republicanism.' We are working under depressing conditions. Our numbers have dwindled and the sword of Damocles hangs over us for the question of closing the college has been revived.' The immediate cause of the crisis is probably contained in a Journal entry for November 30: 'Mr. English, brother of Mr. John English, came and called in his loan of £450.' 

The threat of closure was real and was given finite expression February 28 when the Provincial's brochure arrived. It set the case for closing Rockwell as a college and for turning it into a house for scholastics only. The matter was to be discussed at the Provincial Chapter in Dublin on April 22. Later we read of the Archbishop of Cashel's 'determined opposition' to the closure. The Provincial Committee came to Rockwell in April to interview the Fathers, one by one, on their views on the question of closure. All Rockwell Fathers, except Kingston, McGrath and Leen, attended the Provincial meering, held in Blackrock College on April 22. The proposal to close the college was defeated by 29-9. Frs. McCarthy, Griffin and McAllister voted with the minority. Fr. Downey did not vote. 

Determined efforts had been made to face off the financial difficulties. There was a 'big push' in lecturing to prove, as the Journal put it, 'that mendicancy is superior to teaching, as a means of raising money.' The 'lecturing' was a talk on the Africa Missions, illustrated by 'magic lantern' slides. One in Clonmel realised £18.11, in Cahir £15 and in Cashel £21. The boys got the lecture on February 2 and there was a public one in the college the following night. We read that 'Luke Lyons, a servant, 'held up' the people coming to the 8.30 Mass and got them to buy £4.6.0. worth of lecture tickets.' The hall was about half-full for the lecture that night. Plus the lecture there was the orchestra, Fr. O'Brien's violin solo and Fr. McAllister and Mr. Mackey's songs which 'eked out the entertainment.' The takings were about £16. 


Some Relief

All was not gloom, however. There were occasions to celebrate and to drink punch in the parlour. The Journal notes on November 1: 'Punch in the Parlour' and on November 6: 'Punch again.' Five days later the entry reads: 'Wine at dinner as the stout supply had run out.' On March 19 the scholastics had a picnic in Ballycarron. On April 3 there were 'baths for the boys.' On the 21st the 'prefects had a picnic to the Vee and the scholastics and boarders to Rosegreen.' Fr. Dan Murphy came from Knocknagoshel for some weeks' rest after his seven years' hard work in Fribourg. 'He is festooned with degrees, D.D., D. Ph. and M.A. in classics.' 

There were also small difficulties and upsets. In November we read that a strenuous campaign was being waged on the farmyard rats. The byres were being rendered rat proof with concrete. In December there was an attempted robbery from the scholasticate and football pavilion. The robbers were surprised by the prefects and dropped their plunder, eight pairs of boots and football jerseys. They bolted through the grove towards Cashel. In February five of the Fathers attended the funeral of canon P.C. Ryan, P.P., Fethard.  Fr. McAllister cycled and Frs. Kingston, Schmidt, O'Brien and O'Neill motored. 'Larry Stewart's erratic driving landed them in a ditch and gave them sundry other thrills of a like nature.' In March the engine working the dynamo burst 'so we had to fall back on the tractor.' At the may procession 'Fr. Muller kept us advisedly long in the Rock and rain drove us to scurry for shelter.' And, there was some danger attached to being a Father! An entry for May reads: Fr. McAllister and the C.C. New Inn had a passage at arms in Hymenstown over giving the last rites to Miss O'Dwyer.  The latter priest was grossly in the wrong.'

Real Drama

The boys staged a couple od dramatic productions during the year.  There were two short plays the night before the boys went home for Christmas. They were two farces.  The Resurrection of Dinny O'Dowd was staged by the boys and A Merry Muddle by the scholastics. The production on St. Patrick's Day was a full length play and better reflected the republican ethos.  It was The West's Awake or The Dawn of Freedom by J. Malachi Muldoon. There was a proper four-page program printed by P. Donegan & Co., 145 Trongate, Glasgow.  What the connection was isn't explained.  The Journal writer wasn't impressed: 'A feeble meloframa, in which some of the prefect's mispronunciations reflected discredit on the house.'

There was a major sporting success in winning the Harty Cup. There was no rugby of course, having been banned from the school since 1916. Nine teams took part in the competition" and Rockwell were holders. Their first match was on March 15 in which they beat Thurles easily. According to the Journal 'Neither his Grace nor the local clergy from college or parish patronised it.' North Monastery were beaten in the semi-fmal by 7-6 to 0-1 and the final, against Limerick C.B.S. was played at Thurles. 'All the boys went to Thurles by special train. The XV, the Provincial and most of the Fathers, motored over.' The day was uncomfortably warm. The teams were paraded by the St. John's Temperance Society band from Limerick. Rockwell led by 4-3 to 3-2 at half-time and won by 7-3 to 3-4. W. J. Walsh (Waterford) refereed. The winning lineout was as follows: N. Teehan, J. Jordan, W. Kennedy, D. McCarthy, P. White, G. O'Connell, T. Clarke, P. Dunphy, P. Powell (Capt.), N. Slattery, J. Keamey, K. Devenish, D. Cashman, T. Chawke, G. O'Donnell. Canon M. K. Ryan, chairman of the Tipperary county board, presented the cup and medals to the players. He complimented Rockwell and commiserated with Limerick. 'Rockwell had always had a tradition in many lines of athletics and now was forming a tradition in the great games of the Gael.' The school band went to the station in Cashel to meet the victors and all marched through the town to Dean Innocent Ryan's residence, where he addressed the group and complimented Rockwell from the steps. In the course of his remarks, according to the Journal 'he introduced some painfully indiscreet remarks about the plot (sic) to close the college.' Rockwell were scheduled to play Roscrea in the final of the Schools Championship of Ireland in Croke Park on May 15th but the Leinster champions refused and the Harty Cup champions were awarded the match. 


The End of the Year

The year's progress is reflected in a number of entries in the Journal. Towards the end of March we read 'Two swans have flown in and are nesting on the lake.' In April we are told . 'Summer Time came in at midnight, 12th. We keep true Greenwich time.' A student named Moloney from Cahir passed away in May. The boys had their ftrst swim on May 5 and there were two days of sports about the same time. The non-examination boys went home on June 16. There were 55 boarders and 12 scholastics for the examinations. Two of the lay teachers, Gallagher and O'Shea, left to superintend examinations in Cork. As the latter wasn't returning his"spupils presented him with 'a case of pipes.' There were two exam centres in the boys refectory 'under Mr. WaIter, an officious Castleknock man, and Mr. O'Keeffe of Ennis.' Most of the boys were gone by June 24 and three days later the matriculation exams began with Mr. Fitzgerald of St. Coleman's, Fermoy in charge. Eight Rockwell poys and eight outsiders sat for the exam. Eventually things quietened down and the Journal for the rest of the summer is concerned with more leisurely comings and goings by Fathers, Brothers and visitors.

<span class="postTitle">Gaelic Games Abroad</span> All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Program, Thurles, Sept. 10, 1998

Gaelic Games Abroad

All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Program, Thurles, Sept. 10, 1998

 

In his recent publication, The Clash of the Ash in Foreign Fields: Hurling Abroad, Seamus J. King traced the history and development of the game among the Irish diaspora and the state of the game abroad today.

One such place where the game is organised is Paris, where the Paris Gaels G.A.A. operate. The club has very laudable aims which include promoting interest in Gaelic sports, generating interest in Celtic culture through music, dance and other cultural activities, encouraging Irish expatriates to take advantage of the facilities and social network and linking up with the other Gaelic Associations established throughout Europe.

In 1994 a number of expatriates living in Paris were in the habit of getting together to play hurling and gaelic football on a regular basis and organising matches with the Irish communities in Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Germany and France, as well as other social events around Paris. The success of their efforts generated in the Gaelic Athletic Association, Paris (France) being formally established as a non-profit making association in April 1995. The club is in fact the first affiliated G.A.A. club in mainland Europe.

The club has already made an impact. To date it has over fifty active members paying an annual membership of 100 FRF. The recruitment of members continues and it is hoped to encourage more French people to participate in G.A.A. activities. The club has already had numerous requests from French sporting clubs and individuals for promotional material and also coaching sessions. The members hope to utilise these means to promote the sport in France in the future.
Fr. Desmond Knowles with an address at College des Irlandais, 5 Rue des Islandais, 75005 Paris is the club's Homorary President. John Stack is the chairman and Sinead Morgan and Maureen Moran are the joint secretaries. Maureen is from County Leitrim and has an address at 3 rue S10 Guillaume, 92400 Courbevoie. Her telephone number is 00 33 1 47 88 13 11 and her Email: s-pj@club-internet.fr The club also has an internet site: http://www.geocities.com/paris/bistro/2308/

A summary of club events for 1998 makes interesting reading. In February there was a visit from the Glynnbarn Town, Wexford, hurling and football teams. At the same time Mark Lennon, who played on the Clare All-Ireland minor hurling team in 1997, arrived with the Liam McCarthy Cup.

During the visit a soiree was organised in conjunction with the Irish College celebrations for St. Brigid's Day. There were exhibition matches between the visitors and their hosts which got national TV coverage. In May there were demonstration matches of hurling and football in Eu (France) followed by a get-together for the French and the Irish. Later in the same month Paris Gaels won the Black Stuff 7-Aside European Gaelic Football championship in Luxembourg. This event attracted teams from Germany, Holland, Luxembourg, France and Guernsey. In June there was a hurling tournament in Amiens attended by players from Luxembourg, Paris and Aer Lingus, Dublin. In July there was the first-ever training session for a European Panel in Paris. Debbie Massey and Bamey Winston of the International Dimension Committee in Croke Park, travelled to Paris to discuss the organisation of the future European County Board and to advise the various clubs. Other activities are planned for later in the year.

