Cuala Hurlers 1920 – And Our Very First Match Report

We first reported on the Cuala Hurlers of the 1920s back in 2011. Now Cartlann Digiteach Cuala has a good excuse to re-post because not only have we obtained a better image of the team but we’ve also built up a better picture of their activities including the earliest-ever Match Report of a Cuala team.

A word of caution, Cartlann Digiteach Cuala believes the people identified here are accurately named. however some of the names may be mis-attributed to their corresponding image. In any event this team is, without doubt, the earliest side that can show a direct link to members of the current club.

Back Row (L-R)
01. Eamon Quirke  02. Unknown  03. William Byrne (Snr.)  04. Paddy Darcy  05. Paddy Murphy  06. Paddy Dennehy  07. Joe Hennessy  08. Jack Thomas  09. Tom Mullen  10. Unknown  11. Charlie Somers

Middle row (L-R)
12. Unknown (kneeling) 13. John Moloney  14. Paddy Thomas  15. Tom Byrne  16. Liam Byrne  17. Eamon McNoibin  18. Seamus Byrne  19. Mylie O’Neill

Front Row (L-R)
20. Michael Byrne  21. John Kelly  22. Stephen Taylor (boy)  23. Jack Ledwidge  24. Unknown

 

#03 William Byrne (Snr) was the 52-year-old father of 7 boys, 3 of whom are in this picture – #16 Liam (aged 23), #18 Seamus (aged 21) and #20 Michael (aged 17). (Ages assume that picture is dated 1920).  Liam was the grandfather of Damien Byrne (Cuala and Dublin Goalkeeper) and John Paul Byrne (Cuala, Dublin & Leinster Champion).

Several of the men in this picture were active in the War of Independence. In April 1921, Crown Forces conducted extensive raids in Dalkey & Killiney; among those arrested and later released, were Edward Quirke, Paddy Darcy, Jack Thomas and Tom & Michael Byrne.

If you know the unknowns, we’d be delighted to hear from you.

The Cuala Hurlers were active from at least 1920 when they played Junior Hurling under the auspices of the Dublin Board and lined out against clubs like Raperess,  College of Science and St Kevins.  In 1921, we have our first match report from when the Dalkey men travelled to Bray to play a friendly against St Cronins.

1922 saw them battling on and, in January at Croke Park, they played in the Junior League Final against Lucan Sarsfields. It wasn’t to be their day. Later that year, their league agenda saw fixtures against Conradh na Gaelige, Fontenoys, Fintan Lawlers and Confederates.  By 1923, they had become acquainted with St Dympnas, Kickhams, Young Emmetts and Rathmines.

Incidentally, all home games seems to have been fixed in the Phoenix Park but local intelligence is that training took place in a field at the “Firm” – near Hillside (thanks Harry Roberts). The firm was so-called, not after any particular business enterprise but because, it was the site of a large (ahem) “recycling facility” that had to be trampled down (‘firmed’) for stability.

1924 saw another busy year with fixtures against Civil Service, Civic Guards, Colmcilles and Shamrocks. Highlights of the season were a celebrity appointment in Enniskerry (more later) and the inclusion of two players – Byrne (which one?) and Ledwidge in a trial for the Dublin County Juniors.

The team carried on through 1925 and 1926 though they were finding it hard to keep in touch with dominant sides like Lusk & Civil Service. By October, they had only tasted success in 3 out of 21 fixtures.

After that, Cartlann Digiteach Cuala lost sight of this team and it was assumed that the team might have disbanded. But lo and behold, the hurling story was not over – we found them on the fixture list in 1932. Alas their game against Bray Emmetts was a walk-over. Though isn’t it fitting that both clubs are still thriving 90 years on.

At the time, Cuala supporters might have found the going tough but surely we can now look back with pride at this wonderful team that set us on our long journey to greater things.

 

 

 

 

Players and spectators at Shanganagh & Bray Emmets may sometimes be distracted from the game in hand to view the beautiful scenery of the surrounding hills. A well-known landmark on the skyline is the Ballycorus Chimney and its nearby companion, Carrickgollogan Hill. Of course nobody from the immediate area would know that hill by any other name except “Katty Gallagher”. Nowadays, it a popular site for hill walking but, in times past, people tended not to walk for leisure but simply to get from A to B.

So back in the day, March 1911 that is, an observer might have been surprised to see more than the usual number of people traipsing up around “Katty” – boys and men mostly – passing along what was, even then, a quiet country lane. What was going on? Where were they all headed?

