Contents
A Historic Victory 1937....Intermediate County Champions.
Controversy Rages 1938....The Senior Championship.
Senior County Champions 1938....A Famous Victory.
County Champions 1941.....The Double Completed Once More.
1954 County Final.....County Champions Again.
The Glorius Sixties.....A decade to remember.
1966 County Final......A tight decider.
Intermediate County Champions 1937
Seven teams entered for the 1937 County Championship. St. Nicks were drawn against Shamrocks and were easy winners on a score of 5-8 to 1-0. Doheny's, who had beaten St. Nicks in the previous two years were the next opponents. The game was a dour, tough struggle with the Blackpool team winning on a score of 1-5 to 0-6. One of the scores for the Dohenys was a young man who was to become a household name in Glen Rovers and Cork Hurling triumphs Dr. Jim Young. Everything was now set for the county final against Bantry. The game took place in Dunmanway on Sunday 3rd of October. Thousands converged on the town for a game which had caught the public imagination in a big way, and they were not disappointed. The teams were led onto the field by the Bandon Pipe Band and within five minutes Bantry were two goals up. Despite the serious setback St. Nicks hauled themselves back into the game with a goal and a point from "Cooper" Moylan. The score at half time was 2-1 to 1-4. The action continued a furious pace in the second half and Nicks went four points ahead with a goal from Bobby Buckley and a point from "Cooper". Bantry exerted tremendous pressure in the final minutes looking for an equalising point and a Bantry fist punched over the equaliser ina veritable storm of excitement.
Final Score: St. Nicks 2-5 Bantry 3-2 (Draw)
The replay took place 3 weeks later on the 1st November again in Dunmanway. The game was eagerly awaited by all followers following the excitement of the first game. St Nicks made one change in their team. Tom Searles replaced the injured Danny Matt Dorgan. Rain fell continuously before the game and conditions were very difficult. Bantry were first to score but St. Nicks took more advantage from the conditions with a goal by Bobby Buckley and a point by Jack Buckley. They led at half time by 1-1 to 0-2. The second half proved to be all St. Nicks and, with two more goals by Bobby Buckle the Intermediate County was on its way to Blackpool. The Cork Examiner reported:
"St. Nicks, unquestionably proved themselves the better team and their win was popularly recieved."The celebrations in Blackpool continued for many days and 1937 was regarded as a breakthrough. St. Nicks were on the victory trail.
Three weeks later, eight of the team who figured in the football win completed the double when Glen Rovers defeated Carrigtwohill in the Senior Hurling Final.
Back in senior ranks after a break of nine years, nothing was spared to ensure that the team made a mighty effort to win the first senior title for the club. With the Glen sweeping all before them, having won four county titles in a row, all the talk was on a Senior double.
Drawn against Beara in the first round, St. Nicks travelled to Bantry on April 10th to commence their campaign. This proved to be a most difficult task, as Beara were regarded as one of the leading exponents of Gaelic Football in Munster. However St. Nicks emerged victorious on the score 1-2 to 0-2. Duhallow were the opponents in the semi-final, but the game saw St. Nicks give a brilliant display and run out easy winners on the score 2-5 to 0-2. Clonakilty emerged winners from their side of the draw and the final was awaited with anticipation by the supporters of both sides. Clonakilty were firm favourites for the title, having been defeated on the finals of '32, '33, '34, '35 and '36. The game was arranged, provisionally, for October 2nd due to the Glen's involvement in the hurling championship on the previous Sunday. Several of the players were injured in the hurling match and St. Nicks were granteda postponement. This decision did not please Clonakilty and they appealed to the Munster Council. The appeal was heard the following Saturday in Limerick. Sean Og Murphy and Liam Walsh represented the Cork County Board, Jim Hurley and Mick Murphy appeared on behalf of Clonakilty and Jack Lynch and Fox Collins attended on behalf of St. Nicks. To the amazement of the county, the championship was awarded to Clonakilty. Despite an offer from Clonakilty toa re-fixture on specific tersm, the County Board at its meeting the following Tuesday decided to appeal to the Central Council of the G.A.A. The Association President Paddy McNamee remarked, "I cannot see how, under General Rule or County By-Laws, could the match be awarded to Clonakilty. St. Nicholas had not defaulted on the fixture which was postponed by the County Board." The appeal was upheld and the game was re-fixed for November 27th. While all the controversy continued off the field the Glen won their fifth hurling title, in a row, defeating Midleton 5-6 to 1-3. The double was now in sight in earnest and Blackpool was preparing for the first of many historic occasions.
