Eire Og Annacarty-Donohill 1994 Intermediate Hurling Champions
County Tipperary senior hurling final program, Semple Stadium, Thurles, November 3, 2019
Article can be viewed here.
My Tipperary Life
The Nationalist and The Tipperary Star, October 31, 2019
What’s your idea of a perfect weekend in Tipperary?
It has to include a visit to Brosnan’s Pub for a few pints and to catch up with the local news. Reading the weekend papers is a vital part of my existence. The highlight has to be a hurling match in Thurles, preferably against Cork, and a chat with a few Cork supporters before or after the game over a few pints of Guinness. If there isn’t a game to go to, Sunday lunch at home with my wife’s cooking and a good bottle of wine.
Who has made the greatest contribution to Tipperary in your lifetime – and why?
A very difficult question but the two Tipperary people who have made a great contribution to Tipperary in my estimation are General M. J. Costello and T. J. Maher. Both these men were major figures in the county, and beyond, during their lifetimes and they contributed significantly to improving the lot of people in the county.
After a distinguished army career, in which M. J. Costello reached the rank of Lieutenant-General, and was ever after referred to as General Costello, he took over the Sugar Company, which was in a weak state after the Emergency. He set about improving soil fertility and established soil testing stations, limestone quarries and fertiliser compounding. He waged a ceaseless war against the various beet diseases and against the pests of the crop. His work into beet seed research won recognition across the beet-growing world, including a prestigious decoration from King Baudouin of the Belgians in 1973. His vision was to make the smallest farm viable. His vegetable project was aimed to accommodate the small family holding as much as the big farm. His efforts lifted the depressed Ireland of the fifties and, as the celebrant of his funeral Mass on October 22, 1986, expressed it, his life was ‘dedicated to protecting, uplifting, to guiding, to counselling the ordinary people of this island – the people of no wealth, the people of no property, the people of uncertain future, the people of no influence.’
T. J. Maher’s achievements in the later decades of the century were also impressive. Beginning his life on the family farm in Boherlahan, he joined the newly formed National Farmers Association soon after its foundation and rapidly made his way up the ranks and was one of the ten members, who sat out at the Department of Agriculture for nineteen days. He succeeded Rickard Deasy as President of the N.F.A. in 1967, a meteoric rise in the organisation in about ten years. He helped to unite the various farming organisation under a new title, the Irish Farmers Association in 1976 and, as a committed European led the vote for entry to the E.E.C. He later became president of the co-operative movement. His next move was in 1979 when he was elected MEP with a massive 86,000 votes, a tribute to his leadership qualities and his success in giving Irish farmers a powerful voice. When he retired after three terms in the European Parliament, he spent his time furthering the activities of Bothar, the organisation he co-founded in 1991 to give people in the developing world an opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty through this self-help scheme. T. J. Maher’s contribution to the lives of the Irish farming community was truly immense.
What’s your first Tipperary memory?
It must have been about 1946 or 1947. I was coming home from Redwood bog sitting on top of a creel of turf and passing Tom Lambe’s house, he came out and handed me up a new hurl: ‘Take that’, he said, ‘’you’ll find good use for it.’ It was my first proper hurl. Before that I used a crookey stick. Tom Lambe was my hero at the time and played on the Lorrha senior team.
What’s your favourite part of the county – and why:
Even though I come from the north of the county I am more attracted to some of the landscape of South Tipperary. The area that impresses me most is the Vee and the area that stretches down to Lismore. I think it’s the wilderness effect that attracts me, which contrasts with the rich farming terrain in the rest of the county. The story of Petticoat Luce fascinates me. Pettycoat Luce was supposed to be a bad living woman. She killed her father and her mother and an unbaptised child. The Parish Priest of Clogheen gave her a penance to drain Bay Lough with a thimble. Some people from Clogheen went up to Bay Lough to make an outlet to let the water run out. When they were there they saw that Clogheen was on fire They ran down to save it. When they got down it was not on fire at all. And there’s more stories about her but not enough to reveal what kind of person she was..
What do you think gives Tipperary its unique identity?
I suppose the Tipperary accent has to be part of its uniqueness and the inability of many people to pronounce their ths. Tipperary people are proud and pride themselves in the designation, Premier County. Most people attribute this title to the fact that we won many competitions in the G.A.A., when they were first played, such as the first All-Ireland, the first under-21 All-Ireland, etc. It might come as a shock to some that the attribute, Premier County, is supposed to have originated in praise of the county as one of the foremost in providing soldiers to the British Army! That theory is backed up by the number of Victoria Crosses won by Tipperary soldiers. Maybe the uniqueness of the county is due to the fact that we were the only county that had two administrative units up to recently.
Do you have a favourite local writer or authorities?
As a student of history I cannot go beyond Dr. Des Marnane, who has written so extensively of West Tipperary since the production of ‘Land and Violence: A History of West Tipperary from 1660’ in 1985. Since then his production has been enormous as the pages of the Tipperary Historical Journal can testify, as well as his books. He briings to his writing a great desire for the truth and a searching analysis of the records. An indefatigable researcher, he has thrown new light on many old issues and exposed much that was myth and humbug in historical events.
Another writer whose work I have huge respect for is Pat Bracken. His book ‘The Growth and Development of Sport in County Tipperary 1840-1880’ in chock a block with exciting information, revealing a sporting Ireland during the forty years covered in the title and challenges many of our assumptions about the development of these sports, as well as the state of hurling before the foundation of the G.A.A. A work of assiduous and painstaking research, it is a must read for anyone in the county interest in sport.
What’s the biggest challenge facing the county today?
I don’t know about the biggest but there are a few big ones. We need to expand on the number of tourists coming into the county. Over 300,000 visit the Rock of Cashel annually but there is too small a spill over to the rest of the county. We have a lot to offer the tourist, religious places like Holycross, Roscrea, Lorrha, water pursuits on Lough Derg, mountain climbing in the South, good food, plenty of sport. The big challenge is to sell the huge variety of visitor attractions we have to offer. In the meantime we need to catch up with Kilkenny in the roll call of All-Ireland honours!
If you had the power to change one thing in, or about Tipperary, what would it be?
Another difficult question because I’m not quite sure what traits, habits or practices Tipperary has that are different to other counties. I suppose it would be a good idea to have one capital town in Thurles rather than two in Nenagh and Clonmel, with politicians and staff traipsing between the two incurring expenses. Another idea might be to relocate the county a bit further south where the weather would be better.
Moyaliffe House
Clonoulty-Rossmore Vintage Club, 19th Annual Vintage Rally, Clonoulty Village, Cashel, Co. Tipperary, September 1, 2019
Moyaliffe House is a large house, built over several periods. It is situated within a mature garden, beside the River Clodiagh and within the grounds of a ruined castle. The approach to the house is between a stately avenue of lime trees, planted over one hundred years ago. Nearby is Moyaliffe Hill, which rises to over four hundred feet above sea level, from the top of which are fine views of the Rock of Cashel and the Devil’s Bit.
The name ‘Moyaliffe’ or ‘Mealiffe’ is a derivation meaning ‘field of Olaf’. As far as is known, Olaf was the reigning King of the territory in 900 AD, when he fought a fierce and defensive battle on the banks of the River Clodiagh, losing two hundred men.
The ruins of a castle, which was built about 1100 AD, can be seen to the south of the house. The castle was one of a series built by the Butler family to preserve law and order over their vast domain granted by King John of England. In 1500 AD it was besieged by Turlough O’Brien, when one hundred Kilkenny men with Robert Shee, the sovereign of that city, marched out to the assistance of Sir Piers Butler at Moyaliffe, but were defeated and left a great number of their men dead on the field, including Shee.
The House
The oldest wing of the house at one time adjoined the castle. The middle wing was added in the 17th century, while the newest wing, which made the house the fine structure it is today, was built in 1810. All the walls of the house are of exceptional thickness. Behind panelling, in the thickness of one of the outside walls enclosing a passage on the first floor, is what might have been a secret closet, in which a man could have hidden. In the courtyard is a deep well which assured a water supply, which was important in such houses in case of attack.
