<span class="postTitle">Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1986</span> Post Advertiser, Dec. 1985, Vol 1 No 11

Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1986

Post Advertiser, Dec. 1985, Vol 1 No 11

In the bookshops since last weekend is the 1986 county G.A.A. Yearbook. A committee has been producing this book since 1970, when the first one was published as a result of the initiative of Seamus Ryan of Moneygall, the then county chairman. The first editor was an enthusiastic Gerry Slevin, then working with the 'Nenagh Guardian' and he conlinued in that position until he moved to work with the 'Clare Champion' in 1977.

The production has come out faithfully since and has expanded and become more comprehensive. Last year's edition was a special Centenary number and was an extremely comprehensive account of everything that happened in the G.A.A. in the county for Centenary Year. That number is now a collector's item and should be in every household. The present committee includes Michael McCarthy of Moyle Rovers, one of the county representatives on the Munster Council, as chairman and Liam O Donnchú of Durlas Og as secretarv, Sean Nugent of Kilsheelan, John O'Grady of Thurles, John Costigan of Templemore, Michael Maguire of Lattin, J.J. Kennedy of Kickhams, Seamus King of Cashel King Cormac's, Philly O'Dwyer of Boherlahan, Seamus O'Doherty of Roscrea, Gerry Long of Knockshegowna. 

Under-21 Success

Pride of place in this year's edition goes to the All-Ireland under-21 hurling victory. The cover contains a colour photograph of the winning team and Seamus O'Doherty has a detailed account of the successful campaign. Michael Dundon gives comprehensive coverage to the near victory of the county juniors in the course of which he says: "Tipperary's disappointment, at the defeat in the final was understandable and with the county having to field a completely new side in 1986, the prospects of going one better next year are not great. Yet how different our outlook would be had Tipperary won, because at any time an All-Ireland victory is a great achievement, no matter what the grade, and who will deny that in these rather barren times, we can hardly turn up our noses at such a success."

In his report on the senior champianship John O'Grady concludes: 'So, despite the satisfaction of running up 4-11 we had to bow to Cork's 4-17; and to wonder at the lack of amendment to a defence that was so porous and lacked, most prominently, a solid middle core' .. John also covers our success in the Ford Open Draw and has this to say: "The final was, naturally, enough, in the field down river from the now silent Ford premises on the Lee. It rained. At the end our jubilant players were as muddied as a rugby team, but they were happy.' 

Kilruane MacDonaghs

As surely befits a team that achieved so much in 1985 Kilruane MacDonaghs get plenty of exposure. In an article on the senior hurling championship Seamus King observes how successful the club was during the year: "It was a great achievement for the Kilruane MacDonagh Club. It was the best possible success to have in the Centenary Year of the Club. But it wasn't the club's only achievement during the year. They also won the county junior hurling championship and the divisional senior. football championship. To top it all the parish, priest of Cloughjordan, Fr. Eddie White, produced a fine club history which told the story of the G.A.A. in the parish up to the present year. The only task that remains to be done at the end of 1985 is to write another chapter that will properly chronicle the great achievements of the year'. When that was written Kilruane hadn't won the Munster hurling championship and, to add to the attraction of the Yearbook, it contains an account of that memorable victory over Blackrock. 

In his account of football affairs in the county Michael Power, the secretary of the Football Board states that 'even thpough no major honours were won, I thionk it is fair to say that football has reached a stage of credibility in the county.' There's a full account and a full-page colour photograph of Arravale Rovers, who won their first county senior football final in 44 years. The historic 21st successful Mid football championship by Loughmore-Castleiney is also highlighted.

Schools

Schools get plenty of cover. Tommy Barrett has an account of the visit of President Paddy Buggy to all schools early in the year. Liam O'Donnchu covers the Primary Schools Scheme. There's a detailed account of the activities in hurling and football· in the Vocational Schools by T.J. Egan. There's an account of Cashel C.B.S. winning the Croke Cup for the second year in a row, of Rockwell Agricultural College, captained by Philly Quirke of Bansha, winning the All-Ireland Agricultural Colleges' final, of Roscrea C.B.S. success in Corn na Phiarsaigh, of Thurles CBS winning the Rice and Fitzgerald cups and of Templemore CBS retaining the Kinane Cup, plus much more. In fact this section is particularly extensive and an earnest of the the committee's intention to make the Yearbook as comprehensive a record as possible of G.A.A. affairs in the county. 

Obituary Section

There is an extensive obituary section on the greats of the past who went to their final reward during the year. Pride of place goes goes to Tommy Treacy and this appreciation contains some fine photographs. In fact the level of the visual in this book is of an excellent standard. Not only are the photographs many and good but the layout and the headings make it a very attractively produced work. 

Traditionally there has been another dimension to the Yearbook, the historical flashback. An interesting episode or incident from the G.A.A. history of the county is presented. In this number Philly O'Dwver of Boherlahan turns his attention to the Munster hurling final of 1941, which was postponed until October 26 because of the Foot and Mouth disease. Tipperary beat Cork, who had previously been nominated to represent Munster in the All-Ireland series and had won the first of their four-in-a-row.

On a slightly different vein Seamus Leahy turns his nostalgic eye on some great GAA days at Thurles one of which was in 1886, when a great tournament was held a a huge crowd turned up but most of them got in for nothing because the organisation was so bad. The result was that when the teams had returned home. and the crowd had scattered, the committee realised that "they had incurred huge expenses, had entertained lavishly, and had failed to take a 'gate' .. They decided to throw themselves on the understanding and mercy of the townspeople ..... The townpeople responded most gallantly and within 24 hours of the appeal being made, the debts of the tournament had been paid'. 

There's much more to this Yearbook including. messages from Archbishop Morris and county chairman, Michael Lowry, divisional reports, Bord na nÓg reports, Scór, handball, snippets from one hundred years of the GAA by Sean O'Driscoll which includes the information that Tom Semple won the Long Puck championship of Ireland in 1906 when he drove the 9 oz. ball 96 yards with a massive stroke. In the course of her reflections Liz Howard refers to the famous Justin McCarthy interview: "Generations of Tipperary hurlers were made little of. I can well remember the 'nameless one' being hurled off the field by Mick Roche, who had more class and style than half a dozen of the 'nameless one'. If anything spurs Tipperary hurling it will be the degrading remarks made by this person. He is now condemned to the wilderness, because he spoke about the shortcomings of his own team, not because he insulted Tipperary." 

It's impossible in a short review to give a true impression of the comprehensiveness and variety of this publication. I understand there is a print run of two thousand two hundred and I would advise everyone to go out immediately and get his copy which contains 130 pages for the meagre sum of £2.50. For so little expense it's a mighty read and a credit to the committee that produced it. 

<span class="postTitle">Home Industries Fair</span> Post Advertiser, Dec. 1985, Vol 1 No 10

Home Industries Fair

Post Advertiser, Dec. 1985, Vol 1 No 10

There was a fine response to the Cashel Lions Club Home Industries Fair at Grant's Castle Hotel, Cashel last Sunday. Hundreds of people turned up· to see over twenty exhibitors display their home-produced goods. At the end of a very enjoyable afternoon there was a fashion show by two of the exhibitors, Hazel Stapleton and Rita Thornton, which proved extremely popular with a very appreciative audience. 

This event is a new thing for the Cashel Lios Club. Under their very energetic President, Eamon Carew, the·club is seeking new ways in which they can fulfill their motto of service to the community. In a time of high unemployment the members want to highlight those people in the community who are exploiting their creative talents. And, for this show, they succeeded in discovering quite a lot of talent in the neighbourhood of Cashel. They don't for one moment claim that they assembled all the local talent on Sunday, In fact they believe tha there is quite a lot of talent out there that they didn't discover and hope to tap it all at some future exhibition. But this was a very good beginning.

Where can you get Cashel, Fethard and Ballingarry cheese? I didn't know until, last Sunday. These cheeses are being made by Louis and Jane Grubb of Fethard and are available at a selection of stores in Fethard, Cashel and Clonmel. It is interesting that the Ballingarry is a Caherphilly type of cheese, which is most appropriate since both are mining places. Having tasted the Cashel Blue I can recommend it highly. Across the way from the Grubb stall was another cheese display by Mrs. Sheila O'Sullivan of Ballinure. She got the idea of a semi-soft cream cheese a couple of years ago and through books, courses and experiment she produced the Derrynaflan Cheese which won the 1985 overall championship medal at the R.D.S. She now supplies top hotels and claims that the cheese is so filling that it isn't fattening: you get full before you get fat! 

Also in the food line were three German families from the Cahir area, Finkes, the Hulers and the Bordus who produce natural foods from their Ballybrado farm. Their Ballybrado bread is a health product and they also sell drug-free lamb and mutton. But the exhibition didn't cater only for the belly. There was also plenty of apparel to cover it. Rita Thornton had an exhibition of very fine leather goods. She works in leather, sheepskin and swede. Hazel Stapleton had a display of knitwear from her own designs. John Walsh had a fine display of Shanagarry tweeds which included blankets, tablecloths, scarves and other items. 

John's brother, Ned, of Rossa Pottery, who has been potting for about twenty years, had a fine range of his products on sale. Sarah Ryan of Rossmore, who is presently operating from Dundrum, specialises in miniature ceramics which are hand-painted. 

There was much more besides on display. Mrs. Littleton of Cahir displayed an impressive range of soft toys. Mrs Barry of Ardmayle, for long noted for her rushwork, displayed her skills at the fair. The Craft Centre from St. Patrick's Hospital had a fine presentation of their work. Mrs. Louise Spearman of Cashel displayed her floral artistry in arrangements, centre pieces and wreaths. Mary White of Clonmel displayed her Carrickrnacross Lace. Woodcraft Ltd. of Dundrum had a display of table-tennis' tables. 

The fair was a credit to the initiative of the Cashel Lions Club who will celebrate their 25th anniversary next year. It is a fine tribute to their desire to serve the community of Cashel better. In holding this exhibition they were satisfying a great need for home producers, a place to show their goods. It is hoped that as a result of their efforts more people will know of their existence and where their goods can be got. The Cashel Lions Club will also be happy if some people have been inspired by what they saw on Sunday to take the plunge and plumb their own creative depths. That would be the greatest possible result from Sunday's Home Industries Fair.

<span class="postTitle">The G.A.A. History of Cashel and Rosegreen</span> Post Advertiser, Nov. 1985, Vol 1 No 9

The G.A.A. History of Cashel and Rosegreen

Post Advertiser, Nov. 1985, Vol 1 No 9

One of the major events of the year took place at Grant's Castle Hotel recently with the launching of the 'GAA History of Cashel and Rosegreen'. The book is a massive contribution to the history of the parish over the past hundred years and is a tribute to the author, Seamus J. King, who is a teacher at Rockwell College. Seamus hails fram Lorrha and wrote a history of his home club, which appeared early in 1984. He has been living in Cashel for twenty years. 

The book is a handsome hardback volume of 567 pages and covers in great detail the history of the many clubs that have existed in the parish of Cashel and Rosegreen since 1984. In all there have been no fewer than twelve clubs, surely a record. Equally impressive with the extent of the research is the number of photographs contained in the book, over two hundred in all. As the author said at the launching it was a hard two years slog of research and writing. 

The book was launched by Michael Lowry, chairman of the Tipp. County Board, before a representative gathering of the Gaels of Cashel and some from outside. Among the visitors were Willie Corbett, chairman of Tipperary Remembers Weekend, Liz Howard, County P.R.O., Brendan Ryan, chairman of the West Board and others. Among the local luminaries present were Dean C. Lee, Patron of the Club, Willie Ryan, President, former greats like Jim Devitt, Mickey Murphy, Michael Burke, Paddy O'Brien and Jim Devitt. 

Social History

The book is more than a G.A.A. affair. It is no mere reciter of games and scores and teams. It is much more. A very comprehensive introduction gives a picture of Cashel during the last quarter of the 19th Century. This information was gleaned from the numerous travel books of the period as well as the local newspapers. Generally, the picture that comes across is not very flattering to the town. 

The chapter on the foundation of the club in the town makes most interesting reading: it took a long time to get a club going and three attempts failed before a final successful one was made under the chairmanship of Dr. Richard Wood, grandfather of the present Councillor Tom Wood. The book covers the coming of the railway to the town. It quotes a report from the 'Cashel Sentinel' of June 20, 1904: 'For the second time the labourers engaged in working on the new railway works from Gouldscross to Cashel have gone out on strike for higher wages. In the previous strike their wages were increased from three pence to three and a half pence an hour. It was hoped, that this would have brought peace but, on Wed. June 17, they struck again for another halfpence and invaded the streets of Cashel. Over one hundred and fifty men were involved and they grumbled that the work was too hard and the pay too little'. 

They gained their extra half-penny and went ahead to finish the work. Such little vignettes. are to be found in the book and they give it a social as well as a sporting connection. The author also tries to give a picture of G.A.A. affairs in the county and division in so far as they impinged on the life of the parish. 

