History - The Best Old Days

1918-1919

The club took on a new face at the beginning of 1918. The old committee stepped down and a new committee was formed. William Conroy, father of Denis, was the new chairman – and would go on to be one of the longest serving chairmen in the club’s history, as well as East Cork Board President in 1969. Jim Barry was vice-chairman, Jim Grey secretary and Billy Ahern treasurer. But the most auspicious year in the history of the club began in difficulty.

There was talk of Leamlara forming a club themselves and affiliating to the county board, a development which would have stripped Carrig of seven players. It took the intercession of Pat ‘Thatcher’ Cotter and Paddy ‘Klux’ Mulcahy to defuse the situation and the players stayed. What nobody could stop was Carrig losing the pitch they had done so much to develop. We have no record of the circumstances, but the upshot was that Carrig led an itinerant existence that summer, training in a variety of fields, including one at Annesgrove. 

Carrig‘s difficulties, though, were nothing in the wider context of the day. The political temperature was high during the early months of 1918. Leading republicans were arrested in the spring and, with World War 1 continuing, the British government threatened to extend military conscription to Ireland. Throughout the summer, all normal forms of political activity were suppressed, including that of the revitalised Sinn Fein.

Inevitably the GAA suffered: “That any sports body,” wrote de Burca, “and especially one like the GAA, whose policy, outlook and rank-and-file membership were so closely linked with the nationalist movement, could manage to carry out its full quota of fixtures at a time of such political tension was out of the question.”

Cork didn‘t seem to suffer as badly as some counties. Along with a handful of other highly organised boards they managed to hold their convention as planned in February. Despite the indignities of the previous two seasons Carrig entered a team in the senior championship and were granted the mercy of a bye in the first round.

Carrig’s quarter-final against Redmonds was for late in July but a bereavement in the club caused the match to be postponed. Nobody informed the local forces of law and order, however, and they turned up in Riverstown in strength. That day illustrates perfectly the harassment endured by the GAA in those days.

“Shortly before the time announced for the start of the matches a large force of police and military, fully armed, marched into the village and took up positions on the public road near the athletic grounds,” reported the Examiner.

The police force were in charge of Head Constable Leonard, who approached some members of the Sarsfield Hurling Club and, intimating that the matches would not be allowed, demanded the key to the entrance. This was refused and Head Constable Leonard then said they would take forcible possession.

“The head constable accompanied by Sergeant Beatty and two military officers then endeavoured to force the entrance gates, but failed. Portion of the tarred and wired hoarding enclosing the grounds was then dismantled by the police and military and an entrance effected, the grounds being taken possession of.”

“Numbers of soldiers and policemen were also kept on duty on the public road, but the evening passed off without incident. It was stated that had the teams put in an appearance arrangements would be made to have the matches played in a neighbouring field. The military were withdrawn about 5.30 but the police remained on duty for some hours after. ”

The match was re-fixed for the middle of August but by then Redmonds were in conflict with the county board and they failed to field. Evidently some players had been suspended after a football match and Redmonds had taken their appeal to the Munster Council, by-passing the county board. We are unaware how the dispute was resolved but Carrig were awarded the match. Redmonds were reigning county champions and, given Carrig‘s later success, it would have been infinitely better to beat Redmonds on the field of play, but it couldn’t be helped.

So without lifting a hand Carrig had qualified to meet St Finbarrs in the semi-final at the Cork Athletic Grounds on September 7th. The Barrs hadn’t won a county since 1906, still the most barren period in their history, but even in their recession they had always managed to beat Carrig. The Barr’s were only a year away from winning the county again but this was Carrig’s day and Carrig’s year. The turn in the road.

Carrig’s victory didn’t thrill the Examiner, but it was clearly impressive: “The match was rather disappointing. The Barrs figured in the picture for only half an hour and this initial period seemed to have taken all the fight out of them The better trained and more powerful combination from Carrigtwohill asserted in no uncertain manner their claim to meet Blackrock in the final of the county championship. The Barrs’ performance with few exceptions was a long way behind that of the winners, who with careful coaching and more training will give the Rockies a rough passage in the final.”

The Barrs drew first blood with a goal which Jimmy Kennedy quickly equalised for Carrig; then the Barrs pulled away a little to lead by 2-1 to 1-0 midway through the half: “Some exciting play followed,” reported the Examiner, “with the ball moving swiftly from end to end and the spectators were treated to an exhibition of defensive play by both teams until the Barrs again broke through to register a goal.”

