Our
Lady’s Island/Tacumshane G.A.A. Club was founded in 1886 and the club took part
in the first County Football Championship in that year which was played at
Mayglass. The club lost in the first
round to St. Mary’s, Rosslare who were the eventual winners. Teams consisted of 21 a side.
The 1886
Team: Edmund Pierce
(Capt), James O’Neill (Goalkeeper), John Pettit, M. Purcell, Thomas Morris,
Patrick Kennedy, Patrick
Cassidy, Peter Murphy, Joe Lambert, J. McGrath, J. Johnson, James White,
N. Brady, William Whelan,
James Stafford, William Doyle, Patrick Boland, John Walsh, Patrick Somers, R.
Dunphy, James Murphy.
On December 4th 1887 the same team played in an
Inter-County Football Tournament at Maudlintown. The team beat Wicklow town in the first round but did not
progress any further. Press reports of
the day estimated 25,000 people were in Maudlintown on that day. This was the first time admission fees were
charged in Wexford - 3p to enter the ground and 1 shilling to the stand, which
collapsed during the game.
The first time the Club contested a County Football Final was in
1922 against Marshalstown. We lost by
one point despite the fact that they played without Fr. Jim, Willie and Raymie
Doyle due to the death of their father.
1922
Panel: Jack Reville, Paddy
Sinnott, Ned Dunphy, Jack Parle, Jim Kehoe (Capt), Peter Reville, Jimmy Gaul,
Willie Doyle, Raymie Doyle, Fr. Jim Doyle, Paddy Kearns, Jim Purcell, Willie
Pettit, Bill Carty, Paddy Wall, Dick Murphy,
Tom Delaney, Jim Dunphy, Jack
Browne, Paddy Cheevers, Jim Browne, Matt Murphy, John Doyle, Tommy Furlong, Joe
Murphy, Ned Redmond.
Later that team played an exhibition match against the Wexford
Senior Team in Rosslare Strand in aid of the Church Building Fund and beat them
by 2 points. The only extra player the
‘Island’ had was the 1918 All Ireland Full-Back Nick Stewart. Nick Stewart sons
Willie R.I.P. Nick R.I.P., John and Eben played a big part in he G.A.A. in Our
Lady’s Island in later years. The referee
that day was the late Muck Flusk who afterwards became the Mayor of Wexford.
Records were poor at that time but Phil Wall Ballyfane won a
Leinster Junior Football medal with Wexford in 1911 and Willie Doyle (Dentist)
won a Senior Football medal in 1925.
In the late 20’s and 30’s hurling was played mostly in Tacumshane
around Sigginstown. Sonny and Andy
Pierce, Tom and Jimmy Meyler, Watt Sinnott, Nick Murphy, Paddy Denton, Kevin
Purcell and Bill O’Brien won a County Hurling Championship with St. Mary’s
Rosslare in 1934.
Hurling and football were without any success until we won a
District Football Championship in 1955 beating Kilmore in the final but lost to
Coragh Ramblers in the County Semi-Final.
The 1955 Team: Andy Parle R.I.P. (goal), Ray
Doyle, Jim Hayes (R.I.P.), Jimmy Newport (R.I.P.), Sean Devereux,
John Gallahue, Sean Pettit, Sean Turner, Tony Neville, Eben
Stewart, Jim Meyler, Billy Devereux,
Tim Scallan, John Stewart, Leo Doyle.
N.B. Sean Turner, Billy
Devereux and John Gallahue were selected for Wexford Junior Football Team.
In the ’58 District Final we met a very strong Sarsfield team and
came out winners of the Wexford District.
We went on to contend the County Semi-Final beating New Ross for a place
in the County Final. We then had to
wait until ’59 to play the final against St. Dymphnas who beat us in Wexford
Park. We played some great games in
those years with the Sarsfields, Volunteers and Kilmore.
The 1958 Team: John
Stewart (goal), John Howlin, Pat Howlin, Jimmy Newport (R.I.P.), Leo Doyle, Ray
Doyle, Sean Pettit, Paddy Scallan, Billy Devereux (Capt), Jim Meyler, Sean
turner, Sean Devereux, Donnie Sinnott,
Eben
Stewart, Jackie O’Brien.