Our local observer would probably have recognised many of the faces as they made their way up the Quarry Road from Shankill and heading for Ballyman which would bring them within sight of their final destination – Enniskerry. There, a battle was about to commence, or rather resume. And our travellers went by the name of Cuala!

Now whatever about their precise purpose, the revelation of this planned encounter has caused considerable surprise for Cartlann Digiteach Cuala. Until now, we understood that the earliest “Cuala” team was the side that dated from the 1920s. That was the Cuala Hurlers  who were active from the early 1920s. We even know that direct decedents of this team are active in Cuala to this very day (just ask Dayo or JP).  But now, in 1911 that is, Cartlann Digiteach Cuala finds that, there was an even earlier team that bore the name “Cuala” and it wasn’t hurling.  Nor were they from Dalkey or even Dun Laoghaire. What our reporter up at “Katty” had witnessed was a “Cuala” team en-route to play the second of a three-match series against Enniskerry – in Football.  And that “Cuala” team hailed from – Shankill. (Match Report 1: Mar. 1911 below)

These “Cuala” Footballers had lost the first game, probably held on a sloping field near Puck’s Castle. The second had been arranged to take place on a field belonging to William Johnston, proprietor of the Leicester Arms Hotel (now the Enniskerry Inn). On this occasion, the Cuala Footballers won the day.  A few weeks after the trip to Enniskerry, a decider was required and the third fixture was arranged in a neutral venue – the Peoples Park in Bray (Match Report 2: May 1911 below)

So where do these “Cuala” Footballers fit in the jigsaw of our own club’s history? Are they connected? And what became of them? Well, Cartlann Digiteach Cuala believes they might not have been officially called “Cuala” at all, or at least not for very long.

The term “Cuala” was used by many organisations. We had Cuala Press, Cuala Industries, Ceolteorai Cualann etc. But it was probably Conradh na Gaelige (The Gaelic League)  more that any other group that caused the term “Cuala” to be so widely recognised. They even named their local Ceanntair (region) “Cuala” reflecting the fact that it encompassed Conradh Branches in all the parishes across the ancient Cuala territory that stretched from Kilcoole/Delgany/Sugarloaf to the Dodder. Being convenient transport hubs, the area committee met alternately in Shankill (Harcourt St. Rail line) and Dunleary (Coastal Rail line) for meetings. Initially set up to promote Irish language and literature, Conradh quickly expanded its objectives to include arts and crafts. They promoted drama too. In fact the Shankill Branch was one of the first to produce a 3-act drama,”Toradh na Tada“, that was performed in St Mary’s Hall on Eblana Avenue in April 1912.

Significantly, for our story, at its national Ard Fheis in 1902, Conradh adopted a policy of encouraging its Branches to set up Hurling, Football and Athletic Clubs in their areas. And Shankill rose to the challenge. A team called Shilmaliers had been active in Shankill since about 1887 but by the turn of the century, it had become dormant.  So it was that, in 1904, under the leadership of many of those already involved in Conradh’s “Cuala” Ceantair, a team was “founded” – or more likely resurrected, using the same name as the former Shankill side – Shilmaliers. (Report 13 Apr 1904 below)

Cartlann Digiteach Cuala believes it was this team – comprising players and supporters so closely associated with Conradh that took part in those 1911 matches and that they had, adopted (or were reported as representing) Conradh’s “Cuala” brand.  Whatever their reason, the real truth can be discovered in the Match Report 1 (below).  Notice how their supporters encouraged the players with cry’s of “Go on Shills“.  Later in 1911, the news reports tell us that Shankill footballers were again in operation again under their official “Shilmaliers” banner. In fact they continued to play under that title (or Shelmaliers in later times) until about 1921/22.   For the record, the Shankill players in 1911 included –

• Frank Crawley (captain, Shankill – now Rathmichael)
• Pat McDonald (goals, Tillystown – now the modern village)
• William McGarry (Old Conna)
• James Murphy (possibly Leopardstown)
• William Hanlon (Shangannagh)
• John McGarry (Old Conna)
• James Kearns (Loughlinstown)
• Michael Rogers (Shankill)
• Robert Kearns (Loughlinstown)
• Terence Leonard (Loughlinstown)
• Francis O’Brien (Tillystown)
• Patrick Kearns (Loughlinstown)
• Robert Tobin (Shangannagh)
• Simon Doyle (Tillystown)
• Joe Murphy (possibly Brennanstown)
• Thomas Mahony (Shankill)
• Michael Reilly (Loughlinstown, son of a publican, probably from what was to become the Silver Tassie)

And speaking of Conradh, here’s another link between that organisation and our own Cuala. Conradh na Gaelige was founded by Douglas Hyde who later became first President of Ireland. And it was in his honour that Hyde Road Dalkey is so named and where the one and only Cuala is proudly headquartered today.