Johnny Leahy

There was a great love affair between Cashel and Boherlahan. Initially it was with Tubberadora. It is difficult to explain. The normal result of proximity is irritation and jealousy. But no such feelings obtained in relations between Cashel and the neighbouring parish. In fact Cashel supported the men from the Boherlahan parish every step of the way. The Brass Band followed them to matches. The people of the town lit bonfires when the men from Boherlahan won. In 1901 the people of Cashel presented the victorious, three-in-a-row Tubberadora All-Ireland team with a set of 'silver medals'. There was a major function at the City Hall and this book faithfully records these events. 

According to the book Johnny Leahy played his first hurling with Cashel. Tubberadora were gone and Boherlahan hadn't yet arrived. The year was 1908 and the parish had two teams, in the county championship that year, Cashel and Racecourse. Cashel were in the mid and Racecourse in the south. Cashel were beaten in the mid final by Thurles and Johnny Leahy was a newcomer to the Cashel team that year at the age of sixteen years. 

But the book covers so much it is impossible to do it justice in a short review. As well as the history there are twenty-one appendices that fill out certain areas in greater detail. Here are to be found extensive accounts of the games in local post-primary schools, of camogie and handball and athletics in the parish. There are profiles of the greats like Jack Gleeson, Michael Burke, Mickey Murphy, Jim Devitt and Peter O'Sullivan. Even the exiles aren't forgotten. Paddy Doheny writes from New York and there's a final piece called 'English Memories'.

A massive and comprehensive work! 

<span class="postTitle">Cashel Urban District Council Meeting Open to Public</span> Post Advertiser, Nov. 1985, Vol 1, No. 9

Cashel Urban District Council Meeting Open to Public

Post Advertiser, Nov. 1985, Vol 1, No. 9

History was made in a quiet and unobtrusive way at the November meeting of the Cashel Urban District Council: for the time since the thirties the public were allowed in to listen to the proceedings. 

Mind you, there was no way that they could participate. Four conditions had been laid down for public attendance: 1) the member who invited you to attend MUST accompany you to the Council Chamber; 2) you must be in time from the start of the meeting, 7.30; 3) you may not participate IN ANY WAY in the meeting; 4) you must leave the meeting after all the notices of motion have been dealt with. 

According to the agreement, worked out by the councillors and the Co. Manager, only nine of the public could be invited, one to each member. The seating restrictions made it impossible to invite any more. One might have expected a great demand for the nine places available especially in view of the high turnout in Cashel at election time. But such was not the case. A mere three voters turned up to see how their elected representatives conduct themselves. They were John Fogarty, Seamus King and Conor O'Driscoll. 

The Man Responsible

The man responsible for opening up the Council Chamber to the public is Cllr. Michael Browne (to distinguish him from the Cllr Martln Browne of the Joint County Libraries Committee). It was his motion at an earlier Council meeting that changed the existing practice of excluding the public. Nobody quite knows when the public were excluded; they used to be admitted in the past, but it is generally believed to have been some time in the thirties. 

The public was in attendance for the discussion of motions and were excluded for correspondence. There was a wide variety of motions up for debate and the discussion was of a high level. One motion from Cllr. Thomas Wood that the Rock of Cashel ought to be restored was backed up by a well-researched speech. He argued that the restoration should happen over a period of ten to fifteen years, that the EEC would match pound for pound put up by the Dublin Government, that large corporations in the U.S. would be willing to get involved for tax reasons, that the materials used would be all native produced, that the job would be labour intensive and good for local employment and that the restored monument could be a museum which would add to the interest of the place and so attract even more people. The motion was passed. 

Teachers

A motion from Cllr Mattie Finnerty that the meeting condemn the government for its failure to pay the recent Arbitration Award was opposed by Cllr. Dick Wood, who argued that the money was simply not there. Cllr. Wood has the happy knack of being able to make the most cogent points without any notes to draw on. Cllr. Tom Wood had some reservations and when the matter came to a vote he abstained. The motion was passed by six votes to one with the one abstention. The absent Councillor was Labour member, Maureen O'Donoghue who was unable to attend. 

Chairman, Dr. Sean McCarthy, found himself in sole opposition to another motion that practicing ministers and T.D.s not receive pensions: The general consensus was that it was a disgrace that ministers and T.D.s who were receiving salaries should also be receiving pensions. Cllr. McCarthy argued that a T.D. loses out by becoming a member of the Oireachtas and that it was only fair that they should be compensated for the loss. 

Extradition

There was a motion from Cllr. Michael Browne condemning extradition to Northern Ireland after the debacle of the McGlinchey affair. There was a general consensus among the members on this motion with the exception of the Fine Gael members who opposed it. 

Cllr. Sean Hill, in a discussion on employment, expressed disappointment with the town's IDA factory, Rima Pharmaceuticals. He said that a lot of Cashel's young people were disheartened and disappointed at their failure to get jobs there. He requested that the Council be informed by Rima of their job creation programme and the potential for full-time, long-term employment. 

Turkey Markets

Cllr William Mclnerney opposed the abandoment of Cashel's Turkey Markets. Acting Town Clerk told the members that it cost £280 to advertise the markets and only three of the thirty suppliers turned up last year. Cllr. Mclnerney said he would be very much in favour of continuing the markets. It would be a retrograde step to do away with them he said. 

There was much more, all of a fairly high level with the exception of a few deviations into party bashing and the resurrection of the ghosts of the past. However, there was always the feeling of the debating society in which the outcome wasn't that important. Above all there was the belief that the amount of power wielded was very miniscule indeed. Having said that the whole experience was revealing and it is one that is open to all the citizens now. 

All you have to do is get an invitation from your local friendly Councillor. If you are successful you can enjoy the evening in the comfort of the Council Chamber and find out how your representative is acquitting himself. 

<span class="postTitle">California Girls' Choir</span> Post Advertiser, October 1985, Vol 1 no 7

California Girls' Choir

Post Advertiser, October 1985, Vol 1 no 7

Most unusual visitors to Cashel in June 1986 will be the California Girls Choir. The visit will be part of an international tour that will take the choir to England, Wales, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Switzerland ·and France. It will be the choir's fourteenth tour and the members will spend about a week in Ireland. As well as Cashel they will perform in Dublin, Limerick, Cork, Dungarvan and Wexford. 

The California Girls' Choir's story began in 1959-60 when it was founded by its music director, John Vaznaian. They made their first European tour in 1961. The choir is an independent and self-sustaining enterprise and the tours are financed by the individual members. 

The choir's primary purpose is to promote goodwill, better understanding and to provide European audiences with a musical window into the California world while, at the same time, educating choir members to the cultures and customs of the different overseas countries. 

During their tour the members of the choir stay in homes with host families. This will be the case in Cashel where host families will be required to look after the members of the choir during their stay. This practice fosters friendships which endure long after the music fades, sustained by letters and renewed by exchange visits.

The girls in the choir number about twenty-seven and are of high school age. Their ages range from fourteen, fifteen to some sixteen or seventeen year aids. There are about fifteen adults also in the choir group. 

It is a great distinction for Cashel to be chosen as one of the stop-off points of the choir's Irish tour. The members will put on a concert during their stay and the event will be organised by the Cashel Lions Club. Part of the concert will be devoted to some local group, who will put on Irish dancing. Between now and June next the Lions Club will be looking for host families to look after members of the choir for one night. 

The choir's stopover in the town should be an interesting evening for the people of Cashel. The choir's repertoire is varied and consists mostly of songs associated with America such as folk songs, negro spirituals and numbers from popular musicals.

<span class="postTitle">Cashel Urban District Council</span> Post Advertiser, Sept. 18, 1985, Vol. 1 No. 5

Cashel Urban District Council

Post Advertiser, Sept. 18, 1985, Vol. 1 No. 5

The Cashel Urban District Council have, produced a most interesting report on its work over the period 1979-85. The review was compiled by acting Town Clerk, David Coleman, and its outline and comprehensiveness are a credit to him. (The Town Clerk, Mr. C. Connolly, has been absent on sick leave for about two years as a result of a road accident) The work extends to thirty six pages and costs £1.25. Every citizen of the town of Cashel should have a copy. 

History 

The early part of the book gives an historical account of the Ancient Corporation of Cashel and of the buildings of historical interest within the town. The account of the Corporation might have been more detailed and reference might have been made to the reasons for the parliamentary disfranctiisement of the town in 1870. In this section there is a footnote on the Croke memorial, 'which will be of interest to those interested in monuments restoration. On 9-2-82 the Croke Memorial was hit by a truck and a trailer, causing serious damage. The Council proceeded to recoup the cost of replacing the Memorial from the truck owner's insurers and the work of recreating the Monument was placed with Roe and O'Neill Ltd., Sculptors, Co. Dubl!n. An experienced sculptor, Cliodhna Cussen, is in charge of the work and it is expected that the new Croke Memorial will be re-erected in approximately its former position this year.

Housing 

The extent of the Council's housing stock is impressive. !n all the Council has two hundred and, three rented houses and eighty one under tenant purchase agreement. Interestingly, in Cathal Brugha Street twenty houses are rented and fourteen are under tenant purchase. The corresponding figures for Oliver Plunkett Park are forty-eight and twelve respectively. Under Road Transportation and Safety we are told that the total road milage in Cashel is approximately 10.7K, including all main roads, side streets, laneways, etc. Would you believe it. The new carpark at the Rock cost £60,000 in 1980 while the second one off Friar Street cost £167,000. No breakdown of the latter figure is given.

Finance

Like all financial reports this one is a bit difficult to make out. With the trees of different headings it is hard to make out the wood of total income and expenditure. How much does it cost to run the services provided by the Council? How much does it cost to pay its staff of fourteen and to run its offices? Where does it get its income? The nearest we get to answers to these questions is in the income and expenditure diagrams on page thirty two. According to it the Council gets 72% of its income from central Government, 22% from local charges and 6% from rates. However, on page six, we are told that the total rateable valuation in the town is £10,086.65 and the rate in the £ for 1985 is £20.60. This should amount to an income of over £200,000, which in turn must be more than 6% of Council incomel It is this kind of unclearness that makes the information in the report inadequate. Also, whereas the report states that the people have been good in paying the local charges we are not told what percentage has paid. 

Civic Receptions 

Under Miscellaneous the review tells us about, the reconstruction of the City Hall between 1978-80. A pity that piece didn't tell us something of the history of the building and its development from the old Shambles. Also, under this heading we are told that the Council gave seven Civic Receptions since 1980, when the President of the Federal Republic' of West Germany, Dr. Carstens, was given one. 

In a final Section the report lists the chairmen of the U.D.C. since 1900. In that year Michael Devitt was elected and he was elected eight times altogether. Far and away the most impressive record is that of Francis Phillips, who was first elected to the chair in 1922 and lastly in 1949. In all he was chairman on twenty one occasions and that figure included eight times in a row between 1922-29 and nine times in a row between 1935 and 1943. Bringing up second place for the number of times he held the office is Paddy O'Brien with nine and that included four in a row between 1957-60. In all there have been thirty different chairmen between 1900 and1985. 

Criticism

In addition to the above mentioned criticisms there are a, couple of more of this report. There are too many printer's errors, which are obviously the result of sloppy proof reading. The quality of the pictures leaves a lot to be desired. Part of the blame may rest with the printer, whose name isn't given. But overall, it is an attractive production with the Arms of Cashel on the cover. The report is a good beginning and we look forward to an improved edition when the life of the present Council comes to an end.

<span class="postTitle">Cashel for Africa</span> Post Advertiser, Aug. 85, Vol. 1, No. 4

Cashel for Africa

Post Advertiser, Aug. 1985, Vol. 1, No. 4

A group of young people in Cashel concerned about the plight of the famine victims in Africa, have got together to help raise funds.

On Saturday August 17th they intend to do in miniature in Cashel, what Bob Geldof did so successfully recently on television. They hope to raise a quota of £500 from this musical event. This seems a very mod­est quota and it is hoped that the traditional generosity of the people of the town and district will help the organisers to exceed this quota. And, of course, every single penny that is collected on the day will go directly to the starving victims. What can people expect on Saturday 17th? They will get eight hours of live music in the open air from 11a.m. to 7 p.m. The organisers have already got promises from many groups, who are giving their services free on the day but they would welcome anyone who is prepared to sing, play or dance on the occasion.

In order to cater for every taste the organisers are offering a variety of music from traditional to rock. It will be the first time ever that such an event will be organised and everyone can expect the greatest feast of music in the town since the famous "Fleadh Ceol of 1969.