Carrig responded with their third goal just before the break to leave just a point between the teams, 3-1 to 3-0. They took the lead for the first time early in the second half, and copper-fastened it with a goal from Kennedy which the Examiner described as “particularly soft.” No matter. The Barrs were held scoreless for the second half and Carrig lengthened their stride to win easily, 6–4 to 3-1.

Carrig: W Kennedy(c), J Kennedy, J Grey, E Grey, G Cotter, P Cotter, P Whelan, T Walsh, J Hayes, J O’Keeffe, M Fouhy, T O’Leary, J Mulcahy, J O’Connell, W Ahern.

That autumn a flu epidemic swept the country, claming thousands of lives. Unsurprisingly, the volume of GAA activity decreased sharply with All Ireland semi-finals in both football and hurling postponed. The Cork county final, however, took place as planned at the Cork Athletic Grounds on the last Sunday of September.

A huge crowd generated €253.63 in gate receipts. Carrig took the field behind the Cork Volunteers Pipers Prize Band,
wearing jerseys made by the nuns in the local convent. Only 15 jerseys, mind; when Jim Barry came on as a sub he had to wear his own shirt. Carrig won the toss and played with the sun to their backs.

“The opening exchanges gave promise of a contest of more than ordinary interest,” reported the Examiner. “The match started and finished at a pace which left no doubt as to the training undergone by the respective fifteens”. Blackrock settled first and went into a three point lead before Carrig struck.

“A long drive to O’Keeffe supported by Ahern, led up to a strenuous encounter, arising out of which Blackrock were penalised, and the penalty proved costly. The shot came dead on to the mouth of the goal and a scrummage followed in the course of which Kennedy beat Buckley for a goal, and the teams stood level.” Both teams added a point before halftime but according to the Examiner, “Carrigtwohill were two goals the better team on the run of play.“

Blackrock took the lead twice more in the third quarter, but then they lost it for good: “The second half was fought with undiminished determination and the issue looked extremely doubtful. The pace was undeniably fast all round and the offensives and defensives were quite a treat on both sides. Steadily and surely, however, did Carrigtwohill assert their superiority, eventually effecting the knock-out of Blackrock.”

Typically, the clinching goal came from Kennedy; “The send out was smartly intercepted (at centre field) and Carrig were away for Kennedy to smash all before him for a goal, which materially enhanced Carrig’s lead (4-1 to 1-6). The time was now drawing nigh and the chances of Blackrock wiping out the odds were none too good.“

The Carrig goalkeeper Ned “Sailor” Grey had to go off injured near the end, but Blackrock didn’t threaten Carrig‘s goal again; another point was all they could manage and 4-1 to 1-7 was how it ended.

The Examiner handed out brickbats and bouquets: ” For the defeated side A Buckley, who had charge of the net, was not up to his customed standard. For the winners Mulcahy, O’Leary, Grey, Cotter, Ahern and the Kennedys were the pick of the bunch.”

Carrig: Ned ‘Sailor’ Grey, Jim Grey, Jack Mulcahy, Matt Fouhy, Tom Walsh, Patrick ‘Thatcher’ Cotter, Billy Kennedy(c), Tim ‘Killarney’ O’Leary, John O’Keeffe, Pad Whelan, Jim O’Connell, Garrett ‘Fred’ Cotter, Jackie O’Flynn, Jimmy ‘Major’ Kennedy, Billy Ahern.
Sub used: Jim Barry for O’Flynn (injured)
Blackrock: A Buckley, W Dorney, P O’Brien, J Murphy, P McCarthy, N Scannell, W O’Donnell, J Mehigan, M Dorney, M Murphy, E O’Connell, T Riordan, P O’Sullivan, J Cotter, C O’Sullivan.

Over sixty years later Jim Cotter could still remember the scenes in the village; “News came back and everyone was out cheering. I remember that now as if it were yesterday, everyone came rushing out of the houses. The place was nearly on fire that evening.“

People didn’t remain outdoors for long. Denis Conroy was old enough to go to the match but too young to sup from the cup. There were plenty of takers: “After they won the county final they came into our place drinking,” said Conroy, “and then they went over to Geary’s. I remember my father (Boss) followed them over, took off his coat, went in behind the bar, served every drink that was served and paid Mrs Geary for them.”