The game was fixed for Bandon and the "Southern Star" set the scene: "The pitch, following a heavy rainfall during the preceding days, was a veritable quagmire. The day was bitterly cold and the rain fell all during the afternoon, soaking the seven hundred enthusiastic supporters who travelled by lorries, buses and cars. The members of the local G.A.A. club had done everything possible, as far as arrangements were concerned, but even their best efforts could not be expected to control the elements, which raged in a desperated attempt to spoil everything".
Despite the atrocious conditions, a huge crowd attended. The game itself turned out toa be a vigorous battle fought out in mud and sluch throughout. No quarter was given by either side and scores were hard to get. The heavy going suited the backs and it was only on the stroke of half time that the break-through came. Some excellent work by the St. Nicks forwards ended with Bobby Buckle scoring a goal, which was greeted by great enthusiasm by the Blackpool followers. On the resumption Clonakilty applied pressure on the St. Nicks backs and were rewared with a point from Mick Finn. Further onslaughts were repelled and then, the scores which were to bring the championship to Balckpool came quite dramatically. "Cooper" Moylan slipped through the Clon defence for a point and Bobby Buckle, once more, found the net for what proved to be the clinching score. The Cork Examiner reported:-
"Creedon, who held the Cork team's goal, got good support from Kiely, Dorgan and Burke. Donovan, Lynch and C. Buckley were also effective. Sullivan and Searles held a good centre-filed. Cullinane and J. Buckley were hard workers. Moylan, Buckle and Tobin gave a lot of trouble to the opposing back division, while, for the defeated side, Santry (goal), McCarthy, Finn, Sullivan, Griffin, D. Cullinane, Crowley and Foley were inspiring as they endeavoured for a win".
The Blue Riband of Cork Football was on its way to Blackpool to join the hurling trophy. The celebration were mighty. Absence from work, for a week or two, for some of the players was ignored by understanding bosses.
The following players completed the double: Paddy O Donovan, Danny Matt Dorgan, Jack Lynch, Connie Buckley, Cooper Moylan, Charlie Tobin and Tim Kiely.
Clonakilty to their credit accepted defeat in a most gracious manner. There were glorious years ahead for them and it has to be acknowledged that it was mainly through their efforts that football in Cork County reached new heights resulting in the All-Ireland victory of 1945.
The club set out in 1939 to defend the title in determined manner. Having defeated Dromtariff and Millstreet they qualified to meet Beara in the semi-final. In the most exciting contest, the title was lost 0-9 to 2-2. The following year they came up against Duhallow in the second round of the championship and, with one minute to go, were leading 1-4 to 0-6. Then tragedy struck, a mix up in the defence left a Duhallow player through to score the winning goal. The football championship of 1941 gave the county an unprecedented succession of drawn games, objections and counter-objections. Clonakilty and Dromtarriffe had to meet five times before, finally, Clonakilty won by three goals. They went on to play Bantry twice, but both teams were removed from the championship for playing illegal players in the replay. Millstreet who had earlier defeated the Army and Seandun automatically qualified for the final. The other side of the draw resulted in St. Nicks meeting the 1940 County Champions Beara in the semi-final. It took three games to decide this tie. The first game ended on the score Beara 0-3, St. Nicks 1-0. The replay on the 1st December, ended in a welter of excitement with St. Nicks equalising by a late point on the score of Beara 0-9, St. Nicks 2-3. The second replay took place at Dunmanway on Sunday 22nd, three days before Christmas. In a thrilling contest in which Beara led at half time by 2-2 to 1-1, the superior fitness of the Blackpool team say them emerge victorious on the score 3-4 to 2-4. Thus the scene was set at last for the 1941 County Final.
Macroom was the venure and the 18th of January the date for the 1941 County Final. The Ballingeary Pipe Band let the teams on parade before the game. There was a huge attendance at the match, which was played in out in cold but dry conditions. The Cork Examiner reported "It was an intensive struggle, very robust, with hard knocks given and taken in good spirit." The score at half time was St. Nicks 0-5, Millstreet 0-4. The excitement continued from the throw in and scores were exchanged which kept the crowd on tenderhooks. Both sides had a goal disallowed and it took outstanding work by Ned Porter in goal to avert a disaster for St. Nicks. Millstreet went ahead with a goal by M. O'Leary but points by Charlie Tobin, Frank Casey and a goal by Joe Looney eased a very serious position. St. Nicks were ahead again and points by T. Fitxgerald for Millstreet and Jack Lynch for St. Nicks ended the game, which was a credit to both teams. The cup was presented to the St. Nicks captain Jack Buckley amidst great scenes of jubilation. It must be said that Millstreet took their defeat in a very sporting fashion and they went on to be quite a force in Cork football for many years.
The 1941 County Championship is generally regarded as the mainspring for the huge improvement in the standard of football in Cork. The exploits of Clonakilty, Dromtarriffe, Beara, Bantry, Millstreet, Fermoy, and St. Nicks contributed in no small way to the many inter-county successes which were to follow.