The following groups have promised their services to date. The Cashel Brass Band, the Dxies, Blackthorn, The Slatterys, Nancy McDonnell's School of Dancing, Comhlthas, Moon Shadow, The Bleeding Poets, Space Space Related, Sean Gl-eeson and Band, Paddy Cummins, Francis Curry of the Bards, Honesty, the Dead Beats. Naturally the day will not finish at 7p.m. The formal may come to an end but the informal will be only beginning. All of the county will be welcome.

<span class="postTitle">Cashel Local Elections 1979</span> Post Advertiser, 1985, Vol 1, No 2

Cashel Local Elections 1979

Post Advertiser, 1985, Vol 1, No 2

The total number of valid votes cast in the 1979 local elections in Cashel was 1,251. The number of members elected to the Urban District Council was nine and the quota was 126. Two candidates exceeded the quota on the first count and three candidates were eventually elected without reaching the quota. 

There were twenty candidates for election. Fianna Fáil had six, James Doyle, Donal G. Feehan, Kieran Fitzgerald, Kevin G. Henderson, William Hickey and William Mclnerney. Fine Gael had the next highest number with five candidates, Patrick Duane, Louise Farrell, Gus McDonnell, Richard Wood and Thomas Wood. 

Labour had four candidates Maureen Donoghue-Morrissey, Paul Flynn, Michael Thomas Holmes, and Denis O'Brien. There were five Independents, Michael Browne, Pakie Leahy, Dr. Sean J. McCarthy, Paddy O'Brien and Labhrás O'Murchu. 

Voting

The six Fianna Fail candidates got 356 votes or 28.5% of the total valid poll. One of the party candidates, William Mclnerney, got 157 votes or about 1.25 quotes. The party's backmarker, Kevin G. Henderson, had the doubtful distinction of bringing up the polling rear with 4 votes. In between William Hickey came third overall with 89 votes. The remaining candidates Donal Feehan, Kieran Fitzgerald and James Doyle, got 67, 20 and 19 votes respectively. 

The Fine Gael candidates polled 291 votes or a little over 23% . No candidate reached the quota. The party's frontrunner, Louise Farrell, got 86 first preference votes or a little more than two thirds of a quota. Following fairly closely behind were the two Woods, with Thomas getting 77 and Richard 68 votes. The remaining two candidates, Gus McDonnell and Paddy Duane, got 31 and 29 votes respectively. 

With a total poll of 108 votes the Labour party got less than 9% of the total valid poll. Front runner for the party was Denis O'Brien, who got 61 first preference votes. He was followed by Maureen O'Donoghue-Morrissey with 27 votes and then came Paul Flynn and Michael Holmes with 13 and 7 votes respectively.

The Independents got just short of 40% of the vote, with a poll of 496 votes. Away ahead of the others and of the field in general was Sean McCarthy with 282 voptes, or approximately 2.25 quotas. The remaining Independents did reasonably impressive, coming wighth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth respectively. The foremost among them was Labhrás O'Murchú with 62 votes. After him came paddy O'Brien with 59 and Pakie Leahy with 40 votes.

Transfers

The second count was taken up with the transfer of Sean McCarthy's surplus. He had 147 transferable votes and their distribution is extremely interesting.. The biggest number went to Labhrás Ó Murchú, who got 37 of them. Next came Louise Farrell with 24 and Richard Wood with 22. Next came Donie Feehan with 13, Denis O'Brien with 12, Thomas Wood with 11, and William Hickey with 10. The remaining 18 votes were distributed between eight candidates. Four candidates James Doyle, Kieran Fitzgerald and William Mclnerney of Fianna Fail, and Paul Flynn of Labour got no transfers. 

Eliminations

The third count dealt with William McInerney's surplus. Then came the eliminations in the following order: Kevin Henderson, Michael Holmes, Paul Flynn, James Doyle, Paddy Duane, Maureen Donoghue - Morrissey, Kieran Fitzgerald, Gus McDonnell and Pakie Leahy, the first; of the Independents to be eliminated. He had 39 transferable votes and the biggest transfer, 13, went to Paddy O'Brien. Michael Browne, with 65 votes, was eleminated in the 13th count and that left four candidates still in the field, Richard Wood with 116, Thomas Wood with 116, Donie Feehan with 110 and Paddy O'Brien with 92 votes. There were three seats to . be filled and the first three were elected without reaching the quota after Paddy O'Brien was excluded and not transferred. 

The first six seats had been filled as follows: Sean McCarthy in the 1st count, William Mclnerney in the 2nd , Louise Farrell in the 3rd, Denis O'Brien in the 4th William Hickey in the 5th and Labhrás Ó Murchú in the 6th. The state of the parties in the new council was F.F. 3, F. G. 3, Labour 1, Ind. 2

<span class="postTitle">1985 Local Elections Roundup in Cashel</span> Post Advertiser, June 1985, Vol 1 No 2

1985 Local Elections Roundup in Cashel

Post Advertiser, June 1985, Vol 1 No 2

There are twenty candidates contesting the nine seats in the Cashel Urban District Council in the forthcoming Local Elections. Fianna Fail have six candidates, including outgoing Councillors Sean McCarthy, William Mclnerney and Donie Feehan. Fine Gael have four candidates, including out going Councillors Dick Wood and Richard Wood. Labour have two candidates, Mrs. Maureen O'Dongohue and John O'Byrne. Sean Hill is contesting the election for the Workers Party. Michael Browne is going forward for Sinn Fein. There are six Independents including Dinny O'Brien, who was elected in the last election on the Labour ticket and his uncle, Paddy O'Brien, who was elected in the past on the Labour ticket also. Pakie Leahy is travelling for a second time as a socialist candidate. The other Independents are John O'Dwyer, Tom Maher and Milo Fogarty. 

Fianna Fáil 

Ten of the candidates are standing for election for the first time. One of them is Eddie O'Riordan, who is on the FF ticket. Eddie lives in Deerpark and is a married man with two daughters. He was born in the Green as was his wife, the former Mary Ryan. Eddie has been a member of the Cashel Cumann for nearly three years and is a faithful party man. 

Another FF candidate travelling for the first time is Mattie Finnerty. Mattie is a secondary teacher from Tuam and lives in the Green with his wife Rosalie. He's been in Cashel for ten years and has been a member of the local Cumann since he arrived. He's also a member of the Comhairle Ceanntair. Mattie's interests include hurling and he has been largely responsible for the succsses of the C.B.S. over the past number of years. He's also a member of Cashel King Cormac's. Another interest is in the affairs of his own union, the A.S.T.I. He is a former chairman of the Tipperary branch and a member of· the Central Executive Council. Mattie is interested in youth and unemployment and is concerned that the town is often passed over when it comes to job creation. He's hoping to see many Cashel people employed in the building of the new three million Community School in the town. 

The third FF first time runner is Martin Browne. Martin lives in Windmill and is married with a young family of four. His wife is the former Annette O'Connor from the Green. Martin himself was born in Mockler's Hill in the same house as Charles J. Kickham. He came into Cashel in 1973 and has been a member of the local Cumann since. He is also a member of the Comhairle Ceanntair and of the prestigious Dail Ceanntair committee, which was set up to re organise the party in South Tipperary. Martin's interests include horses and cars. A garage owner by occupation, he was a founder member of Tipperary Raceway.

Fine Gael

The Fine Gael party have got two new candidates in the field, John Cahill and Dick Corrigan. John is an out and out Fine Gael man 'indoctrinated in party politics since birth', as he puts it himself. Presently a member of the Cashel branch of the party he belonged to. branches in Dublin and Golden formerly. He is maried to Angela O'Meara from Golden and they have four children. John has a lot of lively ideas. The protection of tourism is his biggest aim. According to him the Rock is not money for the town. He wants to get the tourist traffic down to the town so that visitors will have to walk by local shops. As well, he believes that commercial and public bodies are not properly exploiting Government projects available for employment schemes. Another priority of his is to see a footpath built to the cemetery and Leahy Park. Trained as an accountant John's long term aim is to set up an office in the Green where he was born. At present he is fully occupied developing the Folk Village, which is a logical occupation for a man who was a founder member and secretary of the Cashel Heritage Society. 

Dick Corrigan is a Kildare man, who is relatively new to Cashel, though not to Co. Tipperary because he lived for nine years in Ballytarsna, before moving into the town. A party man all his life he was 'born into Fine Gael in a place where Gerry Sweetman was God'. He was a member of the Boherlahan branch before becoming active in the Cashel branch about a year ago. As a manager with Roadstone Ltd., his big priority is the attraction of industry to the town of Cashel. He is married with three children and is presently managing the Roadstone Plant at Cahir Abbey. 

Labour

New on the Labour ticket is John O'Byrne formerly of the Rock and now living in Oliver Plunkett Park. He is maried to the former Marianne Fogarty of the Green and they have two children. John's father was twenty five years in local politics and John himself has been a member of the Cashel branch of the Labour party since 1963. He is a vice chairman of the Cashel Town Tenants and has worked hard for people who wanted repairs to their houses. Unemployed himself he knows the hardship of that position and he will work hard for the alleviation of the lot of the unemployed. Because there are so many youth unemployed he would like to see more amenities for them. He would like to see work distributed on the basis of merit and to have big families given priority on local ventures. Because he was born ouside the present town boundaries he has no vote and will work to have the town boundary extended. He would like to see a well balanced Council with all sections of the town fairly represented. 

The Workers Party

This is the first time for the Workers Party to run a candidate in Cashel and the party's standard bearer is Sean Hill, a teacher at Ferry house Clonmel. A native of the town Sean spent some years in England and married Angela Luen from Maidstone, Kent, who is of French Dutch Welsh decent. They have five children. 

Sean has the interests of all working people at heart; whether they are white collar or blue collar all who are in the PAYE net. He is also interested in all the workers who are unemployed and will work for a more active creation of jobs in Cashel. In this connection he would like to see a more active roll for the Local Authority, using local resourses for job creation. Already the party has established an Advice Centre in the town to look after the interests of working people. This meets once a week in Holy Family Hall, on Friday evenings from 7.30 to 8.30. This work would be given greater impetus if the party had an elected representative. The Advice Centre helps people on such matters as rent, rates, entitlements, taxation, etc.

Independents

There are a number of Independents standing for the first time. One of the most colourful is Tom Maher of Thurlesbeg. Tom has no previous electoral experience, no party affiliation and no wife. He is a farmer, He has one priority: the youth. He calls them the lonely youth. They are lonely and isolated because of lack of communication between them and public officials and ordinary citizens. He will try to bridge that communications gap by getting more youth in control of local affairs. Otherwise, he believes, there will be alienation and possibly violence between the ages. According to him 'the red tape of bureaucracy has left the majority of youth totally bewildered.' He is convinced that commonsense rather than experience is more important in political matters. Tom is doing a personal canvass rather than relying on political literature.

John O'Dwyer of Dominick Street is disillusioned with Fine Gael and is going as Independent party. He is for the old style Fine' Gael and his heroes are Liam Cosgrove and James Dillon. He believes that the party has left the raising of moral issues like divorce and contraception. According to him there is too much confrontation with the church and he doesn't like the way ministers contradict bishops. John has never been a member of the Cashel branch of the Fine Gael party but he is proud of the tradition within the party that went to Spain in the thirties. His father fought there with General Eoin O'Duffy and the Irish Brigade from November 1936 to June 1937. John is unmarried and unemployed and has been involved in the catering industry. He is doing voluntary work for the Social Services at the moment and has a Social and Scientific education from Kilroy's College. He sees his future in that area. John O'Dwyer is for Local progress for the young and the old and the unemployed. 

Milo Fogarty is a well known figure in the town of Cashel, especially in music circles. Born on Camas Road he lived in Oliver Plunkett Park until recently when he moved across to Spafield Crescent. A married man with seven children Milo is concerned about the erosion of the rights of house occupiers and the recent imposition of local charges. These charges have made life difficult for many young families and his avowed intention is to fight them. He believes that these charges will increase in the future unless something is done about them. 

<span class="postTitle">1920 Local Elections</span> Post Advertiser, May 15, 1985, Vol 1, No 1

1920 Local Elections

Post Advertiser, May 15, 1985, Vol 1, No 1

With the Local Elections around the corner it is of interest to look at the results in Cashel in 1920. The War of Independence was in full sming and elections took place in January of that year. Polling Day was on Thursday, January 14 and 18 councillors were elected to the Cashel Urban Council. The town was divided into three electoral areas, East, North-West and South-West, and to each area were allotted six seats.

Nominations

Nominations closed two weeks beforehand and the following were the candidates. In the East Ward were Patrick Casey, Clerk, of Friar Street for Labour, John Conroy, Labourer, of Main Street for Labour, William Darmody, Farmer, Clonmel Road, Independent Patrick Hogan, Draper's Assistant, Farmer, Friar St., for Sinn Fein, Patrick Looby, Farmer, Friar Street, for Sinn Fein, Richard Looby, Baker,. Canopy Street for Sinn Fein, Thomas Moloney, Labourer, Quirke's Lane for Labour and Christopher O'Connor, Cattle dealer, Bohermore, Independent.