Sean turner was selected for Leinster Railway Cup
team and Raymond Doyle, Pat Howlin, Eben Stewart; Sean Devereux played Junior
football for Wexford. Billy Devereux
played on the Senior County Football Team.
In 1961 again we won the District title but
were beaten in the County Semi-final by our bogey team Ballymitty.
The 1961 team: Jimmy
Newport (goal), Leo Doyle, Sean turner, Pat Gallahue, Sean Pettit, John Howlin,
Gordon Walters, Bob Kearns, Terence O’Leary, Billy Devereux, Sean Devereux,
Paddy Parle, Eben Stewart, Paddy Scallan, Ray Doyle
Suddenly in ’62 out of nowhere we made a
breakthrough in hurling beating St. Fintans and St. Martins in Wexford
District. We then went onto beat
Cushintown in the Co. Semi-final and Oulart in the County final to win the Free
Press Cup on the score line of 4-7 to 4-3.
This was the first ever-County Championship to come to the parish. This was a great panel and I think that
after the first game they realised that if they trained hard and were fit
enough they could go a lot further. So
with people like Nick Devereux and Paddy Cullen “father” figures to most of the
panel nothing was left to chance. Ned
Power (St. Peter’s College Trainer) was brought in to oversee training. We hurled in Mrs. Walsh’s field in
Rathdowney and up in the Old Hall in Broadway for physical training something
most of us knew nothing at all about but in the end it was all well worth
it. Mentors was this team were Nick
Devereux, Paddy Cullen, Ray Doyle, Dick Busher, Shamie Sinnott, Ned Power
(trainer)
The goalkeeper Donal Doyle won an All-Ireland
Colleges medal with St. Peter’s in ’62 and all during the County championship
he gave truly great exhibitions of goalkeeping. It is fair to say that without Donal we would not have won that
County Title. With Paddy Parle and the
late Gordon Walters as corner backs and Brother Ray (Capt) at full back Donal
was well minded. Half Backs a very
young John Parle and Shamie Sinnott with Sean Devereux “Red Fellow” at centre
back a man with a great heart. Centre Field Terence O’Leary ‘the work horse’ of the side and Billy
Devereux who always said, “He could not
hurl”. Half Forwards the late Kevin
Kielty who also won a College All-Ireland.
Bob Kearns won Leinster Junior Football and Intermediate Hurling medals
that year. Donie Sinnott also won
Intermediate. Full Forwards Gary Fenlon
who scored a goal in each game. Paddy
Scallan (Slim) at full forward “moved very smoothly when Paddy Cullen gave him
the drink of Olive Oil” and Jimmy Gaul.
We played Intermediate hurling without success for some years.
Football was strong again in the 70’s when the
Wexford District Leagues were in full swing.
We won three in a row a feat never accomplished before or since with
Tommy Murphy & Dick Busher as mentors.
Even being a Kilmore man Tommy has always taken a great interest in the
G.A.A. here in the ‘Island’. We then
went onto win a double in 80 – 81
The panel for the years
1976 – 81 were: Toddy
Moran, Sean Moran, Paddy Parle, John Meyler (Tacumshane), Gerry Meyler, Mick
Cogley,
Fintan
Parle, Joe Rooney, Jimmy Newport, John Devereux, Terence O’leary, John Parle,
Frankie Moran,
Michael
Grffin, Eddie Maloney, Paddy Cogley, Michael Burke, Declan Murphy, Walter
Furlong,
Bob
Kearns, Jackie O’Brien, John Meyler, Liam Pettit, Ger Maloney, Michael Meyler, William
Kinsella, Pat Reville, Richard Kinsella.
We won the District Hurling League in 1975
beating Blackwater in the Final 6-8 to 2-17.