Dunleary O’Connells  is another of those Clubs whos very existence has been largely forgotten. Although not known to have any direct connection with the modern Cuala club, Cartlann Digiteach Cuala feels this forum is a fitting place to record what is known of this once powerful club in what has since become the Cuala heartland.

Our attention was drawn to O’Connells by Ray Logan who kindly shared an image of a Dublin medal that belonged to one of the team – Lawrence “Lanzy” O’Brien. It was awarded to the winners of the Dublin Junior League in 1910-11. At that time, O’Brien was most likely the Longford-born assistant in Doran’s Vintners in 106 Upper Georges street. Today, the spot is occupied by AIB though older readers, familiar with the pre-shopping centre town, may remember it as “The Glenbournie”.  Lanzy may well have excelled in his duties at his Kingstown place of work but we now know he was also a talented footballer with a medal to prove it. This can only have been good for his relationship with the boss Michael Doran who, when he wasn’t attending to the refreshment of the local populace, was a prominent officer of Daniel O’Connell’s Gaelic Football Club. The Club Secretary, Malachy Doyle worked next door in Liptons as a grocers assistant, living over the shop.

Winning a Junior Medal so soon in the clubs history, was surely a significant achievement. And we now know, thanks to further information supplied by Ray, how much it meant to Lanzy.  On Lanzy’s wedding day, he wore the medal – prominently displayed on his watchchain.

Back to the O’Connells Club, we can report that the officers were –

• P. Byrne (President)
• Michael Doran & Thomas Davis (Treasurers)
• Malachy Doyle, P.J Storm & Francis Fox-Macken (Secretaries) Doyle resigned his role in April 1910 to ease his workload as he was performing the same role for Bray Emmetts)
• Michael J Cooke (County Board & League Delegate)

Record Makers

The club was formed in 1909 and had a meteoric rise in Junior Football winning the 1910-11 League and, in the following year, playing Senior Championship Football. Kitted out in Black & Scarlett, their success on the field was remarkable; by December 1910, they has accumulated 30 goals & 118 points out of just 11 matches, a feat attested in writing by Lorcan O’Toole (Sec. to Dublin Board) who also confirmed that this was a record that stood from the formation of the League in May 1901. By all accounts, the O’Connells enjoyed significant support in the town. General Meetings could attract up to 150 attendees and it seems their games were well supported. The club were in the habit of arranging special trams for away matches. The spectators at home games were sometimes entertained by a local band.  Their home games were played in Mr Field’s field on Monkstown Avenue (present-day Sailors & Soldiers Field) and at “Adelaide Road” which was actually the modern (former Pres.) grounds at Glasthule.

History Makers
Few will now realise that in its early days, Gaelic Football had “points posts” as well as goalposts – much like Aussie Rules today. The outer points posts were discarded at the start of the 20th century. At the Carlisle Grounds in Bray in 1910, Bray Emmetts entertained O’Connells in a game – their first to be undertaken under the revised rules.

Accurate to a Tee
It was matters off the pitch which attracted most media attention to O’Connells. The club held regular meetings at their “rooms” at 55 Mulgrave Street to which the press were customarily invited. During one of these meetings, in April 1910, opinions were expressed (seemingly by Doran) as to how much favoritism was shown by the Dublin Football League committee and how they were prone to arrange fixtures involving long trips by O’Connell’s to the far reaches of Dublin ( Drumcondra, Rialto, Marino etc). The feeling was expressed that the League was more interested in gate revenue and had its “pet” clubs.  And it would seem that certain members of the League committee were prone to disparaging the reputation of the O’Connell’s team, much to the annoyance of the Dunleary faithful. These strong opinions had hardly left the lips of Doran when they appeared in the columns of the Wicklow People and in due course landed on the desk of the Secretary of the Football League.

