JACK LYNCH RAISED SPORTING FLAGS AND HORIZONS OF MANY
In a boy’s world of the 1920s, be it Shandon Street or anywhere in the world, money was not the main currency; athletic ability was. The boy who could run the fastest, climb the highest or puck the sliotar furthest, was king.
Jack Lynch could do all of these. His prowess was partly due to his natural athletic ability, partly due to the regular meals – which a regular wage provides, partly due to his home environment and partly due to the education provided by the nuns of St Vincents and the Christian Brothers of the North Monastery.
Will the crowds ever come back to the Cork County Hurling Championships
Last Sunday’s attendance was paltry. A little more than 2,500 I would suggest. This made for a surreal atmosphere. There was never going to be the sight of a Glen and a Barrs supporter rolling on the ground like they used to during the Eucharistic Cup games at the Mardyke. But then the crowd last Sunday did not spend the interregnum between the end of the Eucharistic Procession and the beginning of the game at the Mardyke in various hostelries between the Grand Parade and the Western Road.
Minor upsets don’t always lead to major misfortunes
There is a looming crisis for the GAA in all urban areas, and Cork city is no exception this. The lack of city based players is most likely accounted for by the falling standards urban GAA competition, and the failures of urban schools in the Harty Cup schools competition, rather than any perceived bias on behalf of the Cork selectors.
The tragic death of Willie John O’Connell
On Monday next, April 2nd, the under-14 hurling teams of the St Finbarrs and Blackrock will play at St Finbarrs. This will be the inaugural game of what will become an annual challenge between the clubs. A special trophy has been commissioned by St Finbarrs for the game. It is to be called the Willie […]
Pakey Mahony – The Boxer from Blackpool
About 18 months ago I decided that I wanted to know more about the man from Blackpool who fought for the Empire title and who ended up training the great Cork and Blackrock hurling teams of the 1920s. I started asking questions and collecting information about Pakey.
Is the Art of Playing Hurling dying and is it now played like Gaelic Football and Rugby?
It does not seem that long ago (to me at any rate) since I spent most of my summer evenings training, or just pucking a sliotar in the Glen Field. This is not going to be a piece about how things were in “good oul’ days” – it is about the current skill levels in […]