Cork soccer legend Austin Noonan dies

AUSTIN NOONAN (89), one of Cork’s and League of Ireland football's all-time greats, passed away peacefully at his home today (Monday).

He was regarded by colleague Donal Leahy as one of the best players Cork ever produced.

Yet, Noonan had to endure a lot of rejection before making the breakthrough to League of Ireland football.

He was surplus to requirements and considered too small and light as a youth player. In fact, he was unwanted and left out in the cold despite the fact that he sparkled for Maymount in their replay defeat by Crofton in the inaugural Cork Schoolboys League U16 Cup final which was played in Turner’s Cross.

After a spell with Colmcille’s, he moved across the city to play with Ballinlough and while with them was selected on the Cork AUL junior team along with Donie Wallace for a match against Dublin at St Colman’s Park.

That was in June 1954 and the following season, Austin Noonan appeared in the League of Ireland goal-scoring charts for the first time, having been persuaded by the late Tommy Moroney to sign for Evergreen, who paid the little ball player the sum of £2 a week.

At the commencement of the 1956-57 season, he had a new partner when Donie Leahy arrived from North End and the deadly duo hit it off immediately forming one of the most lethal partnerships in the history of the game. Leahy, the big man, flicked the ball on for the darting Noonan, while Austin had the skill to place the through ball for the powerful Leahy to run onto.

Leahy became the country’s leading scorer in 1958 when he pipped Noonan by a solitary goal. Noonan spent much of the following season on the sideline with a troublesome right ankle injury which resulted in him using the weaker left foot a lot more and it paid rich dividends in 1960 when he shattered his partner’s goal-scoring record netting 27 of his club’s 66 goals. 

That year Cork Celtic, by which they were then known, finished runners-up in the League for the second consecutive year and two years later were bridesmaids again when beaten by Shels in a championship play-off.

Noonan was on the side beaten by champions Shams in the replayed FAI Cup final in 1964 and was majestic in Sofia when Celtic held Slavia to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their resultant European Cup Winners Cup tie. 

When fans said, “what a player he would have been if he was a few inches taller”, it always brought a smile to his face as many of his goals were scored with the head. Despite his lack of inches, Noonan was very handy in the air. 

“In training, I was jumping with John Coughlan, Ray Cowhie, and Donie Leahy for crosses from Paul O’Donovan. We spent hours at it and if you didn’t go up hard you’d be sent flying by them”, he told Sean Ryan who was compiling his ‘Book of Irish Goalscorers’. To have been included in that brilliant publication alongside legends like Paddy Ambrose, Alfie Hale, Eric Barber, and ‘Big’ Seanie McCarthy is an indication of the esteem that the Irish sporting media held Noonan in.

He was honoured by the League of Ireland selectors on a couple of occasions. Other honours include Independent Cup (Top four), Shield, Dublin City Cup, and Munster Senior Cup winners medals.

After a dozen years in Turner’s Cross, he transferred to local rivals Cork Hibs in 1966 and had the distinction of being Hibs manager in 1970 when their Shield victory qualified them to play in Europe for the first time. 

Noonan will always be remembered as one of the local soccer’s finest products and worthy of recognition as a Great of Cork soccer. 

May he rest in peace.