The Armstrongs
The owners of Moyaliffe since 1695 were the Armstrongs when Thomas Armstrong (1671-1741) purchased the townland and the ruins of a towerhouse, which had been built there by the Butler family in the early fourteenth century. Thomas was the younger son of Captain William Armstrong of Farney Castle, who had come to Ireland to fight for the royalist cause in the Irish Confederate Wars. The Armstrongs were of Scottish origin and are said to have derived their name during the Battle of the Standard (1138), when a warrior of the clan lifted a fallen king back onto his horse by using just one arm. The family motto, vi et armis Invictus maneo (by force and arms I remain unvanquished, reflects the fearless and warlike nature for which the clan was famous.
The Moyaliffe branch of the family was rather more peaceful in its inclinations than the motto might suggest. While many men of the family continued in the tradition of serving in the army, equally many took to the cloth and served as clergymen in parishes in Tipperary and elsewhere. William ‘Billy’ Carew Armstrong (1752-1839) served as rector of Moyaliffe from 1789 to 1797. He also held the rectorship of Moylough in the diocese of Tuam and the chancellorship of the diocese of Cashel. Billy’s marriage to Catherine Beresford in 1789 was not only good for his career but brought money into the family, allowing him to improve the holding at Moyaliffe. He extended the modest family home by the addition of a Georgian wing, planted a parkland of oaks and beeches and established a beech walk overlooking the Clodiagh River. As a result of this prosperous marriage, many subsequent generations carried ‘Beresford’ as their middle name.
Billy’s eldest son, John Armstrong (1791-1846) also married well. His wife, Catherine Somers, was the only surviving child of Thomas Somers of Chaffpool, County Sligo. Through this marriage, the Armstrongs came into possession of estates in Mayo and Sligo, and for many decades the family abandoned Moyaliffe House in favour of Chaffpool House. Apparently John was a much-liked landlord and highly respected magistrate, and the local community were devastated to hear the news of his premature death during the famine from typhus fever he had contracted while working tirelessly to ease the suffering of the poor and starving.
End of the Family Connection
Eventually the Moyaliffe estate came to Captain Marcus Beresford Armstrong and, following the death of his only son, he made the decision to pass the state to his second daughter, Jess (1891-1949). (The Mayo and Sligo estates had been sold to the Congested Districts Board in 1904.) She was married in 1927 to Captain William Daryl Olphert Kemmis (1892-1965) of Ballinacor, County Wicklow.
She and her husband divided their time between Moyaliffe and Ballinacor until the death of Captain Kemmis in 1965, when, through a series of events, Jess Kemmis lost ownership of Ballinacor, which was inherited by her husband’s maternal cousin, Major Richard Lomer, and Moyaliffe, which was offered for sale to the Land Commission. She was later able to regain possession of Moyaliffe House and 12 acres of the demesne, but not the surrounding farm.
As Jess had no children, and he younger sister was also childless, Jess Kemmis bequeathed Moyaliffe House and grounds to her distant relation, Robert George Carew Armstrong (1911-1983) of Natal, South Africa. Following Robert’s death, the property passed to his eldest son, Graham Carew Armstrong (b. 1946). It remained in the hands of the Armstrong family until July 1999, when it was sold to John Stakelum.
Life in Moyaliffe
In his comprehensive Life of Tom Semple and the Thurles Blues, Liam Ó Donnchú gives an interesting picture of life at Moyaliffe in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Many of the workers on the estate were brought in from Scotland. Tom Semple’s grandfather, James, was one and worked as a servant at Farney Castle, where the father of the first Armstrong to take over Moyaliffe, was established. Tom’s father, Martin, is recalled locally as being a coachman and butler at Farney Castle and later at MoyaliffeI
It is clear, from the following account of a celebration at Moyaliffe, that Martin Semple was held in high esteem by the Armstrongs and could be trusted with a position of responsibility. ‘In October 1878, Captain Edward Armstrong celebrated the annual ‘Harvest Home’ at Moyaliffe Castle. Invitations had been sent to his tenants, labourers, tradesmen and their families and the celebrations began at about 4.00 p.m. for the assembled gathering of all ages, numbering about one hundred and fifty-five. They assembled in the vicinity of the farmyard, in an area specially built for such festivities, where a dance-floor had been laid and the area decorated with evergreens, corn sheaves and appropriate slogans, some in the Irish language. Fiddle music filled the autumnal air and the tables were ‘full and plenty’ and well-decked with a selection of meats including roast beef and a selection of hot smoking puddings. Captain Armstrong arrived with his wife and her companion, Miss Bagwell, about 8.00 p.m. amid welcoming cheers. The flowing bowl followed with plenty for all and the Captain drank to the health of his tenants, labourers and his invited friends from Farney Castle and Templemore. At 10.30 p.m. the Captain and his entourage retired. Tea, punch and porter were liberally distributed during the remainder of the night, under the supervision of Mr. Semple (Tom’s father), Mr. Hogan, Mr. Harrington and Mr. Aduett, all appointed by Captain Armstrong to act in his absence. Celebrations continued until 7.00 a. m., when all wished each other good-bye in friendship.’
Tony Reddin (1919-2019) Remembered
Munster Senior Hurling Championship, Tipperary v Portláirge, Semple Stadium, May 19, 2019
In a fine nostalgic piece in the 1981 Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook, Seamus Leahy recalls a visit from his uncle Paddy and Jimmy Maher after Lorrha’s defeat by Holycross in the 1948 county final. He produced an autograph book and his uncle wrote: ‘Sensation: Holycross won county championship 1948. Tipp will win All-Ireland championship 1949.’
Then he handed the book to Jimmy, who wrote: ‘Jim Maher, Boherlahan.’
‘Identify yourself,’ urged Paddy, ‘Jim Maher, Boherlahan could be anyone. Write ‘Tipp goalie.’
‘Not after today,’ said Jimmy, ‘didn’t you see your man, Reddin, today? He’s your goalie now.’
Jimmy was right. After eight years as Tipperary’s senior goalkeeper he was to give way to this ‘unknown’, who had shown unusual ability during the North and county championship. He was picked as Jimmy’s replacement for the county’s first game in the league against Offaly on October 24 and played his last game against New York in October 1957. His tenure with Lorrha was from Easter Sunday 1947 until April 1958 during which time he won two North championship medals in 1948 and 1956.
Mullagh to Lorrha
Tony arrived in Lorrha from Mullagh, Co. Galway early in 1947 at the age of twenty-eight years. He had shown promise in his native county, playing with the county juniors and seniors and with the Connaght Railway Cup team. He won a Connaght junior hurling medal in 1940 and played full-forward with the county against Tipperary in the Monaghan Cup game in London in 1946. However, it wasn’t until he crossed the Shannon that his true potential was realised.
His list of achievements is impressive by any standards, As well as winning three All-Irelands, six national Leagues, two Brendan Cup medals and one Oireachtas, he also won six Railway Cup medals and four ‘Ireland Team’ cups. He travelled to London on nine occasions and played on the wining Monaghan Cup team on eight occasions. His ninth visit was as a substitute in 1957, when Tipperary were beaten. He was also picked for the Number 1 position on the Teams of the Century and the Millennium.
One of the Greats
There is nobody to deny that he was one of the greats of hurling history. He was great in the days when a goalkeeper’s fate was to be bundled into the back of the net, if the backs gave the forwards sufficient leeway. Tony’s greatest asset was to stop the ball dead so that it rolled down to his chest or his feet. He would leave the ball on the ground until the last moment and then, with the forwards rushing in, he would take it, sidestep them and have plenty of space to clear. He claimed to know which side of the goal the ball would come by watching which foot a forward was on when he hit the ball. Whatever the reason for his greatness, his stopping prowess was the bane of forwards and a joy to supporters for many a year.
