John Arnold: The hurlers from Cork ‘who really won the game’ for Dublin
The Barry family from Bartlemy in 1925. Pictured from left in the back row are Billy and Paddy who both played the NHL game with Dublin in 1935.
Teams from the capital and the ‘real’ capital have met down the years in big games, but the hurling fortunes of both counties vary greatly.
We here in Cork consider not winning the MacCarthy Cup since 2005 a virtual sporting famine, but the hurling faithful in Dublin have had to listen to their grandparents telling them of past glories- 1938 being the last occasion the All Ireland hurling trophy ‘stayed’ by the Liffey.
True enough, the Dubs sporting appetite has been well sated by the many and frequent occasions when the silver symbol of supremacy in Gaelic football – the Sam Maguire Cup, has been presented to Sky Blue players.
Be that as it may, hurling has come on by leaps and bounds in Dublin in recent decades. Dalo from Clare helped that revival. Earlier this year, Dublin Club Na Fianna became All Ireland champions, so the recent dismissal of Limerick, undoubtedly a seismic sporting shock, is another sign that Dublin’s hurling stock is rising.
Billy Barry, or Liam as he was known in later years, and his brother Paddy were two of the twelve children born to Patsy Barry NT and his wife Ellen Arnold. Billy was born in 1907, and Paddy in 1914.
As young men, they both played hurling. When the Bride Rovers GAA Club was founded in 1928, Billy was one of the ‘founding fathers’ -his brother Dan was elected first Club Chairman. He was player officer and board delegate, and in 1932 he penned the club anthem “Bride Rovers Abú”. At the end of 1933, Billy was transferred to Waterford, working in the Customs and Excise. By 1935, both Billy and his younger brother Paddy were both working in Dublin and playing hurling with the Civil Service Club- Paddy was club secretary for five years. In May of 1935, Billy and Paddy, and a Willie Barry from Mallow, also a Civil Service hurler, went along to Croke Park to see a Dublin v Waterford game in the league. Billy had played for the Erin’s Own Club in Waterford and knew many of the Waterford players, including Mick Wyse from Erin’s Own.
Shortly before the throw-in, there was consternation in the Dublin dressing room as four of the selected team never turned up. One of the selectors went out onto the pitch and walked along the sideline- basically looking for players! He spotted the three Barrys and a Keating man from the Crokes Club. “Will ye play?” was the question/request issued. The four lads agreed but pointed out they’d no playing gear with them. The Dublin official assured them that it wouldn’t be a problem. In they went and out they came in the blue jersey of Dublin! By all accounts, the ‘newcomers’ were outstanding and the Dubs won by 7-5 to 1-6, ‘it was these volunteers who really won the game for Dublin’ ( ). In a 1978 letter, Billy Barry wrote that he was marking Mick Wyse, his former Erin’s Own clubmate. The headline on the the next day was ‘ ’. The newspaper account gave ‘Finbarr’ Barry as the scorer of 4 goals and a point but this seems to have been a typo in translating the Dublin team-sheet (in Irish) and it may well have been Paddy Barry who was the scorer of 4-1. After that game, ‘normal service’ resumed for the Dublin hurlers and the Bride Rovers. Barrys never again togged out with the Dubs!
When Pa got married, himself and his bride honeymooned in Dungarvan. The day after the wedding, Pa went out for a cycle. The story goes he wasn’t back til the evening. His wife, on enquiring, was told by Pa that he went for ‘a long spin’. Apparently, that afternoon, Tallow were playing Bride Rovers in the Kilcronat (Ballynoe) hurling tournament. Pa cycled to the game, played, then back to Dungarvan!
The next Bride Rovers hurler to grace Croke Park was Con Murphy from Main St in Rathcormac. Along with his namesake from the Valley Rovers Club (later GAA President) Con won an All-Ireland senior medal with Cork in 1946, beating Kilkenny in the final. Con was back with Cork in the final again in 1947, but a late, late point from Terry Leahy gained sweet revenge for the Cats. Five years later, in 1952, Con was back in Croke Park on All-Ireland day. By now, he was studying pharmacy in Dublin and was picked to play for Dublin. So in that 1952 final, Con lined out against many of his former Cork team-mates in a game won easily by the Rebels.
There’s a true story told about two men from Cork who attended that game. There they were on the morning of the final, walking up O’Connell Street after being at Mass. Dressed in suits and collars and ties, they felt the pangs of hunger. They went into a posh hotel on the right, near the top of the street. No need for menus or the like - they asked for ‘the dinner’. Well, the waiter first brought a little plate with four tomatoes about the size of marbles – a sparrow would have them for the breakfast! Next came a plate of lettuce, which they ate like hungry cows after breaking into a field of after-grass! The next they got was a dish with two small potatoes, well one of the lads stuck his fork into the spud, ate it in one bite and shouted after the waiter: “They’re done alright -bring ‘em on”. At least Cork won the game!
In 2017, when Cork won the special under-17 All-Ireland Hurling Championship, they beat Dublin in the final in Croke Park by two points. Bride Rovers players Brian and Eoin Roche were jointly presented with the Cup.
Six of that Cork under-17 team, including the Roche twins, are on the Cork selection for next Saturday. The tradition goes on- come on the Rebels!
App?
