Dunmanway Vocational School mark 50 years since senior county final success

THE Dunmanway vocational school team who captured the senior football title in 1972 recently gathered in the Parkway Hotel to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their famous triumph.

Their senior county success in 1972 was the first time the Dunmanway Vocational School had won the prestigious football county title and it represented a huge achievement for the co-educational school which had around 150 pupils at the time.

Players, coaches, and teachers from the school all gathered for the recent reunion which saw all the players receive framed pictures of the successful panel.

Donal McCarthy who played on the Dunmanway vocational school senior football team said that panel of players enjoyed huge success in both codes over a memorable few years. 

“We won the senior B hurling county title in 1971 after we beat Macroom in a final played in Bandon. That same year we were defeated in the senior A football county final by Kanturk in Macroom. 

"We were going well and leading by a few points before our centre-back Denis Crowley suffered a bad injury. The following year we eventually won the senior A football county title after we beat Midleton by five points in Bandon,” he said.

BREAKTHROUGH

The West Cork vocational school had tasted defeat in the senior A football county final on a few occasions in the 1970s before they eventually enjoyed county final success in 1972 with a very talented squad who were comprised of players from numerous clubs in the greater Dunmanway hinterland. 

He said it was a great ‘achievement’ for their senior football team. 

"It was a great achievement for the school to win the premier football school title because we were picking from a very small base. We had players from Dohenys, St Mary’s, Diarmuid Ó Mathúna, Kilmeen, Kilmichael, Randal Óg, and Drinagh. The Dohenys club was going very well at the time which helped. In 1972 they won the Intermediate football title.

“We had a very strong panel of players, however. We had some great players. We had Colman O’Rourke who later shone for the Cork senior footballers in 1976, Denis Crowley from the Dohenys, Sean O’Donovan who is a present Carbery selector, Ger Dullea from Kilmeen, Noel Woods and Kevin McCarthy both from Randal Óg, Kilmichael duo Pat Buttimer and John Francis Crowley. 

"These were all very talented players. A lot of our players also subsequently contributed hugely to their clubs in playing, coaching, and administrative roles afterwards,” he added.

McCarthy said the input of several coaches was also a huge factor in helping the talented Dunmanway vocational school team reach their holy grail. 

Seamus Coakley from Diarmuid Ó Mathúna who later served as chairman of the Carbery Board came to the school in 1972 and was a selector with the team. Seamus was a big help. 

"The late Sean Coughlan was coaching us as well and John Crowley was also involved. Other teachers also turned up at the reunion such as Leo Duggan, Jim O’Donovan, and Maura Cahalane who made some of the presentations on the night." 

The idea for the reunion was initiated by four people who wanted to mark the 50th anniversary of their milestone victory. Donal who previously served as the secretary of the Carbery GAA Board along with Seamus Coakley, Kevin McCarthy, and Sean O’Donovan all met up on regular occasions in recent months to ensure the night of the reunion ran smoothly. 

"We have been meeting over the last six months to plan the process. It was a great night. We had a great catch-up. Everyone enjoyed it. We were delighted with the way it turned out. We spoke about old games and told old stories. We spoke about great players who we played against and recalled many funny stories. It was also good to meet our teachers from that era as well. It was a great success.” 

Two members of the successful 1972 team unfortunately are since deceased. 

"Colman O’Rourke and Liam Woods have passed away. Colman passed away in November 2005. Liam was the youngest member of our team. He was only in second year when we won the county title.” 

McCarthy admits it is hard to believe 50 years have passed since he and his team-mates won the senior A football county title. 

“It is hard to believe over 50 years have passed since that success. The years have flown by. We still have great memories of that era. I was fortunate to have played in a great team with so many talented players. They were great sporting days. It was great to look back on those happy days with the players and coaches again recently." 

The Dunmanway vocational school team overcame several tough challenges en route to success in 1972. 

"We defeated Kinsale in the quarter-final before we beat Skibbereen in the semi-final. We had great battles against them in Aughaville. We then beat Midleton in the final. Kanturk were also a strong team in that era. They had a very good player in John Breen. 

"John Evans who later played for the Cork senior football team was a big player with Skibbereen.” 

Following their successful reunion, the team now hopes to hold more regular gatherings. 

“We are thinking of keeping it going on a yearly basis, just getting together and having a nice catch-up.”