The Banagher Connection
Tony Reddin died on March 1, 2015 in his ninety-sixth year, survived by his wife, Maura (nee Smyth) whom he married in 1956, and nine children, six girls and three boys. The family moved from Lorrha to Banagher in 1964 and Tony took over as manager and selector of the local St, Rynagh’s team that won ten out of twelve county finals between 1966-1976. He had a very simple message on the training pitch, develop a quick touch, deliver the ball fast and always do it diagonally. Tony’s son, Cathal, who played with Offaly and later with Paris Gaels had the distinction of winning Poc Fada na hEorpa at Tongeren on July 7,
1997
Of all the medals that Tony won during his distinguished hurling career, one that he cherished greatly was the 1933 county under-14 medal he won with his native place, Mullagh. Quite recently two of his grandchildren, twins Orla and Aisling Gaughan, won the Galway under-14 county camogie final with Ardrahan. Tony would have enjoyed the co-incidence!
Patrick Roger Cleary (1857-1933) General Secretary G.A.A.
Munster Senior Hurling Championship, Tipperary v Limerick, Thurles, May 16, 2019
Patrick Roger Cleary was born in Lagganstown, in the Parish of New Inn and Knockgraffon the youngest of the five children of Roger Cleary and his wife Hanora (Ryan), and baptised in New Inn Church on March 14, 1857.
One account has him educated in Mungret College. He was fluent in the Irish language and knew Latin. He qualified as a teacher and was appointed Principal of Inch St. Lawrence National School in Caherconlish, a single-roomed school of the type that was common in rural Ireland at the time, with eighty pupils. He married a local girl, Minnie Dooley, whose father was a member of the R.I.C. , in the Augustinian Church in Limerick on January 19, 1888. They had a son, Roger, who was born towards the end of the same year, and died at the age of six, and three daughters, Minnie, Nan and Kitty. There was a second son, Michael Patrick, who was born in Limerick and died at the age of three months.
As a result of falling out with his manager, Fr. Cooney, Cleary was sacked and became an agent to the Prudential Assurance Company, which worked well as a cover for his secret job as a travelling I.R.B. organiser. His involvement in the I.R.B. helped his spectacular rise through the ranks of the G.A.A.
The G.A.A. was rent by divisions at the time, which had their origins in the political situation that existed.. The physical force group of Fenians gained dominance on the Central Council and some counties, including Limerick, had two county boards representing the different viewpoints, an official one and a breakaway band of people not prepared to accept the Fenian policy.
Elected General Secretary of G.A.A.
At the convention of the ‘official’ county board in Limerick, in 1888, P. R. Cleary was elected secretary of the board, which indicated that his sympathies were with the Fenian side. He was a delegate to the Annual Congress of 1888, held in Thurles in January 1889, and was elected general secretary of the Association. His fellow Limerick delegate, Anthony Mackey, was elected treasurer. At the following Annual Congress in November, Patrick Cleary was elected for a second term. He served until the next convention, when he was succeeded by Maurice Moynihan of Kerry.
His two years in office were beset with difficulties. A number of counties refused to recognise the Central Council and would not take part in the All-Ireland championships. However, Cleary succeeded in completing the intercounty championships although with reduced participation by counties, eight in both hurling and football. He organised the games and refereed some of them himself. Dublin beat Clare in the hurling final and Tipperary beat Laois in the football in 1899.
All in all Patrick Cleary proved to be an active secretary and, considering the limiting circumstance in which he was operating, his performance was satisfactory. He continued to take an active interest in the G.A.A. in Tipperary and was acting chairman of the county board for a time in 1902. According to his obituary notice in the Tipperary Star ‘His interest in the fortunes of the G.A.A. was maintained all through his life and until comparatively lately when the weight of years was telling on his splendid physique. He travelled to all the principal hurling and football events in the southern area and was a familiar figure at Croke Park.’
Later Life
In May 1891 the Cleary family were living at Kilmallock and by mid-1892 were settled in Killarney, where it was noted by the Dublin Castle authorities that ‘he was received by the leading suspects of the place.’ When O’Donovan Rossa visited Kerry, P. R. Cleary took a prominent part in organising reception committees. Tragedy hit the family in April 1895 in Killarney, when his eldest child, Michael Patrick, died.
By 1895 the family were back in Limerick, living in Thomondgate, where his youngest son, Michael Patrick Cleary, was born. The move back to Limerick was seemingly dictated by his new job as an agent for a Bordeaux wine firm, in which capacity he was enabled to travel all over Ireland promoting the I.R.B. cause.
His wife, Mary Anne Dooley, died in St. John’s Hospital, Limerick in September 1896 at the age of twenty-nine years, apparently of cancer, and he was left to bring up the three young girls by himself. By 1901 he was back in Tipperary, living in the village of Bansha with his young daughters and continued to move around the country as an agent for the French Wine Firm.
By 1911, he and his family had moved into Tipperary town, to Emmett Street, where he was now employed as a County Council land surveyor. He designed the Maid of Erin statue, which was unveiled on March 10, 1907. He died at Emmett Street on July 8, 1933 and was interred in Kilfeacle Cemetery. A plaque to his memory was unveiled there by former G.A.A. president, Seamus Ó Riain, on August 15, 1990.
Burgess Capture County Intermediate Title in 1993
Tipperary County Hurling Final October 2018
Burgess won the county intermediate title in 1993 when they defeated Upperchurch-Drombane in the final at Templederry on November 7. It was their first victory since 1976, when they beat Eire Óg, Annacarty in a replay. The previous year, 1992, they had reached the final but were beaten by Kickhams.
Five teams affiliated in the 1993 North intermediate championship, Templederry, Shannon Rovers, Kildangan and Silvermines, as well as Burgess. The championship was played on a league basis with the top three to qualify for the knockout stage.
Burgess began their campaign against Templederry at Nenagh on July 3. Against a strong breeze they trailed by 2-10 to 0-5 at the break but put up a good second-half performance to draw by 1-17 to 2-14. Their next game was against Shannon Rovers on July 16 and they came through this contest by 0-19 to 2-10. A week later they defeated Silvermines by 2-13 to 1-9 at Nenagh. This was a tough encounter, which saw both sides reduced to thirteen players during the game. On August 22, Burgess cleared the final hurdle when they defeated Kildangan by 3-14 to 3-8 at Cloughjordan.
They emerged top of the group with seven points and qualified for the final. The second and third teams, Templederry and Shannon Rovers, qualified for a semi-final, which was won by Templederry at Nenagh on September 29 by 1-10 to 1-8.
The stage was no set for the final, which was fixed for MacDonagh Park, Nenagh on October 3. Burgess retained their title by accounting for Templederry by 3-12 to 1-9. The Guardian reported the match thus: ‘Weather conditions were atrocious, but credit to both sides for their efforts to provide a splendid game. The scoreline is a bit hard on Templederry, who lived with their opponents for the first half, but when Burgess turned on the power in the second half, they were unable to withstand it. But they battled gamely to the end. The opening five minutes of the second half were critical in deciding the game, as Burgess hit a goal and two points that put them in a commanding position. This Burgess team shows promise of future greatness. The foundation of victory was laid on a solid half-back line.’
The North intermediate champions were: David Ryan, Shane Ryan, John Flannery, Kevin Cooney, John McKenna (0-3), Colm McDonnell, Tony Gregan, John Joe Ryan, John Darcy (0-3), Denis Darcy, Liam McGrath (0-1), John Grace (1-0), Michael Kearns, Sean Nealon (1-5), Darrell Tucker (1-0). Subs: Eugene Hogan, Aidan McGrath.
John Darcy won the Guardian Player of the Week for his display in the final.
Referee: Michael Cahill (Kilruane MacDonaghs.
The County Championship
Burgess’s opponents in the county semi-final were West champions, Arravale Rovers. This game was played at Templederry on October 20 and the North champions came through by 1-13 to 0-13 in an absorbing encounter. Burgess were in disarray in the first half and appeared to be chasing the game, while Arravale were on top and led at the interval by 0-10 to 1-4. However, Burgess were a transformed side in the second half and served up an impressive performance to emerge impressive winners., Outstanding for the winners were Dinny Darcy and Sean Nealon, whose accuracy accounted for 10 points of the winners’ total.