In the North-West ward the following were candidates: John Cahill, Victualler, Bank Place, Independent, John Dunne, Shoemaker, Dublin Road for Labour, Richard Fahie, Tailor, Bank Place, Independent, Francis Kennedy, Baker, Main Street, for Labour, Paul Leamy, Baker, Lower Gate Street for Labour, Joseph Louth, Grocer's Assistant, Main Street for Sinn Fein, Seamus O'Neill, Teacher, Bank Place for Sinn Fein, Francis Phillips, Clerk, Ladyswell Street for Sinn Fein, Joseph Ryan, Corn Merchant, Main Street, Independent, Michael Ryan, Sadleir, Ladyswell Street, Independent. 

The candidates in the South-West Ward· were as followes: Martin Coleman, Labourer, The Green for Labour John Corcoran, Labourer, William Street, Independent, John Downey, Grocer, Main Street for Sinn Fein, Patick English, Farmer ,The Green, Independent. Matthew M. Hanly, farmer, Main Street, Independent, John Hickey, Labourer, Boherclough Street, Independent, John Murphy, Labourer, Boherclough Street for Labour, Stephen Ryan, Bootmaker, Lowergate Street, for Sinn Fein, John Taylor, Labourer, John Street for Labour, Patrick Thornton, Carpenter and Joiner, John Street, for Labour Lawrence J. Walsh, Compositor, Canopy Street for Labour. 

The Elections

Polling passed off without any untoward incident. In fact there was an absence of excitement and the visits to the different stations went on methodically. The polling stations for the East Area were in the Temperance hall, for the North-West Area in the City Hall and for the South West Area in the late Commercial Club premises. (An interesting contrast to the proliferation of polling stations since then for a smaller population!) 

The arrangements were admirably attended to by the Returning Officer, Mr. John O'Leary, the Town Clerk. Great praise was extended to him and his staff for their mastery of the varying complexities of the P.R. system and for arriving at the results in such a thorough fashion. The counting of the votes began on Friday morning and, with the exception of an hour's interval for lunch, contined until 5 o'clock, when the last return was declared. 

Results

The following shows the results of the first count and the order in which they were elected under the Proportional Representation System, the first time for this system of election to be used in Local Elections.

Wast Area (Elected)

Christopher Connors (I) 63; Patrick Casey (L) 45; Patrick Looby (SF) 33; William Darmody (I) 15; John Conroy (L) 10; Patrick Hogan (SF), 22. Not Elected: Richard Looby (SF) 8, Thomas Moloney (L) 5.

North-West Area (Elected)

Francis Phillips (SF) 44; J. P. Ryan (I) 39; Seamus O'Neill (SF) 23; Michael Ryan (I) 18; Paul Leamy (L) 10; John Cahill (I), 25. Not elected: John Dunne (L)13; Richard Fahie (L), 16; Kennedy (L), 16; Joseph Louth (SF), 6. 

South-West Area (Elected) 

John Corcoran , (L), 40; Lawrence J. Walsh (I), 34; Matthew M. Hanly (I), 33; Patrick English (I), 32; John Murphy (L). 9; John Hickey (I), 9; Not elected: John Downey (SF), 5; Stephen Ryan (SF), 5; Patrick Thornton (L), 10; John Taylor (L), 5. 

At the conclusion of the polling a vote of thanks was proposed to. the returning officer and his staff 'for the capable and satisfactory way in which they had accomplished their difficult task. Mr. L. J. Walsh, U.C. proposed the vote of thanks and Mr. John Corcoran U.C. seconded. The Town Clerk briefly replied. 

Analysis

A simple analysis of the results will reveal the over whelming success of the Independents and the poorshowing of Sinn Fein. The Independents got the most votes in the three electoral areas and overall polled 284 votes as against a .combined total of 309 for Labour and Sinn Fein. AIso nine Independents,or fifty percent of those elected, were Independents. The poll topper in the three areas was Independent, Christopher Connors. In i contrast Sinn Fein did poorly, getting only 146 first preference votes and getting only four candidates elected. In fact no Sinn Fein candidate was elected in the South-East Area, where the party got only ten first preference votes. 

Labour performed better, getting 163 first preferance votes and having five candidates elected. The party did poorest in the North-East Area, getting only one candidate elected and polling only 39 first preference votes.

When the nominations closed two weeks before polling day the following, who had been nominated, withdrew their names: Michael dargan, Michael Leamy and patrick Leamy for the North-West Area and William Looby for the East Area. 

<span class="postTitle">Cashel Potter’s Decision to Quit</span> The Post, Cahir, January 21, 1984

Cashel Potter’s Decision to Quit

The Post, Cahir, January 21, 1984

Heading off to the south of France this month is Sarah Ryan of Ladyswell Street, Cashel. Many people will envy her the opportunity to live in such a desirable location because it's to take up residence she intends. However Sarah does not see it as a desirable choice. Instead she is being forced to move from the place she has chosen to work and in which she preferred to live.
Sarah Ryan is a ceramicist, who has been potting away in Ladyswell Street since July 1982. Originally from Rossmore she chose Cashel as the best place to work after quite a lot of travelling in Europe and North America in pursuit of her craft. For the past year and a half she has turned out a very distinctive and personal style of porcelain and stoneware that has won critical recognition.
 

Education

In school she was discouraged from doing art so after her Leaving Certificate Sarah spent two years doing a laboratory technician's course at U.C.G. After that period the artistic 'bug' took possession of her and she decided to pursue an art course at Limerick College of Art. She applied to Tipperary S.R. County Council for a grant but was turned down because the application hadn't been made in the year she did her Leaving Certificate. But, she got over that setback by working during the summer in London and Europe and paying her way through college.
When she finished in Limerick she really had only one choice, teaching, which did not attract her. Instead she went to Europe and spent a good while working and travelling around especially in Denmark, studying what was being done in the various fields. Eventually she decided that ceramics was her forte and she came back to Dublin where she did a year in the National College of Art studying the subject.

Having completed her year she went back to Europe to earn money and to study the practical side of ceramics. This was a very important time for her as she was able to absorb all that was new in the field. She continued this learning progress by going to Canada, the U.S. and Mexico and studying both contemporary and native Indian ceramics there.
 

Cashel

She returned to Ireland in the summer of 1981 and spent a year looking for a suitable premises. She eventually chose Cashel. It was as near as possible her home town. It had a central location and, above all, from the point of view of the artist/craftsperson, it had potential, she thought, as a tourist centre. For these reasons Cashel was the only centre she could choose outside Dublin. There was also an element of urgency in her decision: she had been invited to exhibit at the Tulfarris Gallery, Wicklow in August and needed a proper workplace immediately. She rented a premises in Ladyswell Street at £30 per week.
 

Work

Every single piece of work that Sarah Ryan produces is unique. She never repeats a piece because every one is handmade by a combination of 'coiling' and 'pinching' as distinct from wheel-thrown. These hand-building techniques are very old but are being used more and more in contemporary ceramics as they allow so many possibilities. As the aim is to achieve natural organic forms, mechanical processes such as the wheel or slip-casting are not suitable.

She describes her work as a synthesis of of many different natural forms and processes. Growing living things are a rich source of ideas – inspiration being drawn especially from the marine and botanical world: e.g. fungi, gourds, shells, seed-pods, buds, fruits, etc. She tries to capture something of the essence rather than direct copying of nature.

There is a lot of emphasis on texture and pattern and natural colour is achieved by mixing various ceramic stains and metal oxides. Red earthenware clay, which can be found in many parts of the country, is not suitable because of the dark colour and the fact that it cannot be high-fired. High-firing (to 1260C) is important because it gives extra strength to the very thin-walled, which also gives greater scope to build on. These clays almost never occur naturally in a workable state, so they have to be refined and blended with materials from other sources to give clay bodies of the required texture, colour, composition, etc. As there is nowhere in Ireland where where this process is carried out they have to be imported from England. The ubiquitous V.A.T. Rate on all raw materials is 38% as it is on all the equipment Sarah uses.
 

Long Hours

To keep the wolf from the door and pay rent, ESB, telephone bills, etc, Sarah was forced to work very long hours. Her normal day has been 9 am to midnight, six/seven days per week. Her only break was when she went away on business.

However, this was something she was quite prepared to accept for the first couple of years until she had become fully organised and more established. When one sets up it is vital to become known and the only way to do this is to sell one's work. Apart from exhibitions, for which she makes some quite large pieces, most of her work has been on a small scale and thus quite low prices so as to advertise as widely as possible. Eventually she would like to have time to make very large, more sculptural pieces. It is necessary to sell as much as possible ex-studio as other outlets have to add a huge mark-up plus 38% V.A.T.
 

Exhibitions

The best way a craftsman or artist can advertise his work is through exhibitions. Although established only a shot time, Sarah's work has already got some recognition. The Ulster Museum bought three pieces at the 'Potters 83' exhibition at Dublin. The Crafts Council of Ireland has also purchased some of her work. At the moment her work is on display at the Caldwell Gallery, Belfast and the Forrester gallery, Bandon. She has been invited to exhibit in other areas.
 

All For Nought

During her period in Cashel, Sarah has succeeded in selling her work and getting recognition for her craft. Why then should she decide to up and go to the South of France?

The answer is simple and sickening. A combination of many things – the huge electricity bill, telephone, postal and transport charges, V.A.T., the unavailability of suitable workplaces, the general inefficiency and unreliability one has to cope with and the decline in the tourist industry, etc., make it very difficult and discouraging for people to establish their own business, especially anything of a creative nature, which doesn't show an instant profit.

For Sarah the last straw was a demand for rates for £245 on her rented premises, which she could not afford to pay at the present time. Anything she managed to save after rent, work and living expenses went to repay people from whom she had borrowed in the spring, and to tide her over the off-peak season.

At the beginning of summer she offered to pay £20 down and so much at intervals if business wasn't as good as anticipated. Due to the bad location in the town and the fact that there wasn't even a proper footpath leading to her studio, she missed out on the majority of tourists. Most of her customers were direct contacts of her own, or potters, artists or collectors themselves, who particularly sought her out. The last of the tourists had gone by the end of September and she had to dip into her savings for the first week's rent in October.

However, the county manager would not relent. He wanted £50 down and £8 per week, which Sarah says she could not pay on top of her £30 rent. He gave her until December 31 to pay up or be summoned. She realised there was no option but to quit and start anew in some more desirable place. She paid £40 and offered the rent in kind but it wasn't acceptable. As she has had to close her studio, she was obliged to return to the I.D.A. the £402 she managed to get a year after she started.
 

Shattered Dream

So, Sarah Ryan of Glenough, Rossmore, a much-travelled girl, is to begin her travels again. But this time, in contrast with her previous peregrinations, it is against her will. Her dream was to make it in her home town and, with that end in view, she shook the dust of many countries off her feet. She has the consolation of knowing that there will be many material benefits from her move. She will be financially much better off in the south of France. She will be able to enjoy the good life. She won't have to do fifteen hours a day to survive. She'll have plenty of customers and they'll be well able to pay. But none of this will compensate for a shattered dream.

<span class="postTitle">Cashel C.B.S. - 1984</span> Tipperary G.A.A. Centenary Yearbook, pp 107-108

Cashel C.B.S. - 1984

Tipperary G.A.A. Centenary Yearbook, pp 107-108

Cashel C.B.S. continues to be one of the strongest bastions of hurling in the county, and even beyond. Its successes during the past year have been impressive by any standard and the strength of the game at the underage levels gives reason to believe that these successes will continue. This past year the school was beaten in the semi-final of the Rice Cup (under 14), by Nenagh C.B.S. and in the under-15 Munster 'B' championship they lost the final to Ard Scoil Ris of Limerick. 

The dream of Cashel C.B.S. has always been to capture the Harty Cup but only in the last few years has this become a viable proposition. This year it seemed within grasp until it was snatched away by the Farranferris goalkeeper in Clogheen on March 9. 

Cashel started their preparation, early in December, under the guidance of John Gleeson and Mattie Finnerty. They played four practice matches, winning all of them including one against St. Kieran's, Kilkenny, the eventual Leinster champions. All was ready for their first outing against Thurles C.B.S. at Boherlahan on February 15. They looked in dire trouble with ten minutes remaining and a five-point deficit but a three-goal blitz by Waiter Carroll, in a period of four minutes, saw them through. 

The team now met Farranferris in the quarter-final, with ten of the team that had made their exit at that stage the previous year. The game was played in Clogheen and the opening ten minutes were tempestuous, as both teams were over-eager, over-aggressive and over-motivated. Three players found themselves on the sideline, two of them from Cashel. This thirteen-man team found themselves three points in arrears at the interval but fought back to be a point ahead with two minutes to go. They were deprived of victory when DJ. Kiely of Farna pointed a sideline puck to level the scores at 0-10 each. 

