Connacht Tribune
New work restores young football heroes of 1952 to their proper place in GAA history
THEY’RE an almost forgotten team in the annals of Galway GAA but nearly 70 years ago they were trailblazers for the county in under-age Gaelic football.
On the Sunday afternoon of October 12, 1952, Galway’s minor footballers won the first All-Ireland title in that grade for the county, when beating Cavan in the final at Croke Park by 2-9 to 1-6.
Now that famous event has been preserved in print thanks to the efforts of one Barry Cummins who has researched the background to that success in a delightful compilation of old pictures, newspaper reports of the time and GAA minutes of that era.
One insight into the low-key approach to minor football at the time is provided in an article written by the late Jack Mahon (former All-Ireland winner, 1956, and Football Board Chairman for many years), in the November 1 edition of the City Tribune, 2002.
Jack was writing a preview piece for the paper of the 2002 county final meeting of Annaghdown and Corofin, outlining how Jim Carney, would be introducing the victorious Galway minor team of 1952 to the crowd at the Salthill venue. He recalled ‘the way things were’ for that Galway minor team of ’52.
The Galway minor football team (with insets) which went on to win the 1952 All-Ireland title. This picture was taken after their All-Ireland semi-final win over Cork in Croke Park – there was no picture taken of the team after their final success. In those days, for the minors, it was off the pitch as quickly as possible before the senior final and straight into the dressingrooms. Pictured are (back, left to right): Patsy Geraghty, selector; Mick Hawkshaw, Brendan Donoghue, Paddy Coady, Brian Naughton, Tommy O’Toole, Jimmy Staunton, Gerry Kirwan, John Cummins, Seamus Kyne, Tom Mitchell, Gerry Meehan, Liam Manning, Johnny Joyce, John Dunne, Manager; Seamus Mitchell, Johnny Cotter, Vice-Chairman, Football Board; and Fr. Paddy Mahon, Chairman, Galway Football Board. (Front, left to right): Larry Cunningham, Mick Geraghty, Mark Lohan, Brian Waldron, Albert Kelly, Mick Ryan, Eugene Dunleavy, Brian Mahon, captain; Martin Kelly, Seán Hoban, and Tommy Brosnan.
“In those days, there was little notice taken of the minor final and Brian Mahon, the captain, remembers being presented with the cup afterwards in the dressing rooms by the then Galway Football Board Secretary, John Dunne.
“Neither was there a team photo taken on the day. The only photo of the occasion was taken a day later before the triumphant team returned home,” Jack recalled.
He named the team that lined out that day in Croke Park as follows: Michael Ryan, Ballinasloe; Brian Naughton, Ballinasloe; Seamus Kyne, Clonbur; Seán Hoban, St. Jarlath’s College and Mayo; Mark Lohan, Newbridge; Eugene Dunleavy, Salthill; Mick Hawkshaw, Barnaderg; Martin Kelly, Williamstown; Brian Mahon, Dunmore, captain; Tom Brosnan, Tuam; Seamus Mitchell, Newbridge; Liam Manning, Fohenagh; Brian Waldron, Tuam; Gerry Kirwin, Ballinasloe; and Mick Geraghty, Glenamaddy.
Jack Mahon also noted that earlier in the campaign other members of the panel – Jimmy Staunton, Dunmore; Albert Kelly, Dunmore; Brendan Donoghue, Guth na nÓg (Voice of the Young, a club in Galway city for players ‘who didn’t have a club’!); Paddy Coady, Abbeyknockmoy; Larry Cunningham, Newbridge; Johnny Joyce, Headford; and Gerry Meehan, Annaghdown – also played their parts.
For further information on the publication, Barry Cummins can be contacted on: 086-7744286.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
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Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
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The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