The county final between Burgess and Upperchurch-Drombane was arranged for Templederry on November 7 at 12 noon. The heavens opened for the entire game and the conditions for playing hurling were as adverse as they could possibly be. However, the conditions failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the Burgess players, who overcame the stern challenge of the opposition by 0-11 to 0-7.
According to the match report in the Guardian ‘There were many reasons why Burgess won this thrilling game. They won because of the character and pride instilled in the side by trainer, Donie Nealon, and his selectors. They won because they had men like Liam McGrath and Dinny Darcy, who were prepared to run themselves to a standstill for the honour of the green and gold on their backs. They won because they had a set of backs and a goalkeeper, who blocked, hooked, chased and harried their opponents in an attempt to stave off wave after wave of Upperchurch attacks. But, most importantly, they won because they had fifteen men on the field who played as a team and were prepared to cross the pain barrier to satisfy the great hunger for success that had plagued the club for so many years at adult level. This victory, and the subsequent promotion to senior level for the 1994 season, is a just reward for the many months of toil and effort put in on the training field and if ever a side deserves its moment in the limelight, then surely this Burgess side does.’
The champions were: David Ryan, Shane Ryan, John Flannery, Kevin Cooney, John McKenna, Colm McDonnell, Tony Gregan, John Joe Ryan, John Darcy (0-2), Liam McGrath (0-2), Dinny Darcy, John Grace (0-1), Eugene Hogan, Sean Nealon (0-4), Darrell Tucker (0-2). Subs: Michael Kearns. Also: Aidan McGrath, John Maher, John Murray, Patrick Cooney, Darren Meaney, David McAuliffe, Donal Nealon, Timmy Maher, Eugene O’Brien, John Ryan, Seamus Slattery. Team management: Donie Nealon (manager), John Ryan (trainer), Kieran Hogan, Jack Maher, Mortimer Hogan.
Statistics: The team remained undefeated in their seven intermediate hurling championship matches. They scored 10 goals 99 points and conceded 8 goals and 70 points. Eighteen players took part, the starting fifteen plus Michael Kearns, John Maher and Aidan McGrath. Ten players scored in the campaign, Sean Nealon 4-43, Darrell Tucker 1-14, John Darcy 2-10, Liam McGrath 1-10, Michael Kearns 0-12, Denis Darcy 1-0, John Grace 1-1, Eugene Hogan 0-2, John McKenna 0-2, Shane Ryan 90-1. Burgess played all their seven game in their own division.
Fethard’s 19th County Senior Football Final in 1993
County Football Final Day, October 2018
Fethard won their 19th county senior football final at Holycross on October 17, 1993, when they defeated Loughmore-Castleiney by 0-13 to 1-4. Writing an account of the game in the 1994 Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook, club secretary & P.R.O. Denis Hannon stated it ‘was one of the best football finals of recent years. Fast, open, tough, physical but always entertaining football. It kept the large crowd enthralled.’
Fethard’s successful journey to county honours commenced in the South championship, which attracted seven affiliations, Ballyporeen, Grangemockler, Commercials, Moyle Rovers, Cahir, Ardfinnan and Fethard. The semi-final pairings were Fethard v Ballyporeen and Commercials v Moyle Rovers. Fethard came through by 0-15 to 1-6, while Commercials accounted for Moyle Rovers on a 3-15 to 2-8 scoreline.
The final was played at Cahir on one of the hottest days of the year. Fethard were without the services of Michael ‘Buddy’ Fitgerald and Tommy Sheehan. Commercials led by 0-7 to 0-5 at the interval, but the introduction of Sheehan in the second half revitalised Fethard and his all-important goal was instrumental in giving his side their 25th South title on a scorline of 1-10 to 0-9
Quarter-finals
In the first of the quarter-finals, played at Drombane on September 4, Cashel King Cormacs snatched a late draw from favourites, Nenagh. They made no mistake in the replay at the same venue on September 19, winning by 1-12 to 0-10, after leading by 0-6 to 0-5 at the interval.
The remaining quarter-finals were played on the weekend of September 11/12. Fethard had no problem defeating Oliver Plunkett’s (Moyne-Templetuohy/Gortnahoe-Glengoole) by 3-12 to 2-4 at Littleton on September 11. On the following day Loughmore-Castleiney defeated Commercials by 1-7 to 0-5 at Cashel, while Arravale Rovers defeated St. Brendan’s (Kildangan/Shannon Rovers) by 1-14 to 2-2 at Borrisoleigh.
Semi-finals
The county semi-finals were played at Holycross on a very wet October 3. In the Loughnore-Castleiney versus Cashel King Cormacs clash, two goals at the start of the last quarter by the Mid men, reduced the closing minutes to a formality. Loughmore-Castleiney led by 1-3 to 0-4 at the interval, despite playing against the breeze, and although Cashel King Cormacs played well in the second half, their opponents were superior and deserved their 3-9 to 1-7 margin of victory.
In the second semi-final Fethard gave a classy performance to outplay Arravale Rovers. Fethard led by 1-4 to 0-1 at half-time, and were in front by 0-13 to 0-5 at the final whistle.
The Final
The final at Holycross on October 17 was an exciting encounter, even though Fethard had six points to spare at the final whistle. The winners dominated the first half and led by 0-8 to 0-2 at the interval, despite playing against the breeze. But Loughmore re-shuffled their team and put in a much-improved performance in the second half. There was only a goal between the sides at the start of the final quarter, and an upset was on the cards, but a goal opportunity missed by Loughmore-Castleiney, plus a rally by Fethard, ensured that the latter went on to victory by 0-13 to 1-4.
The dominance of Fethard in the first half was due mainly to the midfield brilliance of Shay Ryan and Brian Burke, who sent a great supply of ball into the forwards. Immediately after half-time Chris Coen made it 0-9 to 0-2, but this was to prove their last score for nearly fifteen minutes. Loughmore-Castleiney, true to their tradition and reputation, never gave up and cut the lead to manageable proportions with a good goal, followed by two points.
The game was still anybody’s for the taking when ‘Buddy’ Fitzgerald was introduced. Much to the delight of the Fethard supporters, he gave the team a vital injection of spirit. Shay Coen made a tremendous save and from the clearance centre-forward Michael O’Riordan scored a vital point that was to change the course of the game.
Shay Ryan broke away and scored a point to give Fethard a four-point lead. In the last five minutes Fethard got on top again and points from Roibeard Broderick, and Tommy Sheehan with the final kick of the game scored Fethard’s 13th and final point.
Captain Willie O’Meara, who played a captain’s part all through, accepted the cup from county football chairman, Hugh Kennedy, on behalf of a young and determined Fethard panel.
The ‘homecoming’ of the team later in the evening was tremendous. The parish priest and community council welcome the team home and the players were paraded through the town. Various people gave speeches and trainer, Dinny Burke, and a selector, Danny Kane, broke into song.
The 1993 county champions were as follows: Shay Coen, Martin Ryan, Michael Ryan, Philly Blake, Michael Quinlan, Willie O’Meara (capt.), Willie Morrissey, Brian Burke (0-2), Shay Ryan (0-1), Tommy Sheehan (0-2), Michael Riordan (0-2), Michael Spillane, Martin Coen (0-3), Chris Coen (0-2), Jimmy O’Meara. Subs: Roibeard Broderick (0-1) for Martin Coen, Michael Fitzgerald for Martin Ryan. Also: Liam Connolly, John Hackett, Danny Tobin, Brendan Brett, Dermot Hackett, Tom Ryan, Kenny Hackett.
Selectors: Dinny Burke (trainer), Danny Kane, Jimmy O’Shea, Pat Sheehan.
Club Officers 1993: chairman - Micheal McCormaic, secretary & P.R.O. – Denis Hannon, treasurer – Seamus Hackett.
Presentation of Historic MS to Lár na Páirce
Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship semi-finals, Thurles October 7, 2018
Lár na Páirce, the museum of Gaelic Games at Thurles, was recently presented with a rare manuscript. It was the handwritten diary of the tour of the United States by the Tipperary senior hurling team in 1926. Written by Tom Kenny of Portroe, one of the party of twenty-three who made the trip, it recounts the social side of the tour.
