Category: Sport - Reading the Signs

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Look what they started 130 years ago

24/7/2017

Two week ago, I had an early start for a number of meetings in Waterford. I afforded myself the luxury of a slow-ish spin home and some stops for discovering and learning – there are always new plaques and signs to be read.

The leisurely speed presented the opportunity to spot a plaque in the grounds of a GAA Club through the fields. I went exploring and learnt.

I had known that in the early years of inter-county G.A.A. matches, the county was represented by a Club – effectively similar to the All-Ireland Club Championship as is now. This had been filed away in my knowledge bank with Kildare’s white jerseys being first worn by Clane who represented Kildare in their first inter-county match.

I did not know that the first round of inter-county matches was held in 1887, 130 years ago, on this day. Ballyduff Lower represented Waterford and this plaque was erected to record the event.

I was somewhat surprised at the listing of 33 names but assumed that it related to all players who played in the county championship as well as the inter-county.

The entrance gate to the club was being painted at the time when I visited. I have no doubt that the painter was a volunteer club member. It was he who educated that teams had 21 players a side in 1887. He also said that in 1987, there was 21-a-side match between Ballyduff and Young Irelands to commemorate and record the first inter-county match.

Interesting asides from the 1887 football championship include that Kilkenny beat Cork; and, that Commercials of Limerick were the inaugural winners.

I now have another prompt not to forget my wedding anniversary.

And We Were There

3/11/2016

The first Olympic Medal ever presented in Ireland.

A great night.

A Local Hero - Sonia - cast

21/6/2016

“All I knew was that I intended to be famous and have a statue put up to me near that of Father Matthew, in Patrick Street. Father Matthew was called the Apostle of Temperance, but I didn’t think much of temperance. So far our town hadn’t a proper genius and I intended to supply the deficiency’

Frank O’Connor – the Genius (from My Oedipus Complex & Other Stories)

Frank O’Connor’s books of short stories are all about. They could be at work, bedside, in car, or, best of all, occupying inside pocket. The short stories are visited in coffee shops, on bus or just chilling.

A while back, I was reading ‘The Genius’ and the comment desiring to be remembered in a statue got ingrained upstairs as I could not recall any recent commemorative statue in Cork city to anyone still alive at the time.

The following week, watching the Late Late Show, Sonia O’Sullivan admitted (at 0:18:30) to glancing at the statue by James McLoughlin in Cobh when on early morning runs.

I appear to be on an athletic theme at present so reasons enough to share the statue in Cobh.

Enjoy.

All Round Gaelic Champion of Ireland - 1895 & 1896

20/6/2016

ALL ROUND GAELIC CHAMPION OF IRELAND 1895

Not for the first time, a trip to the cemetery has led to learning and connecting of historical dots of information.

The cemetery in question is at St Bartholomew’s Church in Kinneigh, Co Cork – the location of the only round tower with an hexagonal base, as well as headstone commemorating O’Mahony Mór.

The Man who Bought Croke Park

20/4/2016

I suspect that many do not know that Jones Road site was purchased by a Limerick man who then sold to GAA ‘for the same consideration’.

Yesterday, I spotted a tweet from Jean with a copy of the notification of the death, 100 years ago on 18th April, 1916, of Frank Brazil Dineen and it reminded me of this plaque on the side wall of a building in Ballylanders.

Joining those two dots of knowledge was justification for today’s blog.

“This plaque was erected by Baile an Londraigh CLG in honour of the late Prionsais Breasil O Duinnon – Frank Brazil Dineen (Athlete, Journalist, Patriot)

Born in this house 28th December 1862, Frank B. Dineen came to prominence as an athlete holding the record for the 100 yards sprint and high jump in the 1880’s.

Úachtaran Cumann Luithchleas Gael 1895-1898 agus Ard Stiurthoir 1898-1901.

He was the first President of the Athletic Council and published the “Irish Athletic Record” in 1906. He founded Ballylanders Shamrock Football Club in 1886. Frank will be best remembered as the man who in 1908 purchased Jones Road now Croke Park, which he gave to the GAA for the same consideration. He was the Athletic Editor of “SPORT” published by the Freeman’s Journal when he died on 18th April 1916.

This plaque was unveiled on the 15th August 2009 by Criostóir O Cuana Úachtaran Cumann Luthchleas Gael”
Plaque at Ballylanders

King Of The Mountains – Mick Murphy

13/9/2015

A few years back, homebound with a cold, I caught up on a number of radio documentaries from DocOnOne, including ‘A Convict Of The Road’. I had read briefly prior to that of the race but this was the first that I really learnt of Mick Murphy.