In an otherwise successful picture of progress, the club has two major problems. There is a large turnover of members, which means that the club loses a number of valuable members on a regular basis. Increasing membership is very important so the club is trying to improve its publicity so that people travelling over are aware of the existence of a G.A.A. club in Paris, or elsewhere in Europe.

The second problem is finding a suitable venue to hold competitions. To date the club trains on a rugby pitch in Vincennes in the south of Paris, but this involves a lot of travelling and there are no dressing rooms available. At the beginning of this year, after long negotiations, the club succeeded in obtaining good quality facilities in the 16th arrondissement of Paris which, it is hoped, will solve the problem.

It can be concluded that the increase in the number of club members and events on the Paris Gaels G.A.A. calendar, in addition to the increase in interest from people and the press at home and in France, prove that the club has been going from strength to strength since its foundation.

 

 

 

<span class="postTitle">The Taming of the Game</span> 'Olde Rules' Hurling Match, Stonethrowers vs Cats, Gortnahoe, July 31, 1998

The Taming of the Game

'Olde Rules' Hurling Match, Stonethrowers vs Cats, Gortnahoe, July 31, 1998

 

It is generally believed that the decision of the founders of the GAA to make the parish and county the units of the Association was responsible for the strong and determined loyalty and pride in parish and county, which is such a feature of Ireland.

Yet tradition has it that it was a cross-country hurling match between Tipperary and Kilkenny that took place in the vicinity of Fennor long before the GAA was founded and finished with Tipperary losing the day and turning to throwing stones at their opponents, thereby gaining the unenviable title of "Tipperary Stone Throwers". This would seem to suggest that identification with county was already present in pre-GAA days and that Tipperary men couldn't bear the thought of being beaten by Kilkenny. Throwing stones at the victors wasn't very honourable but is probably understandable.

The type of game played on that occasion was cross-country hurling as distinct from playing within a strictly confined area, such as a field between opposite goals. Cross-country hurling, known also as hurling home, abhaile, seuaibin, had as its object to bring a ball a distance of some miles across the countryside or along a road to the team's base, which might be the parish chapel, a landlord's house, a particular gate or some such landmark.

 

Bringing Order to the Game

It took a long time for the GAA to reach its present state and there were many teething problems along the way. The mention of the presence of the priest and the landlord in Conyngham's account is significant. They were important for law and order.

During the Golden Age of hurling in the 18th century, the landlord on horseback rode up and down beside play with his whip ready to break up any rows or punish those guilty of foul play. When the GAA was founded one of the first things it had to do was to formulate rules, behind which Maurice Davin was the main driving force. The referee took over from the role of the priest and the landlord and became the upholder of law and order on the field. He wasn't always successful and many a time the parish priest and local police had to be called in to supplement the his authority.

There were many cases where the referee had a difficult task imposing his authority. One such instance occurred on February 24th 1888 when Thurles played Slieveardagh (John O'Leary's) in the county football championship. According to Sport 5,000 people turned up to see Thurles win by two points to nil. (The football must have been very heavy!). The referee, Mr T O'Grady. was kept very busy 'as the order of the people was anything but commendable and they kept constantly trespassing on the players ground'.

 

Many Infringements

Another instance was a football game between Ballingarry Smith O'Brien's and Inch at Horse and Jockey on September 2nd 1894. Inch won by two points but Ballingarry objected because;

1) The referee refused to allow a free kick to Ballingarry after an Inch player had struck out the ball defending their goal.

2) The ball was not in play when a point was scored as the referee did not blow the whistle when the ball went out and it was improperly thrown in.

3) One of the Inch players caught a Ballingarry man from behind and knocked him to the ground, and when the Ballingarry man in turn knocked down the Inch player, he was put off the field while the Inch player was allowed to play on.

4) The Inch goalkeeper knocked down a Ballingarry player from behind.

5) In the Inch team some of the best players were from other parts of the county.

6) One of the Inch players carried the ball about 30 yards hopping the ball with both hands, but only one hand was allowed.

A real litany of complaints and infringements indeed! What is interesting is the knowledge of the rules the writer possessed. In fact, it would appear that he had a greater knowledge of them than the referee had. Does the incident tells us that the rules were quickly learned and, (although they were not always observed on the field of play), recognised and accepted? A long distance had been travelled from the stone throwing days at Fennor!.

 

 

<span class="postTitle">Different Types of Hurling</span> 'Olde Rules' Hurling Match, Stonethrowers vs Cats, Gortnahoe, July 31, 1998

Different Types of Hurling

'Olde Rules' Hurling Match, Stonethrowers vs Cats, Gortnahoe, July 31, 1998

 

It is interesting to note that hurling to goales and hurling to the countrie were played in Cornwall and Devon in the 16th and early 17th centuries. A description of hurling to the countrie is given by Joe Lennon in his book The Playing of Football and Hurling 1884-1995: "Some two or more gentlemen usually make this match, appointing that on such a Holy day, they will bring to such an indifferent place, (neutral venue), two three or more Parishes of the South and East quarter, to hurl against many other parishes of the West and North. Their goals are either those gentlemen's houses, or some towns or villages three or four miles asunder, which either side chooses, depending on which is nearest to their dwellings. When they meet, there is neither comparing of numbers or matching of men. A silver ball is cast up, and that company which can catch, and carry it by force or slight (craft or skill) to their place assigned, gaineth the ball and victory."

In contrast David Power Conyngham in his book "The O'Donnells Glen Cottage," describes a game, twenty-five before the foundation of the GAA, that is probably an example of hurling to goales. Conynham, who was from Crohane and a cousin of Charles J Kickham, describes the game thus: "All the preliminaries being arranged by the elders, twenty-one young men at a side were selected. The spectators then retired to the ditches and the ball was thrown in among the rival parties. The ball was struck here and there, often pucked up in the air, then hit again before it reached the ground. Such lucky hits were acknowledged by cheers from the spectators. Then by tumbling, tossing, feint blows and the like at length one party succeeded in driving it to goal, amidst a peel of shouts and hurrahs from the friends of the victors. . . When the priest and gentlemen used to head us, and we all dressed out like jockeys in jackets and caps and the green was all roped; them were the times when we used to have the fun".

As far as is known the rules varied widely in cross-country hurling. According to Br. Liam P. O'Caithnia to strike a player a deliberate blow of the hurley was a crime punishable by law and to knock down a wall or fence and not to replace it was a further breach of the law. The latter law can be appreciated in the light of hundreds of players chasing a ball across country. Four other fouls mentioned by O'Caithnia appear to relate to hurling played in a confined space. One of these concerned two or more men jostling or shouldering one man between them, in other words 'sandwiching' a player. "Double-pulling" was also forbidden as it still is. Throwing the hurley was a foul as was lying on the ball was also forbidden. There was no sideline pucks, no sixty-fives, no linesmen, no umpires, no frees and no penalties. In contrast with our game today with its rules and regulations, its set fields and trim grasses, its white lines and secure nets, pre-GAA hurling appears disorganised, spontaneous, even anarchic.

<span class="postTitle">Tony Reddin Wins Knocknagow Award</span> Tipperary GAA Yearbook 1998, p 105

Tony Reddin Wins Knocknagow Award

Tipperary GAA Yearbook 1998, p 105

 

ONE of the highlights of the Cidona Sports Awards in the Clonmel Arms Hotel on January 24 was the presentation of the Knocknagow Award to Tony Reddin, the former Lorrha and Tipperary goalkeeper. Tony won All-Ireland senior medals in 1949, 50 and 51 and his outstanding performances between the posts during these and later years were sufficient to win him membership of the Team of the Century in 1984. To the strains of the band playing the county anthem, 'Slievenamon', and the cheers of the three hundred people present at the ceremony, Tony strode up to be presented with his award.
 

Tony Reddin

Tony Reddin

Born in Mullagh, Co. Galway in 1920, Tony came to work in Lorrha in February 1947. He had a hurling record before he crossed the Shannon. He won a county juvenile medal with Mullagh in 1933 and a divisional junior medal in the late thirties. He played county junior hurling in 1940 when Galway were beaten by Cork in the All-Ireland. Graduating to senior ranks in 1941 he played on the Connaght Railway Cup team that was trounced by Munster that year. He didn' t appear for
Galway again until 1946 . In that year he played full-forward in the Monaghan Cup game at London against Tipperary. Playing full-forward for Tipperary that day was Tony Brennan.

He made his debut with Lorrha in a tournament game against St. Vincent's of Dublin on Easter Sunday 1947. He played unspectacularly with his new club in the championship. The following year he made his name as a goalkeeper, particularly against Borrisoleigh in the divisional final. As a result he was drafted on to the county panel for the 1948-49 league and was to be a regular on the team until 1956. After that he rotated with Blackie Keane until he played his final game for
the county at New York in October 1957.

In an article on Reddin in his Lorrha club history, Seamus King wrote thus about him:
"Why was Reddin so brilliant? Many people remember him as a big man going high for the ball, catching it securely and bursting out amid a welter of hurleys, to clear well up the field. It will come as a surprise to learn that Tony is not a big man. He stands 5'9" and, at the height of his career in the early fifties , never weighed more than eleven and a half stone! He was a very fit man. He trained for the position as keenly as another might train for centrefield. Running crosscountry, jumping over hedges and ditches and building up his arms made him the strong player he was. He had the eye of a hawk, some might even say of compensatory quality for defects in his oral and aural senses. Neighbours have commented on how sharp that eyesight was and is in spotting someone at a distance. He was no mere ball stopper but a player who completed the act by clearing the ball down the field. He was equally good on the right or the left side and this again came from constant practice. He sharpened his reflexes by belting a ball against a rough stone wall from shot distances and catching the ball in his hand as it rebounded in different directions. Probably his greatest ability was a sensitive touch allied with the tilting of the hurley's face at an angle, which enabled him to kill even the fastest ball dead so that it rolled down the hurley into his hand as if by the genius of a master magician. Finally, Tony used no 'half-door' of a hurley to stop the ball . His was of ordinary size and he had the same stick for most of his hurling career, a heavy, many hooped, ugly-looking affair.

