Remember '79

When Tipperary and Galway contested the National Hurling League final played at Croke Park on April 30th 1989, Galway were victorious on a score of 2-16 to 4-8. Tipperary were handicapped by the non-availability of star forwards Nicholas English and Pat Fox; also absent were regular defenders John Heffernan and John Kennedy.

The two counties also contested the National Hurling League final played at the Gaelic Grounds Limerick in May 1979. Tipperary had a surprising win by 3-15 to 0-8 over a fancied Galway team. The game featured an outstanding display for Tipperary by Kilsheelan native, Jim Kehoe, who scored 1-5 from play. Jim played many a fine game for Tipperary hurlers and footballers during the seventies; and played leading roles in winning Railway Cup medals with Munster in football (1975) and hurling (1976). He has been residing in Los Angeles for more than 20 years where he owns a successful haulage business.

The following is the substance of an article from the match programme for the National Hurling League Final of 1989:

REMEMBER '79 

Remember '79 could well be the catch-cry for Tipperary hurlers as they take the field today against a fancied Galway. Galway were favourites for the 1979 National Hurling League final between the counties at Limerick but in a one sided encounter, Tipperary triumphed by a surprisingly large margin, 3-15 to 0-8. Without an All-Ireland for eight years and struggling to reassert themselves in hurling after a spell in division 1B, Tipperary were not expected to match mighty Galway but with Jim Kehoe starring for the Premier County, they recorded a most impressive win. 

Tipperary had the use of the breeze in the first half and got off to an ideal start after seven minutes when Francie Loughnane netted. They led at the interval by 1-8 to 0-4 but with Galway due to have the breeze after the break, the game was finely balanced. Galway were not playing to form and were expected to step up a gear afterwards, but Tipperary, with Jim Kehoe roaming to devastating effect, produced a great second half performance. 

Galway fought hard in the early stages to establish control, with John Connolly a key figure at mid-field, but the turning point came at the end of the third quarter when Kehoe steered the ball to the net after a Francis Loughnane free was only partly saved. 

Subsequently, Galway heads bowed and Tipperary went on to record a sixteen points win and their fourteenth National Hurling League title. 

Jim Kehoe was the star of the Tipperary team that day but the contributions of Gerry Stapleton, Michael Doyle, Francis Loughnane, Pat Fitzelle and Tadgh O'Connor were also vital to the Tipperary win. 

Galway never reached their true form despite the inspiration of John Connolly at mid field. Niall McInerney, Joe Greaney, Frank Burke and P.J.Molloy were others to figure prominently for Galway. 

Tipperary scorers: J. Kehoe 1-5; F.Loughnane 1-4; P.Queally 1-0; N O'Dwyer, S.Power 0-2 each; M.Doyle, G.Stapleton 0-1 each. 

Galway scorers: P.J. Molloy 0-3; J.Connolly 0-2; M.Connolly and F.Burke 0-1 each. 

TIPPERARY

P. McLoughney

P. Williams K. O'Connor

J. Keogh N. O'Dwyer

T. O'Connor P. Fitzelle

M. Doyle

G. Stapleton

E. O'Shea F. Loughnane

J. Williams J. Kehoe

P. Queally S. Power

Subs: T. Butler for J. Kehoe

GALWAY

F. Larkin

N. McInerney J. Greany

J. McDonagh S. Silke

I. Clarke J. Cooney

J. Connolly

S. McMahon

M. Connolly N. Lane

Joe Connolly F. Burke

P.J. Molloy P. Ryan

Subs: M. Earls for Silke, F. Gantly for M. Connolly

The Women of Clonmel

"At the Siege of Clonmel, the women displayed the utmost devotion to it's indomitable defender, Hugh Dubh O'Neill, and helped to draw mortar, stones and timber to form barricades. Standing beside their menfolk, on the walls, they relieved the shortage of ammunition by pouring down boiling water on the heads of the attacking Ironsides"

Altho' on Limerick's battered wall Her daughters nobly died,
Let history's pages still recall their chivalry with pride.
We'll drink to-night with spirits bright, and loving hearts as well,
Perhaps as bold in days of old—The women of Clonmel! 

The women of Clonmel, my boys,
The women of Clonmel,
We'll proudly toast Tipperary's boast,
The women of Clonmel! 

When Cromwell's sacrilegious horde-
A base ignoble crew—
Resolved to crush with fire and sword our own immortal Hugh,
Who cheered him on till victory shone, and many a tyrant fell—
While freedom's song re-echoed long—The women of Clonmel. 

