Taoiseach Micheál Martin opens Nemo Rangers' centenary wall

More than 500 people were present as An Taoiseach - and Nemo Rangers member and former player - Micheál Martin officially opened the club’s centenary wall at its Trabeg complex recently.

The merging of Nemo and Rangers in early 1922 led to the formation of the club we know today and, to mark a century of existence, a number of initiatives are being run over the course of the year.

The bricks of centenary wall feature the names of players, supporters, families and even those members who are sadly no longer with us. As the club put it, “Their names are printed on the wall, securing their place in our history.”

On January 1, the special centenary flag was unveiled while other familiar events like the annual Nemo golf classic and street leagues will have a centenary theme and feature specially cast medals incorporating the centenary crest. A special competition will also celebrate the life of recently deceased Nemo icon, Jim Cremin.

A ‘Welcome Home Week’ will culminate with a gala centenary dinner in October. The latter end of the year will see the publication of a comprehensive 400-page centenary club History covering the entire story of the club from its beginning and include features on its iconic players and personalities.

The chairman of the Nemo Centenary Committee, David O’Kelly, said: “It will be a year to

remember with a selection of special centenary merchandise including limited edition

centenary pins, commemorative centenary jersey and associated leisure tops.

“This all adds up to a centenary project that has involved input and organisation from many

people over many months. We feel that we will mark this important milestone in a way that

befits a club of Nemo Rangers’ high standing in the sporting life of Cork and on the national

stage.

“We look forward to celebrating with all the Nemo family – young and old, new members,

former members and all friends of the club.”

A piece in The Cork Examiner of March 20, 1922 claimed that, ‘Now that the Nemo and Rangers clubs have combined their respective forces they will take some reckoning with in the 1922 championship.’

Little was it realised that Nemo Rangers would continue to be ‘reckoned with’ and

recognised as a leading GAA club for the next century. Seven All-Ireland club titles, 17 Munster club titles and 22 senior football county championships is just part of an impressive role of honour.

Following Nemo’s Paddy O’Keeffe’s incarceration as a republican prisoner in Parkhurst

Prison in 1921 he returned to Cork and became close friends with Denny Hegarty of Rangers

GAA Club as fellow officers of the Volunteers. This famous Nemo man, Paddy O’Keeffe,

Pádraig Ó Caoimh, went on to be Director General of the GAA and had Páirc Uí Chaoimh, named in his honour. O’Keeffe and Hegarty became the men who orchestrated the amalgamation of both clubs – Nemo and Rangers.

A hundred years on, hopes are high that the special year can be marked in that most familiar Nemo way – the winning of the Andy Scannell Cup, awarded for the Bons Secours Cork Premier SFC.

While it took until the celebration of the club’s silver jubilee in 1972 for the county senior title to be won for the first time, since then Nemo have become a silverware machine, with the 2000s seeing them win a three-in-a-row and then a four-in-a-row. In both 2001 and 2002, they claimed a senior/intermediate double as the club’s first and second teams both went all the way. Neither should it be forgotten that Nemo have competed at senior level in hurling and were city junior A champions as recently as 2009.

Having beaten Castlehaven in the 2020 county football final at the end of August last year, Nemo found it tough to maintain their levels in the 2021 competition and exited at the group stage after losses to Valley Rovers and Douglas.

For the coming premier senior campaign, they are in a tough group featuring three West Cork sides – the last two runners-up, Castlehaven and Clonakilty, and Newcestown.

The latter are the opposition in Brinny tomorrow for Paul O’Donovan’s side (4pm), while there is a repeat of the 2013, 2015 and 2020 county finals in Clonakilty on August 13 as Nemo face the Haven. They then face Clonakilty on September 4 in Bandon.