 

<span class="postTitle">Clonmel Civic Reception Speech</span> Hosted by Clonmel Corporation in August 1988

Clonmel Civic Reception Speech

Speech on the occasion of a Civic Welcome to Seamus J. King by Clonmel Corporation in August 1988, following the publication of Tipperary's G.A.A. Story 1935-1984

 

Your Worship, Mayor Norris, Aldermen, Councillors, Guests. 

I am extremely grateful and thankful for this honour conferred on me. It is the first time I have received such acclaim and I accept it with grateful thanks. 

That such an honour should come from the Mayor and Corporation of Clonmel makes it all the greater. You are a distinguished and ancient Corporation and this adds to the lustre of the honour. Ny colleague, Sean O'Donnell, has been researching your history and has informed me of your antecedents. 

You are generous towards me but that is but a reflection of the generosity you have shown in the past. I want you to cast your minds back to October 27, 1915. Cavan had defeated Tipperary in the All-Ireland semi-final as a result of a disputed goal. Tipperary objected to the goal and the scorer, Jim Smith. They lost the appeal. The following October Cavan came to Clonmel for a league match. Were there any protests? No. When the Cavan players arrived they were met by the Clonmel Pipers' Band. They were escorted to the Town Hall and welcomed by Mayor White on behalf of the Corporation and citizens. The Mayor extended a hearty cead mile failte and told the players that the county had been impressed by Cavan's displays in the All-Ireland semi­-final and final and were honoured to have them as their guests that night! Would you believe such big-heartedness! And what did Cavan do? They scored a penalty in the dying minutes of the game to grab victory by a point for the second time that year. Were you in goals that day, Jim? 


Role of Gaelic Games

I know, your Worship, that this honour is not only for me but for the games of hurling and football and the major part they play in Irish life. In conferring this honour you are giving recognition to the contribution Gaelic games makes to the lives of people, espec­ially in towns like Clonmel and in counties like Tipperary. You are recognising that the most important topic of conversation this week, last week, next week and the week after, is Tipperary and the All-­Ireland. 

You are also tonight, your Worship, paying tribute to all those who play and administer. the games in the county at large, in the south division in general and in Clonmel in particular. You are recognising the players and officers of the south board and of the six clubs that exist in this town. I should also like to have the occasion honour some of the greats of the past, a number of whom like Gerry O'Keeff'e, Jim Williams, Bunny Lambe and Theo English are among us this evening. 

Clonmel is the biggest town in Tipperary and I come originally from the parish of Lorrha, which is the Tipperary parish farthest distanced from this town. Before I came to live in Cashel in 1965 I couldn't have been in Clonmel more than once or twice. The division between the two parts of the county was very real. North Tipperary people didn't have much reason to go to Clonmel. They didn't pass through it to many places. In fact when I was growing up in Lorrha if you were going to Clonmel it was usually a case of being sent. Clonmel meant one place and one place only and that was St. Luke's. And, with the attitudes to mental illness at that time it was not a very pleasant thought. 

Things changed after coming to live in Cashel which many regard as a kind of dormitory town to Clonmel and many come to for the shopping bargains at Dunne's Stores and other retail outlets. The traffic between the two places is so great that it was best described by one of our Cashel Councillors, Tom Wood. In the course of a debate in the Cashel U.D.C. he said that any Cashel person coming to Clonmel would need to have three hands, two for carrying the bags of messages and a third for greeting all the other Cashel people he met carrying similar loads of messages. 

Increased mobility has brought us all more closely together and I am glad that not only have we Cashel people present this evening but my brother Liam and his wife Kathleen were able to make the seventy-odd mile journey from Lorrha. 


Johnny Gaynor

This is an occasion to celebrate Gaelic games and I should like to use it to recall one other person, whoi is now dead and gone. I do so not in any critical way but that he may not be forgotten. The man's name is Johnny Gaynor. He was one of the brightest hurlers in the parish of Lorrha in the early twenties and won·a divisional title in 1924. At the end o:f that year he began to behave strangely and was moved to Clonmel, to St. Luke's. Sean O'Driscoll got to know him there and used to talk to him about hurling and about an All-Ireland junior medal he believed he won at some stage at Dungarvan. When I was researching the Lorrha book I went to interview him but, by then, he was blind, in a wheelchair and his mind was scattered. I attended his funeral in May 1981 when he left St. Luke's after fifty-eight years. I recall Johnny's name on this occasion, not in any morbid or sorrowful way, Johnny Gaynor is a forgotten man but in his prime, in the early twenties, he was a brilliant goalkeeper. A contemporary, Tom Duffy, who is still alive, expressed himself vividly on his ability. 'He wouldn't let a midge past him.' I would like on this occasion to have him remembered for his hurling brilliance and his love of the game. 

Your Worship, I am extremely thankful to you and your fellow councillors for the great recognition you have given me. I shall cherish the memory always and look on Clonmel with deep gratitude for ever. 

<span class="postTitle">Recent G.A.A. Publications - 1997</span> Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1998. pp 111-112

Recent G.A.A. Publications - 1997

Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1998. pp 111-112

 

Dunne, Katie: (Ed.) Grangemockler Church and People, 1897-1997, (Grangemockler Centenary Committee), 1997. £10. 

Fullam, Brendan: Legends of the Ash, (Wolfhound Press) 1997, £16.99. 

McRory, Seamus: The Voice from the Sideline, (Blackwater Press) 1997, £9.99. 

O'Leary, John (with Martin Breheny): Keeper of the Flame, (Blackwater Press) 1997, £9.99. 

Rafferty, Eamonn: Talking Gaelic, (Blackwater Press) 1997, £8.99. 

Ryan, Senator Willie: Golden-Kilfeacle: The Parish and its People, (Golden-Kilfeacle GAA Club) 1997, £20. 

The list of publications so far this Christmas is not overwhelming. The two local ones deserve special mention. The Grangemockler book originated with the idea of celebrating the Centenary of St. Mary's Church in the village. The parish has a few noted alumni, such as T.E Kiely of athletic fame and on whom an exhibition opened on November 27 in the County Museum, Clonmel, Mick Hogan, immortalised in Croke Park, Cardinal Michael Browne of the Dominicans and Vincent Comerford, Professor of Modern History in Maynooth. 

The book contains almost 200 pages, is well illustrated and the section devoted to the GAA has over 30 pages. The club won its first county final in 1890, halting the famous Bohercrowe's run of victories. They nearly repeated the success in 1895 and 1896 but an objection in the first year and the narrowest of defeats in the second prevented this. In 1903 the club commenced an unprecedented period of dominance in Tipperary football, winning five county titles in a row. The book traces the fate of the club, mostly in the doldrums, until the next county final in 1931. One highlight of these years was Bloody Sunday in 1920. Seventeen of the nineteen man panel for that Tipperary-Dublin game came from the south and four, Jerry Shelly, Mikey Tobin, Dick Lanigan and Mick Hogan, were from the parish. Because of his father's illness, Mikey Tobin was unable to travel. Three players from the club, Jerry Shelly, Dick Lanigan and Mickey Tobin, were on the 1920 team, which won Tipperary's last football All-Ireland, played in 1922. 

Ballyneale is the other half of the parish and the relationship hasn't always been a happy one. In the thirties each part went its own way and Ballyneale entered teams of their own in both hurling and football. (The former game always tended to be more popular in Ballyneale). In 1943 both ends re-united to take the south junior football championship, but again went their separate ways in 1946. And, as luck would have it, they were drawn against each other. It took three matches to resolve the conflict, with Ballyneale winning out in the end and going all the way to a county final. Ballyneale also brought the first hurling success to the parish, a divisional junior hurling success in 1948. 

With this division in the parish Grangemockler declined as a senior footballing force and returned to that state as a combo only in later years. The story of the club in these years is patchy with 1990 an outstanding year, when four divisional championships were won. By 1992 Grangemockler were back in senior football for the first time in nearly thirty years. 

The GAA section is well illustrated and perhaps the length of space available caused important omissions. There is no mention of the Stars of the Sea team from Ballyneale, which won the county schools championship in 1929 under Joseph Manning, N.T. Nor is there any mention of Paddy Blanchfield and James O'Shea, two members of the team, who were on the last Tipperary team to win a minor football All-Ireland in 1934. But these are minor blemishes in a piece that whets the appetite for more. 

A more substantial work is the Golden-Kilfeacle parish history. This work started out as a history of the Golden-Kilfeacle GAA club some years back but evolved into a comprehensive work on the parish. There is a fine introduction by Des Marnane in which he places the parish of Golden-Kilfeacle in its historic setting as a fording point on the Suir and a place of religious settlement. There's a lengthy piece on Athassel Abbey, pieces of reminiscences of parish life in the thirties, forties and fifties, including a nostalgic piece by Frank Delaney, one of the parish's famous sons, the long and strong connection between the parish and greyhounds and horses and accounts of the many clubs, organisations and societies which make the parish work. 

Over half the work is devoted to the history of the Golden-Kilfeacle GAA club. The pages of this section make sometimes lively reading as the writer, Senator Willie Ryan, weaves tales from the social life of the period into the sporting life of the parish. The club won its first divisional senior hurling championship in 1969 . and repeated the victory three years later. However, in spite of producing a respectable body of players, who have done their parish proud in all grades at county level, - in all, members of the club have won fifty provincial and All-Ireland medals in hurling and football - the club has not been successful in senior hurling since 1972. Football has brought more success. Winning a first west senior football championship in 1980, further honours were won in this grade in 1986, 1988, 1995 and 1996. 