Team consisted of: Donald Doyle, Mick Cogley, Michael Griffin, Pat
Crosbie, Gerry Meyler, Brian Furlong, Joe Rooney, Paddy Kinsella, John Meyer,
Gerry Byrne, Paddy Parle, Terence O’Leary, Frank Rooney, Sean Moran, Bob
Lambert. Donald Doyle, the
brilliant goalkeepers from ‘62 had made a comeback and were still playing
well. We had Brian Furlong, Paddy
Kinsella, Gerry Byrne and Bob Lambert from St. Mary’s Rosslare. These players were granted permission to
play with Our Lady’s Island because there are no hurling team in Rosslare for a
couple of years. John Meyler
(Tacumshane) played Senior Hurling with Wexford and later won All Ireland
Senior Hurling Championship with Cork and All Ireland Club with St. Finbars.
We had to wait until ’93 – 32 years infact to
win another District Football Championship.
We played three games beating Barntown for the District Championship and
Fethard in the County Semi-final but we lost to Rathnure in the County Final on
a terrible day of rain and mud in New Ross.
The 1993 team: Niall
Ellard (goalkeeper) Liam Pettit, Thomas Maloney, Stephen Kehoe, Denis
O’Doherty,
Michael
Meyler (Capt), Shane Byrne, Andrew Sinnott, Cieran Newport, John Meyler,
Jimmy
Newport (Rabbit), Ger Maloney, Kevin Kehoe, Jimmy Newport, Paddy Cogley.
Subs: Brian Meyler, John Devereux,
Eddie Maloney, Willie White (Tucker), Joe Rooney, and Declan Murphy
Padraig Power, Ger Carthy, Derek Sinnott, Nicky Kehoe,
Declan Walsh, Tommy Meyler
Selectors: Sean Devereux, Paul
Kehoe, and Sean Pettit
We also won the 93 league final being St.
Martins.
In 1994 we contested the League final against
St. Josephs. On the day we fielded an under
strength team as we were without the three Maloney brothers also with the late
arrival of Andrew and Derek Sinnott we were 7 points down at half time. However, on resumption of play the Island
knuckled down to business and made a great comeback winning 2-7 to 2-5.
94 Panel: Niall
Ellard, Joe Rooney, Liam Pettit, William White (Tucker), Richard Doyle, Michael
Meyler, Shane Byrne, Kieran Newport, Donal Mullins, Paul Newport, John Meyler,
Kevin Kehoe, Padraig Power, Declan Murphy,
Jimmy
Newport.
Subs: Andrew Sinnott for Power, Derek Sinnott for
Paul Newport, Paul Newport for Andrew Sinnott
1996 FIRST ADULT
FOOTBALL TITLE FOR OUR LADY’S ISLAND
In 1996 we again won the Wexford District
Championship beating St. Martins. Then
we went onto beat Gusserane in the Co. Semi-Final and Duffry Rovers in the
County Final – two great football clubs.
The years of heartbreak were wiped away on the
19th January 1997 as Our Lady’s Island captured the first ever-adult
football title in our proud history. So
after 110 years we had finally won a County Football Championship beating
Duffry Rovers 1-10 to 1-3. The
determined Lady’s Island men made up for their bitter disappointment of
narrowly losing the ’93 final in Rathnure with a display of hunger and no
little skill, which helped them emerge as clear-cut winners. Selectors Frank Rooney, Declan Murphy and
Seamus Murphy had floodlights erected around the pitch so training could go on
2-3 nights per week in all weather.
Everyone connected with that team were so hell bent on winning nothing
was going to stop them, as the disappointment of ’93 was still raw.
The Island dictated the pace of the game from
start to finish with deadly accurate free taking from Shane Byrne pointing his
first placed ball after 3 ˝ minutes. The
wingback was in superb scoring form throughout, picking off a further six
points as the Island grew stature. The
Duffry were thwarted on their rare early attacks by the excellence of veteran
fullback Joe Rooney, Stephen Kehoe and Shane Byrne.