The replay was a classic Harty Cup tie and was played before a large attendance. Cashel were unlucky early on when a Michael Browne shot hit the crossbar. Just before halftime a defensive blunder let Farna in for a goal and a three-point interval lead. Cashel came back in the second half to level the game but gave away some unnecessary frees to let Farna go five points in front. They brought this back to two and it was then that Waiter O'Carroll raced through to have his blistering shot stopped by Kingston, of Farna fame. The whistle blew soon after to leave Cashel two points behind a scoreline of 1-13 to 1-11. Farranferris went on to win the Harty Cup and the All-Ireland. 

The class of the Cashel players was revealed when two of them, Pat O'Donoghue and WaIter O'Carroll, were selected on the Munster Colleges team for the revived inter-provincial competition. They were the first two Cashel C.B.S. players to receive this honour. Four of the team were picked on the county minor team, the above two plus Philip Ryan and Thomas Leamy. The complete panel was as follows: Pat O'Donoghue, Donal Ryan, Michael Moloney, Michael Perdue and Joseph McGrath of Cashel, Neil Fitzgerald, Phil Shanaghan, Declan Ryan, Dan Quirke, of Clonoulty, Philip Ryan and David Delaney of Boherlahan, Francis Ryan of Golden (capt.) Andrew O'Dwyer, Sean Alley, Seamus Furlong, Seamus O'Dwyer, WaIter O'Carroll, Pat Fitzgerald, Michael Browne, John Doherty, Paul Hennessy, D.J. Butler and Pat O'Farrell of Knockavilla. 

There was some consolation for the school when they retained the Canon Fitzgerald Cup on April 8. If they were unfortunate to lose the Harty Cup they were fortunate to defeat Thurles C.B.S. in this final. Cashel started well and were ahead by 2-5 to 0-8 at the interval, thanks to two splendid goals by corner forward Michael Moloney. The second half was all Thurles and with two minutes remaining they led by 1 -12 to 2-8. But luck was with Cashel as Dan Quirke levelled and substitute, Robert Hanly, goaled before the final whistle to leave them winners by 3-9 to 1-12. 

Cashel had previously won the cup in 1972, 1973, 1976, 1981 and 1983. They drew with Borrisokane in the first round, were level again at the end of the second day and had to play a third time before Cashel emerged winners by 2-6 to 0-9. This victory was achieved as a result of two late goals by Declan Ryan. It took two games to overcome Nenagh C.B.S. in the quarter final. The first day's game was abandoned by referee, Gerry Ring, with fifteen minutes remaining, because of the heated exchanges. Cashel won the replay by 1-12 to 1-6. The semi-final against Tipperary C.B.S. proved to be a stroll into the final, with Cashel winning by 3-12 to 1-1. 

Cashel C.B.S. competed in the Dean Ryan Cup (under 16 1/2 A) for the first time and were beaten in the semi-final by De La Salle of Waterford. On their way they defeated Farranferris and Nenagh C.B.S. The team was on the young side with thirteen eligible again for next year. 

Croke Cup

Cashel captured the Croke Cup (county under-16) for the fifth time' when they defeated Thurles C.B.S. in the final. Previous wins were in 1959, 1962, 1973 and 1980. The path to the final included victories over Roscrea C.B.S., Templemore C.B.S. and Nenagh C.B.S. In the final they had two points to spare over a fancied Thurles C.B.S. team in a scoreline of 3-6 to 3-4. 

And so, Cashel C.B.S. can look back on a splendid year, even if the greatest of all the hurling prizes eluded them. Despite the size of the school, about 270, they have a great depth of talent from under-14 upwards. As well they have a bunch of dedicated mentors in Mattie Finnerty, John Gleeson and Jack Ryan, who can inculate their enthusiasm in the players. Finally, they have a management that gives the game the required backing and a community that follow their fortunes with interest and support. 

<span class="postTitle">Convention Day - Hayes Hotel Thurles, 1984</span> Tipperary G.A.A. Centenary Yearbook, pp 28-29

Convention Day - Hayes Hotel Thurles, 1984

Tipperary G.A.A. Centenary Yearbook, pp 28-29

One of the highlights as well as one of the earliest events of Centenary Year was the County Convention. As was only fitting the historic Hayes's Hotel in Thurles was the venue and the date was a cold and sleety February 5, 1984. It was one of the best attended conventions with almost three hundred delegates present. 

The keynote address was by the President of the Gaelic Athletic Association, Paddy Buggy, who said that 'Tipperary had much to be proud of and much to celebrate in the Centenary Year of the Association'. He called for a united front in everything undertaken in 1984 and for greater co-operation to run a disciplined organisation. 'Think before we speak and see that the G.A.A. rekindles the idealism and energy that saw the infant G.A.A. thrust to life here in Thurles and which will send it into orbit for another great century of community involvement. Let's run an organisation that will be an example to all others and that we will be proud to belong to, proud of its origins, proud of its distinctive Celtic and Irish involvemnent. Keep the G.A.A. a community organisation working well for its people and supporting everything that is for the well-being of its area,' he said. 

Officers

In the only contest of the convention, Liz Howard defeated outgoing Gerry Long by 150 votes to 126 for the office of County P.R.O. The other officers re-appointed were chairman, Michael Frawley, secretary, Tommy Barrett, treasurer, Martin O'Connor, Munster Council delegates, Tim Maher and Michael McCarthy, Central Council representative, John Doyle, development officer, Fr. Pierce Duggan, youth officer, Liam O Donnchú, Oifigeach na Gaeilge, Eamonn de Stafford.

The patron of the Association, Most rev. Dr. Thomas Morris, celebrated Mass at the cathedral of the Assumption, Thurles for the repose of the souls of deceased Gaels of the county before the start of convention. After the mass the members of the county board and representatives of every club in the county assembled in the grounds of St. Patrick's College. They marched to St. Mary's Cemetary behind the Thurles Silver Band and under the banners of the clubs. A wreath was laid on the grave of Tom Semple, the great Thurles and Tipperary hurler, after whom Semple Stadium is called. The wreath was laid by County Board Chairman, Michael Frawley, who gave a short address on Tom Semple. The prayers for the dead were recited by Right Rev. Dean C. Lee, P.P., Cashel. 

After the ceremony the delegates re-assembled and paraded back to Liberty Square where they were officially welcomed outside Hayes' Hotel by Mr. Frank Dwan, Vice-Chairman of Thurles Urban Council, who was deputising for the Chairman and former Tipperary hurler, Mr. John Delahunty, who was not available. The parade through the town was an extremely colourful and comprehensive display of club banners, many of which had been designed and made specially for Centenary Year. As the parade wound its way round the square and the intrepid club members controlled the banners against the gusting wind, their effort went unnoticed by the vast majority of Thurles people and unrecorded by either still or video 

Convention

County Chairman, Michael Frawley, welcomed the delegates to the Convention and they were given a short address by Archbishop Morris. A number of presentations were made. An illuminated scroll was presented to the President of the County Board, Willie O'Dwyer of Boherlahan, who was hale and hearty at ninty-five. In a strong voice he informed the delegates that he attended his first Convention in 1914. Another presentation was made to Tommy Barrett to mark his twenty-first year in office as County Secretary. 

In the course of his address County Chairman, Michael Frawley, told the assembled delegates: 'On our shoulders rests the responsibility of consolidating and strengthening what has been handed down to us. As we prepare to enter the second year of our existence, there still exists the same dire need for loyalty as regards what the Association stands for - sacrifice and input on the part of us all' . 

The Borrisoleigh Problem, about representation on the County Senior Hurling Selection Committee, surfaced in the form of motions from the club. They asked that the county senior hurling champions for this and future years be empowered to nominate the senior hurling selection committee. The motions were ruled out of order by the Chairman. Michael Delaney of Borrisoleigh said that his club had decided to withdraw the motion relating to this year's selectors, as a gesture of goodwill and solidarity and an exercise in closing ranks, but he would like to have Convention consider the motion for future years. His request was not allowed. 

John Doyle, who was re-appointed Central Council representative on the withdrawal of Michael Maguire, called for the closing of ranks behind all the county teams and an end to the constant knocking of our best endeavours. Fr. Pierce Duggan assured Convention that Tipperary would not be found wanting in coping with the practical tasks involved in the staging of the Centenary All-Ireland hurling final. He was returned unopposed as Development Officer. Motions from Clonmel Commercials and Silvermines clubs for an Open Draw for 1984 in football and hurling were defeated. 

Overall then a more formal and ceremonial occasion than the usual Convention. To the delegates conscious of the historic aspect it was an impressive event that revealed an Association in a confident, self-assured and forward-looking state. To those who cast their minds back a hundred years there was the realisation of how far the organisation had come from the small and tentative beginnings at Miss Hayes's Commercial Hotel on November 1,1884. 

<span class="postTitle">The Genius of Tony Reddin</span> Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1984, pp. 61-63

The Genius of Tony Reddin

Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1984, pp. 61-63

To write about Tony Reddin is no easy task. Not because his exploits are few­ - they are indeed many- but because of the difficulty of describing adequately the greatness of the man and the multitudes he inspired. I have a friend from Westmeath for whom Tony Reddin was a childhood hero who blazed across the horizon of his young years 

and left an impression that is still indelible thirty years later. He is one of many whom Tony inspired by his goal­-keeping brilliance inside and outside Tipperary and far and wide in the world.

Who was this man who made the name of Lorrha a household word the length and breadth of Ireland? The parish of Lorrha became the kingdom of Tony and to say one was from there was sure to bring the response: "Oh! Tony Reddin's country." But Tony wasn't from Lorrha but was born on the other side of the Shannon in Mullagh, Co. Galway about fifteen miles as the crow flies from the parish of his adop­tion. It was in February 1947 that Tony cycled across the bridge of Portu­ma to start a new chapter in his life. 

A Galway Career

Some people are of the impression that Tony had no pre-1947 hurling existence. This is to miss a chapter of his life that is important. He has many hurling medals in his possession but one that he cherishes and has a special place for is a county juvenile medal he won h Mullagh in 1933. It is the only county medal he won and he is immensely proud of it. He played centrefield. He won a divisional junior medal with Mullagh in the late thirties and found his place on the Galway junior team of 1940. They beat Roscommon in the Connaght final but went down narrowly to Cork 3-3 to 3-1 in the All-Ireland at Limerick. In 1941 he was promoted to senior ranks and played with Galway against Dublin at Roscrea. On that day Lorrha man, Christy Forde, played a blinder in the Dublin goal. IIn the same year Tony made the Connaght Railway Cup team that was trounced by Munster. 

An impressive if not spectacular record. For the next few years he lost interest in the game and doesn't appear again until 1946 when he played full-forward with Galway in the Monagh­an Cup game at London against Tipperary. Tony scored a point and Galway lost by a narrow margin. At the opposite end of the field for Tipperary 

that day was Tony Brennan, who was later to form such a harmonious partnership with Reddin. Later that year we find Tony sub-goalie on the Galway team that went down to Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final at Birr. 

The man who crossed the Shannon the following year has been variously known. Programmes and newspapers have called him Tony or Anthony and Reddan, Reddin and even Redden. Probably, the most common usage has been Tony Reddan. How did a man, who was christened Martin Charles Reddington end up with the name of Tony Reddan? Despite what his birth certificate states the family were always known as Reddins. Tony's father, Mick, was never known as anything except Mick Reddin. Tony had a pet name, 'Thaudy', and when he came to Lorrha people thought it was "Tony" and they began to call him by that name. As Tony himself says: 'Nobody ever asked me what I was called: they just called me "Tony Reddan" and the name stuck'. Tony is known by his birth certificate name on his first passport, got in 1950. On his current one he signs himself 'Tony Reddin', the name by which everybody knows him. And this clarifies the second point: his name is Reddin, nothing else. It's the name of his wife and children. 

First Games in Tipperary

Tony's reputation as a goalkeeper had preceded him and he got his first opportunity to show his prowess when Fr O'Meara went to him in Holy Week and asked him to play on Easter Sunday. St Vincents of Dublin were coming to Rathcabbin to play Lorrha in a chal­lenge game that was to be the beginning of a long friendship between the two clubs. Tony turned up, had a good game and Lorrha were beaten by a point. It is interesting to record that this was his first match in Tipperary, in the quiet backwater of Rathcabbin. His last match for Tipperary was to be in the bustling city of New York in October ten years later. 

Tony won his first medal in Tipperary when Lorrha won a tournament against Kilruane in May of that year. The Lorrha team had just gone senior, having been intermediate for the pre­vious six years. Tony played in the championship, had some fine saves in the first round against Borrisokane and against Roscrea 'brought off some wonderfuI close clearances'. In the semi-final against Borrisileigh, Reddin had a poor game and was taken out to centre-field in the second-half. Lorrha lost and that put an end to activity for that year. 