Glen Rovers won their eight County Title in succession and, with St. Nicks completing the senior double, for the second time in three years, 1941 saw the end of a record breaking era for the Blackpool clubs. Twelve of the sixteen players involved in the Final had already won Senior Hurling Championship honours with the Glen that year. It was a very happy bunch of players and supporters that made their way back to Balckpool. There were a few stops on the journey home but real celebrations commenced around midnight when the cup was filled in Molly Howe's.
The defeats in the County Finals of 1950 and '51 saw the retirement of a number of players, but the successful Minor teams of 1951 and '52 provided a readymade supply of outstanding talent as replacements. Lees, who fielded a powerful side at that stage provided the first-round opposition, but were defeated 2-7 to 0-7 in a tight struggle. The next opponents were a star-studded U.C.C. team, all out to repeat a rare victory over St. Nicks in 1953, but Nicks rose to the occasion yet again and won a thrilling struggle to qualify for the semi-final. After two very impressive wins Nicks were hot favourites against St. Vincents, but the classy underdogs gave a great exhibition and were somewhat unlucky to trail by one goal at the finish. This win put Nicks in the final for the third time in five years, but the successful involvement of Cork's Senior Hurlers and Glen Rovers Senior and Intermediate hurlers in their respective championships saw a nine-week gap before the game could be played. Famed Clonakilty, main architects of Cork's football revival in the '40's, qualified with wins over Muskerry, Fermoy, Carda and Macroom and 15,000 spectators saw John Lyons and Humphrey O'Neill lead the pre- match parade. The Cork Examiner reported "It was an exciting final and though the city side, which led by a point at halftime, won by 2-11 to 0-3 Clonakilty never relaxed their efforts. In the second half however they were completely outclassed by the City side, which played dazzling football and banged home score after score to the consternation of the huge following from West Cork." This was regarded as one of the best displays of football seen in Cork for a long time, especially against Clonakilty, who were kingpins of Cork football for many years.
Two county championship victories, the first Cork winners of the Munster Club Championship and two county final defeats give some idea of this wonderful period for St. Nicks. The underage section was flourishing also and a steady stream of footballers was coming through. Great interest was taken in the Senior Football League and the Kelleher Shield was won three times. Challenge games were arranged throughout the country and teams such as St. Vincents of Dublin, Raheny, Clonmel Commercials and the outstanding Dunmore McHales of Galway provided fine opposition, which helped greatly to improve the quality of football in the club. Added to all this was the appointment of Donie O'Donovan as club trainer and coach. He introduced indoor training for the first time and instilled a tremendous sense of pride and team-spirit in the players. If the games against the Army, the Guards and Clonakilty were the outstanding ones of the '48 to '52 period, it was the thrill-a-minute games against U.C.C. in the sixties which captured the imagination of the Cork footballing public. The teams met on five occasions, with victory going to the students three times, including the county finals of 1963 and 1969. However, there were plenty reasons for celebrating and 1965 saw the championship return to Blackpool for the first time since 1954. This was to herald a wonderful era of football with the title retained in 1966 and the Munster club championship being won in 1967. While it is generally agreed that the sixties was probably the most successful period for the club, it is also only correct to place on record that St. Nicks was one of the consistently successful clubs in the county from the mid-thirties to the mid-seventies. For over forty years they were always respected by opponents and were the dominant football club in the city in that period. The glorius deeds of the sixties can easily be repeated in the next century, with a little more commitment and spirit.
St. Nicholas 1-7 St. Finbarrs 1-6. Title Retained in Robust Decider. Trainer, Donie O'Donovan and the selectors set out in determined mood to ensure that Nicks would achieve a successful defence of the title in '66. Carbery and Conakilty were defeated in the early rounds and on August 21st U.C.C., once more, provided a formidable hurdle in the semi-final. Nicks again rose to the students' challenge and emerged victorious 1-10 to 1-6 and, such was the excellence of their play, they were installed as hot favourites for the final. Unfortunately there was a gap of nearly four months, it was December 3rd before the final with St. Finbarrs could be fixed. Glen Rovers celebrated the club's Golden Jubilee with an American tour and the success of the Cork senior hurlers and under-21 hurlers, after two replays, caused the unavoidable delay. The Cork Examiner reported: "This was St. Nicholas' fifth title, in all, but victory came at the end of a turbulent hour which, as the County Chairman, Mr. Jack Barrett put it later, 'the exuberance of the players had overflowed. Despite the fact that four playes in all, two from each side, ended on the line, it was probably more of a hard hour than a dangerous one and, in the final analysis, St. Nicholas were worth their title, but just on the point margin."