So, who were the stars? For the first round of the 1919 championship Carrig had control of the Cork team and deemed eight of their club men good enough to be senior inter-county players. Cork beat Waterford by 9-4 to 4-0, but two weeks later Carrig were beaten in the county championship and the county board appointed an independent selection committee. By their reckoning Carrig had three who were good enough: Jimmy Kennedy, Ned “Sailor” Grey and John O‘Keeffe.

Kennedy was the biggest star. His Cork career began in 1912 and lasted until 1926. Kennedy was a massive, powerful full forward, but his hurling was nimble and rounded. “He was a thinker about the game,” says Conroy. “Long before it was fashionable he was scoring goals with his boot. Another thing, he always watched which leg a man took off on. He always took off on the opposite leg so that he’d have his full weight against him.” Kennedys full weight was 15 stone, but “he was compact and moved slickly,” says Conroy, “and strange as it may seem for a man of his size he was one of the fastest men on the Cork or Carrigtwohill teams.”

Kennedy was son of “Major”, a great Carrig player of the 1890s, and an early member of the club. Jimmy‘s brother Billy was a good player too, captain of the team in 1918 and another of his brothers Peter also played for Carrig; Mick, the eldest, emigrated to the US where he continued to play hurling. At the end of his career the old Major lined out alongside two of his sons in the Rathcormac tournament of 1902, but that day came too soon for young Jimmy.

The Kennedys learned their hurling on the street at Chapel Lane, just as ‘Killarney’ O’Leary, John O’Keeffe and the two Greys, Ned and Jim, did. Tom Twomey would make them sliotars made of rags and tied together with horse skin. Ballycranna Wood, three miles away, was where they got the makings of hurleys they fashioned themselves.

One of Jimmy‘s lungs collapsed when he was 14 but it didn‘t appear to stall him for long. By 1909 he broke onto Carrig‘s second team, in 1911 he graduated to the firsts and a year later he made his debut for Cork.

The hat that he always wore on the field wouldn‘t have set him apart much at the time, but soon his goals did. Cork lost the All Ireland final to Kilkenny in 1912, but when they reached the All Ireland final again in 1915 Kennedy was in the thick of it: four goals in the Munster final against Clare – who were All Ireland champions at the time – and another goal against Laois in the All Ireland final. Cork lost, however, and their wait since 1906 for an All Ireland would go on another four years; by then Kennedy was captain.

He started the 1919 championship with six goals against Waterford and finished it with three in the All Ireland final against Dublin. It was his greatest triumph. In 1924 he was picked on the All Ireland team to take part in the Tailteann Games, a tournament which also involved England, Scotland, Wales and the USA. Kennedy was one of only two Cork players selected, but his career was already in its twilight. Two years later, when Cork won the All Ireland again, he was on the bench. His second All Ireland medal brought to 19 his haul of inter-county medals from all competitions and tournaments; it was the least his eminence was due.

Jimmy followed his father into the butchering business learning his trade in the family shop on Chapel Lane before starting up on his own in Cobh. After his hurling career he emigrated to England and after some years returned to Carrig where he died in 1973.

John O’Keeffe‘s father, Pats, won an All Ireland medal with Cork in 1893, the first All Ireland won by a Carrig man, and, when John won his medal with Cork in 1919, they became the first father and son to win All Irelands in the GAA’s history.

John was a small man, but stocky and gifted. Willie John Daly saw him play at the end of his career: “I remember discussing him with Mick Barry once and we both said the same thing about John, that he was the sweetest hurler. That covers a lot of things. He was a small man for centre field but he never caught the ball. He’d double on the ball with a ground shot. He’d let the puckout land and let fly and he was quite capable of putting it over the bar.” “Another knack he had was dribbling with the ball along the ground and whatever way he did it the ball was always protected from players coming in and pulling against him. The hurley was always in front of the ball. He was a tough man too, even though he was small.”

John also played for Cork in the 1920 All Ireland final against Dublin which wasn’t played until 1922 but he was reported to have got a bellyful from Bob Muckler and Cork lost by six points. Along with Jimmy Kennedy he was chosen on the All Ireland team for the Tailteann Games in 1924, but on the morning of the match he cut himself shaving and came out in a such a bad rash that he was unable to play.

He played as a teenager on the Carrig team that won the junior county championship in 1915 and was still playing in the 1930s, even though he didn’t play in any of Carrig’s senior county appearances that decade. He made a comeback for a single men versus married men match in the field in the late 1940s, but that was the very end of it.