The inevitable task of defending the club fell to Board Delegate Michael J. Cooke, a “provisions assistant and accountant” from Blackrock. Back in the day, it was customary for “visitors” to accompany club delegates to meetings where they could not vote but were often prone to voice their comments. One can only imagine the tensions. As far as the character of the team was concerned, Cooke was careful to emphasise that “we had to make it a rule of the club to keep out a certain undesirable class of whom there have been too many, even in our own time, to bring disgrace upon the Gaelic Athletic Association” Cooke was well-versed in the dynamics of the League Committee and already had considerable experience in this regard. For example, he had previously defended the O’Connells from a charge of fielding “un-constituted” players in a fixture against St Sylvester’s. The Malahide objection accused O’Connells of fielding players (Reilly, Moran, White. Matthews) in the Junior competition who had previously turned-out for Glasthule Mitchells in an Intermediate contest. Cooke skillfully argued that the Northsiders’ objection was not, as the rules demanded, lodged “in duplicate”. He demonstrated that the second copy was not an exact duplicate but a poorly constructed hand-written copy which spelled “Intermediate” as “Intermedi-T-ate”. Much to the amusement/consternation of the many spectators present, the Malahide objection was ruled inadmissible and Cooke received a hero’s reception at the next club meeting.

Cad is ainm duit?
The most notable member of the club was a John Woods of Brighton Vale, Monkstown who was an up-and-coming solicitor and a prominent Irish Language activist. He was well-connected to the GAA too, his aunt Margaret was married to Michael Cusack. John adopted the Irish form of his name at an early age and eventually formally changed it to the Irish version by Deed Poll. But he didn’t stop there – he even went so far as to change the name of his adopted town.  Admitted as an O’Connell’s member in 1910, Seaghan O’Huadhaigh later became a member of Kingstown Urban Council and played a leading role in having the name of the Council area changed to Dún Laoghaire.

Railed against Authority
By April 1911, the O’Connells were playing in the Senior Championship Football at Jones’ Road against Kickhams. More trouble ensued. A disputed sending-off of a Dunleary player was exacerbated by a fellow player leaving the field in protest and then returning to encourage his teammates to retire. When this did not achieve his aims, he kicked the match ball over the railings.  Game to Kickhams!

Aftermath
What became of Dunleary O’Connells after this remains a mystery. The last newspaper sighting of them was in July 1911 at the Greystones Tournament where they played Bray Emmett’s. While morale within the club ought have been very strong, it might be speculated that their relationship with County officials was far from ideal. Perhaps life simply got more difficult for them organizationally. Whatever the reason, we can find no trace of officers or players in GAA affairs in the immediate area beyond this time.  Malachy Doyle went on to captain Bray Emmett’s before taking up the whistle and eventually became Secretary to the Dublin Football League Committee and a member of the Dublin County Board. Cartlann Digiteach Cuala also noticed some familiar O’Connells names cropping up in Bray Emmets in 1912 – e.g. Hanny, Richfield, D. Reilly. Another sign that their Dunleary outfit was no more.

Players and members associated with the Dunleary O’Connells were –

• Byrne, John (full forward)
• Carroll, M.
• Carroll, William
• Corish, Matt
• Devlin
• Donnelly, Thomas
• Edwards, Victor (a Vanman from Monkstown)
• Farrell, P.
• Gill, Patrick (a Roscommon-born Grocers Asst., 70 Lower Georges Street)
• Hegarty
• Hanny, Con (motor mechanic, Findlater St)
• Hanny, Michael (vice Captain, Findlater St)
• Hanny, Christopher (Railway porter, Findlater St )
• Keely, H.F.
• Kevans
• Larkin, John
• Matthews, Edward (Adelaide cottages)
• Matthews , John (Adelaide cottages)
• Matthews , Patrick (Adelaide cottages)
• McGovern, Joseph (Captain, Eden Terrace)
• McGovern, Thomas (Goalkeeper & carpenter, Eden Terrace)
• Moran, James (a solicitor Brighton Vale Monkstown)
• Moran, John
• Murray, P.
• O’Brien, Laurence (the recipient of the medal which prompted this article)
• O’Connor, Anthony
• O’Connor, R.
  O’Huadhaigh, Seaghan
• O’Shea, D.J.
• O’Shea, John
• O’Sullivan, Timothy
• Reilly, Dan – probably from Longs Cottages, now the Site of Dixons Villas in Glasthule.
• Richfield, John
• Richfield, Joseph
• Smyth, Patrick (Goalkeeper)
• Talty, E
• White , Patrick

Team picture courtesy of Joe Dodd; Soccer in the Borough

Cartlann Digiteach Cuala  occasionally likes to look over our historical fence to better understand what our neighbours were up to back in the day. We, like many others, would have shared a belief that there was not much going on in the locality during the war years but Comhar Cualann caught our eye. It existed in the decade prior to the founding of St Begnetts GAA (1958) and just a few years before Naomh Mhuire (1948). The familiar name is also fascinating being rooted in the same ancient area that previously influenced Cuala Hurling Club (1920s) and later Cuala Boys (1962)

Comhar Cualann was founded in early 1945 and was run by people living around Dun Laoghaire. Although it was short-lived, it seems to have been active until at least 1947. It organised a hectic schedule of club activities. As the name suggests it’s major aim was the promotion of Irish language and culture but it adopted a much broader scope of interests than those traditionally associated with a typical G.A.A Club and it had “branches” across the metropolis including Bray, Rathmines, Rathgar & Terenure.

