Offaly v galway minor all ireland football semi final 1960

[shovels]

http://www.irishnewsarchive.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q1RULzE5NjAvMDgvMjcjQXIwMzUwMQ%3D%3D&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

See above url from newspaper archives from the 1960 all ireland minor football semi final Offaly V Galway.

I am trying to find pictures and other match reports from the run the offaly minors had that year but cannot find anything.

Any ideas?

[Plain of the Herbs]

Very interesting stuff. I’m not sure if I can help you but I’ll have a root.

That was a talent laden Galway outfit. Johnny Geraghty, Noel Tierney, Enda Colleran and Seamus Leyden were pillars of the Galway seniors who won 3-in-a-row in 1964, ’65 & ’66.

As for the Offaly team, very few of them made it onto the senior side. I suppose the 60-61 side didn’t begin to break up for a few years after and it was the winning ’64 minor side who benefitted from the teambuilding that went on. Emigration would have been a contributory factor too. There wasn’t the player turnover there is now either.

Is Eamonn Scully ‘Ricey’? Tom Furlong was a panellist in ’61 and was on the team in ’62 & ’63 before he emigrated to America.

I wonder can anyone put clubs to the lineout?

[Bord na Mona man]

Is Eamonn Scully ‘Ricey’?

Yes, both men are the same person!

[Plain of the Herbs]

Some Leinster minor final results from the 1960's :-

1959 - Tullamore, August 2. Dublin 3-13 Offaly 1-7
1960 - Croke Park, July 31. Offaly 1-12 Louth 1-5
1961 - Portlaoise, July 23. Dublin 2-8 Offaly 1-8
1962 - Croke Park, July 15. Offaly 2-8 Dublin 1-4
1963 - Tullamore, August 4. Westmeath 2-14 Dublin 3-7
1964 - Croke Park, July 26. Offaly 1-7 Laois 1-6
1965 - Croke Park, July 18. Offaly 2-11 Kildare 1-5
1966 - Croke Park, July 24. Laois 1-10 Offaly 0-7

Interesting that the All Ireland semi-final draws weren't the same for senior and minor at that time. Note that Offaly played Down in the senior semi final and Galway in the minor semi the same year.

[shovels]

Given that team would have beaten Louth in the Leinster final in 1960, I thought it wouldhave been easy enough to find some pictures somewhere of the team or even the programme for the Leinster Final day. But the old interweb doesnt do 1960 it appears!

[Plain of the Herbs]

At the turn of the Millennium the Midland/Tullamore Tribune did a summary of Offaly’s fortunes during the previous century. Written by John Clarke, this is how he noted 1960.

A first round exit for the hurlers as Westmeath prove too strong at Birr (5-9 to 3-1). Footballers make it a memorable year for Offaly. The seniors, with a lucky win over Carlow (2-12 to 2-9) and a magnificent three-goal demolition of Dublin (3-9 to 0-9) at Portlaoise, make the provincial final. Minors keep in step with victories over the same counties. And at Croke Park on July 31, Offaly football has its greatest occasion since the beginning of the championships as both provincial finals are won at Louth’s expense – 1-12 to 1-5 in the case of the minors and 0-10 to 1-6 in the senior final. Galway end minors’ interest by 2-12 to 2-3 in the semi-final and Down – thanks to a dubious penalty decision – gain a replay which they win by 1-7 to 1-5. On local fields Drumcullen win the newly-presented Robbins Cup and Clara win their first-ever senior title beating Tullamore by 3-7 to 1-5 in a replayed final.

So they beat Carlow, Dublin and Louth en route. I've seen a team photo somewhere taken after the match. They've the cup infront of them with a football resting in the cup, the Hogan Stand is behind them. I can't remember where that is at the moment, but I'll see what I can dig up. I don't have the Offaly book which came out for Centenary year (the one with the green, white and gold cover) but there surely is some relevant stuff in that book.

[turk]

I'll have a look in the centenary book at home, it's great for this sort of stuff

[Plain of the Herbs]

Shovels, I found the photo I had a mental picture of. The photo though is of the 1962 Leinster winning minor football team.

I also came on a photo of Mr. Dowling presenting the Dowling Cup to Fr. Vaughan in 1954. The cup though is a different one to the 'big ears' one there is currently. I wonder why?

See above url from newspaper archives from the 1960 all ireland minor football semi final Offaly V Galway.

I am trying to find pictures and other match reports from the run the offaly minors had that year but cannot find anything.

Any ideas?

[gavin merrigan]

i think bmy dad may have played in that team paddy merrigan a dub

[Plain of the Herbs]

I only spotted this post just now, and by chance.

Is that your Dad who was in goal, Gavin? What club was he from? I presume when you say he is a Dub that he is a native Offalian who moved to Dublin. Or was that the case? Just curious.

I have since acquired the programme for this match. It was played as curtain-raiser to the Senior All-Ireland semi-final between Offaly and Down on 21st August 1960.

i think bmy dad may have played in that team paddy merrigan a dub

[the bare biffo]

Seven Leinster Finals in Eight years winning Four.

What is the difference between younglads in Offaly then and now.

[gavin merrigan]

Sorry for the late reply ( lol ) Yes my Da played in goal He was a Dub from Blackrock Co.Dublin
He was sent to a reform school in Offaly and ended up playing

[SearingDrive]

Sorry for the late reply ( lol ) Yes my Da played in goal He was a Dub from Blackrock Co.Dublin
He was sent to a reform school in Offaly and ended up playing

Very interesting Gavin. Is your dad still alive, and how did he do after 'guesting' in Offaly?
There is a story there for telling.

[gavin merrigan]

Yes he's still alive he'll be 75 this coming September I'll be talking to him on Tuesday I'll grill him then and post up some details

[Plain of the Herbs]

Hi Gavin, and others. I found the attached photo in Paddy Fenning's book Offaly The Faithful County, a book which has come my way since this thread was created a few years ago.

It was usual for pupils of St Conleth's to be eligible to play underage football (and indeed hurling) with Daingean. Hence Patsy Merrigan's club is given as St Conleth's. And St Conleth's having a fella from Cork or Limerick who could hurl a bit would have made a big difference to the Daingean underage hurling team.

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