Glen are part of the fabric of Cork hurling

FOR the first time in their illustrious history, this year has seen Glen Rovers defeated in three consecutive Cork County Senior Hurling finals.

This is a statistic that is very unwelcome to a proud and iconic club and it has blown a cold wind of hurling reality down the spine of the famed Blackpool club.

In 1972, nearly 50 years ago, the Glen led by captain Patsy Harte defeated Youghal at the old Cork Athletic Grounds to win the clubs 23rd Senior Hurling Championship. The Glen won their first Senior County Title in 1934 and that win over St Finbarr’s began a great rivalry between the clubs. This success propelled the Glen to go on and win a record eight County Championships in a row.

During the following 38 years up to 1972 the club’s success rate was close to winning two titles in every three- year span. That victory over Youghal in 1972 was won by a Glen team laden with veterans.

The pervious year a star-studded Blackrock team burst onto the Cork hurling scene and when they defeated the Barrs in that final, many believed that Blackrock would dominate Cork hurling for many years to come.

Success

However, while the Rockies enjoyed considerable success in the 70s they failed to win back-to-back county titles. In the 1972 semi-final the Glen defeated favourites St Finbarr’s and were installed as firm favourites to defeat Youghal.

Sunday, November 12, 1972 was a day when the rain fell all day accompanied by a big wind. Youghal, in their first senior final, played with the advantage of that wind in the first half.

The Seasiders led from the start and were still leading with 12 minutes to go, this was a great Youghal team and featured many players who lined out with Cork, these included Pat Hegarty, Noel Gallaher, Willy Walsh, and the great Sean O’Leary who only passed away recently.

In the final 10 minutes, the Glen pulled on all of their experience and bombarded the Youghal goal mouth, following an avalanche of scores, the Glen ran out victorious on a scoreline of 3 -15 to 1 -10.

On that day, Youghal came close to victory in their first senior final. However, this great club while continuing to flourish as a powerful unit in Cork hurling they never went on to win a senior county title. For Glen Rovers this was also a defining day in their history.

It was county senior title number 23, but on reflection it brought to an end a glorious period of huge success which began in 1934.

It was the last county final victory the club would win at the Cork Athletic Grounds. The following year, in 1973, the Glen and the Rockies met in the county final and the Rockies won a great game by a two-point margin.

Following this game, the Athletic grounds was then demolished to facilitate the construction of the new Páirc Uí Chaoimh, which would open in 1976.

In the intervening years, St Finbarr’s won the title in 1974 and Blackrock were champions again in 1975, both of these finals were played at the UCC grounds in the Mardyke. In the next 50 years, following that 1972 victory over Youghal, it is hard to believe that the Glen have only won four further county senior championship titles, these successes came in 1976, 1989, 2015, and 2016.

While the club made history by winning the first county title in the new stadium in 1976, they did not win again there until 1989. It is now 33 years since the club lifted the cup at the Páirc Uí Chaoimh venue.

The clubs latest senior successes were won in Páirc Uí Rinn in consecutive years 2015 and 2016.

Down through the years, the Glen have through their players created many outstanding achievements. However, one strange feature from the club’s illustrious history was recorded in 1999.

That year, Seanie McGrath, who wore the Glen jersey with distinction, won an All-Ireland senior medal with Cork but failed to win a county championship medal during all the years he played senior with the club.

This makes Seanie the only player in the history of the club to have the coveted Celtic cross medal but deprived of a Cork Senior championship medal because of the rapid decline in the club’s fortunes.

Up to that famous success in the Athletic grounds in 1972, the Glen achieved many outstanding feats. These began in 1934 when the club won their first championship and went on to win eight in a row — a record which stands to this day.

Christy Ring made his first appearance for the Glen in their eighth successful final in 1941.

He played at centre field that day and scored one point. Jack Lynch played with the Glen over a 16-year period from 1934 to 1950. During that time, the Glen won the Cork Senior Hurling Championship on 13 occasions a truly remarkable achievement.

As a hurling club, Glen Rovers dominated Cork hurling during the 1930s, 40s, 50s and 1960s. The club was widely acclaimed in song and in story not only throughout Ireland but also in Britain and the United States. In addition to the success enjoyed by their senior hurlers, the club were also very competitive at intermediate, junior, minor and juvenile hurling levels.

This club also holds a record of been the only senior club to win eight intermediate county titles. The last of these was won in 1965 and this is also a record total to this day.

In football, all Glen players played football with St Nicholas their sister club. During those halcyon days, many of their hurlers were dual players. The Glen–St Nick’s won the Cork Senior hurling and football championship double in 1938, 1941 and 1954.