The diary formed the basis of the book of the tour that was published in 1928 and reprinted once. Published in London by George Roberts I often wondered why it was published there, rather than in Ireland. Apparently, Tom Kenny could find no publisher in Ireland to take on the job and had to go to London. The fact that it took two years after the event for the book to appear would confirm the difficulty he had in getting it into print.
The tour was undertaken by the Tipperary All-Ireland winning team of 1925. It was the first trip by a bunch of hurlers to the U.S. since the Celtic Invasion in 1888 and the first time for a county team to travel across the Atlantic.
The tour lasted eleven weeks. It commenced at Cobh with the party boarding the German liner, Bremen, and sailing to New York. Hurling games before substantial crowds were played in New York, Chicago and San Francisco. Travel overland was by train. At the end of the tour there was a big send-off banquet in the Central Opera House, New York and another in Pouldine National School, Moycarkey on their return, which went on until seven in the morning.
The tour was a splendid success. All the games played were won, The crowds were large and enthusiastic and the total number that witnessed the games was about 100,000. Newspaper coverage of the visit was generous. From an Irish standpoint there was a quiet pride that the visitors had excelled themselves on the trip and had done Ireland proud. Frank McGrath gave a glowing report to Central Council and made many worthwhile suggestions for the better organisation of the G,.A.A. in the U.S.
Tour Book
Tom Kenny’s account of the tour captures some of the flavour of the experience: 'Saturday, May 15th: Not much sleep last night when Nealon and Kennedy called on their rounds with notebook and pencil, asking if we jazzed with the Germans thereby suspending ourselves from the G.A.A., and if we took the meat sandwiches, thereby excommunicating ourselves from the Catholic Church.’
One of the more colourful members of the tour party was Tom Duffy of Lorrha. He features more often in it than any other member of the party in the account. There are about twenty references to him. He was the life and the soul of the party. In one place the party plan to take over the ship. In the plan Duffy is to be Captain. In another place "the wit and humour of most of them, especially Duffy, is most enjoyable." The entry for 7 June reads: "Tom Duffy is singing that song 'The next I met was a fair-haired lady, standing at a cottage door'. And on 9 June there is a discussion between Jack Power and Tom on the state of the country: "A crock of a country", says Duffy. "Sure we haven't seen a tram of hay, a ditch, nor a hedge since leaving the old country, but it is a fine country in other ways, Jack- they do everything the big way." Duffy thinks the Yanks made a mistake to set the country dry. "That hooch is rotten stuff, Jack, and if it continues as plentiful as it seems to be it will make mad men, blind men or dead men of all of them that drink it." On 19 June there is a party on the train and Duffy dances a jig. Later Paddy Leahy and Tom try to sing the last verse of the Star-Spangled Banner at the Eucharistic Congress in Chicago. Later still we learn that five hurlers are found in Duffy's Chicago hotel room saying the rosary. On the ship home he is constantly playing his favourite deck game and won 'Chalking the Pig's Eye' in the ship's sports. Truly a man of many sides!
Written in pencil (no biros then and carrying ink bottles was problematic) in neat handwriting, the diary formed the basis of the book, Tour of the Tipperary Hurling Team in America 1926, The book is a rare collector's item now and this manuscript, written in a notebook with the front cover missing, is a rare and priceless find. It includes the signatures of all the players on the last page.
Lois Tierney, a grand-daughter of Tom Kenny, found it in a drawer in her late uncle, Billy's, place in London. The find included a cache of Kenny family photographs also. On behalf of the extended Kenny family, she has now presented it on loan to Lár na Pairce for the people of Tipperary as it records the epic journey of that great Tipperary team that captured All-Ireland honours in 1925 and made history as the first county team to visit America and traverse the continent from coast to coast.
Royal Irish Constabulary Barracks in the Parish of Lorrha & Dorrha at the end the 19th Century
2018
There’s a fascinating book called Devia Hibernia: The Road and Route Guide for Ireland of the Royal Irish Constabulary. Written by George Dagg, who was a member of the RIC, it was published in 1893 and when I went looking for it in the Tipperary County Library, they didn’t have a copy and I discovered there were copies in only four libraries in the country. One of these was the Dublin City Library, Pearse Street Branch. I consulted it there.
So, why my interest in this rare tome? I have been trying to establish the number of RIC barracks there were in the parish before we got our independence. I thought there was a study in existence of RIC barracks, giving the date of the foundation of each one, how long it was in use and how many RIC personnel were in occupation.
No such study existed but I was directed to Devia Hibernia as a source of the information I was looking for. It was partly satisfactory and included information on the other facilities that existed in the place it the time..
The Guide included all the RIC barracks in Ireland at the time, including those in the Parish of Lorrha and Dorrha in 1893, but it doesn’t include information on barracks that may have existed in the parish before that date.
The RIC Barracks
The Guide tells us that the population of Lorrha was 122, which must be just the immediate village. There was a telegraph office which functioned from 8 am to 8 pm. The Post arrived at 9 am and was despatched t 3-30. There was a Port Office in the village and one post car available. The sergeant’s name was Thomas O’Rorke but there’s no information on the number of constables he had under him. The Petty Sessions were held there every four weeks.
There was another RIC barracks at the Pike. The Sergeant’s name was James Murphy. The nearest Post Office was in Rathcabbin. No other information is given.
I include Riverstown, even though it was outside the parish. It also had an RIC barracks and the sergeant’s name was John Watson. The population of the village was 102 and it included a Post Office.
There was no RIC barracks in Rathcabbin but there was one in Annagh, close to the R438. The sergeant’s name was T. Malynn. The nearest Post Office was in Derrinsallow, which appears to have been a place on importance at the time. There was a mill these beside the River Brosna.
Another RIC Barracks existed in Portland. I’m not quite sure where the location was. The sergeant’s name was David Lavelle. There was also a Post Office in the place.
Not Included
I was interested in three other places where there’s supposed to have been RIC barracks in the parish. One of these was in Joe Corcoran’s in Grange. When the land was divided in the area the Corcoran family was given as residence a building which had once been a barracks.
Another place is McCormack’s pub in Abbeyville. There is a strong belief that the building was once a barracks and it includes features that seem to confirm that, including a central room that looks like a cell. Close by near Ashpark House is where a barracks existed at the time the Ordnance Survey Map was made. Opinion has it is that when it closed down a new barracks was built where McCormack’s pub now stands.
There is also a strong belief that a barracks existed on the hill behind Carrigahorig village. Rumour has it there was a barracks there as late as the 1920s, when Sean Treacy and Dan Breen were hiding out in the area.
Strength of RIC in County
However, none of these latter places are mentioned by George Dagg in his Guide. The book also gives information on the strength of the Royal Irish Constabulary in County Tipperary in September 1891. In the North Riding there were 1 County Inspector, 6 District Inspectors, 6 Head Constables and 257 Sergeants and Constables. In the South Riding there were 1 County Inspector, 7 District Inspectors, 10 Head Constables and 454 Sergeants and Constables.
The total cost of running the force in the country that year was £1,425,530 of which Horses and Forage cost £19,056.
Centenary of Gaelic Sunday
The Nationalist, August 4, 2018
Gaelic Sunday was the response of the G.A.A. to a proclamation by the British authorities early in July 1918 prohibiting all ‘meetings, assemblies, or processions in public places’ without written authorisation from the police’.
The G.A.A. responded in two ways. It forbade any club or part of the G.A.A. body to apply for a permit to play a game, ‘breaches of which were to be punishable by automatic and indefinite suspension’.
More dramatically the G.A.A.’s resistance went beyond non-compliance to actual defiance of the proclamation. County Boards were instructed to hold a meeting of their club delegates with a view to organising a program of club matches to be held on August 4th. All these games were to start simultaneously at 3 pm and nowhere was a permit to be sought.
