Cork Nostalgia: Jocks: you never knew who was going to turn up

Typical group around the fireside in Jocks 1964. Seated from left: Eugene ‘Pol’ O’Donovan; Mick Curry; Mickey O’Shea; Derry O’Sullivan; Mick O’Halloran and Ger O’Leary. Standing, from left: Derry Cremen; Brendan Cummins, Michael O’Connell. (The latter is father of Irish rugby player, Paul.)

John blew our minds one night when he turned up with a large electrical contraption that turned out to be a reel-to-reel tape recorder, complete with a selection of world title fight recordings – remember this was long before TV was ever heard of - and proceeded to fill the small house with the magic that was big fight night in Madison Square Garden, New York. Gene Tunney, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Max Schmeling, even ‘Two-Ton’ Tony Galento boxed in Jocks that night and, before the night was over, I’d swear we could smell the sweat and feel the crush of the crowd as we were wafted away to mid-town Manhattan for a few glorious, memorable hours.