1948 was a memorable year for Lorrha. After twenty-one years they won the North final and the man who led the revival was none other than Tony Reddin. They beat Borrisokane, Roscrea and Kiladangan on the way to the final. Against Kiladangan Reddin was 'man of the match.' 

However, it was in the North final against Borrisileigh on 22 August at Nenagh that Reddin became famous. With a gale force wind in the first-half Lorrha ran up a lead of 4-3 to 0-4. I n the second-half Borrisileigh had a downpour behind them and they attacked the Lorrha goal with every­thing in their arsenal in an attempt to get back on top. They tried for goals again and again, when points went abegging, and Reddin stopped the ball with mechanical ease and flung it back in their face. Borrisileigh scored twice, early and late in the half, but it wasn't enough. Lorrha had won, scoring 1-1 on top of their half-time tally, and the parish and further afield sung the praises of a new goalkeeping star. Lorrha won the semi-final against Cashel but went down heavily to Holycross in the final. In both games Reddin's contribution was way above that of average men. 

His Genius

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

Promotion to County

Reddin's proven ability in the cham­pionship won him his place on the county team. His first appearance was at Birr (significantly the last place he played with Galway) against Offaly in the league. He had a fine debut. He played the delayed 1947-48 league final against Cork on 31 October and Tipperary lost but one of the redeeming features of the game was 'the splendid goalkeeping of Reddin'. The report on his next match against Clare stated that 'Reddin has a quick eye, a keen sense of anticipation and he is very lively on his feet'. Tipperary played Limerick on 21 November and we read: "Very soon they (Limerick) got a taste of the excellence of Tony Reddin in our goal. A loose forward picked up a ball fifteen yards out and let fly. Believe it or not Reddin trapped down the ball and cleared it to the left. Not since a historic day in Thurles long ago when Pat Scanlan saved point blank from Tommie Treacy had I seen a save like that'. The last match of the year was against his native Galway and again the reports sang his praises. 'Reddin has certainly captured the popular imagination. His saves are all of a colourful variety. It was not an uncommon thing to see the Lorrha man emerge from a crowded goalmouth to clear well outfield or to stop a point blank shot that seemed to be going all the way for the back of the net'. And, in his column in the 'Tipperary Star' Winter Green wrote: 'In Tony Reddin we have a smashing goalie. On Sunday he lived up to all the nice things I have been writing about him of late. He is coolness personified, has the eye of a hawk and has a hefty clearance'. Opposite him Sean Duggan looked moderate by comparison and Duggan was the best goalie in the game until now! The League final was on 27 February and it was Tony's first outing at Croke Park. It was also the first day that Tony Brennan played in front of him at full-back, the beginning of a great partnership. Tipperary won by two points and Tony won his first medal for Tipperary. The victory ended Tipperary's four years in the hurling wilderness. 

His Achievements

Reddin was to win five more league medals with Tipperary plus two in the American series against New York. He travelled to the U.S. in 1950 and, to play his last match, in October 1957. On both occasions mechanical troubles interrupted their take-off from Shannon. He won three Munster and three All-­Ireland medals. And, they might have been six but for Cork! He was picked for Ireland on five occasions, which was the equivalent of Carroll's All-Stars and won four cups. He won two divisional medals. In the context of the present barren period of Tipperary hurling a veritable treasure trove of achievement. 

Reddin's first championship match with Tipperary was against Cork at Limerick on 29 May 1948. Tony was then thirty years of age and many another sportsman would be retiring. It is interesting to mention that Mick Roche retired at twenty-nine! In Tony's case the most brilliant chapter in his career was just beginning. The game was barely started when Tony was awakened to the realities of Munster championship hurling when Gerry Murphy found the net from a Christy Ring centre. He recovered as did Tip­perary and went on to draw the game. The replay was a month later and 'Winter Green' reported: "It was the roughest and toughest exhibition of unclean hurling that has been seen for many a long day'. It has been referred to as the 'Match of the Bandages', so many were wrapped in white headgear by the end of the game. And, at that end, it was another draw! Extra time had to be played and it was the only time that Tipperary outwitted Cork! Paddy Leahy ushered the Tipperary players into the dressingroom to await the resumption. There they were washed, refreshed, redressed and re­bandaged and returned to the field after twenty minutes reasonably re­freshed men. In contrast the Cork players had remained on the field in the blazing sunshine and were now wilting from exhaustion. One Tipperary man was also wilting: Reddin. He got a knee injury at the end of the first-half and was barely able to walk. He spent the half-time trying to keep the knee from stiffening up. He wanted a substitute to replace him but he was persuaded to resume and had the satisfaction of helping Tipperary to win by a mere two points. In that replay John Doyle made his senior debut for Tipperary and completed the last line of defence which was to be such a solid phalanx for a number of years. 

Some Highlights

It is not the intention of this article to trace the fortunes of Tony over the next seven years but to mention a few of the high points. He remembers the Munster final on 23 July 1950 against Cork at Killarney as the toughest match he ever played. The last ten minutes are vivid in his memory when the game hung in the balance. The overflow crowd of 55,000 had encroached on to the pitch so much that referee, Bill O'Donoghue of Limerick, had to stop the game for ten minutes until the pitch was cleared. No sooner had the game restarted than the encroach­ment resumed around Tony's goal and became so bad that, as he looked left and right, he found himself in the horn of a half moon. Bottles, cans and sods were raining on his goals. Anytime a ball came in he was teased, barracked and even pushed. He remembers in particular one spectator, whom he refers to as 'Black Coat', catching him by the jersey as he ran out to clear a ball. He drew back with his hurley and contacted. He got away from the grip and cleared up the field. Ring appealed to the crowd to relent but they ignored him. He flattened Lynch during one clearance and a little later, as Tony was clearing, Lynch ran at him. At the final moment before contact Tony swerved and saw Lynch crashing into the goalpost. 

Still another time as he was saving a ball a topcoat was thrown at him. He cleared the ball and then began to belt the coat on the ground with his hurley in an attempt to cut it to ribbons He regrets that the instrument wasn't sharp enough for the job and the coat escaped. The final attack on him was to collapse the net from which Tony escaped in the nick of time. Tony had one satisfaction during the whole unruly period. A Cork forward sent in a high ball. It was close to the post. As a result of pressure from the crowd the goalpost had been loosened. Tony swung on the post and in pulling it towards himself made the ball wide. When the final whistle sounded to a Tipperary victory, Tony found himself under the protection of a number of priests. Fr O'Meara gave him a hat and a short coat and covered him up as best he could but he was unable to leave the field until well after the game. As fitting a tribute as there could be to the quality of his play! 

It is at the end of his career that the next match was played, 6 May 1956 at Dublin and the opponents Wexford. Tipperary were leading by 2-10 to 0-2 at half-time with a gale in their backs. Nobody believed Wexford could get back into the game but they did and crashed home five goals in the second-­half, the first from Nicky Rackard within three minutes of resumption. Tony remembers the day only too well. He wasn't in good shape, his back was at him. He didn't have the power or the agility that were usual for him. The newspapers said he was gone. In the 'Tipperary Star', the reporter said: 'Now the sad fact must be faced that Reddin is not as good as he was. ,In his best form he would have saved at least three, if not the whole five, of the shots that beat him on Sunday. He was at fault for two of the goals and the second miss proved disastrous'. A big change from the glowing notices he had been accustomed to! However, everyone did not agree. In the same paper 'Winter Green' was of this opinion: 'Others blame Tony Reddin. True he was beaten five times in the second half but what goalie could have saved any of the five balls which beat him'. Regardless of this defence the selectors believed that Tony had gone over the top and gave expression to that belief when they dropped him for the Monaghan Cup two weeks later in favour of Blackie Keane. The latter had a good game and was chosen for the championship match against Cork. Tipperary lost this>game in which Keane wasn't really tested. 

Indian Summer

However, Tony was not gone. In that Summer of 1956 he played some of the finest hurling of his career and confounded his critics. Toomevara and Borrisileigh in the semi-final and final respectively. The scores in these games are revealing. Against Toomevara it was 5-1 to 1-10 and against Borrisileigh it was 4.-8 to 0-18. Both games were a tribute to Tony's brilliance and they have become part of the folklore of the parish. 

This Indian Summer brilliance was enough to get Reddin back on the Tipperary team. He played in the league against Galway on 14 October but wasn't tested. The only shot that beat him was doubled on overhead from close range. In the next match against Antrim he had a mediocre game and let in one easy shot. He was adequate against Westmeath the following Feb­ruary but was dropped again, in favour of Blackie Keane, for the match against Clare on 31 March. Tipperary won the league in May 1957 with Keane in goal. It was Tony's sixth league medal and won him a trip to New York the follow­ing October. He played one game in the U.S. and this was his last match with Tipperary. In the Munster championship the previous Summer Tony wasn't even a substitute on the Tipperary team that was beaten 5-2 to 1-11. Blackie Keane let in three goals in the first-half and was replaced by Eddie Moloughney at half-time. I n the course of his account on the Tipperary Star the reporter stated: "

How the Tipperary supporters longed on Sunday for a goalkeeper of Tony Reddin's calibre." 

1957 was the last year that Tony appeared in a hurling jersey. He was already a legend. The previous year, after the North final, he had married Maura Smyth of Lelagh, Rathcabbin, and had settled down to live at the Pike, where he farmed a little, con­tinued to make hurleys and provided a hackney service in a car, ARI 791, that was known far and wide. In 1960 he got a job with Bord na Móna and he was with the company until he retired. 

In 1963 the Reddins moved to Banagher and built a house in Cuba Street where they live to this day. I n the early seventies Tony offered his services to the local St Rynagh's club and under his tutelage the club has had tremendous success. Since his involvement began the club has won eight county finals and is a house­hold name in the club championship competition. 

Tony is still a fresh man and has worn his years well. He is an enthusias­tic talker on hurling and can recall with vividness highlights of his career. He is an unassuming man who hasn't been changed by his high place in the pan­theon of great hurlers. Was he the greatest goalkeeper of all time? Without a doubt he towered above all others in his own time and it is difficult to imagine anyone better at any other time. His natural ability allied to his professional preparedness made him unique. It is probably this memory of his own training habits that makes him put coaching first in his priorities for building up a team. But, whether he was the greatest or not doesn't matter. What does matter is the enter­tainment he gave people, the magic he flashed before their eyes as he stopped impossible shots ,and charged like a whirlwind through backs and forwards to send the ball back into enemy territory. We were all immensely proud of Reddin. He put our remote parish firmly on the map of hurling. He helped us to win two divisional finals. He gave us a pride in where we belong. I n the wider arena he was foremost in the long battle with Cork for supremacy in Munster hurling. It is difficult to leave the man because memories keep flashing and they are the most brilliant we have known. 

<span class="postTitle">Tommy Butler</span> County Senior Hurling semi-final progam, Sept. 30th, 1984

Tommy Butler

County Senior Hurling semi-final progam, Sept. 30th, 1984

Surely the best-known Drom Inch man must be Tommy Butler! If for no other reason, he was our sole All-Star in 1978. Or, that he was the only Tipperary man to win the RTE Goal of the Year Award. It may be that the present generation have heard of no other Drom Inch county senior hurling players.

Perhaps people have forgotten about a great predecessor of Tommy's, Seamus Bannon, who won senior All-Irelands in 1949, 1950 and 1951. Another great Drom Inch man was Mick Kennedy, who starred on the great Limerick team of the thirties. In the same decade Phil Farrell was on the Dublin winning team of 1938 and, in the previous decade, Tom Barry of Dovea won two All-Irelands, also with Dublin, in 1924 and 1927. Coming nearer to the present Tommy's brother, Eamon, captained the county intermediate team to victory in the 1971 All-Ireland. On the same team was another brother, Seamus, and two clubmates, Oliver Quinn and Jim Carey. On today's team for the replay of the quarter-final is Pat Looby, who has the distinction of winning a minor All-Ireland in 1976 and an under-21 in 1979. In all not a bad record for a parish of eleven hundred people.

Family

It coul be said that the Butler name is synonymous with Drom Inch. With six boys in the family, and they all hurling, it was bound to be so. All six brothers were on when the club won their first senior mid-final in 1974. (The date was September 9 and, coincidentally, they won their second on September 9, 1984.) That was a great victory for the club but Tommy remembers a victory over Borrisoleigh the previous year with even greater delight. They had been beaten by Thurles Sarsfields in the mid-final and went out the following Sunday against Borrisoleigh in the county championship without much hope. At half-time they had even less hope and it continued so into the second half when Drom Inch were twelve points down. Then things began to change as they started to score goals and they continued scoring to the consternation of Borrisoleigh to go home winners by a goal. Bonfires were lit in the parish that night in celebration of this victory over the neighbouring giants. It didn't matter, as Tommy said, that they had won nothing at all. Instead they had achieved the impossible.

