County Championship

Chasing the Dream of winning that elusive O'Donoghue Cup Medal

February 7th, 2012
by Weeshie Fogarty

 Any time the debate in relation to the great o Donoghue Cup players come up for discussion a host of names will be remembered. Men who have starred in Croke Park for their county, achieving the highest honors the sport can bestow starring for either their clubs, East Kerry or the town of Killarney in county championship football here in the Kingdom. But for me the real heroes of the o Donoghue Cup are the men who unknown to most expect their team mates, family and friends toil away year after year following that dream to win the elusive o Donoghue Cup medal. I have seen, met and played against hundreds of such stalwarts and without their utter dedication and burning ambitions to win that medal the competition would not be as popular as it is to day. So here is a collection of men who have lined out for their clubs down through the years, men I would have played against or indeed refereed o Donoghue Cup games in which they were involved. So here now, the team which I have chosen from my multitude of o Donoghue Cup memories. It includes men from as far back as 1958 when I played in goal in that year's final against Dr Crokes and opposing me in the net at the further end of the field was the late Con Casey.  So where are they now, these o Donoghue Cup warriors of the past?

Con Casey (Dr Crokes), Dan Lenihan (Rathmore), Jim Broderick (St Finans), Sean Healy (Glenflesk), Johnny Batt Cronin (Spa), James Nolan,( Listry), Jimmy Fitzgerald (Ballymacgelligott), Johnny Doolan (Kilcummin), Peter Clerkin (Glenflesk), Mikie Lyne (Faught-Killarney Legion ),  Stephen Talbot (Fossa), Jimmy o Donoghue (Scartaglin), Mossie Dore (Cordal), D J Cronin (Currow), Gus Burke (Firies.

1958 was not my first time playing in the competition as the previous year while just sixteen years of age I had lined out as we were beaten in the early rounds of the competition. I was now taking over the goalkeeping position from Tommy Cooper who had given such staunch service to The Legion and he also played in goal for Kerry in various National League matches.  Indeed my earliest memories of the competition is attending and watching from the hill on a cold winter's day as my new club captured the very first o Donoghue Cup in 1954. I had just joined The Legion n the school yard of the old Presentation Monastery and had been given my membership card by my schoolboy friend the Late Michael "Hawker "o Grady.  That 1958 final was not played until April 1959 and Dr Crokes were going for their third in a row titles.

Very little competition was available around that time and players in the town of Killarney relied on a winter's basketball to keep fit. And it was the ideal way of keeping in shape. The divisional championships are an integral part of the history of Kerry football and they are the means by which young players are introduced to their first big competitive atmosphere and the cut and trust of knock out completion. And from my perspective the o Donoghue Cup played a massive part in my development and contributed in no small way to the limited success I later achieved.  I have spoken to many players around the county in relation to this and all agreed after consideration that really the divisional championships have never received the credit for the part they have played in the history of Kerry football.

Just think about it and I have no doubt that you will agree that all young future Kerry stars first cut their teeth and show what they have to offer in the white hot surrounding of their local championships. You will be well sorted out here in Easy Kerry I can tell you when you line out in the o Donoghue Cup and cross swords with legendary Kerry players and those other long serving well known warriors. That's the way it was for me anyway when as a star struck youth I manned the goal against the Crokes fifty four long years ago.  The old adage "first impressions are always best" is very true with me and the o Donoghue Cup.  Included on my team was the legendary figure of Gerald o Sullivan who had lined out only twelve years previously with his brother Teddy in the now historic Polo Grounds All Ireland against Cavan.  Jimmy Redpath was at mid field and he later played for Kerry and when he joined the Gardai and was stationed in Naas he played Leinster championship with the Lily Whites.  Gerald son Michael continues to line out for The Legion in the o Donoghue Cup and to the best of my knowledge he is the last remaining direct playing link with the Polo Grounds.

I had a close up view that day of a man who I greatly admired as a footballer. Tadghie Lyne lined out at wing forward for Crokes and he was in his prime having been the shinning star of Kerrys 1955 win over Dublin. And that day in terrible wet and windy conditions in Fitzgerald stadium he scored six magnificent points against us. He possessed a bullet of a shot and I often feel as if the tips of the fingers of my right had are still stinging following his pile driver which I barley got to and tipped over the bar late in the second half. Another Crokes man who I greatly admired was Michael o Connor was was wing back. Sadly he died a young man and I believe had he lived he would have gone on to become Kerrys first GAA President.

I would wait another nine long years before I won the much sought after o Donoghue Cup medal and in  the intervening years play in six more losing finals one with the now defunct St Finans Hospital team. In 1967 a 1-11 to 2-4 score line saw us beat a Din Joe Crowley / John Saunders inspired Rathmore in an enthralling final. I was now lining out at win back and late in the second half the vital goal came when my speculative long delivery deceived the late Tim Linehan and finished in the back of the net. It was a special win as my late brother Geni was also on the team lining out at my shoulder in the centre back position.  My memories of the o Donoghue are many and varied and as with hundreds of other players this competition in honour of the late Doctor Paddy o Donohue has played a massive part in the lives of many families. It is only fitting that The Kerryman are involved in this celebration of o Donoghue Cup football because if you are researching the history of the competition as I have done it is this papers archival files which will transport you back in time to the very first running of the competition in 1954. Long my it continue. 


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