The club history comes to an end in 1995 and what a fitting year on which to go out. The year was celebrated many times throughout the parish. Six west titles were won, senior football, intermediate hurling, junior football, under-21 football, minor football and under-16 hurling. On top of that were county titles in intermediate hurling and under-21 football. Never before in a single year had such a haul of medals come to the hurlers and footballers of Golden-Ki Ifeacle. 

There's an impressive collection of photographs in the book ranging from a land league hut from 1882 to the minor hurling team beaten in the county 'A' final this year, the first time to qualify in thirty years. There's an eight page spread of colour photographs in the centre of the book which adds impressively to the impact of the work. Also, a comprehensive sites and monuments map. Overall a fine production and a model for any parish that hasn't yet produced a history. 

Two other publications of smaller scale can be mentioned. The South Board produced South Tipp '96 a booklet outlining the achievements of the clubs during the year. Mostly pictorial and statistical, it brought together the pictures of all the winning teams, information on finals, intercounty players and sponsors. It contains forty pages and had a bright colourful cover. It was well received and divisional secretary Michael O'Meara, is hoping to bring out a similar record for 1997. The only inhibiting factor is cost but the popularity of the publication may overcome that obstacle. 

The second publication is The Blues News, a production of the Thurles Sarsfields club. Two issues are to hand and a third will be available for the Christmas. The first one highlighted the celebration of All-Ireland medal winners from the club, which was held early in the year, as well as other club news. The publication is a mixture of current club activity and glimpses into the past. It is eight pages long, printed on good quality paper with fine photographic reproductions. An idea for any club which had an able and imaginative member to take on the task. But, be forewarned: such publications cost money and the vast number of club members and players are not inclined to put their hands in their pockets and pay for them. 

On the national level, Brendan Fullam's third book in the final one in the popular trilogy, which records the big names of the game of hurling over the past century. His two previous books, Giants of the Ash and Hurling Giants were well received as they recorded for posterity the hopes and aspirations and personal motivation of the hurling giants of each decade. In Talking Gaelic Eamonn Rafferty interviews a host of well-known personalities from player to politician, die-hard to dissenter. President McAleese is included. John O'Leary's story covers the life of a great sportsman, who was first choice goalkeeper for the Dublin senior football team for seventeen years. Finally, in The Voice from the Sideline key Gaelic football managers tell us about their management strategies, motivation, discipline, their drive to succeed and their concerns for the future. 

I haven't seen any sign of Brian Carthy's, The Championship 1997, as yet but I hope it appears. H is books for 1995 and 1996 were outstanding records and reference works for those two years' hurling and football championships and it would be a huge gap in GAA literature if the 1997 book wasn't published. numbers. 

 

 

<span class="postTitle">The 1997 Senior Hurling Championship</span> Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1998, pp 65-67

The 1997 Senior Hurling Championship

Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1998, pp 65-67

 

Clonoulty-Rossmore are the most unlikely 1997 senior hurling champions of county Tipperary. They rebounded from disappointment in their own division to take the highest hurling honour in the county. Along the way they caused one of the great turnabouts in hurling history and produced one of their finest performances to win the county final.

Prior to their quarter-final game against Ballingarry their chances of winning a county final were rated at seven to one by the bookies. This was an improvement on earlier projections and the improvement had come about as a result of a comprehensive victory over Cappawhite, the beaten west finalists, in a contest to decide on the second team to represent the division in the county championship. Clonoulty-Rossmore had qualified for this play-off by virtue of winning the Crosco Cup, the divisional league competition. Earlier they had gone down to Kickhams in the west semi-final. Losing by four points against a team they had beaten fairly easily in the league, they looked disorganised and badly motivated. The defeat had a salutary effect, however, acting as a spur to greater motivation and commitment in later games.

County success created difficulties in the running of the divisional championships but the north was well organised and first to stage its final at Cloughjordan on August 3. In atrocious weather conditions, Toomevara easily pushed aside the challenge of Borrisoleigh, winning by 1-15 to 0-8 and establishing themselves as form horses to win the county final. Since the winners were already league champions in the division there was no need for a play-off to decide on the second team for the county championship.

The west was ready for its final between Kickhams and Cappawhite at Cashel on August 24 but a tragic, fatal car accident in Knockavilla on the Friday before led to a postponement for four weeks. It was eventually played on September 21. The result was worth waiting for from a Kickhams point of view. Their last victory was in 1960 and over the intervening years they were beaten in six finals. It was, therefore, a moment to savour when the final whistle sounded after a rivetting game and the scoreline read 0-19 to 2-10 in their favour. Cappawhite had pushed Kickhams to the limit but it wasn’t enough. They had to turn out the following Sunday at Golden to play the Crosco Cup winners, Clonoulty-Rossmore, but the effort was too much after the disappointment of the previous week. They were well and truly savaged by a re-focused Clonoulty-Rossmore side and suffered the humiliation of a twenty point drubbing on a scoreline of 4-15 to 1-4.

A big win was also the result in the mid final. Played at Semple Stadium on the same day as the west final, it promised to be the contest of the year. Neighbouring parishes Boherlahan-Dualla and Holycross-Ballycahill were in opposition, the former the county champions and the latter age old rivals. Incredibly, apart from the opening ten minutes the game was never a contest and the result, a 1-17 to 0-4 scoreline in favour of Holycross-Ballycahill, was one of the biggest shocks in the history of the division. The county champions were never at the races, scored but a point from play and seemed devoid of any appetite for hurling.

The south had fallen very far behind in its championship and its schedule was put further behind by a draw between Ballingarry and Killenaule in a semi-final. This was aggravated by a tragic, fatal car accident on the night of the draw in which the Killenaule captain, Larry Hayes, was killed. The result was that the replay didn’t go ahead until October 5, the date fixed for the county quarter-finals. Mullinahone, who were already through to the final, were nominated as losers, since they hadn’t contested the south final the previous year, and drawn against the west winners in the county quarter-final. Ballingarry defeated Killenaule in the replay and qualified to play the second team from the west, Clonoulty-Rossmore. The south final was eventually played on November 16.


County Quarter Finals

Three of the quarter-finals were scheduled for the weekend of October 4/5. The first of these was played at Templemore on October 4. The mid winners, Holycross-Ballycahill, played the north losers, Borrisoleigh. It was generally agreed that a draw was a fitting result to this game. Borrisoleigh, after making much of the running, came from behind to level through a Martin Hayes point five minutes from the end. Borrisoleigh were ahead by 0-7 to 0-6 at the interval. They went further ahead in the third quarter but a goal by Donal Duggan in the twenty-second minute put Holycross-Ballycahill in the driving seat and they seemed poised to win. But Borrisoleigh came back for the final point, which left the score 1-9 to 0-12 at the final whistle.

The replay was at the same venue the following Saturday. In a very competitive encounter on a rain-sodden pitch, Holycross-Ballycahill’s better balance and greater commitment carried them through. Borrisoleigh, with the aid of the wind in the first half, led by 0-7 to 1-3 at the interval, the lone goal coming from Duggan, but they failed to score in the second half despite intense pressure. In contrast Holycross-Ballycahill notched up four points to give them a winning tally of 1-7 to 0-7.

In the mean time, Boherlahan-Dualla had caused a sensation in the second quarter-final of the north-mid encounter. Played at Nenagh on October 5 a re-juvenated side turned the tables on the north champions, beating them by 2-12 to 0-14. After the trouncing in the mid final not many supporters expected the result in spite of the club’s impressive record against the ‘Greyhounds’ in 1995 and 1996. Toomevara had been installed as everyone’s favourites, not only to win but to go ahead and win county honours. But, it was Boherlahan who had the hunger, the commitment and the will to win in an encounter that degenerated into ugliness on several occasions. It was a great team performance, a result to savour and a memory to cherish.

On the same day in Cashel Mullinahone were establishing their credentials as meaningful contenders for county honours. Led and inspired by John Leahy the team showed it was no one-man band but one with plenty of talent scattered around the field. They took some delightful scores, with no less than eight of the team getting their names on the scoreboard, and were impressive in their fast ground play. The Kickhams performance, in contrast, was disappointing. The team never really got going, missed too many chances and were guilty of no less than fourteen wides.

The last of the quarter-finals was played at Cashel on October 12. Clonoulty-Rossmore gave a boost to their county aspirations by defeating their south opponents, Ballingarry, by 4-9 to 1-10. They got off to a great start with a James Ryan goal after fifteen seconds. They led by 3-3 to 0-4 at the half-way stage and were ten points ahead with fifteen minutes to go. Then there was a spirited Ballingarry resurgence, led by an impressive Liam Cahill, which reduced the deficit to four points but this was killed off when Maurice Quirke got Clonoulty-Rossmore’s fourth goal and by the final whistle there was an eight-point margin between the teams.


The County Semi-Finals

The county semi-finals were played in Semple Stadium on October 19 with the two mid teams fancied to take the honours. Mullinahone had other ideas and showed great spirit and skill in overcoming the mid champions, Holycross-Ballycahill, by 1-20 to 3-11 and qualifying for their first ever county senior hurling final. The effects of going out for their third championship game in three weeks showed in the mid men’s play and they never really got to grips with the occasion. This, however, does not detract from Mullinahone’s win and from the tremendous fighting qualities they showed in the second half. Having led by 1-7 to 0-6 at the break their advantage was cut to a point following a David Burke goal after eight minutes. Nothing daunted they turned on the style and hit six points on the trot, without a reply. But Holycross-Ballycahill were not lying down either and brought the sides level with goals from John Ferncombe and Tony Lanigan, in the course of two minutes, followed by a point from Ferncombe. The game hung on a fine edge but, in the remaining minutes, it was Mullinahone who had the extra reserves and scored five points to two for the losers to secure an historic three point victory.

The second semi-final has already become the stuff of legend. There are stories of patrons having left the grounds feeling the result a certainty and returning for the sensational ending. There’s a story of a publican who rushed home to fill the pints for the winners only later to learn they were for the losers. And, there’s the story of the Bansha man who went home certain of Boherlahan’s victory and wasn’t disabused until he read the Examiner on Monday morning!

