| The 19th (11/9/07) |
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| Joe O Muircheartaigh | |
| Monday, 07 May 2007 18:01 | |
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JOHN Minogue from Tulla is a busy man this week. He’s always busy on All-Ireland week, be it hurling or football final time. Thing is, in the week that is the local derby All-Ireland final between Kerry and Cork, John is going about his work with a bit of a heavy heart. You see, John has two All-Ireland tickets – through his many contacts in the GAA world, he gets his hands on two every year. Football. Hurling. Stand tickets. Mighty view, mightier atmosphere – he’s been at more of these days than most men or women dead or alive over the past half a century and more.  JOHN Minogue from Tulla is a busy man this week. He’s always busy on All-Ireland week, be it hurling or football final time.Thing is, in the week that is the local derby All-Ireland final between Kerry and Cork, John is going about his work with a bit of a heavy heart. You see, John has two All-Ireland tickets – through his many contacts in the GAA world, he gets his hands on two every year. Football. Hurling. Stand tickets. Mighty view, mightier atmosphere – he’s been at more of these days than most men or women dead or alive over the past half a century and more. “There’s no day like an All-Ireland,” says John. “It’s the atmosphere, the memories, the great games in hurling and football. Being there. It’s not the same watching on television or listening on the radio.” However, it’s the television or radio for John this Sunday, hence the heavy heart. All because duty calls at home in Tulla – it’s festival time around Tommy Daly’s windswept hill in celebration of Comhaltas Ceolteoirí Éireann. John loves his music as much as his football or hurling. His hostelry on the Main Street has been a haunt of hundreds and much more musicians down the decades – the great and the good, the famous and not so famous. A letter from Christy Moore is framed on the wall in the lounge bar. Once upon a time Christy was a regular punter in Minogue’s, after coming to Tulla to work as a bank clerk. When he left Tulla, his banking career was ending, his musical career only beginning. John Minogue was one of those who helped him on his way, allowing him crash on the floor of the lounge bar with his sleeping during the Fleadhanna Ceoil, encouraging him to join in the sessions with local musicians. It was there that Christy first heard the words of the Scariff Martyrs and the song about Alfie Rodgers, Brud McMahon, Martin Gildea and Michael Egan, men shot by the Black and Tans on the Killaloe Bridge in 1920. The song has been part of Christy’s repertoire ever since. No wonder music has such a pull on John Minogue, pulling and dragging him away from Croke Park this Sunday and making his heart so heavy. He still has the memories though – going all the way back to the 1948 football final between Cavan and Mayo. It was all about the journey with his friends from Tulla. They were quite a crew back then, who made All-Ireland finals into some kind of rite of passage. A pilgrimage – infinitely more important that Knock, Lourdes, Fatima or Mejigore put together. Initially it was a day trip, then they made a weekend of it. All to take in the atmosphere, both pre-match, post-match and the match itself. They were some crew. John Minogue, John Joe ‘Goggles’ Doyle and Martin Murphy were the regulars every year. Mickey Liddy and Michael O’Halloran were other pilgrims who rarely missed an All-Ireland day. Minogue remembers the first day. Cavan and Mayo. It was the day of the Big Wind in Croke Park, when reigning champions Cavan led by 3-2 to no score at half-time, but only scraped home 4-5 to 4-4 at the end of 60 minutes. “I remember the wind,” says Minogue, “how could you forget it. I was 20 years, it was my first football final and it was great to be there. But what I remember most is the display of Padraig Carney at centre-field for Mayo. He became known as the Flying Doctor. He gave the greatest display ever by a man on a losing team in an All-Ireland. He was unbelievable.” It’s only the start. John Minogue has memories from over 100 All-Ireland in the intervening 59 years. Memories from every game, something that sticks out from every game. The men who made them, the supporters, the journeys in the car with Goggles Doyle, Martin Murphy and company. “’53 is one I really remember,” he says, “and it’s for a couple of things. It was the first time I saw a Clare team play in an All-Ireland final in Croke Park. It was a proud day to see them play in that minor final. “Then there was the senior game. Armagh were beaten by Kerry. I felt for them that day – Bill McCorry missed a penalty for them at a crucial time. Of course the final two years later was another massive game. Kerry beat Dublin – it was great to be there for that one.” They’re two Kerry victories that stick out for John, but he adds the rider that they haven’t always had it their own way in All-Ireland finals despite a pedigree that has landed them 34 titles since 1903. He recalls the 1960 All-Ireland as a watershed final – and in more ways than one. That was the day Down came to Croke Park on final day for the first time. They wore tracksuits and had tactics other than the traditional catch and kick game pioneered and perfected by generations of Kerry teams. “Kerry didn’t know what hit them,” says John. “It was the first time I really saw a man playing in an All-Ireland final who didn’t play to position. Tony Hadden was selected corner forward but played around centre-field.” It was Down’s first All-Ireland – the first All-Ireland to go north of the border and one of the most significant days in GAA history at the same time that was at Kerry’s expense. John Minogue points to a few other days as well, also at Kerry’s expense. “In my opinion Kerry have lost the two most important All-Irelands in history – the 1947 All-Ireland in the Polo Grounds and the ’82 final when they were going for five-in-a-row.” 2007 represents the 60th anniversary of the Polo Grounds game, while it’s 25 years since Seamus Darby gave a mighty swing of his left peg to beat Charlie Nelligan in the Kerry goal. Losing to Cork would be worse than the Polo Grounds and Seamus Darby put together. John Minogue, for one, hopes it doesn’t happen on Sunday. “All I’m hoping for is that it’s a draw, so I can go to the replay.” He isn’t done with All-Irelands just yet. Above: John Minogue has great memories of the 1953 All-Ireland football final between Kerry and Armagh - a photo from this game shows Kerry keeper Johnny Foley clearing his lines as his full-back Ned Roche wrestles with his man. |
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 17 September 2007 18:41 ) |
