The epic clash of Bray and Hollywood in ’96
Hollywood and Bray needed three games in 1996
BACK in late September 1996 a trilogy of games played out that captured the imagination of the Wicklow GAA public. At the end of the third game in early November Hollywood had won their way back to Senior ranks. If ever the saying ‘it was a shame that either team had to lose’ this was a time to use it. Likened to the Dublin and Meath games in 1991 it’s a saga that won’t be forgotten in either Hollywood or Bray for all the right reasons.
Hollywood had negotiated their way to the final with wins over Ashford 1-11 to 1-6, Ballymoney 0-13 to 0-3 and then came through a stern test from Arklow Gers in the semi-final played in Shillelagh to win 0-10 to 1-5.
John Traynor at centre forward was to play a pivotal role in the eventual Hollywood success and he recalls the Arklow game as being a ‘close and even game that could have went either way’.
The appointment of Peter Burke the former Baltinglass great as trainer at the start of 1996 to work alongside Liam Mooney, Tom Nugent and Ger Murphy worked a treat.
‘The management group brought great passion to the set up and that filtered through to the players who after a tough couple of years were well up for the challenge,’ said John Traynor.
Burke had broken Hollywood hearts in the Senior final of 1976 but was highly respected in the area where he had some strong links. A great crop of young players was also coming through the Hollywood club at that time with St Kevin’s winning Minor championships in 1996 and 1997 and also unlucky to lose out in 1998. The mix of youth and experience was just right.
Many people would regard John Walsh as one of if not the best Wicklow goalkeeper of all time. To look back at the final of 1996 and the three games that were played it would be remiss not to acknowledge his exceptional personal contribution.
Always with what is best for Bray foremost in his thoughts he has dedicated hour after hour to the promotion of the GAA in the town. In the second game of the trilogy he kicked an amazing 0-14 but whilst speaking to him and mentioning that fact he is quick to rue the one free he missed in that second game near the end of extra time.
‘My father always brings up the one that got away,’ says John with a laugh. ‘Look at the end of the day it counted for nothing as we didn’t have the cup or the medal but I was delighted to put that right in 1997. We were working from a small enough panel but the lads that were there were great clubmen.’
They had an impressive set of results in reaching the final. Baltinglass Intermediates were beaten 2-15 to 1-3, an emphatic 3-16 to 0-6 win over Carnew set up a derby with Éire Óg in the semi-final. Walsh said this was a game they were determined to win and said it was far tougher than the 3-14 to 0-5 score line suggest with Éire Óg ‘testing them in every way but we enjoyed that win.’ Pat Monaghan was the man in charge of the Bray team and he had them flying.
On to the final. Hollywood were brilliant in the opening thirty minutes in Ashford with some fine attacking football and kicking only one wide. Darragh Burke opened the scoring for the west men from a free before Mick O’Donoughue got a fine opportunist goal for Bray.
The Hollywood reply was swift and fortunate as a Stephen Halpin shot from distance went all the way to the Bray net. Hollywood would lead by three at the break after Peter Halpin, John Mooney and another Burke free were answered by Jimmy Ganley and Brian O’Keeffe points for Bray. The exchanges in the first half had been niggly and referee Gerry Grehan was kept on his toes.
Bray started the second half much better. John Walsh pointed three frees and Dave Barry pointed from play to have them leading halfway through. Hollywood had been hesitant but a Darragh Burke free and an Eoin Roddy point put them in the ascendancy once again.
Darragh Keogh kicked the equalising free for Bray in the 52nd minute to close the scoring. The remaining eight tension filled minutes and the three additional yielded no score as they finished 1-7 apiece. One positive from the game for Hollywood was that the draw ensured that Brian Keogh was presented with the Timmins Cup afterwards by Pat Lawless as the game had doubled up for league points.
Nobody was really sure who the favourites would be the second day after both teams had periods of dominance. John Traynor recalls the club making a video going in to the schools before the replay and laughs at how they had to go do it again for the third game!
It certainly drummed up support with every man, woman and child that could make Ashford there by the time Brain Keogh lifted the Liam Cullen Cup that November. John Walsh says he ‘cannot recall much of the first game’ and laughs at how many of the details escape him but after 24 years that can be forgiven.
The replay once again in Ashford was far better in quality and delivered plenty of drama. It also provided that brilliant point scoring performance from John Walsh who would finish the game with an that tally of 0-14 out of the Bray tally of 1-16 to his name. His accuracy from dead balls and play was vital to Bray staying in contention at times. Will that tally ever be topped in a football final?
Bizarrely, in this game he went in to goal to face up to two Hollywood penalties. Darragh Burke hit the crossbar with the first and slotted the second with both penalties won for fouls on John Traynor, a fact that both had forgotten.
Hollywood were profligate and kicked 24 wides over the course of the ninety minutes with Bray having 12. A Seamus McGrath goal for Hollywood in the 20th minute looked like it was going to be the crucial score but sub Jamie Queney had other ideas with a brilliant goal in the 62nd minute bringing the game to extra-time.
Bray were far better all through in this one and strangely so were Hollywood. It was far more even with the biggest gap between the team four points at different stages. It was 1-3 to 0-2 at the break.
Rory McGarry, Darragh Keogh and Walsh were shining brightest for Bray while John Traynor was causing havoc in the Bray rearguard aided by Darragh Burke and Stephen Halpin.