During his career he used make his own hurleys and he continued to make hurleys for some Carrig players in his retirement. He also made sliotars which the club used. That generation grew up with self-suficiency and never let it drop. John passed away in Carrig in 1974.

‘Sailor’ Grey had never been to sea. As a boy he sailed toy boats in ponds and the name stuck. The first goalposts he stood between were two telegraph poles in Chapel Lane. The position stuck too. His brother Jimmy was already on the Carrig senior team when Ned won his place in 1915.

In those days it was nothing to be a fanatic: “We took no notice of walking to Midleton for a match or cycling to Cork either,” he said years later, “we just craved for Sunday to come to take part in some match – any match. We played for the love of the game and nothing else.”

Playing in goal back then though made certain demands: “It was much tougher than today,” he told Tim Horgan in Cork’s Hurling Story, “a goalminder had to watch the point lines as well as the goal line and that meant you had to be very fit. Mind you, I always got good protection from the back men. The forwards were never allowed to charge in as you sometimes see today, so it wasn’t really a dangerous position to play in.”

‘Sailor‘s’ inter-county career only lasted four seasons but it included two All Ireland finals. After the victory of 1919 Cork reached the final of the 1920 championship as well, but Dublin avenged the defeat of 1919 and it turned out to be Sailor’s last game for Cork.

That year he became one of the first recruits to the newly established Garda Siochana and it took him away from Carrig. After spells in Ennis and Killarney he was posted to Dublin where he finished his playing career with the Faughs and Garda clubs. Ned died in 1974.

According to a fragment of an old recitation which has survived the geographical breakdown of the county winning team was thus; “There were five from the Lane (Chapel Lane), three from Barryscourt. Two from the village and five from the north.” The author, however, seems to have exercised some poetic licence given that Jack Mulcahy was actually from Rossmore rather than Barryscourt.

‘Sailor’ Grey’s brother Jim was another of the players from Chapel Lane. A postman, he was also the club secretary. The Greys were related to Paddy ‘Thatcher’ Cotter and Garrett ‘Fred’ Cotter and by marriage to Matt Fouhy of Barryscourt. Fouhy’s son, also Matt, went on to become one of Carrig‘s and Cork’s greatest hurlers.

Full back Mulcahy farmed at Rossmore while wing forward Paddy Whelan was one of two brothers (John was the other) from Knockaheem in Lisgoold. parish to play with Carrig. He later emigrated to the United States where he was tragically killed in an accident in the 1940s. The tall, lean Tom Walsh was a small holder and hailed from Ballinbrittig – not far from his neighbour Jim O’Connell of Ballyregan who went on to be a foreman at the Ellis quarry in Carrigane. Corner forward Jackie O‘Flynn lived in the village.

The 1918 season ended with the junior hurlers reaching the East Cork final. At the end of October they beat Lisgoold‘s second team in the semi-final, 7-2 to 2-0, but in the final in early December Carrig failed to score against Cobh and went down to a goal in each half.

In March of 1919 the business of who should have control of the inter-county teams for that season was discussed robustly at the county board. Carrig asserted strongly that the county champions should be entrusted with the selection – in both football and hurling. They eventually won the argument with the condition that, if either of the reigning county champions were beaten while Cork remained in the championship, the arrangement would be reviewed.

Carrig‘s preparations for the defence of their county title began at the end of March. They played a South East selection in a benefit game in aid of the South Infirmary, but were beaten, 5-2 to 3-2. They were drawn against Passage in the first round and in the first week of April beat them quite easily, 4-1 to 1-1, to set up a meeting with St Finbarrs at the end of May.

In its preview the Examiner expected a close match but the Barrs were considerably stronger than they had been when Carrig beat them in the1918 championship. The Fr O’Leary Total Abstinence Hall team folded and their players joined the Barrs, who drew their players from the same area. The difference was obvious.

Upwards of 10,000 people reportedly thronged Riverstown, but the game didn’t rise to the anticipation. By half time the city side were clear, 3-2 to 1-1, and, though Carrig scored the first goal of the second half, there was no recovery in sight. The Barr’s won comfortably in the end, 4-5 to 3-1.

“The victory of St Finbarrs was thoroughly deserved,” reported the Examiner. “They outclassed Carrigtwohill in every department. Carrigtwohill were stronger than St Finbarrs, but were unable to compete with the winners in speed as well as in the science of the game. At an early stage it was apparent that the fifteen was one of the most clever and well balanced that had done duty for the Barrs for some years.”