The press reported at the time that about 1,500 hurling, football and camogie matches were scheduled, that over 50,000 players were expected to participate and that many thousands more would turn out to watch.
The numbers that participated may not have been as great as the weather turned out to be atrocious. The football match planned for Castlegrace against Cahir was abandoned owing to the inclemency of the weather.
Newspaper reports
The Nationalist of August 7, 1918 reported that the match between Boherlahan and Cashel did go ahead. The local correspondent reported that ‘notwithstanding the inclement nature of the afternoon a goodly muster foregathered in the sports field to witness the contest, which turned out as expected in an easy win for the All-Ireland champions’.
Neither team was at full strength, owing to the prevalence of ‘flu’ amongst them, but both fifteens gave a good exhibition of the national game. The result was: Boherlahan 5 goals Cashel 1 goal 2 points. Mr J. Cahill, U.C, P.L.G., Cashel refereed.
‘The Cashel Brass Band played to the grounds, where an excellent musical selection was discoursed. The band returned playing an inspiriting national air. Throughout the entire proceedings there was nothing but perfect good order, and not an unseemly incident was associated with the festival. The local police were passive onlookers, and they did not in the least interfere with the match.’
The last sentence sums up the success of the G.A.A. defiance. There was no showdown between the British authorities and the G.A.A. as had been expected. The authorities realised the impossibility of policing so many events and relented beforehand ‘a circular being sent out to the police to the effect that Gaelic games were no longer to be considered to fall under the terms of the July 4th proclamation.’
Participation in County Tipperary
The Nationalist reported on August 7 that 12 games were played between the South division clubs, about 14 in the Mid division and 16 in the North. (There was no West division at the time.)
The report continued: ‘At Ballyfowloo, Clonmel hurlers defeated Ballyfowloo after a well-fought contest by 3 goals to 1 point..
‘At Kilcash, Clonmel footballers went down before the home team after 25 minutes play by 2 points to 1 point. The heavy rain greatly interfered with the game, which was abandoned after 25 minutes.’
Another match was played at Ballydine. The contestants were Golden and Ballydine. The newspaper report described the match as ‘a noteworthy exhibition of good feeling.’ Few spectators were present and the match ended in a draw. The referee on the occasion was P. Hayes, Ballydine
The paper reported that the matches went off without difficulty ‘in no case was there any interference with the players though youths of 9 and 10 years of age were arrested for doing the same thing about a week before.’
The Midland Tribune gave an extensive report of G.A.A. activity on the day in North Tipperary. Written by ‘The Whip’, the writer screams Victory! at the beginning of his column and writes euphorically on how the Gaels of the division defied the Government directive on playing games. He continued: ‘The Gaels of North Tipp, I am glad to say, acted as one man, and their display on Sunday last was one to be proud of. Fourteen matches was no small task, and the fact that they were all carried out shows the loyalty and patriotism of the Gaels of this sporting district.’
He goes on to give a list of the games played: Killadangan v Ardcroney at Ardcroney; Finnoe v Kilbarron at Finnoe; Abbeyville v Eglish and Lorrha v Glenahilty at Abbeyville; Roscrea v Coolderry at Roscrea; Toomevara v Moneygall at Park; Toomevara v Gurtagarry at Gurtagarry; Ballymackey v Nenagh at Kilruane; Ballina v Ballywilliam; Newport v Birdhill; Portroe v Garrykennedy; Shalee v Foilnamuck; Templederry v Curreeney; Newport Shamrocks v Ballinahinch.
No Interference
‘The Whip’ continued his report: ‘In only one case, as far as I can learn, was there anything like interference, and that was in Kilruane, where the local police sergeant demanded admission, but did not consider it worth fourpence of his money. He took the name and address of the young man, who refused him admission without the payment of fourpence, and then he viewed the proceedings over the ditch.’
‘The Whip’ attended the match between Nenagh and Ballymackey at Kilruane. The posters had stated Nenagh as the venue and this inconvenienced the writer, who walked the railway line to get there, but was late arriving. He added that five policemen were also inconvenienced and took up positions at the Show Grounds before the time advertised for the match. The game at Kilruane turned out not to be up ‘to All-Ireland standard, or even championship standard, but nonetheless, the game was a good one, and well worth fourpence of anybody’s money, even Sergeant O’Donnell’s’ The result was a draw, Nenagh 3-3 Ballymackey 2-5.
I couldn’t find a detailed report of what teams played in the 14 matches in the Mid division. The Tipperary Star report for August 10 is unsatisfactory, lacking in detail. All it carries is a generic report of what happened in the county without any specific information relating to the Mid division. Perhaps, someone reading this may be able to fill in the details.
128th Munster Hurling Final
Munster Senior Hurling Final program, July 1, 2018, Thurles
Today’s final is the 128th to take place but the first two were a bad advertisement for the provincial series.
Championship draws were made on a provincial basis for the first time in 1888, although provincial councils as we know them today weren’t formed until 1900. The 1887 championship was the first and only one to be played on an open draw system.
Five counties entered for the Munster series in 1888 and were drawn as follows: Limerick v Clare, Cork v Tipperary, Waterford a bye. Clare champions, Ogonelloe, got a walkover from South Liberties of Limerick, who failed to put in an appearance at Birdhill. Clonoulty, the Tipperary champions, defeated Tower Hill, the Cork champions, by 2-1 to nil at Buttevant, but because they had included outsiders, Tower Hill were awarded the game. The latter then travelled to Dungarvan, where they defeated Carrickbeg of Waterford by 2-8 to no score.
Final Abandoned
The Munster final between Ogonelloe and Tower Street was fixed for Croom Castle.
The game didn’t take place as South Liberties took the field and stated that they hadn’t been notified about the game at Birdhill and demanded that Ogonelloe play them for the right to contest the final. Ogonelloe declined and when South Liberties refused to vacate the field, the final could not take place. It was re-fixed for the following Sunday, but didn’t take place. Shortly afterwards the American ‘Invasion’ took place and the championship was abandoned.
There were also problems in 1889. Again, five counties entered, but Kerry were in and Waterford didn’t take part. Clare defeated Limerick in the first round. Kerry (Kenmare) defeated Cork (Inniscarra) in the first semi-final and Tipperary (Moycarkey) defeated Clare (Tulla) in the second. The latter objected on the grounds that one of the Moycarkey goals was scored after the ball had first gone wide.
A replay was fixed for October 28th with the decider arranged for two days later, as the All-Ireland final was arranged for November 3. Moycarkey didn’t travel for the replay, nor did Kenmare for the final proper, so Tulla represented Munster in the All-Ireland final. Kenmare had already travelled to Charleville to pay Moycarkey, being unaware of the Tulla objection. They could not afford to travel to Rathkeale for the re-arranged final.
Venues
Accessibility by rail was often a governing factor in the choice of venue for the finals, while other venues were chosen because they were border towns between the competing counties. Many of the grounds were developed in places where enthusiasts were prepared to work hard. Dungarvan was such a place and Dan Fraher was the driving force.
The 1898 final between Tipperary (Tubberadora) and Cork (Blackrock) was played there on October 15. 1899 and had to be abandoned before the finish because darkness had set in . The score at the time was Tipperary 3-0 Cork 2-3. The game was late starting because the train bringing the Tipperary party was unable to pull all the carriages beyond Kilmeadon, so it had to disconnect some and make two journeys from there to Dungarvan. As a consequence the starting time for the game was delayed and hence the reason for the game being unfinished.
The replay took place at Kilmallock on November 20 and on this occasion Tubberadora took control from the start and finished impressive winners by 1-13 to 1-2. They went on to win the All-Ireland, their third in four years and then bowed out of the championship, leaving the task of upholding the county’s honour on the hurling field to their close rivals, Horse and Jockey and Two Mile Borris.
The Fate of Sporting Trophies
Munster Senior Hurling Championship program, Clare v Tipperary, Thurles, May 10, 2018
Recently Lár na Páirce got possession of the de-commissioned Dwan Cup, which was presented to the Tipperary county champions since the inauguration of the under-21 hurling competition. It was sponsored by the Dwan Mineral Company, Thurles in 1963.