That year, also Christy Ring won a senior football county medal. The great Cork senior hurling full-back John Lyons made history by becoming the only Blackpool man to captain the Glen and St Nicks to County senior winning championship titles.

In the 1930s, the Glen won six senior titles. Here another record was achieved when Joe Lee became the only man to captain any club to win five Cork senior county hurling titles.

In 1939 and 1940 the Glen were led to championship victory by Jack Lynch. Jack went on to create his history by becoming the first and only Taoiseach to win an All-Ireland medal and remarkably to win six All-Ireland medals in a row.

The late 1930s and the early 1940s were fondly remembered by GAA followers for the great tournament games between the Glen and Ahane from Limerick.

That club produced many of Limerick’s greatest hurlers during that era, including the great Mick Mackey. These games attracted thousands of spectators.

During the 1940s, the Glen won six county titles. They were captained by Jack Lynch, Connie Buckley, Din Joe Buckley, Paddy O’Donovan, Jim Young and Dave Creedon. These successes were recorded in 1940, 41, 44, 45, 48, and 1949.

During this period Cork won the famous four-in-a-row All-Ireland titles. Glen Rovers had Connie Buckley in 1941 and Jack Lynch in 1942 as part of that four in a row success.

This was also the decade when the Eucharistic Cup was introduced. This was a challenge game which took place in June every year between the Glen and the Barrs. These games attracted thousands each year as it was a Northside versus Southside confrontation.

The pride of both clubs was at stake and they never left their spectators down. Cork GAA spectators were also the winners.

This competition lasted until the early 1980s and raised much needed revenue for both clubs.

In the 1950s, the Glen won five senior titles, 1950, 53, 54, 58, and 1959. In these victories the club were led by John Lyons in 1950, 58 and 1959 and led by Joe Hartnett in 1953 and by Christy Ring in 1954. However, the big game of this decade was the 1955 final between the Glen and the Barrs. The first game ended in a draw.

The replay attracted a record attendance of 31,019, who saw the Barrs emerge victorious. This was a glorious decade for the Blackpool club as they officially opened their new magnificent club and hall at Thomas Davies Street in 1953. This amenity was the envy of every club in the country.

The following year, 1954, the club enjoyed its greatest year in its iconic history. That year the Glen won the county senior hurling championship, the intermediate and minor county hurling championships. Christy Ring captained Cork to win his eight All-Ireland medal and St Nicks, with Ring in the team, won the county senior double for the third time in the Blackpool club’s history.

The 1960s saw the club winning the senior hurling championship on five occasions. 1960, 62, 64, 67 and 1969. In that decade the Glen had great battles with the Barrs and UCC.

The 1960 and 1962 finals between the Glen and UCC were epics. The mid-sixties saw a remarkable achievement by the Blackpool men. In 1964, the Glen led by Ring defeated the Barrs in the hurling final. In 1965, St Nicks led by John Joe Kelly defeated the Barrs to win the county football title.

In 1966, again the Barrs were beaten in the football final by St Nicks, led by Jackie Daly, and in 1967 the Barrs were defeated again by the northsiders for the fourth year in a row when the Glen, captained by Sean Kennefick, lifted the hurling title.

History

Finbarr O’Neill, Jerry O’Sullivan, Jackie Daly, and Patsy Harte played in all four finals. The sixties saw the Glen and St Nicks make further history when they won the first ever Munster Club Championships.

These competitions were inaugurated in 1964 and 1965. As county champions in 1964 the Glen qualified to meet Mount Sion in the final. The first game between these two sides was abandoned and was replayed on Easter Sunday 1966.

It was fitting that the Glen should be victorious on that day as the club were celebrating their Golden Jubilee having been founded in 1916.

To mark this event, the club organised a very successful trip to America. They returned home undefeated having recorded victories in New York, Boston, and Chicago. In 1967, in Killarney, St Nick’s defeated the Kerry county champions to win the Munster Club Football Championship.

This however was the last senior club championship won by St Nicks. In early 1970s, the Glen recorded a pivotal victory against Youghal in 1972. Following that watershed success, the club’s fortunes began to decline and the senior hurling championship was one on only four occasions 1976, 1989, 2015 and 2016.

Today, however, Glen Rovers remain a flourishing club and this year won the county premier minor hurling championship.

This club is built on solid foundations of grit, spirit and success. Glen Rovers remains an institution in Gaelic Games folklore and rightly acknowledged as one of the greatest clubs in the history of the GAA.