“Carrigtwohill on the other hand, never appeared to settle down properly to their play. Many high-class individual performances were witnessed on their side, but, on the whole, the team lacked co-ordination and dash in their movements.” The Barrs went on to win the county.

Carrig: W Kennedy, T O’Leary, E Grey, J Keeffe, P Cotter, J Connell, J Flynn, J Kennedy, M Fouhy, W Ahern, J Mulcahy, P Whelan, G Cotter, J Barry, M Daly.

For Carrig the year went downhill from there. Redmonds beat them in the Connolly Cup tournament, 3-1 to 1-4, and in the Parfrey Memorial tournament in early November Blackrock gave them a hiding, 11-6 to 2-2. The juniors played Lisgoold again in the East Cork championship but Carrig walked off with ten minutes to go, citing Lisgoold’s rough play as their justification. Lisgoold were leading by two goals at the time, 4-0 to 2-0, and were awarded the match.

In other ways, though, it was one of the proudest years in the history of the club. On May 18th Cork played Waterford at Dungarvan in the first round of the Munster championship and eight of the Cork team were drawn from Carrig. More, three of them shared 8-2. Jimmy Kennedy, naturally, had the biggest personal tally with 6-1, Billy Ahern, alongside him in the full forward line, scored 2-0 and Garrett Cotter added a point.

The others were ‘Killarney O‘Leary, captain, ‘Sailor’ Grey in goal, John O’Keeffe at centre field, Matt Fouhy and Jack Mulcahy. Cork won with ease, 9-4 to 4-0. A Cork football team composed mostly of players from Cobh, the 1918 county champions, lost to Waterford in the championship on the same day as part of a double bill.

It was the biggest day in the career of Tim ‘Killarney’ O’Leary. Though he had outings with Cork as early as 1912, he was never able to command a regular place on Cork championship teams yet, he achieved the distinction of playing on the first Cork 15-a-side championship team in 1913, and of captaining the first Cork championship team to play in the red jersey six years later. It was felt that ‘Killarney’ lacked pace. It was a small deficiency for a colossus.

For 16 years ‘Killarney’s’ personality illuminated Carrig teams. “He wasn‘t just a character” remembered Denis Conroy, “he was two characters.” For ‘Killarney any field could become a stage. John Barry NT recalls a match in Riverstown against Redmonds. The Redmonds centre forward was doing his best to tease ‘Killarney’ and draw him into a rash stroke. ‘Killarney’ was used to teasing because it was normally his game. Finally, he got his chance.

“This was what took my fancy that day,” said Barry. “There was a free to Carrig and ‘Killarney’ stood up to take it. Then he turned to his man and said he’d bet him four pints in the Castle Tavern afterwards that he’d put the free over the bar. The whole game was held up until the centre forward agreed. Of course, he put it over.”

‘Killarney’ broke on to Carrig’s second team in 1908, and played for the firsts a year later when they won the intermediate championship. Soon he took his place at centre back. “If a high hall came in,” said Barry, “you could stand back and leave him at it. It wouldn’t matter if all the forwards drew on him he’d get it out. Another thing, he used to specialise in hitting the bail just as it touched the ground. The split second that it touched the ground he’d whip on the ball and send it back twice as far. It was like a drop shot.”

The county winning team of 1918 broke up more quickly than the club would have liked, but ‘Killarney’ remained until the 1924 championship and was still good enough in 1923 to be a sub for the Cork juniors. One of the giants.

Outside of Carrig the first round of the 1919 championship had another significance; it was the first time that Cork wore red jerseys. Since 1913, when county colours became standardised, Cork had worn a saffron jersey with a large “C” embroidered on the front. Early in 1919, however, British soldiers had taken the county jerseys in a raid on the county board rooms at Cook Street. Cork didn’t have a reserve set, but, with the disbanding of the Fr O’Leary Hall club, their jerseys were made available to the county team. Cork minded that set better.

As county champions Carrig had the largest say in team selection for the Waterford match, but, as soon as Carrig lost to the Barrs, the county board took over the team and appointed a new selection committee. For the Munster semi-final against Tipperary at the end of June, Carrig’s representation was reduced to three, Grey, O’Keeffe and Kennedy, with Kennedy taking over as captain.

For the first time the admission price for an inter-county match was raised from sixpence to a shilling and in protest a section of the crowd tore down sheet iron at one end of the Athletic Grounds. Those who paid got a match for their money. The sides were level 1-2 each at half time before Kennedy scored Cork‘s winning goal near the end for a 2-4 to 2-3 victory.