School

Tommy went to school to Templemore C.B.S. And the high point of his hurling career there was to win three competitions, the Croke and Kinane Cups and Corn Phádraig, in 1968. He was captain of one of the teams. The next year he did the Leaving Certificate. 'That was the year the papers were stolen and we had to repeat the examination.' He went to work in Drombane Creamery soon after and has been there since. An Inch man, he is married with two children and lives near the Ragg.

He doesn't like admitting it but he got fourteen trials for the county minors in 1969 and failed to make the team! He remembers counting up the number for his father. However, it may have been the selectors were at fault because he proved his mettle the following year by making the under-21 team and he retained his position in 1971 and 1972. These weren't the most successful years but he did win a Munster medal in 1972 only to be beaten by Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final at Nenagh.

County Seniors

Tommy's career on the county senior team stretches from 1974, when he came on against Limerick in the last match of the league, to 1980. They weren't the best of years to be on the Tipperary senior team. He missed a League medal in 1975, when Galway defeated them in the final at Limerick. He won one eventually four years later, when Tipperary reversed the 1975 result. In between there wasn't much to shout about in the line of victories. There was a Railway Cup medal in 1978 at wing-forward and an All-Star Award at number 11. Probably his greatest display was in the Munster championship of 1976, when he got the better of John Horgan, until the latter was taken off.

A Club Man

Tommy is, above all, a Drom Inch man with a long number of years of service to the club: he first played senior with them in 1966! He came in as a replacement goalkeeper against Thurles Sarsfields that year. He believes that the present team has something that previous teams hadn't, a faith in themselves. He is unreserved in attributing this to their trainer, Brother Daithi Fitzgerald, a Doon man teaching in Thurles C.B.S. Allied to that is a commitment that gives an hundred percent turnout for training. Br. Fitzgerald has been with them since May and has changed their traditional training to concentrating on man-to-man combat for ball possession. Everything in training revolves around these tussles for the ball. Another inspiration has been their new curate, Fr. Ryan from Newport, who played a couple of games until injured earlier this year. He is full of enthusiasm and has inculcated it in the team.

Success

Success hasn't been confined to the seniors this year. In minor and under-21 hurling and in junior football the club is also having a successful run. Though the parish is small it has two playing pitches. One is near the Ragg and it's in the hands of the club since the thirties, but has never been developed: 'I suppose we've always been hoping to get one nearer the cross.' This is the field the seniors train in. There's another field in Drom and more underage games are played there.

Tommy is quietly confident that Drom Inch will win today's replay. 'We played way below our best in the drawn game and were still too close to the exertions required to win the Mid the previous Sunday.' In that Mid final Tommy was the hero and he was again the toast of the parish with his equalising point against Éire Óg last Sunday. There is no doubt that his contribution with be crucial to today's outcome. 

<span class="postTitle">Hurling in the Eighteenth Century</span> County S.H. Quarter-Final Program, Cashel, Sept. 16, 1984

Hurling in the Eighteenth Century

County S.H. Quarter-Final Program, Cashel, Sept. 16, 1984

Looking through the records of some hurling matches in the eighteenth century, we find that hurling in Ulster is not a modem sport. Two centuries ago Antrim had hurlers. It is recorded that in the severe winter of 1740 there was a hurling match on the ice on Lough Neagh. 

We find, however, that about this period the game was more extensively played outside of Ulster. Records exist of strenuous contests like the "grand match of hurling in May 1748, on Crumlin Commons between the Provinces of Leinster and Munster, in which the former came off victorious. Munster unsatisfied with the result sought a replay, and about a week later they met on the same grounds. Keen on winning Munster picked "a chosen set" but "their utmost efforts were all to no purpose, for Leinster after about an hour's struggle, gained a complete victory." Not yet satisfied, Munster asked a further trial, and "the greatest match of hurling ever played in this Kingdom" was promised, but after the necessary preparations were made, "Munster thought it proper to decline the combat." 

Hats Were Lost

In September, 1775, there was a match between Co. Tipperary and the Lower Ormond "band of hurlers" on the Commons of Ballingarry, near Borrisokane, when after an hour and fifteen minutes trial, the "invincible Lower Ormonians, according to their usual methods, put out a fair and undisputed goaL" It was computed that there were 10,000 spectators at this match "who quietly separated in the evening without the least accident or irregularity, except a few hats that were lost in the huzzaing." 

In September, 1755, there was a hurling match at Lyons, Co. Kildare, between the gentlemen of Kildare and Dublin, at which the Marquess of Hartington (then Lord Lieutenant) and "a most brilliant appearance of nobility and gentry were present. Yes, the Gentry played the game of hurling then, for it is recorded that in a match about this period between the Counties of Kilkenny and Tipperary the teams were mainly composed of "gentry of the highest respectability from both Counties." 

Horsemen as Stewards

"In honour of their illustrious country, and to encourage reward and honour, bravery and hardihood from whatever part of Ireland they might come." a hurling match was played in July, 1814, on Kensington Commons, London, by some gentlemen of Ireland, the teams (18 a side) being named St. Giles and Wapping. The Duke of Wellington and staff formed portion of 20.000 interested spectators. Gentlemen on horseback acted as stewards, and the dexterity of the players amazed the onlookers. The match was for 200 guineas, and the result was a draw. 

In July, 1792, a cricket match, held in the Phoenix Park, was described as a form of 

Irish hurling, but the latter ''was much more strenuous." It was not safe to be a spectator at these strenuous matches, for in September, 1756 a woman got her eye knocked out at Crumlin, and another got her leg broken. Nor was it advisable to interfere between players, for at a match at Glounanere, near Cashel, in 1774, James Raighelly (was he the referee?) in attempting to make peace between two players, was killed with a stroke of a hurley. 

Phoenix Park 'Scenes'

In July, 1779, complaints were made "that a mob of people assemble on Sundays in the Phoenix Park, adjoining the residence of Mr. Gardiner, High Sheriff, to play football and hurling matches, and most horrid profanement of drunkenness, riot, and fighting are practised, and these Sabbath breakers are permitted to remain unmolested in defiance of the law, divine and human." 

A century and a half has passed since these complaints were made, and the conduct of the game has greatly altered, but if some of those spirits could return to life and hear the "huzzaing" on an All-Ireland Final day at Croke Park, they would conclude that during their long retirement those "wild Irish" had become even more enthusiastic over their national game. 

<span class="postTitle">Phil Shanahan - Toomevara</span> County S.H. Quarter-Final Program, Cashel, Sept. 16, 1984

Phil Shanahan - Toomevara

County S.H. Quarter-Final Program, Cashel, Sept. 16, 1984

When one mentions Phil Shanahan one is talking about one of the great centrefield players that the county has produced down the years. He holds his place in the company of other names who have made that part of the field their own, players of the calibre of Tommy Treacy, Jimmy Cooney, Theo English and Mick Roche. Phil was a fine centrefield player, a real Toomevara Greyhound, who could stay going all day, a man with a tremendous workrate. A powerful man, he could hold his own with the best and he was always in tip top shape. He played at a time when centrefield play was much more vital in the scheme of hurling things than it is today.

He was centrefield on the three-in-a-row teams of 1949, 1950 and 1951, alongside different partners in each year, Sean Kenny, Seamus Bannon and fellow-Toomevara player, John Hough. He was one of eight players who played in the same position for the three championships.

Born in the parish of Toomevara in January 1928, Phil showed early promise making his debut at senior level with his club in the 1945 championship, while still only seventeen years of age. Toomevara were back in senior ranks for the first time since 1938, when they failed to field a team in the first round of the senior championship. In 1946 Phil won his first divisional medal when Toomevara defeated Roscrea in the North final, their first victory since 1931.

He made his county debut with the minors in 1946. In the Munster final against Cork he collected a mis-hit seventy-yard free near the end of the game to score the winning goal and win the match by a point. Galway were well-beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final but the final was lost to Dublin in the infamous Billy O’Brien goalmouth incident. In the last few minutes the Dublin forwards succeeded in getting the ball over the goal line for a goal, which was only awarded after a three-minute consultation between the referee, M. J. Flaherty of Galway, and the umpires. Both the umpires claimed that the goalie, Billy O’Brien of Nenagh, had been fouled before the goal was scored but the referee didn’t see the foul and allowed the goal. Dublin won by 1-6 to 0-7.

Phil’s first entry into senior ranks was to be selected on the 1948/49 National League team at. Tipperary qualified for the final against Cork at Thurles in February. They won by two points and Phil had a good game at centrefield, partnered by Pat Stakelum. It was Tipperary’s first victory in the competition since 1928 and a great boost for the championship.

Tipperary were drawn against the same opposition in the first round of the championship and it took them two-and-a-half hours to achieve victory. It was the start of three glorious years during which Phil played a pivotal role at centrefield. As well as winning three Munster finals and three All-Irelands he also won two more National League medals, in 1950 and 1952 respectively. Another medal was to be won in 1957. As well as the medals, there were two trips to the U.S., in 1950 and again in 1957.

Other achievements from this period include an Oireachtas medal in 1949 and successive Monaghan Cup medals between 1949-1953. Thomond Feis medals were won in 1949 and 1951. He was on the successful Ireland teams in the Representative Games series in 1952 and 1953, winning the Sports Star of the Week award in 1952 for his display on Joe Salmon of Galway. Four Railway Cup medals were won in 1950, 1951, 1952 and 1953. He was long puck champion of Ireland in 1951.

Early in 1950 Phil left his father’s farm to work in Johnson Mooney and O’Brien bakery in Dublin and play hurling with the Young Irelands club. He continued playing for Tipperary until 1953, moving to centreforward in the latter year. He played for Dublin in 1954 and 1955, partnering Norman Allen in the former and Con Murphy in the latter year at centrefield. Dublin were beaten by Wexford in the 1954 Leinster final and by Kilkenny in the 1955 Leinster semi-final. 

In 1956 he changed jobs and joined Esso (Ireland) Ltd. and started working at Clonmel. He started playing for Toomevara and Tipperary once again. He won his fourth National League medal in 1957 and got his second trip to the U.S. in October. In the meantime Tipperary lost the Munster championship semi-final, defeated 5-2 to 1-11 in one of the most tantalising defeats ever suffered by the county. It was a game that Tipperary should have won and it was lost through a combination of adverse circumstances together with a share of ill-luck.

Phil retired from inter-county hurling after returning from the league trip to the U.S. Then began a very fruitful period of his career with Toomevara. He played in seven consecutive North finals from 1957-63, winning four and losing in 1957, 1959 and 1963. He captained the team in 1958. There were three county final appearances, with defeats in 1958 and 1961, and a great victory over Thurles Sarsfields in 1960, a victory that prevented the Thurles club winning six in a row.

Phil eventually retired from club hurling in 1966 after a career of over twenty years. He turned his attention to training and coaching. His training career began with Portlaoise, where he helped the club to five senior football titles between 1966 and 1971. He attained a coaching certificate in hurling in 1977. When he retired from Esso in 1982 he trained and coached Killenaule to win three South Tipperary intermediate championships in hurling, in 1983, 1985 and 1986.

Married to Joan Power in 1958 and with a family of three sons, Phil Shanahan has contributed enormously to the G.A.A. at club and county level. He believes passionately in the game of hurling and has put that belief into practice through his coaching and training. He is very articulate on the G.A.A. and can speak at length of his playing days and the great players he met. He was always professional in his approach to the game and his dedication to training and preparation made him a man before his time. The Tipperary county board couldn’t afford county training before the 1949 league final and the players had to train themselves. Phil recalls: ‘I used to get up at seven o’clock in the morning and run and sprint in our field at the back of the house in order to achieve the required standard of fitness to beat this great Cork team.’ Such dedication is remarkable and was reflected in the many great performances he gave for his club and his county.

<span class="postTitle">Lorrha's Six Senior Hurling Titles</span> North Division S.H. Final Program, Aug. 19, 1984

Lorrha's Six Senior Hurling Titles

North Division S.H. Final Program, Aug. 19, 1984

Lorrha succeeded in winning the North Tipperary Senior hurling championship on six occasions, 1905, 1914, 1924, 1948, 1956 and 1966. 

The club's first participation in the county championship was in 1889. The club first played in the North championship in 1903. They achieved their first success in 1905 when they defeated De Wets 3-5 to 2-1.

From start to finish Lorrha held the lead, their opponents not heing able to equalise at any point of the game, and the conclusion was received with amazement, by De Wets more than anybody else. On their way to the final Lorrha accounted for Toomevara, Youghalarra and Templederry. The final was played at Terryglass on April 8, 1906. De Wets had won the North fimal since it began and were quite confident of victory. The Lorrha team, according to a contemporary photograph, was as follows: Jack Burke, Dick Gardiner, Jack Carroll, Paddy 0' Meara, Pat O'Meara, Jim Hogan, Major Sammon, Michael O'Donoghue, Paddy Hogan, Tom O'Donoghue, Bill Bollard, John Lambe, Joe Sammon, Pat Sammon, T. F. O'Meara. (capt.) , Jim O'Meara, John Quirke. 