All of this was possible because of a sensational and quite unbelieveable last gasp comeback by Clonoulty-Rossmore. With three minutes remaining in what had been a very pedestrian game of hurling, Boherlahan led by 4-11 to 1-12. The score might have been 6-11 to 1-12 had Philip O’Dwyer put away two almost certain goal chances. Then the sensational happened. Declan Ryan goaled from a free. He goaled again in the 30th minute after Seamus Coffey shot just wide. And, then, within a minute, Maurice Quirke delivered the coup de grace with another goal which sent Boherlahan reeling out of the championship and Clonoulty-Rossmore into paeans of ecstacy.

Anything that went before that final three minutes became irrelevant in the aftermath. One of the talking points was Declan Ryan’s free-taking. A la Paddy Kenny of old, he threw a first-half penalty shot about ten yards forward before striking it. He didn’t succeed in scoring then but he did twice in the second half and had spectators asking the question why he wasn’t taking the close-in frees for the county team. The sides were level at the interval 0-8 to 1-5, Aidan Flanagan getting the goal for Boherlahan. Clonoulty-Rossmore went ahead with Declan Ryan’s goal in the third minute of the second half but then Boherlahan-Dualla took over and were heading for the county final when the thunderbolt struck in the final few minutes.


The County Final

The county final on November 2 was unique in a number of ways. Never before had there been a south-west contest at this level. It was Mullinahone’s first time to appear and it brought to twelve the number of appearances by south teams in county senior finals. It was thirty years since a south team won the final. Mullinahone were slight favourites on the basis of their displays in the quarter- and semi-finals and Clonoulty-Rossmore’s fortuitous win over Boherlahan-Dualla. The interest generated in the contest was reflected in the huge crowd of over 17.000 which attended, the biggest number at a county final since the fifties.

The game was always close and whereas the hurling may have been moderate most of the time, the uncertainty of the outcome kept the interest alive. Like so may games it did not follow the pattern many expected. Declan Ryan, who played such a pivotal role in the quarter-and semi-finals, had a relatively quiet hour. The Mullinahone trio of John Leahy, Brian O'Meara and Paul Kelly, on whom so much depended failed to deliver. Leahy worked extremely hard but his finishing, particularly his free-taking, left a lot to be desired. Paul Kelly threatened spasmodically but was never the force he was in previous games. Brian O’Meara, apart from his goal, had a quiet game and ought to have been moved off Aidan Butler much earlier.

In contrast, Clonoulty-Rossmore were a team of heroes. Andrew Fryday was brilliant with his puckouts. Noel Keane never put a foot wrong and lifted his team with a great point. Aidan Butler was outstanding at centre-back. Kevin Lanigan-Ryan troubled John Leahy greatly in the middle of the field. Maurice Quirke got two points to remember. Michael ‘Shiner’ Heffernan deservedly got man-of-the-match for four points from play and making a fifth for Bonny Kennedy. And, what can one say about the latter that would be adequate to describe his contribution? He scored seven points but his contribution ranged all over the field especially in the final ten minutes when the chips were down.

On a murky day in greasy conditions, there was no appreciable wind to interfere with the game. The sides were level on six occasions in the first half but by half-time Clonoulty-Rossmore were in front by ten points to seven, the difference between the sides reflected in the number of wides, three to the west, nine to the south. The west men remained in front until Brian O’Meara’s goal brought the sides level and there was all to play for in the final ten minutes. Bonny Kennedy gave Clonoulty-Rossmore a two point cushion during this period and with about three minutes to go, Mullinahone got a thirty yard free. Leahy blasted for goal but it was saved. He got a second chance and it came off the post, leaving the advantage to Clonoulty-Rossmore and victory by 0-17 to 1-12.

It was a hugely disappointing result for Mullinahone and their supporters, who came in such great numbers to cheer on their heroes. It was a game they could have won and that realisation will make the defeat more difficult to take. For John Leahy, despite scoring seven points, the memory will be one of missed opportunities. Obviously his display was effected by his hand complaint and there were few instances in the game when he reached with confidence into the clash of hurleys to grab the ball as only he can do so brilliantly. Added to that was the failure of the team’s forward line to score with any kind of facility.

But any mention of a below-par Mullinahone performance must be balanced by a superb display from Clonoulty-Rossmore. They were a transformed side and their display was better than their most fervid supporters could have dreamed of. The oldest among them were keen, hungry and committed and played out of their skins. The youngest among them gave performances that will be remembered in parish folklore. Above all the whole team had a physical edge, allied to a leaven of experience, which made life difficult for Mullinahone and never allowed them to settle into the kind of fluency they so desired. Unlikely county champions after the west semi-final, Clonoulty-Rossmore made themselves deserving champions by seizing the opportunities presented to them. Carpserunt diem! 

 

Clonoulty-Rossmore: Andrew Fryday, Michael Ryan, Noel Keane(capt.), Peter Brennan, Michael Heffernan, Aidan Butler, John Kennedy, Kevin Ryan, Kevin Lanigan-Ryan, Michael Brennan, Maurice Quirke, Michael Kennedy, James Ryan, Declan Ryan, Michael Heffernan. Sub; Seamus Coffey for James Ryan.

Mullinahone: Liam O’Connor(capt.), Tony Dalton, Sean Brett, Jackie Bolger, Paul Cahill, Noel Leahy, Kyran Vaughan, John Leahy, Eddie Carey, Paul Kelly, Brian O’Meara, Damien Maher, Mossie Tobin, Edward O’Brien, Pat Croke. Sub: Eoin Kelly for Edward O’Brien

Referee: Michael Cahill (Kilruane-MacDonaghs)

Man of the Match Award: Michael Heffernan (S), (Clonoulty-Rossmore)

 

<span class="postTitle">Suir Valley Rangers</span> Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1998. p 57

Suir Valley Rangers

Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1998. p 57

 

In May the Suir View Rangers were remembered in a ceremony and memorial in their honour at Ardmayle. The occasion was the centenary of their winning the 1897 county final and Peter Meskell produced a fifty page booklet recording the history of the team, which had a very short existence, 1895-1898.

Suir View was unique in the sense that it never existed as a parish or townsland but rather as a catch-all name to cover the western portion of the parish of Boherlahan-Dualla. Included in the area were the townslands of Ardmayle, Ballyroe, Bawnmore, Clonmore, Clune, Clareen, Ballydine, Longfield, Kilbreedy, Gortnaglough, Camus and Slatefield from where the players of the Suir View Rangers originated. Most of them went to school in Ardmayle and later ‘The Forge’, owned by Morrisseys at Ballyroe, would become the gathering place of the team. The training patch was Fogarty’s field in Bawnmore.

The team first affiliated in the senior hurling championship in 1895 and came up against Tubberadora, the eventual All-Ireland champions, in the final. The match ended in a draw but, after extra time, Tubberadora were successful by 3-9 to 2-7. Two of the Suir View team, Phil Byrne and Peter Maher, were selected by the winners in the ensuing inter-county championship.

In the following year the sides reached the county final once more. Tubberadora led by seven points to one at half-time and, with five minutes to go, had extended their lead to 4-8 to 2-2. At this stage a dispute arose and Suir View refused to continue, whereupon the referee awarded the game to Tubberadora.

The sides were scheduled to play in the semi-final of the 1897 county championship. While training, Tubberadora’s John Maher, broke his leg in an accidental clash with Phil Scanlan. The latter was so upset that he would not play in the forthcoming game. Tubberadora decided to withdraw from the encounter and Suir View qualified for the final.

Their opponents were Horse and Jockey and the game did not take place until March 6, 1898. Played at Thurles, the match ended in a draw.. Peter Meskell uses the reports in the contemporary Cashel Sentinel to set the record straight on what happened subsequently. The replay was fixed for Cashel on March 20. The Horse and Jockey did not turn up. Suir View didn.t claim the game and it was refixed for Tipperary on April 10.. It was called off because of incessant rain. The match was refixed for Cashel on May 15. When Suir View, who apparently didn’t like playing in Cashel, failed to turn up, the game was awarded to Horse and Jockey. Suir View appealed to the Central Council, which ordered a replay at Tipperary on a date to be fixed. When the date for the replay at Tipperary arrived, Horse and Jockey failed to turn up, thus leaving the title to Suir View.

According to Meskell the county board comes badly out of the affair, acting the dog in the manger because Suir View appealed to the Central Council. They did all in their power to prevent Suir View doing well in the first round of the inter-county championship by fixing them to play Roscrea the week before in the 1898 county championship.

Suir View played Cork on July 21 in Cork. According to Meskell, Canon Fogarty got it wrong when he claimed that Suir View were defeated because ‘of attempting to represent Tipperary by themselves.’ This was not the case. Tubberadora refused to release any of their players unless they were given the major say in the overall selection of the team. The Horse and Jockey had their own grievances and refused to have any of their players selected. Only Thurles players, Tom Semple, Jim Sullivan and Bill Ryan, were willing to participate. So, Suir View, with a depleted side, arrived late for the game because the train was overcrowded and couldn’t take an incline between the Junction and Emly. The game started late and the players were not in a fit state to put in a reasonable performance. By the end of the hour they were behind by the humiliating score of 4-16 to 0-2.

Jim Heney had his teeth smashed in and never hurled again. Neither did the team. It was scheduled to play against Cork in the Croke Cup competition on December 18 but the referee never turned up and Suir View refused to play. Soon after the team disbanded and did not affiliate again. Some of the players joined Thurles for the 1900 championship but most of them called it a day even though many of them were still young.

Peter Meskell tells a fascinating tale and he concludes his story with profiles of all the players and their subsequent histories. He has done a great service to Suir View Rangers and, as a result of his work, our knowledge of life and the state of hurling in this part of the parish of Boherlahan-Dualla one hundred years ago, is all the greater. 