It’s a large cup about twenty inches high and about nine in diameter. It needs some polishing up but the biggest part of the refurbishment will be the restoration of one of the handles. The problem is that it is missing, obviously becoming detached at the high point of some captain’s speech as he shot the cup into the air to give emphasis to his epic words!
Where the missing handle is at the moment is anybody’s guess, most likely lost, or it may be tucked away in some drawer and forgotten.
While the Dwan Cup could be described as damaged goods, at least its existence is verifiable and its location guaranteed for years to come. Such isn’t the fate of some sporting trophies.
One such is the Railway Football Shield first presented by the Great Southern and Western Railway Company for an interprovincial competition in 1903. (There was a second shield presented for a hurling competition and, according to Humphrey Kelleher, in his book on G.A.A. cups and trophies, G.A.A. Family Silver, it is on display in the Lory Meagher Museum in Tullaroan.}
Gone Missing
The whereabouts of the football shield is unknown, but there is good reason to believe it’s somewhere in Kerry. The football competition for the Shield started in 1905 and was won by Leinster. Munster, represented by Kerry, won it in 1906 and 1907 and were awarded the trophy outright because the terms of the competition stated that if the shield were won twice in succession or three times in all, it could be kept by the successful county.
According to T. F. O’Sullivan’s The Story of the G.A.A. ‘The football final for the Railway Shield was played at Tipperary on the 22nd September, 1907, between Munster (Kerry, with selections from Limerick and Tipperary), and Leinster (with selections from Dublin, Kildare and Kilkenny). Munster secured victory by 1-7 to 1-6, and having won twice in succession, the Shield became their absolute property.’
So, the evidence would suggest the Shield is somewhere in Kerry. One theory was that it was held in Muckross House, Killarney but that drew a blank. The most likely location would be the captain’s family. In the early days of the Association, the captain retained the trophy and, in many cases, it became a family heirloom.
In the Captain’s Possession
For example, a successor to the Railway Shield was the Railway Cup, which was presented by the GSWR to the G.A.A. Central Council in 1913 for the All-Ireland football championship.
The terms were the same as for the Shield: the county that won it twice in succession, kept it. Kerry won in 1913 and 1914 and so were allowed to keep it. A new cup was presented in 1915 and won in that year and in 1916 by Wexford, and they held on to it. The Wexford county board presented it to Sean Kennedy, who was captain of the team from 1915 to 1917 and it is still in the possession of his family.
So, maybe all we need to do to discover the Railway Shield is to find out who was captain of the Kerry team in 1907. I don’t have the answer.
Much closer to our own time are the Centenary Cups, presented for special, open draw, intercounty competitions in hurling and football in 1984 and sponsored by the Ford Motor Company. The hurling cup was won by Cork in 1984 and by Tipperary in 1985. It wasn’t continued and Tipperary kept the cup, which can now be seen in Lár na Páirce. The football cup was won by Meath in 1984 and Kerry in 1985. I was recently looking for its current location, but drew a blank in Kerry. Any information on its fate?
De La Salle Teacher Training College
Munster Hurling Championship Program, Cork v Portláirge, Thurles, May 17, 2018
There’s a fine picture on the internet of a hurling team from De la Salle Training College, Waterford in 1927 called the Invincibles. The names of the players aren’t given but their counties are, written in Irish on the bás of their hurleys help aloft. The players come from Kilkenny, Laois, Galway, Cork, Carlow, Waterford, Tipperary and Limerick.
In that year the college was at the height of its power, one of two training colleges for male primary school teachers in the country, the other being St. Patrick’s, Drumcondra. It was under the care of the Society of De La Salle, who had come to Waterford in 1887 and started the teacher training college in 1891.
The college was located in a very impressive building in Bilberry stone, 2i5 feet long, 60 feet wide and 80 feet high. It included an impressive chapel, the altar of which weighed 4 tons and was the work of James Pearse & Sons, Dublin.
The building wasn’t completed until 1894, and cost £35,000. The first batch of forty students commenced their training in 1891 and stayed in the Adelphi Hotel in the city until such time as the building was completed. The new college was licensed to enrol 120 students, later increased to 200.
The students who enrolled came from all over the south of Ireland as the 1927 picture indicates. The games of hurling and football were strongly promoted and many graduates of the college went back to their counties and promoted the games in their schools and featured on intercounty teams.
The Tipperary Connection
Many Tipperary teachers were trained there. One such graduate was Mick Cronin of Lorrha, who received a gold medal in recognition of his position as De La Salle hurling team captain, 1922. In the same year he graduated and became principal in Lorrha school on the first day of his appointment as a teacher, even though a principal was supposed to have five years teaching experience before he could became principal. The manager is reputed to have told the Department that Mick was the best man for the job. The result was that when Mick Cronin retired in 1969, he must have been the longest serving National School principal in the country. Mick played for Tipperary from 1927-1934, winning an All-Ireland senior title in 1930.
Another such graduate was Rody Nealon, who graduated in 1918, having also won the gold medal for captaining the hurling team. Rody started his teaching career in Banbridge and eventually succeeded his father as principal of Youghalarra N.S. He played for Tipperary during the nineteen-twenties and was on the famous U.S. trip with the team in 1926.
A third Tipperary man of note was Seamus Ó Riain, later Uachtaran Cumann Luthchleas Gael, who featured on both the hurling and football teams in 1936, the year he graduated, winning a Waterford senior football championship the same year.
End of Training College
In 1939 a Government decision was taken to discontinue the training of teachers in De La Salle College, owing to the decrease in the numbers of pupils attending National Schools and the consequent rise in the number of unemployed teachers.
At the annual convention of the Munster Council of the G.A.A. on February 23, 1940, the chairman, Seam McCarthy, noticed with deep regret the fact that De La Salle College in Waterford was closing down. A request was made to the Minister for Education to review the decision which is a ‘grave injustice inflicted on an institution, which has served the nation so well for half a century’.
Nothing came of the request. Young Brothers of the De La Salle Order were allowed to continue training there but this was discontinued in 1949, when De La Salle College ceased to be a teacher training institution, and the building became the home of the secondary school.
GAA Presidents Award
Croke Park, Feb 9th 2018
On February 9th, 2018 in Croke Park, Seamus King was a recipient of one of the prestigious annual GAA President's Awards. The award was in honor of Seamus's ‘outstanding voluntary contribution to the GAA over a prolonged period’ and was presented by Uachtarán Aogán Ó Fearghail.
Seamus J. King receives a GAA President's Award from Uachtaran Aogán Ó Fearghail
From left to right; Pádhraic Ó Ciardha, Leascheannasaí TG4, Patrick Farrell, Head AIB Area South, Seamus J.King, Uachtaran Aogán Ó Fearghail.
A happy gathering of friends of Seamus J. King, Cashel King Cormacs, at Croke Park on Friday night, February 9, 2018.
Back row, left to right: Michael Perdue, Mick Mackey, Paul Hogan, Sharon Perdue, Shirley Hogan, Ruadhan King, Teresa Connolly, T. J. Connolly, Paddy Moloney, Pat Dunne, Tim Floyd, Liz Dunne, Liam King, Ger Slattery, Aodán Wrenn, Joe Regan;
Front row, left to right: Martin Cummins, Kathleen King, Uachtarán Aogán Ó Fearghail, Seamus J. King, Margaret King, Mattie Finnerty.
A video highlight of the event can be seen below.
Marjorie Hamill (1941-2018)
Eulogy at the Funeral Mass, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Creagh, Feb 7th 2018
Rev. Fathers, Andrew and Jane, members of the extended family.
I don't think it would be proper to allow Marjorie to disappear into the dark night of death without a few words in her honour.
I want to sympathise deeply with Andrew and Jane, who have lost a devoted mother, who was always there for them when they returned from their travels. She was the anchor of their lives.
Marjorie was the third in our family of two boys and two girls and she is the first to go and it will put a big gap in our lives because, even though we all lived apart we did keep in contact and we were always united on New Year's Eve with a meal and on New Year's day with a sumptuous repast at Kathleen and Liam's.