Lorrha didn't affiliate any team in the senior championsnip for the three years prior to 1914. The club got a bye into the second round of that year's championship and played Borrisokane in the semi-final. The match was played at Terryglass on October 11 and seldom have spectators seen such a brilliant display of the caman. The result was 2-2 to 0-2 in favour of Lorrha. The North final was played at Ardcroney on November 22 and Lorrha's opponents were Templederry. There was a fine crowd but the game did not live up to expectations. At half-time Lorrha were ahead by 2-2 to nil and went on to win by 4-2 to 1-0. In winning this championship Lorrha interrupted Toomevara's sequence of victories just as they had done with De Wets in 1905. The winning team was: M. O'Donoghue (capt.), F.X. Cronin, Tom Duffy, John Lambe, Pat O'Meara, T. F. O'Meara, J. J. Madden, Con Sherlock, Mick Needham, Tim Sullivan, Jack Carroll, Joe Carroll, Tom Burke, William Harding, Jack Dillon. There are also claims for the inclusion of Johnny Gaynor in the team. 

Ten years later Lorrha won their next senior championship. This time their opponents in the final were Nenagh. They defeated Ballymackey and Cloughjordan in earlier rounds and had a convincing win of 7-3 to 0-3 in the final at Terryglass on September 25. Jim (the Private) O'Meara played for Nenagh that day and his brother, Bill, played for Lorrha. No Lorrha lineout was given with the report of the game but the probable team is as follow: Paddy Gaynor, Johnny Gaynor, Mick O'Meara, Dinny O'Meara, Bill O'Meara, Tom Burke, Bob Young, Jack Kennedy, Mick Cronin, Paddy Hogan, Dan O'Donoghue, Willie Carroll, Nick Forde, Con Sherlock, and Tom Duffy. 

Twenty-four years were to elapse before Lorrha were to capture the senior title again. The final was played at Nenagh on August 22 before a crowd of 8,000 people in appalling weather. Their opponents were Borrisoleigh and Lorrha won by 5-4 to 2-4 on a day when Tony Reddin had an outstanding game. On their path to the final Lorrha defeated Borrisokane, Roscrea and Kiladangan. The lineout was as follows: Tony Reddin, Paddy O'Sullivan, Dan O'Donoghue, Michael O'Meara (Lisballyard), Tom Lambe, Mick Brophy, Jim O'Meara, Eugene O'Meara, Paddy Guinan, Mick O'Meara (Blakefield), Tommy Ryan, Dan O'Meara( capt.), Brendan O'Donoghue, Michael O'Meara (Roughan), Billy Hogan. 

Lorrha won their fifth title in 1956 when they defeated Borrisoleigh at Nenagh on September 9 by 4-8 to 0-18. The score itself tells a tale of the loser's respect for Tony Reddin's goalkeeping ability. Lorrha lost the first round against Kilruane when they were defeated 1-14 to 1-2 at Borrisokane on May 13. Entering the loser's group they accounted for Moneygall and Toomevara on their way to the final against Borrisoleigh. The team for the final was: Tony Reddin, Seamus King, Paul Slevin, Billy Hogan, Johnny Larkin, Davy O'Sullivan, Paddy O'Meara, Hubie Hogan, Phil McIntyre, Eugene 0'Meara, Mick Brophy (capt.), Sean O'Meara, Paddy Madden, Paddy Guinan, John Moloney. 

Lorrha's last senior title was in 1966 when they defeated Toomevara by the minimum of margins, 3-11 to 2-13, on August 28. Toomevara led by 2-7 to 1-5 at half-time. This was the first time the Frank McGrath cup was won by Lorrha. They had an interesting path to the final that year. They beat St. Flannan's, a combination of Kildangan and Shannon Rovers, in the first round. They took three matches to defeat Eire Óg, before overcoming Kilruane MacDonaghs in the semi-final. The Lorrha divisional champions, that year were: Gerry Moylan, Michael Liffey, Paddy O'Meara, Seamus O'Meara, Liam King, Sean O'Meara, Michael Gleeson, Wilsy Morris, Jim Lane, Noel Lane, Jim Ryan, Peter Hogan, Paddy Madden, Michael Doyle, Michael 0' Meara.

<span class="postTitle">Tony Reddin</span> North Division S.H. Final Program, Aug. 19, 1984

Tony Reddin

North Division S.H. Final Program, Aug. 19, 1984

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 Paddy wrote: 'Sensation: Holycross won county championship 1948. Tipp will win All-Ireland championship 1949. Signed: P. Leahy.' Then he handed the book to Jimmy Maher, who wrote: 'Jim Maher, Boherlahan.'

'Identify yourself!, urged Paddy. 'Jim Maher, Boherlahan could be anyone. Write 'Tipp goalie.' 

'Not after today,' said Jimmy, sadly but signing, just the same. '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 championship.. There hadn't been many players from that remote northern parish who had achieved county status but Tony Reddin was to he an outstanding representative for the next nine years. 

Lorrha had qualified for that county final game against Holycross when they defeated Cashel in the semi-final at Thurles on September 19. On that day Tipperary lost to Cork by 6-10 to 1-7 in the Thomond Tournament. Paddy Fleming of Carrick was on goal. In the previous summer they had gone down to Limerick in the championship by 8-4 to 6-4. According to one report of the game: 'Maher did not. bring off his usual spectacular saves'. There was obviously.a place for a new goalie and Reddin seemed to be the obvious choice for the position. 

He was picked for the first league game against Offaly at Birr on October 24 and had a fine game on goal when Tipperary won by 7-6 to 1-2. The next match was the 1948 league final, which should have been played the. previous spring. Cork won by 3-3 to 1-2 despite ,the 'splendid goalkeeping of Reddin'. Tipperary had three more league games before the final at Thurles on February 27, 1949 when they reversed the. previous October verdict and defeated Cork by 3-5 to 3-2 on a day that Reddin saved brilliantly between the sticks. It was Tipperary's first major victory since 1945 and they had scored 22 goals 31 points and conceded 8 goals and 18 points in the series of games.

Tony did not appear full-blown on the hurling scene in 1948 but had a long apprenticeship to the game which began when he won his only county final medal, -a juvenile wi th Mullagh in 1933. Later he played with Galway juniors and seniors and with the Connaght Railway Cup team. In fact he played full-forward with Galway against Tipperary in the Monaghan Cup game in London in 1946, the year before he came to Lorrha. He also won a Connaght junior hurling medal in 1940.

However, it wasn't until he. crossed the Shannon that his true potential was realised. Probably the man who most helped him to realise that potential was Fr. O'Meara, who arrived in the parish not long before Tony. He first met Tony at Ned Wells' of Derrylahan and established an important rapport with him. Tony was then timid and shy and a little unsure of himself and Fr. O'Meara nurtured and developed his confidence. His influence on Tony was such that he travelled with him regularly to matches and acted in a supportive role as Tony found his feet. lt was Fr. O' Meara who covered Tony in a clerical hat and short coat in order to protect him from disappointed Cork supporters after the Munster final at Killarney in July 1950. 

Tony's innate genius blossomed under this protection. Tipperary played seventeen major games in 1949 with Reddin between the posts. Six of the games were championship, three were league and the remainder were major tournaments. One game. was drawn and the remainder. won and the· total score was 68 goals 167 points for Tipperary and 31, goals 90 points against. During the course of his entire career with the county he played approximately one hundred major games and was. on the winning side eighty-seven times. Whereas this success rate was a tribute to the standard of Tipperary hurling during the period, it was also in no small way due to the brilliance of the man between the posts. 

Another interesting aspect of Tony's career in hurling was the regularity with which he turned out. From the first game he played with the county in October 1948 until he was dropped for the Monaghan Cup after the league defeat in May 1956, I can find only one match, a league game against Limerick at Kilmallock on Fehruary 6, 1955, when he didn't turn out. Having lost his place for the 1956 championship he showed a final flash of brilliance in the county championship of that summer. He was recalled for the league campaign and played three matches, the last of which was in February 1957. He won a league medal that year as a sub, when Tipperary defeated Kilkenny, and played his last game with the county, when Tipperary travelled to New York the following October. 

Reddin's last appearance with Lorrha was in 1958 when the team lost to Roscrea in the championship. One report on the game stated that 'Tony Reddin showed he was by no means a has-been goalkeeper'. He played his first game for his adopted club on Easter Sunday 1947 against St. Vincent's. A month later he won his first tournament, for suit-lengths, at Portumna. It was a seven-a-side competition and Lorrha defeated Kilruane by nine points to one. Eugene O'Meara scored eight of the points and Tony got the other from a goal clearance. On the same day Reddin won the long puck competition with a drive of 106 yards. During his time with the Lorrha team he failed to turn out on only one occasion. That was in a tournament at Borrisokane in June 1951 against Ahane, who included Mick Mackey and Sean Herbert in their lineout that day. During his twelve years with Lorrha Reddin won North championship medals in 1948 and 1956. 

Tony Reddin's list of achievements is impressive by any standards. As well as winning three All-lrelands, six National League, 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 winning Monaghan Cup team on eight occasions. His ninth visit was as a sunstitute in 1957 when Tipperary were heaten. He won one Oireachtas medal.

There is nobady 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 leaway. Tony's greatest asset was, to stop the hall 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 loads of space to clear. He claimed to know which side of the goal a 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. 

<span class="postTitle">Hurling in the Eighteenth Century</span> National Hurling League program, Tipperary v Antrim, Cashel, February 12, 1984

Hurling in the Eighteenth Century

National Hurling League program, Tipperary v Antrim, Cashel, February 12, 1984

Looking through the records of some hurling matches of the eighteenth century, we find that hurling in Ulster is not a modern sport. Two centuries ago Antrim had hurlers. It is recorded that in the severe winter of 1740 there was a hurling match in the ice on Lough Neagh.

We find, however, that about this period the game was more extensively played outside of Ulster. Records exist of strenuous contests like the "grand match of hurling in May 1748, on Crumlin Commons between the Provinces of Leinster and Munster', in which the former came off victorious. Munster unsatisfied with the result sought a replay, and about a week later they met on the same grounds. Keen on winning Munster picked "a chosen set" but "their utmost efforts were all to no purpose, for Leinster after about an hour's struggle, gained a complete victory." Not yet satisfied, Munster asked a further trial, and "the greatest match of hurling ever played in this Kingdom" was promised, but after the necessary preparations were made, "Munster thought it proper to decline the combat."

In September, 1775, there was a match between Co. Tipperary and the Lower Ormond "band of hurlers" on the Commons of Ballingarry, near Borrisokane, when after an hour and fifteen minutes. trial the "invincible Lower Ormondians, according to their usual methods, put out a fair and undisputed goal." It was computed that there were 10,000 spectators at this match "who quietly separated in the evening without the least accident or irregularity, except a few hats that were lost in the huzzaing."

In September, 1755, there was a hurling match at Lyons, Co. Kildare, between the gentlemen of Kildare and Dublin, at which the Marquess of Hartington (then Lord Lieutenant) and "a most brilliant appearance of nobility and gentry were present'. Yes, the Gentry played the game of hurling then, for it is recorded that in a match about this period between the Counties of Kilkenny and Tipperary the teams were mainly composed of "gentry of the highest respectability from both Counties."

"In honour of their illustrious country, and to encourage reward and honour, bravery and hardihood from whatever part of Ireland they might come." a hurling match was played in July, 1814, on Kensington Commons, London, by some gentlemen of Ireland, the teams (18 a side) being named St. Giles and Wapping. The Duke of Wellington and staff formed portion of 20.000 interested spectators. Gentlemen on horseback acted as stewards, and the dexterity of the players amazed the onlookers. The match was for 200 guineas, and the result was a draw.

In July, 1792, a cricket match, held in the Phoenix Park, was described as a form of I rish hurling, but the latter "was much more strenuous." It was not safe to be a spectator at these strenuous matches, for in September, 1756 a woman got her eye knocked out at Crumlin, and another got her leg broken. Nor was it advisable to interfere between players, for at a match at Glounanere, near Cashel, in 1774, James Raighelly (was he the referee?) in attempting to make peace between two players, was killed with a stroke of a hurley.

In July, 1779, complaints were made "that a mob of people assemble on Sundays in the Phoenix Park, adjoining the residence of Mr. Gardiner, High Sheriff, to play football and hurling matches, and most horrid profanement of drunkenness, riot, and fighting are practised, and these Sabbath breakers are permitted to remain unmolested in defiance of the law, divine and human:'

A century and a half has passed since these complaints were made, and the conduct of the game has greatly altered, but if some of those spirits could return to life and hear the "huzzaing" on an All-Ireland Final day at Croke Park, they would conclude that during their long retirement those "wild Irish" had become even more enthusiastic over their national game.