Like most villages around the country, Dunmore has a proud GAA tradition since the beginning of the Association. And while both Hurling and Football were being played on a very regular basis in various fields around Dunmore over the years, the players did not play for club teams for long periods.
However, the Dunmore lads did start early. Conor Denieffe did an amount of research on the history of the GAA in Dunmore for his excellent book "The Continent Abu", and he recorded that a Football team from Dunmore played a game against Garrybricken in Killemary in 1886. It is difficult to believe that 4,000 attended the game, and even if 1,000 travelled from Dunmore, I cannot help but wonder how did they all get there?
A Dunmore team was also very active in 1887 and played games in Threecastles and Ballyragget, but they did not play in the football championship of that year. In fact the first Dunmore team to play in a championship, was Junior Football was in 1919. They played Blanchfieldspark in Gowran and by all accounts it was indeed a very rough affair.
I often heard my father Jim saying that football was very strong in the area for the first twenty five years of the last century, and both himself and his brother Ned Burke were part of the Ballyfoyle Primary Schools team that won the Schools League in 1922. My father and his brothers completed their Primary education in Ballyfoyle following a disagreement with a teacher in Dunmore.
The same year - 1922, my grandfather Bill Burke became ill after he had attended a football match on a very cold Sunday. He actually died aged 57 from severe "flu a few weeks later. The game was played in a field called "Mickles" now Dowlings at the first bend on the Kilkenny side of Heneberrys cross.
A hurling team from Dunmore finally entered the Championship in 1929, and it is recorded in Conor’s book that John Butler represented the club at Convention. John Butler was the grandfather of Patrick the current O’Loughlins midfielder. My father Jim Burke represented the club the Convention for following year. Dunmore played and defeated St Riochs in the first round of the junior hurling Championship in 1929, and then believe it or not came up against O’Loughlins in the next round. They drew the first day and in the replay, Dunmore defeated O’Loughlins by 2-1 to 1-2. Dunmore also defeated O’Loughlins in the championship the following year,1930.
Billy Burke who also happened to be my uncle was generally regarded as the most prominent hurler in Dunmore during those years. He played with Dunmore in the late twenties and early thirties, before going on to represent Kilkenny in five Senior All-Irelands finals. He won just one senior medal in 1939 together with Jack Mulcahy and Seanie O’Brien - also from St. Johns parish.
A number of Dunmore players were also prominent members of the St John’s team that won the County Minor Hurling final of 1939. Paddy Henneberry of Heneberrys Cross was a great character, and he often spoke about playing full-forward. "Trap the ball with the hurl, and then pull really hard, and if your mans leg is in the way, all the better," I often heard him say. Jim Brady was also a member of that St Johns winning team of 1939 was born next door to me. He was fine half back, and was father of the famous Brady folk group who made it big in the United States. Billy Leahy was from the Glendine part of Dunmore, where he farmed with his aunt. He died relatively young.
Conor Denieffe in his book also stated that hurling must have been in a very strong state in Dunmore in 1940 when two teams entered the championship. The first Dunmore team defeated Conahy in the first round, and then overcame Freshford, before going down to Threecastles. The second team was beaten by Gowran in the first round. Dunmore teams were beaten in the first round of the championship all through the forties, and in the fifties Dunmore was not represented in the championship in either hurling or football. Then in 1959 Tom Gregg, Mick Kealy, and Jim Gibbons played a big part in helping to unite the parish with one club team.
The last time that a team from Dunmore played in the championship was 1969. They were defeated by Danesfort in the first round. Many of these players later played a big part in helping to reform OLoughlins, while excelling both on and off the field.
Liam Burke
However, the Dunmore lads did start early. Conor Denieffe did an amount of research on the history of the GAA in Dunmore for his excellent book "The Continent Abu", and he recorded that a Football team from Dunmore played a game against Garrybricken in Killemary in 1886. It is difficult to believe that 4,000 attended the game, and even if 1,000 travelled from Dunmore, I cannot help but wonder how did they all get there?
A Dunmore team was also very active in 1887 and played games in Threecastles and Ballyragget, but they did not play in the football championship of that year. In fact the first Dunmore team to play in a championship, was Junior Football was in 1919. They played Blanchfieldspark in Gowran and by all accounts it was indeed a very rough affair.
I often heard my father Jim saying that football was very strong in the area for the first twenty five years of the last century, and both himself and his brother Ned Burke were part of the Ballyfoyle Primary Schools team that won the Schools League in 1922. My father and his brothers completed their Primary education in Ballyfoyle following a disagreement with a teacher in Dunmore.
The same year - 1922, my grandfather Bill Burke became ill after he had attended a football match on a very cold Sunday. He actually died aged 57 from severe "flu a few weeks later. The game was played in a field called "Mickles" now Dowlings at the first bend on the Kilkenny side of Heneberrys cross.
A hurling team from Dunmore finally entered the Championship in 1929, and it is recorded in Conor’s book that John Butler represented the club at Convention. John Butler was the grandfather of Patrick the current O’Loughlins midfielder. My father Jim Burke represented the club the Convention for following year. Dunmore played and defeated St Riochs in the first round of the junior hurling Championship in 1929, and then believe it or not came up against O’Loughlins in the next round. They drew the first day and in the replay, Dunmore defeated O’Loughlins by 2-1 to 1-2. Dunmore also defeated O’Loughlins in the championship the following year,1930.
Billy Burke who also happened to be my uncle was generally regarded as the most prominent hurler in Dunmore during those years. He played with Dunmore in the late twenties and early thirties, before going on to represent Kilkenny in five Senior All-Irelands finals. He won just one senior medal in 1939 together with Jack Mulcahy and Seanie O’Brien - also from St. Johns parish.
A number of Dunmore players were also prominent members of the St John’s team that won the County Minor Hurling final of 1939. Paddy Henneberry of Heneberrys Cross was a great character, and he often spoke about playing full-forward. "Trap the ball with the hurl, and then pull really hard, and if your mans leg is in the way, all the better," I often heard him say. Jim Brady was also a member of that St Johns winning team of 1939 was born next door to me. He was fine half back, and was father of the famous Brady folk group who made it big in the United States. Billy Leahy was from the Glendine part of Dunmore, where he farmed with his aunt. He died relatively young.
Conor Denieffe in his book also stated that hurling must have been in a very strong state in Dunmore in 1940 when two teams entered the championship. The first Dunmore team defeated Conahy in the first round, and then overcame Freshford, before going down to Threecastles. The second team was beaten by Gowran in the first round. Dunmore teams were beaten in the first round of the championship all through the forties, and in the fifties Dunmore was not represented in the championship in either hurling or football. Then in 1959 Tom Gregg, Mick Kealy, and Jim Gibbons played a big part in helping to unite the parish with one club team.
The last time that a team from Dunmore played in the championship was 1969. They were defeated by Danesfort in the first round. Many of these players later played a big part in helping to reform OLoughlins, while excelling both on and off the field.
Liam Burke
RSS Feed