A crowd of 20,000, a record attendance for a Munster final at the time, turned up at the Market‘s Field to see Cork play the reigning All Ireland champions Limerick, Causing the gates to be closed an hour before the throw in. The ground was so packed that hundreds spilled on to the sideline, and the game was delayed a quarter of an hour while they were cleared. The Carrig players earned their keep.

Grey did well under sustained pressure early in the game and Kennedy set up the goal that gave Cork the lead at half time, 1-3 to 0-3. Limerick equalised shortly after the break, but Kennedy restored Cork’s lead and they were never caught again, running out 3-5 to 1-6 winners. That Munster final was captured in a ballad which reflects the mood of the times as much as the day.

‘Twas in September, I well remember
To Limerick city we went by train
The morning was fine, the sun
was shining
But soon dispersed in the midst of rain
The Market’s Field was the
place appointed
Where 20,000 Gaels I seen
When the Munster champions lined out
at Limerick
The boys in red and the boys in green

Three o’clock was the hour to start them
The sod was good for the ball to roll
Sean Og steps out to take his place
And ‘Sailor’ goes to the Market goal
The good man Hassett sends
Cork attacking
The ball he sends to the Limerick ground
He is assisted by Connie Sheehan
Two better hurlers could not be found
O’Keeffe and Kennedy are doing wonders
And Kelleher comes to their aid
Three better Gaels there is not in Ireland
That their fame and glory may
never fade
But that good man Gleeson is
after scoring
A point for Limerick mid ringing cheers
He is surrounded by his well wishers
They’re so delighted they are
shedding tears

But like lightning flashes our
heroes dashes
And our man Dick Gorman he grabs
the ball
The green flag raises to sing his praises
For he beats bould Murphy the
Limerick wall
‘Good gracious heavens’ there goes
the whistle
‘Up Cork’ was the winning cheer
Soon the Market Field was lonely
The curtains down for another year

So farewell Limerick for another season
The game is over and we must be going
But where ere I wander I’ll always
think of
That Munster final at Garryowen
At sport we are rivals but in love
for Ireland
We stand together for our liberty
So up brave Limerick uphold
your Ireland
With the gallant Gaels from the river Lee

Cork didn’t play an All Ireland semi-final that year and so on the 21st of September they met Dublin in the final at Croke Park. “The attendance, as had been anticipated, reached exceptionally large dimensions,” reported the Examiner.

“The presence of so big a crowd from Cork had an inspiring effect on the players in a ground with which they were not familiar. There was one small doubt and that was as to Cork’s capabilities of reproducing the fine form as displayed against Limerick. That doubt was at once dispelled by a magnificent Cork performance in all departments of the game. The individual performances were superb in every phase of the contest and the enthusiasm at the final whistle was simply indescribable.”

Cork won the toss, played toward the Railway goal and started like winners. Jimmy Kennedy got Cork‘s second goal early in the game, after John O’Keeffe had given him the ball, and added another before the break to help Cork into a 4-2 to 1-1 lead. The second half was more evenly contested, but Cork didn’t lose any ground and won comfortably, 6-4 to 2-4. Local legend has it that one of Cork‘s points was fashioned exclusively by Carrig men: Grey to O‘Keeffe to Kennedy. In the absence of an objection we’ll let it stand.

Cork’s first All Ireland for 16 years was greeted generously by the Examiner: “Captain Jimmy Kennedy was responsible for the major number of the Cork scores and the other two Carrigtwohill representatives (O‘Keeffe and Grey) were magnificent.” The Examiner raised every one of the 15 on to a pedestal.

Three from Carrig on the starting lineup was more than any other club could boast. The good old days were never better.

Cork: J Kennedy(c) (Carrigtwohill), E Grey (Carrigtwohill), J O’Keeffe (Carrigtwohill), S O’Murphy, P Ahern (Blackrock),
C Lucey, J Hassett (Collegians), D Ring (St Finbarr’s), C Sheehan (Redmonds), R O’ Gorman (Midleton),
J Barry Murphy (Cloughduv), T Nagle, P O’Halloran (St Mary’s), M Murphy (Rangers), F Kelleher (Shamrocks).
Subs: M O’Brien (St Finbarr’s), D Coughlan (St Finbarr’s), E O’Connell (Blackrock), E Coughlan (Blackrock),
W Moore (Collegians), W O’ Gorman (Redmonds).