Queney’s goal left the score 1-9 each as Gerry Grehan signaled the end of a brilliant hour of championship football. Walsh kicked four points for Bray in the opening period of extra-time but Burke’s penalty goal had Hollywood ahead by 2-11 to 1-13 with tired limbs now the order of the day.
Walsh and Keogh once again had points as Bray led by the minimum with time ticking away but one last Hollywood burst seen Stephen McGrath save the day and a third instalment would be needed. Pulsating stuff and championship fare at its best. Once again nobody complained leaving Ashford and nobody really knew who would be favourites the next day.
After a couple of weeks, it was back to Ashford again. A cagier affair played out this time. They knew so much about each other at this stage that match ups were spot on and any space that was there in the earlier games had now disappeared.
Bray were very good in the early exchanges and had a four-point lead by the 27th minute with Hollywood still to register. Amazingly, Hollywood would lead 1-2 to 0-4 at the break after an Anthony Metcalfe goal and a point from Traynor in the closing minutes of the half. Bray must have wondered at that stage was it going to be their day.
Walsh pointed twice to get them ahead again as scores became impossible to come by. It was left to John Traynor to bring the teams once again to extra-time with a 55th minute equaliser, Hollywood’s only score of the half.
Extra-time followed the same path with a Dave Barry point for Bray the only time an umpire had to go for a flag in the opening period. In the second period Adrian Burke equalised and then a
quick-fire brace from Traynor from a free and sub Stephen Burke put Hollywood two up.
Bray still came refusing to accept defeat and Jamie Queeney and Mick O’Donoughue almost inevitably levelled it up as time was almost up.
Then the scenario that everybody dreams about as a kid happened for Brain Keogh, captain of the team, he came off the bench and kicked the winning point in the last minute. Roy of the Rovers stuff.
Bray tried again but this time Hollywood were able to hold out and it was wild when the final whistle was blown. All the tension disappeared and the relief was married with emotion from the Hollywood players, mentors and fans.
Bray slumped to the floor, aghast and drained, their dreams ripped from them in a way that was fitting of such a struggle. Bray had contributed greatly to the drama and quality over the 240 minutes but ultimately it was heartbreak for them as Hollywood won 1-7 to 0-9.
They would get their reward twelve months later when they beat Carnew after a replay to reach Senior ranks with Walsh helping out Monaghan and also playing his part on the field. He values that medal more than any other and you can understand why with his enthusiasm for Bray very much alive still.
Walsh also recalls how the Bray team called in to Tutty’s Bar in Hollywood on the return journey from a game in west Wicklow later in the year.
‘Some great GAA men in Hollywood and the likes of John Traynor gave great service to Wicklow too. They came back up to Bray at the end of the year with the cup and some great friendships were formed. Great debates were had over the three games in Ashford too, strange how losing that game hasn’t stuck in the memory like other losses. We got some funny looks when we arrived in Tutty’s first that’s for sure,’ he remembers with a laugh.
John Traynor rues the one that got away in the shape of a Senior championship in Millennium year. Rathnew pipped them with a late point after Hollywood had started the game poorly.
‘We were gutted to lose but had such a fine crop of footballers at the time with all the minors coming through we were sure we would be back there to have another shot at it. It didn’t happen.’
Almost the same timescale applied to Bray and their Senior final appearance which came in 2003. Rathnew needed a second day to defeat them with Walsh making an appearance in both games. Respect is earned and both these men have the utmost of respect for the other’s club and all those that played a part in 1996. Sometimes the GAA throws up situations like this and long may it continue.
The teams lined out the third day as follows – Hollywood: Myles
Burke; Liam Healy, Nicholas Farrell, Kevin Tyrrell; Adrian Burke (0-1), Kevin Traynor, Ger Traynor; John Mooney and Alan Mooney (01); Keith Burke, John Traynor (0-3), Eoin Roddy; Seamus McGrath, Peter Halpin, Darragh Burke. Subs: Brian Keogh (0-1), John Clarke, Anthony Metcalfe (1-0), Stephen Burke (0-1).
Bray Emmets: Matt Thompson; Ian Smith, Kevin Healy, Tom Taylor; Brendan O hÁnnaidh (0-1), Ken Lambe, Gerry Ebbs; Brian O’Keeffe and John Gallagher; John Walsh (0-3), Rory McGarry, John O’Keeffe; Dave Barry (0-1), Mick O’Donoughue (0-1), Darragh Keogh (0-2). Subs: Jerome Kelly, Dave Barry (0-1).
Game one - Hollywood scorers: Stephen Halpin 1-0, Darragh Burke 0-3, Eoin Roddy 0-2, John Mooney and Peter Halpin 0-1 each. Game two-Darragh Burke 1-4, Seamus McGrath 1-0, John Traynor and Stephen Halpin 0-3 each, Kevin Traynor, Eoin Roddy and Peter Halpin 0-1 each.
Game one - Bray scorers: Mick O’Donoughue 1-0, John Walsh 0-3, Brain O’Keeffe, Jimmy Ganley, Darragh Keogh and Dave Barry 0-1 each. Game two-John Walsh 0-14, Jamie Queeney 1-0, Gerry Ebbs and Darragh Keogh 0-1 each.
Referee for all three games was Gerry Grehan, a fact that both players remembered and both acknowledged his contribution to the three games as ‘top class’.