Ringmahon Rangers recent success would have made founder member Jeremiah O'Leary very proud

Ringmahon Rangers are having an incredible season to date.

They won the Keane Cup recently beating Rockmount in the final, were narrowly beaten in the FAI Intermediate Cup last weekend by College Corinthians in the final in Turner's cross and are still in with a chance of Munster Senior League honours.

However, one of their favourite sons, and founder member Jeremiah (Jer) O’Leary would be extremely proud of the club’s achievements on an doff the pitch in the last few years.  The recent developments at Ringmahon Park are incredible and a real tribute to the hard-working committee and volunteers in the club. 

Jeremiah started out playing with Blackrock FC where he won two Munster Junior Cup medals. 

He, along with his brother Dano, and their friends then founded Ringmahon in 1951 and they went to win multiple honours across the AUL in the 1950's and in the Munster Senior League in the 1960's.

Jeremiah’s son Dermot fondly remembers going to games with his father and following his brother’s Micheal and Pat when they played with and against the Ringers in the early days.

“My own memories stretch back to going to home matches in the Valley, a pitch that was situated just to the left of the road on the bend as you pass Meadow Grove and head for Mahon Point, long gone now,” Dermot recalls.

“It was a fortress, as teams dreaded playing there as all the famous Ringmahon players were there in their pomp, Langton, the O'Leary brothers, the Gossys, Eugene and Eddie. 

"There one funny story when Eddie, being suspended for a vital cup match, he was recognised as the better of the two, so yes, Eugene's name was on the team sheet.

“My father was involved from the very start, when Ringmahon were a schoolboy team, he eventually ended up being a supporter more than being directly involved. 

"He couldn't be as hands on as he'd like, though we'd nearly always be in the Valley of a Sunday, and would often travel to away matches in national cup competitions, mainly to Dublin.

“My two brothers, Micheal and Pat also wore the red and black colours with Ringmahon. 

"Micheal won two FAI Intermediate Cup medals, one with Avondale United in 1978 (Ringmahon's arch local rivals), and another with Cobh Ramblers in 1980.

"There is a uniqueness with those Ffinals, they were both played at St Colman's Park, and Micheal scored two goals in each final, a unique record that still stands.

"However, Micheal did go back to both manage and play with Ringmahon.

“If I recall correctly, my brother Pat had been injured for a while in the run up to the Keane Cup final in 1982. 

"However, the then player manager John Swaine decided that Pat, also known as Libby, was too good of a 'player not to use, so he played on the day. 

"Of course, Micheal was playing with Cobh, however, Ringmahon won on the day 4-2 with Robbie Cuthbert grabbing a hat-trick and Martin Lyons getting the other goal. 

"My father had great pride in his two sons football exploits, it wasn't easy back in those days, my father being a founding member and a proud Ringmahon man. 

"I recall some local derby games in the early days against Avondale United, particularly those played in Rangers Park, which by then had moved to across from St Michael's graveyard. 

"My father’s brother Dano and founder member was also a great character, well known for 'running the line' for Ringmahon with his white hankerchief (mysteriously) always pointing towards a Ringmahon throw.

“The lives of people from Blackrock, especially in sporting circles are constantly interwoven, from Ringmahon themselves, to Blackrock hurling and even Avondale. 

"All though whilst still rivals those great people that are involved in running Avondale, some of which are lifelong family friends of ours, would genuinely love to see Ringmahon winning the intermediate cup. 

"There’s a lot of River Lee water that has flowed through Blackrock since the rivalry of the 1970's. 

"A lot of our forefathers, including our own, the founders of Ringmahon, those that were involved with Avondale, Jim Hennebery, Chris Herlihy, and Tom Mullane, all great Rockies in their own right, have gone to that sporting field in the sky, where hopefully and collectively, they were wishing for a Ringmahon victory on Intermediate Cup Final day last Saturday.

“Our maternal grandfather, Paddy Delea, was a famous Rockie and Cork hurler, winning four senior All-Ireland medals himself. 

"Though he was very much embedded in the traditional wing of the GAA, I remember a time when Micheal was playing a schoolboys match for Ringmahon in St Colman's Park.

"My grandfather would not go into the game with my father and myself, instead choosing to stay in the car with our mother, the foreign games ban being in place at the time,” O’Leary added.