Last year, I was again reminded on Mick Murphy when I stopped opposite the Black Shop Bar to look at these commemorative plaques. I was reminded once again of Mick Murphy.

On Friday, I was on the 05.55 train to Dublin, checking Twitter, when I read of the death of Mick Murphy.

Today, I listened again to ‘A Convict Of The Road’, a memory of times well past.

It would be forty minutes well spent if you are tempted.

The Baby Whale

8/4/2015

We were in Doonbeg over the Easter weekend and walked out to Tra Bán / White Strand. There, just above the beach, is the monument to Pat McDonnell from Killard.

Returning home, I found my copy of ‘Irish Athletes & The Olympic Games, Stockholm 1912’ and searched the web. I now know a bit more about the Olympic champion, World Record holder and winner of twenty-four American National Championships – the last at 54 years of age.

The family emigrated in 1899. His sister was first in the queue at Ellis Island and the Immigration Officer heard ‘McDonald’ when she said ‘McDonnell’ so the name of the whole family changed. He joined the New York Police Department as Pat McDonald. Interesting to note that the plaque at Tra Bán has the original name.

He weighed 300lbs – 21 st 6lb – which led to the nickname ‘Babe’ from ‘Baby Whale’. He was one of ‘The Irish Whales’. He was one of many Irish emigrants to win Olympic medals for other countries.

He carried the U.S. A. flag at the 1920 Olympics – winning a gold medal to add to the gold and silver from 1912. The 1916 Olympics had been cancelled due to World War I.

The Risks of Sport Sponsorship

2/3/2015

Eaten Bread and all that…..

The team may like to reference its tradition and the history of previous matches and campaigns – but a sponsor may be treated differently. A sponsor can gain from being associated with a team, but there does not appear to be any past – just a present and a future.

Toyota were the main sponsors of Munster Rugby from Summer 2004 to Summer 2013 – during which period, it was reported that they invested €13m. In 2013, SEAT became Car Partners to Munster Rugby. Within months of the end of the Toyota sponsorship, it was as if they were never there with Munster staff were changing to driving SEAT cars.

When I saw this on the Bank of Ireland premises at 32, South Mall, I got to thinking about the difficulties of being associated with a professional sports team.

The Marketing Dept probably spent some time deciding on the message to be conveyed and the actual wording to accompany the image. To my reading, Bank of Ireland were linking into the group spirit and being at one with the team – ‘We’re with you every step of the way’.

All that appears fine until half way through the year, the player featured shows his determination and decides to step away and join another team.

So are Bank of Ireland I step with J.J. in thinking it best to leave here…..

If the Marketing Dept knew then what they know now, would the message and image be together?

Con Leahy – More Learning About Olympics

15/10/2014

Today I was in Liam Ruisèal Teo and purchased a book by Colm Murphy, Irish Athletes & The Olympic Games, Stockholm 1912. It profiles 46 men who participated in the 1912 Games.

I was flicking through this afternoon and was reading about Timothy ‘Tim’ Leahy who is described as ‘the last of the brothers’. He was from Cregane, Co.Limerick and went to school at Charleville C.B.S. – where Éamon deValera was also a pupil. He had the highest jump in 1910.

I am unsure as to why he is included in the book as the book does not state that he participated in the 1912 Olympics which appears to be confirmed by the Athletics Ireland website.

T. C. MURRAY - More Questions Than Answers

12/10/2014

QUESTION ONE

OLYMPICS

I was very well aware of this plaque from many years of passing the building but it was only in July that I stopped to photograph. My instant thought was that it was another for the sports collection – Dr. Pat O’Callaghan, Denis Horgan, Dan O’Leary and Steve Casey all justifying a daily blog comment earlier in the summer following on from the likes of John C Lordan and Jack Doyle.

There has been a delay while I have read (most of) a book on T. C. Murray as the web provided contradictory information with regard to an Olympic Medal – which was for literature and not for sport.

Please expect some more plaques to sports people for times past in the near future.

I have added to my mental To Do list further research as to the 1924 Olympics – was the “‘literary competition ‘for men of letters’ associated with the 1924 Olympic Games” the same as the “Art competitions at the 1924 Olympics in Paris” or were they different competitions; and who were the prize-winners.

I suspect that this item may remain on the list for a good while.

