Three generations who all played hurling home and away

Seldom enough I’d leave an All Ireland Hurling Final in Croke Park before the game is over. Even when Cork weren’t playing I always love to see the McCarthy Cup being presented. Since I first attended the greatest sporting day in Ireland on the first Sunday in September back in 1972 I’ve seen proud Kilkenny, Limerick, Cork, Galway, Offaly, Tipperary, Clare and Wexford captains raise that grand old trophy.

I must admit that on the first Sunday of September in 1994 I was going to slip away from my perch on Hill 16 with about five or six minutes to go. A small crowd of just over 54,000 was in Croker that day and after years of heartache it seemed that Limerick were going to win the hurling crown for the first time in 21 years. With Damien Quigley on fire the Treaty men were five points up - maybe not ‘cruising’ but well in control.

Of course I wanted to see Gary Kirby lift the cup but I’d gone to Dublin by train that morning so I thought I’d be heading for Connolly Station.

I was ready to leave when Johnny Dooley slammed a 21 yard free to the net. Limerick were reeling and the Faithful County added a further 1 3 to win the All Ireland. I saw an ecstatic Martin Hanamy get the McCarthy Cup while Kirby and his players wept forlornly out on the pitch. Full forward for Limerick that September Sunday was 24-year-old Pat Heffernan from the Blackrock Club in Kilfinnane. A lot of Shannon water has passed through Limerick city in the intervening 29 years and Pat Heffernan is still playing hurling! Truly it’s a long, long way from Croke Park to Wormwood Scrubs in London but Pat ‘Beefy’ Heffernan has made that and many other hurling journeys too!

From a great Gaelic family Pat’s father, also Pat, made his senior debut with the Limerick hurlers in 1964 when they lost to Clare.

After a sojourn in England where he had a successful hurling career Heffernan senior was back in the Green and White a decade later. He was corner back on the team that lost to Cork in the 1975 Munster Final. I was at that game and travelled in confidence on a wet August Sunday to see the Rebels play Galway in the semi final. Cork wore black togs, for TV purposes, that day and had a ‘black result’ losing to the Westerners. Young Pat Heffernan lined out with Limerick minors and under 21s(for four years) and from 1991 on was on the Limerick Senior panel. In 1994 he won his only Munster Senior medal when Limerick easily beat Clare in the provincial final. Heffernan lashed in two goals in the quarter final win over Cork.

Cork got their revenge the following year beating Limerick in the Munster Final where Pat scored a point. After that he was kind of ‘exiled’ from Limerick until recalled in 1997. A teacher by profession Pat came to work in the Patrician Academy in Mallow and has been a mainstay of that educational institute -promoting Gaelic games in a big way.

For a few seasons the two Pat Heffernans, father and son, had the singular honour of playing together on their beloved Blackrock club team.

In the early 2000’s Pat transferred to his adopted home of Mallow. It was in 2007 whilst with Mallow that Pat came to coach our Club Bride Rovers and boy did he make great friends and lifelong friendships here.

We got to the County semi-final under Pat’s tutelage. He then spent two seasons with the Kerry Senior team. In 2009 Blackrock were contesting the Junior Hurling Championship and at the age of 39 Pat went back to his home club. Now a goalkeeper he enjoyed a fantastic season with his neighbours and friends. Blackrock won the County title and then defeated Fermoy in the Munster Club Final. A semi-final win over Kilkenny’s Black & Whites set Pat and his comrades up for An All Ireland Final in Croke Park. They defeated Tyrone’s Naomh Colmcille by 1 19 to 0 9 in the decider. All the sorrows of 1994 were truly banished.

“Winning an All Ireland with your county is great but nothing, nothing at all, compares with winning with your club” – Pat still recalls that glorious day for his club - no wonder the celebrations went on for the most of 2010!

One of the best ‘hurling nights’ I ever had was a few years back in the Mallow GAA Complex. 

The Mallow Club had a great year with multiple successes at under age. Pat asked Ciaran Carey, Teddy McCarthy and myself to present the medals and have an Open Forum on Gaelic games. It was a brilliant night. Hard to imagine that Teddy is gone - himself and Ciaran sparked off each other that night with Pat quipping in as well. I heard afterwards, on the grapevine, that one disgruntled parent questioned my presence in such auspicious playing company on the night ‘Sure yer man Arnold never caught a hurley in his life’!

Pat Heffernan continues to imbue his love of hurling to anyone wanting to listen. He has coached his own Club Blackrock, Clyda Rovers and Watergrasshill. His enthusiasm for our great ancient game has never dimmed though, like me, he questions the merit of the split season in regards the overall good of hurling. Like every other Limerick native he has drawn immense pleasure and pride from the remarkable deeds of John Kiely’s men since 2018.

“They are a phenomenon- a once in a lifetime bunch of great guys, physically strong and with brilliant hurling brains” - is Pat’s description of the four-in-a-row seeking Limerick side. His own two sons Fionn and Daithi are hurling exponents too having played variously with Blackrock, Mallow, Cork and Limerick. This year Daithi was domiciled in London and fell in playing Club Hurling with Brothers Pearse Club. He was picked for the London hurlers in the Christy Ring Cup - they won three of their five games. 

Still as enthusiastic as ever about the game he passionately loves Pat Heffernan still has ambitions on the playing field. 

He has asked me to put in a good word with incoming GAA President Jarlath Burns to start a Super Masters Inter-County Hurling Competition for players aged between 53 and 54 – I’m presently preparing a Motion for GAA Congress next year!

With Fionn also across the pond this summer Pat decided it would be lovely if history could be repeated in the way himself and his father played on the same team. Pat hadn’t played competitively since 2019 so he was entitled to a Free Transfer to any Club he wanted. Never one to bend or break the rules Pat Heffernan lately applied to become a member of the Brothers Pease Club alongside his two sons. All the paperwork was completed in Croke Park so Pat was now entitled to play in London.

Last Sunday was Pat Heffernan Seniors 78th birthday so along with his son Pat they took the plane from Shannon to London, met with Fionn and Daithi and got ready for a game. Far from the madding crowd - far from Ruislip or New Eltham and a long, long way from Croke Park the match was played, near the infamous Wormwood Scrubs Prison. Here, togging out by the ditch, the hurlers of Brothers Pearse and Thomas McCurtains lined out in a Senior Hurling League match. Pat was in goal for Brothers Pearse and Fionn and Daithi playing outfield. Truly it was a historic occasion with Pat Senior on the line not far away from where many an Irishman was incarcerated.

The Heffernan-inspired Brothers Pearses won the game by 1 21 to 2 8. Pat Heffernan Senior had played with Pearses in the 1960’s and ‘young‘ Pat hurled briefly for them as teenager in 1989. So the three generations of the one family with Limerick roots have all played hurling home and away. Pat’s reaction this week; “Limerick might win the All Ireland but for me it’s been a case of ‘Dreams do and have come true’”.