 

 

 

 

<span class="postTitle">The Back Door and All That Lark</span> Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1998, pp 51-53

The Back Door and All That Lark 

Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1998, pp 51-53

 

The meeting of Clare and Tipperary in the 1997 All-Ireland senior hurling final has caused frantic flutterings in the dovecotes of the traditionalists. It's not right that two teams from the same province should contest the All-Ireland. It's not acceptable that a team beaten in the championship should have a second crack at winning it! And, it's definitely not fair to the Munster champions to have to beat in the All-Ireland the same team they put away in the Munster final!
All very true no doubt and a far cry from the traditional knock-out championship. And, we're not going to finish with it this year: It is an experiment and it's going to run for another year. The aim and intention behind it was twofold: it is an attempt to increase the number of hurling games available in the championship and to take into consideration the state of the game in Ulster and Connacht.

In the latter case Galway have traditionally had a direct entree to the All-Ireland semi-final in spite of the best intentions of the Roscommons and the Londons. In Ulster, there are two teams but, with only two exceptions in over a century, neither Antrim or Down is a realistic contender for All-Ireland honours. By allowing in the beaten finalists of Munster and Leinster, Central Council was trying to ensure that the best hurling teams in the country qualified for the All-Ireland semi-finals.

 

THE BACK DOOR

One of the worst aspersions cast at the new system is the way it allows teams back into the championship by the back door! The term is intended to be properly derogatory and suggests that no right-minded team with respectable credentials would demean itself by using this mode of entry. The manly man with his chest out will walk up to the front door while the sleeveen with the servile mentality will sneak around to the back entrance. There is a definite implication that he has no right to be there. So, should Tipperary snuffle away to the undergrowth and get lost? No! I hardly think so.

In fact, we're very familiar with the back door in the county. Ever since 1977, when the open draw for the county senior hurling championship was abolished, we have been living with the back door entry into the championship and no one has ever taken a blind bit of notice. Even worse, with divisions we have many variations of this kind of entry. There's the losers group in some divisions, a league-championship system in others and they all facilitate teams which get beaten.
This system has a long ancestry. At the North convention in Nenagh on 8th March, 1953, the chairman stated that 'the senior hurling championship (of 1952) was carried out under a new scheme and he and everyone else thought that the 'Lorrha scheme' worked well. He called it the 'Lorrha scheme' because it was moved by Rev. Fr. O'Meara of the Lorrha club and carried at the last convention.' According to this motion the senior championship was played on a knockout system with teams beaten in the first round forming a group for play-off among themselves with the winning team being given a place in the semi-finals of the championship proper. So, are we to blame Lorrha for the whole back door policy? Over forty years later the system still obtains in the North championship.

 

THE COUNTY FOLLOWS

The County Board put an end to the straight knock-out system of running the county championship in 1960. At convention in that year it was decided that two teams would come forward from each division, with the winners meeting the losers from another division and the losers meeting the winners. The four winners in the quarter-finals were put into an open draw for the semi-finals and resulted in repeats of the Mid and the North finals. Toomevara defeated Kilruane MacDonaghs as they had done in the North final and Thurles Sarsfields beat Holycross/Ballycahill in a repeat of the Mid final. In the county final Toomevara defeated Sarsfields and stopped them winning six-in-a-row.

There was a change in 1961. The number of teams contesting the county championship was reduced to six, two quarter-finals. The runners-up in the North and the Mid played the winners of the South and the West, parallelling the system in operation for the All-Ireland championship this year. This system continued to operate until 1966 when it was decided that two teams from each division would contest the county championship, and this remained the case until the introduction of the open draw in 1969. During the period 1961 -'65 when there were two quarter-finals, the runners-up North and the Mid were successful every occasion bar one. That was in 1965 when South winners, Carrick Davins, beat North runners-up, Lorrha by a point. The winners went on to qualify for the final, drew with Thurles Sarsfields and lost the replay. They were to be winners in 1966 and 1967.

It's interesting to identify who were the backdoor champions during this period. When Sarsfields won their tenth county final in 11 years in 1965 they did so through the back door: they were beaten by Moycarkey/Borris in the final. Moycarkey did the same thing in 1984 when they became centenary champions. Does anyone think any less of them because they were beaten by Drom/lnch in the Mid final? One of the most celebrated examples is Borrisoleigh in 1986. League winners in the North, they beat the championship runners-up, qualified for the county championship, beat the North champions in the county final and went on to win a. club All-Ireland! And there are even more back door champions in the nineties. Toomevara used this route in 1992 and 1993, Nenagh in 1995 Boherlahan in 1996!

 

IN MUNSTER

And, it didn't happen only in Tipperary. There is a very obvious example of the back door in the history of the Munster championship. We all look back with a feeling of hurt and a sense of aggrievement at what happened in 1941. That was the year of the foot and mouth and the curtailment of G.A.A. activity in parts of Munster, particularly County Tipperary. As a result, the county was prevented playing the Munster championship and Cork were nominated to play in the All-Ireland series. And, because they were beaten later by Tipperary in the Munster final, it could be said they got into the All-Ireland retrospectively through the back. To make matters worse, from a Tipp point of view, they not only won the All-Ireland but went on to win four-in-a-row!
There is another aspect of this whole development that is causing consternation among the traditionalists and that is idea of two teams from the same province playing the All-Ireland final. Sure, it's not right at all! I suppose it won't be any consolation to them to point out that the county final in Tipperary was fought out on at least 10 occasions since 1970 by teams from the same division.

Without delving too deeply into hisory it is worth pointing out that the first All-Ireland in 1887 was played under an open draw system. Initially 12 teams enterred and there was a completely open draw. Eventually, only five teams participated, Tipperary, Galway, Wexford, Clare and Kilkenny. As we areare Tipperary played Galway in the All-Ireland but it could have as easily been Clare had the draws gone differently. So, it has taken all those years in meantime for us to meet them in the Ireland.

 

BIZARRE AND UNBELIEVABLE

One of the most bizarre and unbelievable episodes in the history of All-Ireland finals occurred in the 1925 football All-Ireland. It's the last occasion, as far as I know, when two teams from the same province contested an All-Ireland I. The two teams were Galway and Mayo. The record books will show you the result of the Connacht final as Galway 1-5, Mayo 1-3. Then if you go to the
All-Ireland semi-finals they will show Kerry 1-7 Cavan 2-3, Mayo 2-4 Wexford 1-4. And, if you look for the Ireland champions you will read, Galway!!!

How did this come about? The Connacht football championship had fallen terribly behind when Central Council fixed the All-Ireland semi-finals for 30th August and requested the Connacht Council to nominate a team. The other provinces had completed their championships but the first rounds hadn't yet been finalised in the west. Galway and Leitrim had drawn twice and Roscom­n had drawn with Sligo so, by August, the first round hadn't been completed.

As Mayo were the provincial champions of 1924, they were nominated to represent Connacht in the All-Ireland sim-final. Drawn against Wexford they defeated them by a goal in Croke Park. In the other semi-final Kerry defeated Cavan by one point at Tralee. Cavan objected to Kerry having illegal players and Kerry counter-objected that Cavan had illegal players. The Central Council disqualified both teams.

So, Mayo were All-Ireland champions? Such was to be the case in 1941 when Cork, the nominated team of Munster, got a bye into the All-Ireland and defeated Dublin. In 1925 it was different. As Mayo were only a nominated team, the All-Ireland of 1925 depended on who would emerge as Connacht champions. And, so it was to be. (I wonder who changed the rules between then and 1941).

But, to get back to Connacht in 1925. Galway eventally beat Leitrim in their third outing and Sligo beat Roscommon in their replay. Then, Mayo beat Sligo in a memorable semi-final and qualified to meet Galway in the final. The Connacht final and the All-Ireland final now lay between the two teams. The game was played in Parkmore, Tuam, later a racecourse and presently a soul-less housing estate, on 18th October. An enthusiastic crowd turned up. A Galway man, Stephen Jordan, was the referee and 'no better man in Connacht could have been selected ... and to the best of his ability carried out a duty which to him, being a Galway man, was a great responsibility,' the Western People reported. The upshot of the game was that Galway, relying more on weight and strength and rush rather than stylish, systematic play, beat Mayo by 1-5 to 1-3. The cynics would probably say: sure, why wouldn't they win and they having their own referee as well as the venue!

 

DISPUTED

Back in the council chambers the heat rose appreciably toward the end of November when a letter from M. Barrett, secretary of the Mayo County Board, questioned the validity of the Central Council in awarding the Ail-Ireland title to Galway on foot of their win over Mayo. The county contended and argued their case strongly, that they had been led to believe that they were All-Ireland champions and that they considered the game against Galway as being merely the Connacht final. Had it been the All-Ireland final it should have been played in Croke Park, as per the rule book.

The argument came to naught. The Central Council confirmed Galway as All-Ireland champions for 1925. But the Council must have had some reservations about its decision. It decided to present a set of gold medals to the winners of an interprovincial football competition between Cavan and Kerry, Galway and Wexford. Kerry refused to take part in this new competition. Galway defeated Wexford and later had a comfortable win over Cavan, thus proving, perhaps, they were the best team of 1925. On top of that they got three sets of medals in all.

What it all proves is not too clear. There is a precedent for two teams from the same province meeting in an All-Ireland final, although the circumstances are much different. It also shows that there were two totally different interpre­tations put on the question of nominating teams. Had what prevailed in Con­nacht in 1925, obtained in Munster in 1941, the Munster final on 26th October would also have been the All-Ireland final and it would further have established the precedent of two teams from the province meeting in an All-Ireland final.