New St., Macroom

T. C. MURRAY
1873 – 1969
PLAYRIGHT, POET, NOVELIST,
OLYMPIC MEDALIST
WAS BORN HERE

LEE VALLEY ENTERPRISE BOARD

“Years after its initial success, Birthright earned European recognition for Murray. In 1924 it was awarded the bronze medal and a diploma in the literary competition ‘for men of letters’ associated with the 1924 Olympic Games (VIII Olympiade) in Paris (Ms. 23,510, TCM, NLI.)The play was eligible because of its references to hurling. A news report from Dublin’s Weekly Freeman, ‘Olympic Honour for Irish Dramatist’, published on 9 August 1924, explained that the literary adjudicators included ‘such distinguished names as M. Jean Richepin, Gabrielle d’Annunzio, Paul Claudel, Marcel Provost, Blasco Ibanez, and Maurice Maeterlink’ (Ms. 23,510, TCM, NLI). Another article, ‘Irish Playright’s Honour’, published by the Dublin Evening Mail on 4 August 1924, drew attention to the international significance of the award: ‘In the modern drama of Europe, Synge, Yeats, and Lady Gregory have won universal recognition. Mr. Murray has further emphasized and enhanced the literary attainments of the nation’ (Ms. 23,510, TCM, NLI). “

T.C. Murray, Dramatist – Voice of Rural Ireland – Albert J. DeGiacomo [Syrause University Press – 2003]

“It has been stated both by A DeGiacomo and by R Allen Cave that in the Art competitions at the 1924 Olympics in Paris France Murray was awarded a bronze medal for his play Birthright However according to the official record for the games although Murray was a participant in the literature category with this play and also with Maurice Harte he did not win a medal”

Biographies.net AND Wikipedia

“The bronze medals went to French Charles Anthoine Gonnet for Face to Face with Olympia's God and Irish Oliver St. John Gogarty for Ode to the Tailteann Games. Gonnet also played rugby for the French national team from 1921-27. In 1924, he was a substitute for the French national team at the Paris Olympics, but did not play in any match. He was also an athlete, swimmer and boxer. Besides his writing Gogarty was a physician, sportsman, pilot and politician, and from 1922-36 served as a senator in the Irish Parliament.”
Sports_Reference.com

“In Cork city he co-founded the Cork Little Theatre Company with other authors such as the famed Daniel Corkery and Con O’Leary and the heroic Lord Mayor of Cork, Terence McSweeney, who died on hunger strike at Brixton Prison, England in 1920. The group became known as The Cork Realists.

The new theatre soon blossomed and many who threaded its boards became household names in the 20 th century.

Murray won a bronze medal for Literature at the 1924 Paris Olympics for ‘Birthright’ a play central to hurling.”
Scoreboard Memories

Goal for Kerry

6/9/2014

The validity of the saying that goals win matches was reinforced with Kerry coming back more than once last weekend in the semi-final against Kerry. The match brought to mind this photograph taken a while back in Killorglin – or more correctly, the poem was remembered.

The previous Tuesday required a trip to Dublin. I had planned to do a bit of work on the train but in my rush to the station, my laptop never made it into the bag. Paperwork was completed by Mallow so out came ‘Rain on the Wind’ and I had hopes for enjoyable me-time.

A couple from the Kerry train got on at Mallow. They sat opposite the aisle from my four-seater table. They sat next to each other opposite a man who had been on his own and silent since Cork. The three then proceeded to talk with less stops than the train all the way to Dublin.

My inability to cut out background noise and concentrate on the task at hand was reinforced. My admiration for conversation, a skill that is losing out to the internet age, was very much outweighed by silent cursing at the inability to progress with the book. Mico could not compete with the conversation.

My hopes for an improvement on the return journey and escape to the imagery in the book did not even last as long as the lottery draw. The three generations at the table opposite chatted most of the way to Thurles – either among themselves or, even louder, on a mobile. Are there many things more annoying hearing the same thing three or more times, among themselves and then shared more than once, on the phone?

A friend of the girl opposite me stopped his walk up the carriageway and then they also proceeded to dispel the notion as to the decline of conversation. The book remained on the table.

I overheard that she has travelled from Kerry to Portlaoise that morning but had to spend an hour at Mallow as not all Cork Dublin trains stop at Portlaoise. I reckon I had trumped that experience last December with an hour at Limerick Junction – something that may have been experienced by any Kerry supporter leaving Limerick to connect with the 20.00 Dublin Cork ghost train.