Among its activites could be found not only Football, Hurling & Camogie, but Boxing, Tug of War, Table Tennis, Hiking, First Aid, Cycling, Physical Training, Ballroom Dancing and a Soccer team. Also listed were the Comhar Players (Drama, sketches, Variety shows) and a popular weekly “Social” in Dun Laoghaire Town Hall which sometimes included celebrity guests. Crowds flocked to see Dublin celebs like crooners Frankie Blowers and Jerry Kestell, Jack Cruise (of Olympia pantomime fame), and tenor Martin Crosbie (brother of Paddy “School-Around-the-Corner” Crosbie). Jazz pianist Peggy Dell was a promised attendee. Comhar Cualann even had its own Band and seem to offer a wide variety of styles from Ceili to danceband. They practiced in the Coastguard Station in Dun Laoghaire.

Comhar Cualann had no connection with the Bray-based Cor Cualann Musical Society. Nor does it seem to have any direct association with Comhar Chumann Cualann, a parental co-operative that ran Colaiste Cualann in Blackrock (boys) and Clarinda Park (Girls)  in the 1960s.  And, despite its primary objective being the promotion of irish culture, we think it’s unlikely to have been linked to the Gaelic League who’s regional organisation was also named Cuala.

For most of its time its officers were President James De Loughrey (York Rd), Vice President Dermot Supple, Secretary Thomas J. Brady (Rosary Gardens) and Treasurer Oliver Plunkett. Others involved at a committee level were Peter Heffernan (Melifont Ave), Charles Heffernan, Kevin Dillon, Margaret Davis, Kathleen Fallon, Peggy Byrne, nee O’Toole (Irish Dance), Robbie Brennan (Drama), Sean Butler (Director of Sports), L. Owens, S. Byrne, Paddy Byrne, Jackie Leonard, John B Ryan (Socials), Andrew J Keely (Rathgar Branch) & Maise Gallagher (Bray Branch)

In keeping with its primary objectives, it ran Irish dance classes and language lessons and promoted the speaking of Irish.

Comhar Cualann played Soccer in Div 3 of the Athletic Union League using pitches in Ballybrack, Glasthule and Newtownpark (Bradmola Factory); players included Davenport, Coyle, Kelby & Dunne. It played Hurling & Football in the Patrick Moran grounds on Newtownpark Avenue and while they on the record of intending to affiliate with the Dublin County Board in Dec 1946, it is not clear whether they ever did (or could, given the extensive range of their sporting interests).

It seemed particularly strong in Camogie where, by 1946, it ran two successful teams and had expectations of developing a third. They trained in Sallynoggin and included M.Davis, N. Byrne, R.Davis, A.Stapleton, G.Durnin, P.Somers, M.Kelly, M Abby, U.Shelly , T.Kilbride, M.Byrne and D Knowles. Maybe some of these players were soon-to-be-new-members of Naomh Mhuire founded just 2 years later?

Was Comhar Cualann a “club” in the conventional sense or might it be better described as some sort of an enabling framework for a wider programme of community activities? From 1947, there was no further mention of this remarkable organisation in the media. We have no idea how long after it survived or whether its ambitious programme of interests eventually wore it down? There is nothing available to us to suggest anyone associated with Comhar Cualann had a later role in founding St Begnets, Naomh Mhuire or any more recent clubs. If anyone knows otherwise or can offer any further information about this short-lived “club, we’d like to hear from you.

The sinking of the RMS Leinster in 1918 by a German submarine, was by far the worst loss of life in Irish Waters. The ship was struck by two torpedoes. The first hit the Mail Room which contained, as was the practice at the time, 22 Post Office mail sorters, 21 of whom lost their lives in the sinking. The second hit the Engine Room and proved decisive in sinking the ship. It is estimated that the total deaths amounted to over 550 including crew, military personnel and civilians.

More Irish people died on the Leinster than on the Titanic & Lucitania combined!

Here’s a short video

Many of the postal workers are understood to have come from the Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire) area and it has been reported that some were members of local GAA clubs. Although Cartlann Digiteach Cuala has no evidence of any  connections to our ancestral clubs, we wonder might there be families out there who know more?

To mark the centenary of the sinking, a series of commemorative events is taking place in Dún Laoghaire . Brochure.