Clonmel! The memory of the past is in thy heart to-day;
Thy sons await the trumpet blast, impatient for the fray.
And colleens, too, with eyes of blue, within thy bosom dwell,
Who'd gladly fight for Ireland's right—The women of Clonmel.

Sieges of Clonmel

Clonmel was twice besieged. In 1516, when it was surrounded by walls and strongly fortified, it was besieged and taken by the Earl of Kildare. It's greater claim to fame was when it was attacked by Oliver Cromwell in 1650. It was defended by Hugh Dubh O'Neill of the Northern Ui Neill.

STORM UNDER SLIEVENAMON 

Hugh Dubh O'Neill defends Clonmel May,1650. 

And now, behold, against Clonmel. They vainly flung their bands!
Battered and bayed but undismayed the town defiant stands.
Battered and bayed but undismayed it meets each fresh attack;
With soldiers few and faint—but true—It hurls the foemen back! 

—D.A.McCarthy.

Undismayed by the frightful massacres at Drogheda and Wexford, Hugh Dubh O'Neill (nephew of Owen Roe) commanding 1,600 Ulster and Tipperary troops, decided to hold Clonmel while his ammunition lasted. Opposing O'Neill was a Cromwellian force of 9,000 well-armed veterans, supported by field-guns and howitzers.

The following notes are taken from a chapter in Romantic Slievenamon which it describes as "a graphic picture of the famous Siege penned in 1685 by Capt.Mulholland, a British Officer who seemingly admired "Hugh Dubh":

Cromwell sent two or three regiments of horse and foot to block off Clonmel at a distance a month before he appeared on the scene himself. Hugh Dubh defiantly turned down Cromwell's offer for him to surrender on good terms. 

Despite a valiant defence, Cromwell's canons breached a section of their defensive wall. At night-fall, O'Neill sent 200 men and officers with local guides who knew a secret pathway to where they the fell on the backs of those in a fort not fully finished, killing the sixty occupants with the loss of half-a dozen. They returned safely through another gate which was opened for them. 

With this respite, O'Neill set troops with men and maids to work reparing the breach in such a way that when English troops later came through, it was like entering a box canyon, and they suffered many casualties. The Siege having gone on for five or six weeks; O'Neill, having had several losses and with others wounded and sick and with ammunition low, advised Mayor Whyte that himself and his troops would leave two hours after night fall. Mayor Whyte was to wait until he had judged that O'Neill and his men were half a dozen miles from the town; then he should seek Cromwell and look for favourable terms without telling him that O'Neill had left. He succeeded in achieving this objective. Cromwell was furious when he was told that O'Neill had left and wanted to tear up the agreement. The Mayor, with the use of diplomacy and flattery, succeeded in getting him to keep his word despite the fact that he had lost about 1,500 men, more than he lost in all the towns he stormed before and since he came to Ireland. Clonmel made military history as revealing how Irish valour was well adapted for modern warfare. After the Siege, Cromwell was recalled to England.

An Bhfuil Fhios Agat?

Egan Clancy walked from Grange to Limerick Railway Station to join his team-mates on the train for Dublin on the morning of the 1910 All Ireland Senior final against Wexford. The game was played at Jones's Road (later Croke Park), Dublin, on 20th November when Wexford (Castlebridge) defeated Limerick (Castleconnell) on the score 7-0 to 6-2.

Mick Sexton of Bruree played for six years on the same club team with three of his sons—James, John and Michael. And for good measure his daughter, Margaret, represented Bruree club at several county conventions.

Dave Clohessy of Fedamore scored four goals in the replay of the 1934 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final in which Limerick beat Dublin by 5-2 to 2-6.

Timmy Ryan, John Mackey and Mick Mackey each hold 20 Limerick Senior Championship medals—15 won in hurling and 5 in football.

John J. Fanagan of Kilmallock—one of the greatest stars that ever graced the athletic firmament—secured the hammer event for his adopted country (USA) in three successive Olympiads between 1900 and 1908.

Richard J. Casey of Martinstown, near Kilmallock, Co. Limerick, founded the famed Toomevara Greyhounds Hurling club in North Tipperary.

Bohercrowe, Tipperary beat Portlaoise, Laois, in the 1889 All-Ireland Senior football final. Five Ryans played for Tipperary and five Cushions figured with Laois.

Johnny Walsh of Tubberadora won his fifth All-Ireland Senior Hurling medal in 1900 at the age of 23. He was only 17 when he won his first six years earlier, in 1895.

John Joe Callanan, who won 1920 All-Ireland senior honours with Dublin, was captain of the Tipperary team that beat the Liffeysiders in the 1930 final.