 

AN OPEN DRAW

Regardless of the outcome of this two-year experiment of allowing beaten finalists back into the championship, there does appear to be an opening for a break from the traditional way of running the All-Ireland series. There are good arguments for an open draw, separate and distinct from the provincial championships. Such a draw would preferably have 12 teams, with four preliminary rounds, followed by quarterfinals, semi-finals and final. At the moment the 12 teams would be Clare, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Offaly, Dublin, Antrim, Down and Galway. An open 'B' championship could also be run and a system of promotion / relegation worked out between the two. This would give us 11 championship games. Added to that would be the provincial championships with as many more hurling games. I do not believe the provincial championship would suffer: it was still desirable to win the divisional championship in this county, when the open draw was in operation. The system would give us more hurling games, greater exposure of the game and more exciting television.

Whether one is for or against the present experiment, one has to admit that it has increased the interest in hurling to an incredible degree. (I do admit that the sponsorship of Guinness with their imaginative and dramatic advertising campaign has also played its part, as also the increased televising of the games). By the time the 65,000 capacity attendance is added to this year's All-Ireland hurling championship figures, an increase of 25% will have to be achieved. More than 483,000 will have attended the matches as against 395,000 last year. Compared with 1995 the increase is even more dramatic, up 58% on that year. This is encouraging news and didn't happen out of the blue but because a few farsighted people had the courage to look beyond the cosy and the familiar. 

 

 

 

<span class="postTitle">Rockwell College 1924-1925</span> Rockwell College Annual 1997, pp 53-57

Rockwell College 1924-1925

Rockwell College Annual 1997, pp 53-57

 

If you arrived as a student in Rockwell College in September 1924 the Superior, or President as he is called now, was Fr Johnny Byrne and he had held the position since 1916. The Bursar was Rev. J. A. Kingston and Fr J. McCarthy was the Director of the Scholasticate. The impressive Fr Dan Murphy, D.D. Ph.D., M.A. was the newly appointed Dean of Studies while Fr F. Griffin was the Dean of Discipline. The lay professors included Sean Gallagher, M.A., M. Nagle, who had a B. Comm. and a Mr O'Hanlon, M. Sc. There were six prefects and thirteen lay brothers, two of whom, Eugene and Agathon are of not too distant memory. Br. Eugene was in charge of the refectory and Agathon of convalescents. 

The number of pupils in the college was eightyfive boarders, thirty-six scholastics and some fifteen day boys. The numbers had been in steady decline since 1920-21, when the combined boarders and scholastics had stood· at 194. This figure dropped to 161 in 1921-22, 125 in 1922-23. It remained the same for 1923-24 but dropped again for 1924-25. According to the community Journal for September 1914, the decrease was to be ascribed mainly to the rise in pension, to the slump in business and in income since the Great War. But the writer adds the comment that there must have been some other cause because 'our neighbours, the Trappists at Roscrea, have this year 183 boys and even the Dominicans at Newbridge 131'. 

The writer may have been implying that the 'other cause' was the republican ethos of the place since the advent of Fr Byrne as Superior in 1916. De Valera and the Republicanism of Sinn Fein was the prevailing political philosophy. In fact, one of the brothers, Malachy, was so much of that persuasion, that he was nicknamed 'De Valera' . The same brother was alleged to have ensured that some of his confreres received no polling cards at election time because 'they would only vote for the other side anyhow!'. 

The College, under Fr Byme, was a place of refuge for republicans during the Civil War and after. De Valera was a frequent visitor and an entry in the Journal for March 17, 1925 records one such visit; 'During dinner De Valera turned in and had a hurried snack in the parlour. The Superior, Frs. Kingston, D. Murphy and Heelan went out from dinner to see him'. 

We're not told if he stayed around for the entertainment that evening. The students put on a program in aid of the African Mission Fund. The program consisted of the Irish comedy, The Mineral Workers, selections by the College orchestra, recitations and vocal items. A fine crowd attended and a goodly sum was realised for the cause. 

Hurling

Part of the prevailing ethos was the encouragement of things Irish, particularly Irish games. This encouragement was reflected in the success of the hurling team. The seniors won the Harry Cup. defeating Limerick C.B.S. by 7-3 to 3-4 in the fmal at Thurles on May 18, 1924. As a result the team qualified to play Roscrea in the All-Ireland on June 15. (No worry then of getting injured before the public examinations!) Roscrea were unable to field and the Central Council of the G.A.A. awarded the game to Rockwell. The gold medals for the winners eventually arrived in Rockwell on October 3. In 1925 Rockwell beat Thurles on March 29 but, according to the Journal 'the margin was very narrow, the game feeble and uninspiring. Are we on the downgrade in games as in numbers?' And the words were prophetic as the team lost the next round. Side by side with the promotion of Gaelic. games came the downgrading of 'foreign games'. Rugby was no longer played and cricket was banned from 1916 to 1946. 

The school day was less strenuous over seventy years ago. In September 1924 the three-quarter hour class system was abandoned in favour of hour classes and the number of classes reduced from seven to six daily. Class began at 9 a.m. with two hour classes, followed by a half-hour for catechism. There was a break until 12 o'clock, followed by two hour classes. Another break followed at 2 and the final class was from 2.30 to 3.30. Wednesday's classes were of half-hour duration and lasted from 9-11.30. 


New Examinations

The big change in September 1924 was the introduction of the new intermediate and leaving certificate examinations. They replaced the junior, middle and senior system in existence until then. In order to prepare the students for the new examinations, Rockwell introduced a system of monthly examinations with a galaxy to reward those who did well. We read that a galaxy went to Dublin to a match at Croke Park on November 22 (Bloody Sunday commemoration!). 

At the end of the year, on the occasion of Prize day, Fr. Dan Murphy welcomed the new examination system and in doing so outlined the deficiencies in the old: 'The griefs laid at the door of the old system were many and varied. The minor complaints I shall not say to mention. But .there is one thing for which, I think, the system was responsible and that is, its failure to give those who studied under it that really intellectual development without which it is normally impossible to rise to the heights of one's profession in after life. It was a system which developed rather the memory than the intelligence, which favoured the system of cram rather than the gradual, internal development of all man's faculties. That system, as I say, has disappeared and the principles underlying the new system conduce far more to the full development of all man's faculties, than the system under which we have been working for so long'. He had one criticism of the new system. While it exacted much more from pupils and masters than the old system, the rates of remuneration for teachers hadn't increased at all! Fr. Murphy produced impressive statistics to show Rockwell's achievements under the old system during the previous six years. Its pass rate had been very good: in 1919,77 out of 112; in 1920, 79 out of 101; in 1921,69 out of 92; in 1922, 80 out of 89; in 1923, an exceptional 59 out of 61; in 1924, 59 out of 64. He believed the high percentage of passes, secured by Rockwell in every grade, showed that the members of the staff must have reserved their best efforts for the advancement of the ordinary boy of normal ability. This he regarded as indicative, not alone of the greatest conscientiousness, but also of the highest educational training. During the six years mentioned the average pass rate for all Ireland never went much beyond 50 per cent and he ventured to affirm that there were few colleges in the country that could show a better record of passes during the year. 

Scare 

In spite of this favourable picture there was talk during 1924 of closing down the College! It hasn't been possible to trace where this scare originated but it may have been mentioned in the light of the falling numbers. There is a reference to it in the Journal for October 26. Apparently, at the consecration of the Church in Cashel, Dean Innocent Ryan 'unhappily and needlessly harped back to the project of closing the College'. Previously, (on May 18) he had referred to a 'plot' to close the College. Now he said it 'was missionary zeal that underlay the proposal and that it was solely through the action of the priests of the Archdiocese of Cashel that the measure was rejected'. However, strong the notion of closure had been at any time, by October 26 it appears as if it had been put aside and was best forgotten. 

Relaxed Place 

Rockwell seems to have been a more relaxed place in the mid-twenties, in spite of its academic achievements. There were a good many free days. For instance, on October 7, the Journal reads: 'Whole day in Dr. Wilson's honour. The boys had a picnic to the Rock of Cashel and got back at 7'. For the intermediate results there was another free day and the boys went for a picnic to Athassel. But, as well as whole days off, there were regular half-days and even quarter-days! How civilised! There were regular power failures which curtailed activities like study. The entry for December 18 was: 'Light failed again for the 3rd or 4th time. The Xmas exam began at 1, instead of 5 as it is uncertain whether we could count on the electric light'. And, how welcome the following entry for December 22: 'Exams end at 12. Results read out at 5.30 (Please take note, present staff!) Boys were given vacation time till January 15 instead of 13'because the term's work had been good! ' 

And, a few final entries will add to the flavour of the period. September11, 1914: 'College invested in a car. The hall door servant, Luke Lyons, has been trained as chauffeur'. January 28, 1925: 'Sold 23 cattle at £19 average'. And 'The Crossword puzzle craze is rife among the staff'. March 3: 'The fathers were asked to think over the proposal to feed the boys better and to raise the pension to £60 or £65'. And 'The hounds came and found 2 foxes in our Black Grove'. May 17: 'The boys walked to Cashel, caught a Rockwell special train at 1.30 and went to Thurles to see Cork beat Limerick. They got back at 8.45'. May 19: 'Half year's increment of salary came from Hume Street. The max at present is £120 per annum'. June 11: 'Cinema pictures of the College were taken from the Pathe's Gazette'. The picture is nearly too good to be true and the problem with it is the absence of any boy's voice from the year telling us how it looked from his perspective.

 

<span class="postTitle">The Tipperary Hurler</span> West Tipperary Division G.A.A. Convention Handbook, 1997, p 24

The Tipperary Hurler

West Tipperary Division G.A.A. Convention Handbook, 1997, p 24

 

This painting, by the Limerick born artist Sean Keating (1889-1977), is one of six to appear in the 1997 calendar from the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modem Art, Parnell Square, Dublin 1. It is of interest to West Tipperary people in particular because the model for the painting, Ben O'Hickey, was a distinguished Bansha man.