Big midfield Kevin McCormack made it 0-2 to nil
for the eventual winners after 12 minutes and a foul on Andrew Sinnott gave
Byrne the opportunity to extend the lead further, early in the third
quarter. Kevin Kehoe availed of a short
kick-out to pick off the fourth Island point in the 17th
minute. Attacking wingback Shane Byrne
saw his point attempt come back off the post into the grateful arms of
full-forward Alan Wallace who crashed the ball to the net.
This stretched their lead to 1-4 to nil. The Duffry knuckled down and came back
strongly into the game before the break with Michael Quigley, Noel Kearns, Paul
Dreeland and Barry Dagg all figuring prominently. However, they struggled to get on the scoreboard with young J.J.
Doyle missing two relatively straight forward frees before Michael Quigley
finally opened their account on the stroke of half-time (1-4 to 0-1).
The Duffry started the second half brightly
with a Quigley pass setting up Noel Kearns for a well-taken point. However, they played second fiddle for the
remainder of the game, failing to add to their tally for 25 minutes. In that period the fitter Island side were
well on top with Shane Byrne showing unerring accuracy from frees. Fouls on Andrew Sinnott and Ger Maloney
respectively gave the opportunity to stretch the lead to seven points. Captain Liam Pettit made it 1-7 to 0-2 in
the 44th minute after receiving a pass from Sinnott. The Island were cruising by now with Byrne
adding more frees early in the last quarter as the Duffry continued to
struggle. The result was a mere
formality at this stage with J.J. Doyle and Byrne (free) exchanging points as
Island mentors introduced the long-serving Eddie and Thomas Maloney to the
action.
The Duffry kept battling away and they received
some small reward when advancing centre-back Barry Dagg blasted home a
consolation goal after receiving a pass from Paul Dreeland in the last
minute. There were emotional scenes
after the final whistle as Our Lady’s Island captain Liam Pettit received the
Michael Deane Memorial Cup from Co. Asst. Secretary Alan Aherne. Pettit availed of the occasion to pay
tribute to local national schoolteacher Marjorie McDonald for her wonderful
work with the young players of the area over many years.
1996 Panel: Niall
Ellard, Ciaran Newport, Joe Rooney, Stephen Kehoe, Ger Maloney, Michael Meyler,
Shane Byrne,
Denis
O’Doherty, Kevin McCormack, Andrew Sinnott, Damian O’Leary, John Meyler, Kevin
Kehoe,
Alan
Wallace, Liam Pettit (Capt)
Subs: Keith Rooney, Eddie Maloney, Sean Carthy,
Thomas Maloney, Patrick Doyle, Ger Carthy, Adrian Meyler,
Paul Newport, Eamonn Devereux
Mentors: Seamus
Murphy, Declan Murphy, and Frank Rooney
For our older players like Eddie & Thomas
Maloney, Michael Meyler, Kevin McCormack and Joe Rooney (one of greatest
clubmen on and off the field), to win a County Medal at almost the end of their
careers must have been very satisfying.
If Eddie Maloney holds out much longer he may be fielding on the same
team as his son Eamonn.
In 1999 we won the District Tournament beating
The Faythe Harriers in the final.
The panel consisted of: John
Burke, Francis Corish, Stephen Kehoe, William White, Padraig Power, Keith
Rooney, Sean Carthy, Niall Ellard, Gary Walsh, Andrew Sinnott, John Meyler,
Liam Pettit, Kevin Kehoe, Johnathon Corish, Eddie Maloney, Adrian Meyler,
Michael Meyler, Eamon Devereux, Ger Maloney, Thomas Maloney,
Nicky
Keane, Martin Walsh, Kieran Parrock,
Many of our players represented the county:
Michael Meyler played U21, Junior and Senior
Football
Liam Pettit played minor and Junior Football
John Meyler played Junior Hurling &
Football
Titles we have won:
1955 District football
Champions
1958 District Football
Champions
1958 County Football Runners-up
1961 District Football
Champions
1962 County Hurling Champions
1970’s - 3 in a Row District Football Leagues
1975 District Hurling League
1980 –81 Football League Double
1993 District Football
Champions
1993 County Football Runners-up
1996 District Football
Champions
1996 County Football Champions
1999 District Hurling Champions