Mick Kennedy, Young Irelands, born at the Ragg, near Thurles, is the only Tipperary man to win three All-Ireland Senior Hurling medals with Limerick. A product of Thurles CBS, he played with Tipperary minors in 1928-29.

At the closing of the storied Celtic Park in New York in August 1930, Clarina born Mike Kenny established what is believed to be a world record at rising and striking the hurling ball, with a distance of 122 yards.

Bob McConkey of Young Irelands, captain of Limerick's All-Ireland winning team in 1921 and first to gain possession of the Liam Mc Carthy Cup, played altogether in four All-Ireland finals—the last in 1934 when he was 39 years of age.

1932: Opening of Davin Park

The Maurice Davin Memorial Park, Carrick-on-Suir was officially opened by Munster Council Chairman W.P. Clifford on Sunday August 7th 1932.

Among those present for that historic occasion were:-

Rev. J.J.Meagher, Chairman Tipperary Co. Board GAA;
Johnny Leahy, Sec. Tipperary Co. Board GAA;
Rev. Fr. M.J. Lee, Thurles;
Pat Davin, brother of Maurice;
and the renowned athlete, Tom Kiely.

In his address, Mr. Clifford said that the Park was a fitting memorial in the most appropriate form to the famous Tipperary athlete whose genius brought the Gaelic Athletic Association into being.

The Munster Council gave due recognition to the occasion by staging the Munster Senior Football Final between Kerry and Tipperary as the opening game. Even with home advantage, however, the Tipperary team could never come to grips with a rampant Kerry and having trailed by 2-5 to 0-3 at the break, Tipperary went under finally by 3-10 to 1-4.

Both All-Ireland football semi-finals were played at Croke Park on 21st August when Mayo beat Cavan by 2-4 to 0-8 and Kerry beat Dublin by 1-3 to 1-1. The All-Ireland final was played at Croke Park on September 25th when Kerry beat Mayo by 2-7 to 2-4.

The first Directors of Davin Park were:- Richard Cleary, T.F. Kiely, Jerry Shelly, John Keating, Denis O'Driscoll, Wm. Morrissey, Dick Walsh, James McCormack and John Higgins.

Great Win For Carlow

Leinster U-21 Hurling Quarter Final:

Carlow 1-13; Dublin 1-11

Carlow Under-21 hurlers achieved a notable victory at Parnell Park, Dublin last evening when a last minute goal, scored by Marty Kavanagh, gave them victory over Dublin in the Leinster under 21 hurling championship. The fact that Dublin have been very strong for a number of years in the minor and under 21 hurling championship adds to the significance of this Carlow win. It shows what a small county, with a limited pool of hurlers, can achieve with the right spirit and proper organization. I wish them the best of luck for the rest of the campaign—they should not fear any one now!

Tom Kiely of Ballyneale

In the following I will include brief extracts and also a short synopsis from a contribution by Michael Navin in Romantic Slievenamon:

The World's Champion All-Round Athlete 

"Kiely and the Davins always represent to me the ideal type of the Gael and the sportsman. On the athletic field they could beat the best the world could send against them. In hurling or football or handball they were performers well above the ordinary. They could whistle and sing, they could play the fiddle, and they could dance as light and airy as any fairy that ever trod the slopes of Slievenamon" (Patrick Purcell). 

Thomas F.Kiely of Ballyneale, Carrick-on-Suir—still referred to in his native locality as "The Champion". A title well deserved, for his athletic achievements at home and abroad, he proved himself to be Ireland's greatest ever all round athlete. Prompted, no doubt, by the deeds and fame of his great and immediate predecessors and neighbours, the famous Davin brothers of nearby Deerpark, he was a willing pupil and needed no urging. 

In the All-Ireland championships of 1892, held at Jones's Road (now Croke Park), he won seven of the titles. The victories were in the hurdles race, the shot putting, hammer throwing, putting the weights (7 lbs and 28 lbs), long jump and hop step and jump-in the latter event he cleared a distance of 49 feet 7 inches—a few inches short of the world's record. 

On 21st July 1904, at the world's fair in St. Louis on the mighty Mississippi river, he achieved first place with 6086 points—by coming first in the hurdles, first in the hammer, first in the 56 lbs throw and first in the 880 yards walk. He was second in the long jump and third in the shot and pole jump. 

On 23rd June 1906, in the American all round championship decided at Boston, Tom was again victorious, achieving 6274 points, as against 5064 points for his nearest rival, John Bridemus. 

Tom Kiely's last year of competition was in 1908 when on 16th August at Dungarvan he took part in an exhibition of weight throwing with Irish-American athlete, Martin Sheridan. He died in 1951 and is laid to rest in Ballyneale churchyard in the shadow of his beloved Slievenamon.