The picture was painted in June 1928 and was exhibited by the artist at the Amsterdam Olympia in 1929 as part of a world collection of pictures relating to athletics. Keating was the only Irish artist whose name appeared in the catalogue. From Amsterdam the picture was transferred to the Irish Artists Exhibition in the Hackett Galleries, New York where it was seen and purchased for £1,000 by George Moore, a wealthy railroad magnate. It eventually made its way into the Municipal Gallery's collection. 

The picture depicts a typical young Tipperary man of the farming class, with rugged, strong features and muscular build. The figure is seated against an Irish landscape that is almost as fine as the figure itself. According to Seamus McCarthy the red jersey with the sash, worn by the model, was a Galtee Rovers one from the twenties and was owned by a club player, Tom Compton. The hurley was made by Tom O'Hickey, the father of the model. 

Ben O'Hickey was born into a strongly nationalist family in Lisgibbon, Bansha in 1899. He was responsible for forming the Bansha Company' of the IRB in 1917. Two years later he was sentenced to eighteen months hard labour for wearing uniform. He was jailed in Cork, later transferred to Derry and later still to Mountjoy. From here he made a dramatic escape with other Sinn Feiners in March 1919 and joined Tom Barry's flying column, taking part in a number of attacks and ambushes. In one of these he was wounded and captured. He was taken to Cork Barracks, courtmartialled and sentenced to death. On the morning set for his execution, his sentence was commuted to penal servitude for life and he was shipped to Wormwood Scrubs and then to Shepton Mallet Prison in the Cotswolds. 

When peace was restored, Commandant O'Hickey entered the Metropolitan School of Art and studied under Sean Keating. During his time there he created a canvas portraying his experience in the death cell, entitled To What Red Hell. His teacher recommended its inclusion in the Royal Hibernian Exhibition but the committee declined to show it, considering the subject too controversial. Keating, O'Hickey and others were disappointed with the rejection and decided to found another outlet for young artists. Thus was the Academy of Irish Art founded and the first exhibition, which included To What Red Hell, was opened in the Round Room of the Mansion House by Sean T. O'Kelly in April 1931. The exhibition was a great success and O'Hickeys painting aroused much interest and media coverage. 

And so the man who was the model for The Tipperary Hurler was an artist in his own right, as well as being a patriotic Irishman. The remainder of his life was also colourful and exciting and Ben O'Hickey died on August 9, 1964. He is buried in St. Michael's Cemetery, Tipperary.

 

<span class="postTitle">Recent G.A.A. Publications - 1997</span> Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1997, pp 124-125

Recent G.A.A. Publications - 1997

Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1997, pp 124-125

 

HOGAN, VINCENT: Beyond the Tunnell: The Nicky English story (MedMedia, £10)

HUMPHRIES, TOM: Green Fields: Gaelic Sport in Ireland (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £15)

KEENAN, DONAL: Babs: The Michael Keating Story (Storm Books, £10) 

KING, SEAMUS J.: A History of Hurling (Gill & Macmillan, £18) 

MURPHY, SEAN: The Prince of Hurlers: The Life and Times of Jackie Power (The Clare Champion, £10) 

O'HEHIR, MICHAEl: My Life and Times (Blackwater Press, £15) 

O'KEEFFE, CATHERINE, (ED): Marlfield Hurling Club, 1946 - 1996 (Sureprint, £10) 

O'ROURKE, COLM: The Final Whistle (Hero Books, £10) 

RACKARD, BILLY: No Hurling at the Dairy Door (Blackwater Press, £10) 

NUGENT, SEAN: Slievenamon in Song and Story (Sureprint, N.P.) 


As the above list testifies there is an abundance of G.A.A. pubications on the market for this Christmas. And, I heard, it may be added to in the very near future by books from Ger Loughnane and Jimmy Smith of Clare! The significant thing about the list is the overwhelming preponderance of hurling books. The sole exception is the autobiography of Colm O'Rourke, sponsored by Kepak and published last summer. The book brings to life one of the best known and respected footballers of the last twenty years, tracing his life from the earliest interest in football in Skyrne through some of the most memorable games in the colours of Meath. The autobiography discusses the extent of the rivalry between Dublin and Meath among other things and there is a stimulating article on the road ahead for the G.A.A. The book concludes with O'Rourke's scoring record over twenty years of senior football with Meath - his average was 2.47 points per match - together with the scores and lineouts in every championship game he played. 

The Marlfield club history presents the story of the club through newspaper accounts of its successes and defeats and this is f1eshed out by personal reminiscences of some of the major figures in the club. In existence since 1946 it made its first major breakthrough in 1954 when it won the south junior title. Senior breakthrough followed in 1960 after the club was strengthened by the addition of five new players, Mick Egan, Mickey Carew, Jerry McCarthy, Paddy Maher and Seamus Power. Of course the most influential figure on the side was Mr. Marlfield himself, Theo English. There is much more and Catherine O'Keeffe and all those involved in its production are to be complimented. If I am critical it's of a few minor things. I should have liked to have read a bit more about the lawn, some history of the Bagwells and, for those confused by many,of the placenames, a map would have been a help. 

There is a review of three of the books elsewhere in the Yearbook, the Babs story, Beyond the Tunnel and A History of Hurling. I was interested to read in the Babs' book that he claims responsibility for the high catch in hurling. "In those days not many hurlers tried to catch a high ball. Everything that came in the air was played in the air. I was different. I jumped for it and caught it." When I put it to him that this skill arrived earlier with Wexford he claimed it was in the backs they used it, not the forwards. He is very interested in the changing style of management from the time he played. At that time there was little rapport between players and management. No selector ever discussed your game with you. The first inclination you got of dissatisfaction was when you weren't picked to play. (Interestingly some of the players managed by Babs would claim you got the message when he stopped talking to you!) He reckons there was a failure in the management of the Tipperary team in 1966. Of his own days in management he is eloquent in the defence of his way of doing things. He admits that his five Ss, speed, stamina, style, skill, leading to scores, were not sufficient without a killer instinct. He writes about inviting Kevin Heffernan in 1989 to talk to the Tipperary players in order to try and instill the killer instinct. He would agree that Galway beat Tipperary physically in 1987 and 1988 as did Cork in 1992. 

Nicky English claims honesty in his account of his hurling life and' is difficult not to concur. It's a warts and all presentation and he is quite modest about his achievements. The famous kicked goal was pure luck: "As I closed in on Cunningham's goal, the sliothar at my feet, honestly hadn't a clue what I was going to do next. .. To this day, I still can't believe what the ball did." He is equally modest about the tap-over point in Killarney: he thought there was someone behind him andwas afraid of being hooked! He recalls the photograph from the Clare game of 1984 in the Cork Examiner "with shall we say, more than my tongue hanging out as I raced through on goal. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it. There I was, in all my glory, the side of my shorts opening just sufficiently for the family jewels to protrude. Incredibly to my knowledge, it got through every edition." He does not hesitate to write about the terrible decision made by the selectors in picking the 1990 team. And there is much more, all written in a very readable manner. 

Tom Humphries' book is not just a book about football and huling but one about Ireland and the Irish. It is the story of people, places and passions, tales about games which run deep in the Irish consciousness. It's about sports which have stirred a country like little else can. Anyone who has read Humphries in the Irish Times will know what an interesting and exciting writer he can be. 

A History of Hurling is an attempt to write a one-volume history of one of the oldest field games in the world, a game that stretches into the dim and distant past. The main part of the book concentrates on the history of the game since the foundation of the G.AA a traces this through the senior hurling championship. There are chapters on the other championships and competitions, on the geography of the game, on hurling styles and on the future of hurling. 

The Jackie Power book runs to 200 pages and recalls the life of Jackie from his birth in 1916 to his death in Tralee in 1994. His dazzling skills and ferocious courage come to life as his feats and deeds on the hurling fields of Ireland are detailed in the winning of two All Irelands, four National Leagues, seven Railway Cup medals, one Oireachtas, fifteen county hurling finals and five county football finals. The book also records his son, Ger's 8 All Ireland football medals with Kerry and grandson, Stephen McNamara's All Ireland with Clare in 1995. 

Michael O'Hehir's, My Life and Times, was launched with impressive pomp and circumstance by President Mary Robinson at a gala occasion in the Burlington Hotel, Dublin a few weeks ago. Over 700 people , chiefly from the G.AA and racing worlds turned up for the occasion. The book reads as interestingly as Michael used to commentate: 'At Cusack Park we climbed into a broadcasting box that had just 1 room for myself and my father. He struck me as being in a more nervous state than I was. Some 30 or 40 yards away in a kind of watchman's hut was Jimmy Mahon, the Radio Eireann technician. Through the headphones I got the word from Jimmy "Two minutes to one minute to go." And then: "You're on the air and off I went. I tried to describe as best I could what was happening on the field." The occasion was the Galway-Monaghan All-Ireland football semi-final, the place was Mullingar and the year was 1938 and with it began a distinguished broadcasting career that was to last until 1985 and include 99 All-Ireland final broadcasts. 

Sean Nugent has collected in 300 pages the songs and stories associated with Tipperary's most famous mountain. The legends and tales, associated with the mountain, have endured down the centuries and have created an aura of magic and mystery around the place. 

Billy Rackard's book is not only an account of hurling but of a family and a village. When he was born in 1932 the Rathnure G.AA club was founded. He describes how his father, Bob Rackard, set his sights on the beautiful, 5'11" Statia Doran and married her. They had nine children, of whom Billy was the youngest. The book brings us through childhood, an assortment of colourful characters and the exceptional hurling careers of himself, and his brothers, Bobby and Nicky. A great addition to the Wexford hurling story and to our hurling library. 

As I complete this review of recent G.A.A. publications Liam Griffin king to Pat Kenny about another book, to appear in the next few weeks on Wexford's success in 1996 and what it did for the county. The book isn't even printed yet but must be looked forward to.