Huge Tipperary Wins

Munster Football Championship

Senior: Tipperary 1-24; Waterford 0-5
Junior: Tipperary 1-12; Waterford 1-09

In yesterday's senior football, Tipperary recorded their biggest win ever in championship football when they inflicted a 22 points defeat on Waterford.

I feel sorry for the true football people of Waterford. Waterford have always had a high standard of club competition within the county — their performances in the Munster club championships are an indication of this. They always possess fine individual players. A dearth of confidence seems to be the big bugbear, and a loss of some of their better players to a hurling-only policy at county level.

While the structures, and the running of the club championships, in Tipperary still leave a lot to be desired, they have made progress in other areas; a lot of people are putting in great efforts to improve football at under-age level. Most of the county are involved in this effort, whereas previously the promotion of football in the county was very lop-sided. Success has been achieved at minor and under twenty one levels. This success gives great confidence to players when they make the step up to the senior team. This confidence has to be carefully nurtured, and managed, at adult level if the Corks and Kerrys of this world are to be seriously challenged consistently. I will say to the true football people of Tipperary: congratulations on your achievements so far and the best of luck for the future.

The Village Blacksmith

Under the spreading chestnut tree
The village smith stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands.

His hair is crisp, and black, and long;
His face is like the tan;
His brow is wet with honest sweat,
He earns whate'er he can,
And looks the whole world in the face,
For he owes not any man.

Week in, week out, from morn till night,
You can hear his bellows blow;
You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,
With measured beat and slow,
Like a sexton ringing the village bell,
When the evening sun is low.

And children coming home from school
Look in at the open door;
They love to see the flaming forge,
And hear the bellows roar,
And catch the burning sparks that fly
Like chaff from the threshing floor.

He goes on Sunday to the church,
And sits among his boys;
He hears the clergy pray and preach,
He hears his daughter's voice
Singing in the village choir,
And it makes his heart rejoice.

It sounds to him like her mother's voice,
Singing in Paradise!
He needs must think of her once more,
How in the grave she lies;
And with his hard, rough hand he wipes
A tear out of his eyes.

Toiling — rejoicing — sorrowing,
Onward through life he goes;
Each morning sees some task begun,
Each evening sees its close;
Something attempted, something done,
Has earned a night's repose.

Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,
For the lesson thou hast taught!
Thus on the flaming forge of life
Our fortunes must be wrought;
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed and thought.

— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Sinking of the Lusitania

The Lusitania was a 31,500 tons Cunard Atlantic liner brought under the control of the British Admiralty during World War 1. On May 7th,1915, it was bound for England from the USA, with 1,255 passengers and 651 crew on board, when it was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine off the Old Head of Kinsale, Co.Cork, Ireland. Two torpedoes were fired, the ship sank within 20 minutes, and 1,198 people were drowned, including 124 Americans. The incident horrified most of the world, caused serious anti-German rioting in London, and may have helped eventually to bring the USA into the war. In Germany a commemorative medal was struck.

News Extracts: 1916

Taken from the Evening Herald for the week of 26th April to 4th May 1916:

THE SURRENDER 

To avoid further slaughter 

We are asked officially to give the utmost publicity to the following document, signed by P.H. Pearse, who was described as being "The leader of the rebels" and bearing date 29th:- 

"In order to prevent further slaughter of unarmed people, and in the hope of saving the lives of our followers, now surrounded and hopelessly outnumbered, members of the Provisional Government present at headquarters have agreed to an unconditional surrender, and the commander of all units of the Republican Force will order their followers to lay down their arms". 

The Co-Inspector also published on April 30th an announcement that "James Connolly and other Sinn Fein leaders have unconditionally surrendered to the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief in Ireland". 

Germany's "assistance" 

In a communication posted at Ballymun R.I.C. station on the evening of 29th April intimating, on behalf of the Irish command, the progress of military operations in the city, it was stated that "Roger Casement has declared that Germany has sent all the assistance she is going to send which assistance is now at the bottom of the sea".

Hitler Killed in Action

Taken from the Irish Independent, May 2nd, 1945:

• The story under this banner headline on the main news page: Adolf Hitler is dead, killed yesterday, according to German radio — at his command post in the Reich Chancellery in Berlin. The announcement of the Fuehrer's death was made on radio at 9.25 (Irish time) last night and read as follows: "It is reported from the Fuehrer's HQ that Adolf Hitler has fallen this afternoon at his command post in the Chancellery, fighting to the last breath against Bolshevism and for Germany. On April 30 the Fuehrer appointed Grand Admiral Doenitz as his successor. He has now taken over and says "the fight will go on".

• Count Folke Benadotte, who returned to Stockholm from Copenhagen yesterday, said:"I have not seen Himmler during my last visit to Germany and Denmark. I have not forwarded any message from Himmler or other authorative German to the Allies".

Easy Dublin Win

National Football League Division 1 Final:

Dublin 1-21; Cork 2-7

In yesterday's game, played at Croke Park, Dublin easily defeated Cork with the latter getting their second goal in injury time. I only saw small parts of the game on television but it was enough to learn that Cork's main failing showed through again: that is their slow-motion use of the ball, especially when they are in their opponents half of the field. Other prominent footballing counties with fine individual players — most notably Kildare — get bogged down by the use of similar tactics. Sometimes victory may be achieved despite the use of a quota of circular passing, but on the big stage, on dry lively ground with players getting close to top fitness levels, the futility of it is demonstrated.

My view is that the ball should be moved quickly towards the opponents goal at all times with judicious passing to players moving into space, thereby putting the defenders on the back foot. This should be followed by swift shooting when players get within range of their opponent's goal.

Great Wins for Tipp U-21s

U-21 Football

Munster Semi-Final: Tipperary 0-15; Clare 0-7
Munster Final: Tipperary 1-15; Cork 3-8
All-Ireland Semi-Final: Tipperary 0-14; Dublin 0-12

Tipperary U-21 footballers are carving a niche in history with their heart-warming performances in this year's championship. Having beaten Clare in the Munster semi-final, they took on Cork — always a powerful force in under-age football — in the provincial final at Semple Stadium, Thurles, on the evening of Thursday April 9th. Cork had already beaten Kerry in the other semi-final.

Tipperary started well and led by 5 points to 2. A freak goal for Cork — when the Tipperary goal-keeper, apparently dazzled by the setting sun, mishandled a high ball and it bounced into the goal. This was followed by a Cork point which give them the lead. Cork scored a second goal early in the second half when a ball rebounded off the shoulder of a Tipperary defender into the hands of a Cork forward who put it in the net. Tipperary then showed their character and skill and were leading by five points with three and a half minutes to play. A scramble around the Tipperary goal with the ball on the ground ended with a Cork forward pushing it over the goal line. This was followed by a Cork point which brought them to within a point of Tipperary. Tipp held out for a memorable one point win.

It was then onto O'Connor Park, Tullamore for the All-Ireland Semi-Final last Saturday, 18th April, where Tipperary took on a Dublin team who won the competition last year, and whose players are drawn from clubs with a strong footballing ethos and experienced in high standard local competition. Tipperary found themselves 8 points to 3 in arrears early in the second half but they put on a magnificent display to win by 14 points to 12.

Now for the All-Ireland Final against Tyrone on May 2nd.