Marjorie was absent this year, having become ill on December 3, but we drank a few glasses in her absence and hoped that she would be well soon.
But, she wasn't. She gave us hope a few times during the past weeks but, more often than not it was only a short respite and, as the weeks wore on and she fought with the many failures in her system, our hopes for her recovery became fewer and we were all gathered on Sunday to watch her heading towards her end.
During this period we had the opportunity to have conversations with Andrew and Jane who, because of their work continents away, had almost disappeared off our radar. Marjorie's illness brought us all closer together.
During those weeks she was extremely well cared for by the front line staff in both the Portiuncula and Galway University Hospital. I have nothing but the highest praise for their caring professionalism and we are all extremely grateful to them for the way they looked after Marjorie during her last days.
Marjorie was a bit prone to accidents. We expected perhaps not the worst but something to go wrong when she was doing something. I remember going a play in the school in Oranmore when she was a boarder there. She was in charge of the curtain and she slipped off the stage and brought the curtain down with her.
Her driving skills were problematic and she had many an argument with piers and bollards.
She broke her leg on one occasion by falling over a trough for feeding the hens.
And, I heard last night that Marjorie went through a door in the Bundestag, Berlin for a smoke during a visit to that city, and almost created an international incident, when she tried to get back into the building!
I suppose because of these mishaps, we had a protective nature towards her, even though she learned to look after herself well.
I suppose another memory of her was to have been on the slow side. On one occasion we climbed Croagh Patrick and Liam and I left her behind on the way down, she was so slow. Also, at one stage she had to prepare the dinner at home for a period and she could never get it ready in time for Daddy who was a stickler for the 12 o'clock meal. Instead of improving her ways, she used to turn back the clock and convince him he had come in early.
But Marjorie managed and got on with her life and was in charge of medicines in St, Brigid's hospital at a time when the hospital was a very large going concern and in the days before computers were available to record and control what took place in her department.
And she did all this in a laid-back manner always having the time for a chat with a patient or a member of the staff. I suppose this is the quality I admired most about her, her time for people, her capacity to listen and to bond with others.
Her friends say she hadn't a bad bone in her body. They have nothing only good memories of her. She hadn't a bad word for people and was great to keep a secret. She didn't carry stories and was a thrusted friend
What I only learned recently was her love of poker, not high stakes stuff I might add but small stuff where a tenner pot would be big money. Marg and the cards revealed a different person. She was a member of two schools and, as far as I can make out, she bossed both of them. She kept a great eye on the table and on the cards that were played and was very sharp on payments to the pool. In fact she wouldn't deal until everyone had the money paid in. Everything had to be in order before the cards could be dealt.
I suppose most of us associate Marjorie with a love of smoking.. She was so happy when she had one and following the smoking ban, a regular sight during a gathering was to see her disappearing outside for the drag. We encouraged her often to give them up but she was never going to do so and it wasn't only the cigarette that gave her satisfaction but the conversations that occurred when she went out for her fix.
Marjorie had a good sense of fun and enjoyed the good story. I recall her remarking on how all the old psychiatric hospitals were located between rivers and railways, as if the planners had a nefarious intent. She told me numerous stories from St. Brigid's and one she told with humour was of the patient running away and racing madly for the river and the nurses tearing after him with their white coats flying in the wind and he arrives at the water's edge before them and turns around to face his pursuers and says: I fooled you! I fooled you! The story tickled her humour.
And, so with these few thoughts and memories, we come to say a last farewell to Marjorie, the daughter of Joe King and Annie Slevin, the wife of the late David, the mother of Andrew and Jane, the sister of Maura, Seamus and Liam, the relation of an extended family, the friend of many of you and, as we do so we say goodbye to one who didn't do any extraordinary things during her seventy-seven years but who was a person with a generous heart, a lively spirit, a person capable of strong friendships, and we wish eternal rest to her soul and that her memory will remain fresh in the lives of all who knew her.
The 2018 County Senior Hurling Championship
Tipperary GAA Yearbook 2019, 58-61
Public Houses in the Parish of Lorrha & Dorrha
The Lamp 2019 Edition, Page 35-41
Presentation of Historic MS to Lar na Pairce
Tipperary GAA Yearbook 2019, Page 67
New York GAA Senior Hurling Final
Tipperary Yearbook 2019 pg 45
The 2018 New York GAA senior hurling final was played in Gaelic Park on August 12. The teams taking part were Tipperary New York Hurling Club and Hoboken Guards. Tipperary led by 1-10 to 1-9 at half-time. The sides were level at 1-20 each at full time. Extra time was played at the end of which Hoboken Guards were in front by 2-29 to 2-24.
Hoboken Guards: Cillian McNamara (Tulla, Clare), Shane Kearney (Dungarvan, Waterford), Diarmuid Hehir (Erin’s Own, Clare), Páraic Morrissey (Knockavilla, Tipperary), Eamonn Glynn (Inagh-Kilnamona, Clare), Cathal Barrett (Holycross, Tipperary), Paul Loughnane (capt.), (Cappataggle, Galway), David Varley (Oran, Roscommon), Cathal O’Connor (Sixmilebridge, Clare), Paul Gordan (Tynagh-Abbey Duniry, Galway), Brian Glynn (Ardrahan, Galway), Ross King (Rathdowney, Laois), Sean Costelloe (Ballindereen Galway), Jack Guiney (Rathnure, Wexford), Kieran Bergin (Dunamaggin, Kilkenny) Subs: Darren O’Connor, Darren Coffey, Ger Flood, Stephen Power, Steven Moroney, William Slattery, Dave Lewis, Aaron McCormack, James Egan, Stephen Burke, Pat Fogarty.
Tipperary New York: Padraig Gill (Burgess, Tipperary), Jack Bohill (St. John’s, Belfast, Antrim), John Gardiner (Na Piarsaigh, Cork), Bryan Power (Ballyduff, Waterford), Henry Keyes (Colt, Laois), Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields, Tipperary), Martin O’Neill (Mount Sion, Waterford), Michael Sheehy (capt.), (Portroe, Tipperary), Johnny Power (Kilmacthomas, Waterford), Ger McPartland (Doon, Limerick), Patrick Maher (Lorrha, Tipperary), Tom Phelan (Conaghy Shamrocks, Kilkenny), Tommy Kavanagh (Borris-Ileigh, Tipperary), Paddy Moriarty (Templenore, Kerry), David Pond (Monaleen, Limerick). Subs: Dylan Grace, Shane Slattery, Ciaran Keane, Paddy Layde, Kevin Hannigan, Cian Williams, Eddie Hogan, Conor Higgins, David Loughnane, Gearóid Kennedy.
Few Teams
The two teams were the only two in the championship with the first round being also the final. It’s a big falling off from times past. Johnny Murphy from Cashel, who won All-Ireland minor medals with Tipperary in the first half of the fifties, and who emigrated to New York in 1959, remembers when ten or more teams took part in the championship. Public support for games is also at a low ebb. Less than five hundred people were in attendance on August 12.
Management Information, Tipperary New York: Manager – Mark Langton (Nenagh), Selectors – Joe Grace (Silvermines), Mickey Maher (Roscrea), Coach, Toby Kavanagh (Borris-Ileigh), Captain – Michael Sheedy (Portroe)
Management information, Hoboken Guards: Manager/Coach – Ger Morris (Loughmore-Castleiney), Selectors – Pat Egan (J. K. Brackens, Tipperary), Charlie Thompson (Tramore, Waterford), Captain – Paul Loughnane (Cappataggle, Galway), Vice-Captain – Eamonn Glynn (Inagh-Kilnamona, Co. Clare).
The New York senior hurling championships Roll of Honour is as follows:
Tipperary NY – 27, Offaly NY – 19, Galway NY – 17, Cork NY – 11, Clare NY – 10, Limerick NY – 4, Westmeath NY – 4, Kilkenny NY – 3, New Jersey – 2, Connecticut – 1, Ulster NY – 1, Hoboken Guards - 1.