Both were going as far as Killarney. Road transport was then in order for the rest of trip home, she to Portmagee and he Caherciveen. Having only travelled the route some weeks back, I was picturing their journey out to Killorglin, over the bridge and then onwards along the Iveragh Peninsula.

My journey of recall , as the actual one, and as this rambling thought stopped at the old railway sign in Killorglin.

I had not heard of him two months ago but it looks like Sigerson Clifford is somewhat akin to tyre punctures – coming in threes.

“And the ree-raw at the station faith, ‘twas better than Puck Fair

With the shouldering, and shouting, and the din.

We had bottles full of lemonade, and biscuits, for the boys,

And a brew beagawneen stronger for the men.

Dan Keeffe blew on his whistle and he waved the green flag high

Beyond by Foxy Jack’s place I could hear a shepherd bark.

And we shouted ‘Goal for Kerry’ at the inoffending sky

As the ghost train left the station for Croke Park.”

Sigerson Clifford

Crusher

10/8/2014

I did mention that there was likely to be a few blogs on sporting memorials – even since then, I have noted some more.

Last week, I was introduced to Steve ‘Crusher’ Casey in Sneem – one of the Strongest Family on Earth.

I have added ‘The Legendary Casey Brothers’ to my list of books to look for.

Other than the titles and victories, it is not a bad epitaph that Joe Louis declined a fight.

Maybe it is the mental image of early morning rowers emerging from the haze on a lake but there is something magnetic in the grace of rowing – so much opposite what one imagines of wrestling. So it is a bit surprising that a World Champion Wrestler has me thinking of early morning rowing.

I can almost see in a film the rowing competitions in Newport with the many spectators. I remember twenty or more years ago watching Cork Regatta down the Marina and being told of the huge crowds that would have attended many years previously. I have a vague recollection that the main prize is the Leander Trophy and if there is any risk of any club winning the cup three times in a row, that the Leander Club in London will send over a squad to try to prevent such a happening.

A while back, reading Andy Ripley’s biography, Ripley’s World, I was almost tempted to try rowing for the freedom of gliding over water – an attraction that wrestling never posed. Neither have been tried - to date.

“In 1983, the Casey family organised a family reunion in Sneem. While all seven brothers were alive at the time, only five were able to make the trip. Then in their 70s, the brothers climbed once again into the same four-oar boat they used to win the championships in 1930, '31 and '32. Although they had not rowed together in 50 years, the same unity and natural grace remained undimmed with the passing of time. “
Irish Independent

“Both parents worked for the Vanderbilt family at their summer estate in Newport, Rhode Island, during their younger days. Mike Casey oversaw the employment and operation of the extensive fleet of racing sculls maintained by the millionaire family, particularly during the Newport Regatta each summer.

``I told Mr Vanderbilt if he'd pay passage for a gang of oarsmen from Sneem to come over, we'd beat all around us,'' Mike once recalled. Cornelius Venderbilt duly obliged and The Hibernians, as they were christened, won every event they entered for three years”
Irish Independent

Plucky Pedestrian

3/8/2014

Yet another village visited recently – Rathbarry.

Rob Heffernan is not the only champion walker. Dan O’Leary had that honour many years previously and probably earned a lot more relatively.

A very interesting life and story has been learnt of through the web.

Denis Horgan - Olympic Silver Medalist

27/7/2014

Another village that I visited for the first time recently – Lyre.

Another sportsman commemorated – this time one that was new to me – Denis Horgan.

The statistic in the Examiner article, I found amazing. What a success rate in three Olympics.

“ In the next 84 years Irish competitors would win only four medals in track and field events.

Pat O’Callaghan won two gold medals, Bob Tisdall and Ronnie Delany won one each, and John Tracy won a silver medal. By contrast, Irish-born competitors won the equivalent of 16 gold, 10 silver and two bronze medals between 1904 and 1912.”

Irish Examiner

Dr. Pat O'Callaghan

25/7/2014

On my travels recently, I have noticed that there are quite a number of plaques and monuments to sportspeople – some I have heard of but many more that I have not.

There have been a few blogs previously on some such plaques but you are hereby warned that you will likely see a good few more in the coming weeks.

My first ever visit to Banteer was only recently and there I spotted this statue to Dr. Pat O’Callaghan.

I had known the regular table quiz question that he won the first Olympic Gold Medal for Ireland but the statue has prompted some web research which has taught me that he was offered the role of tarzan and that a child died as a result of being hit by a flying hammer; that Adolf Hitler arranged for his technique to be videoed; and that two hammers are on display in the Bantry Bay Hotel.