Louth GAA h umbled th e House of Commons
A STORY FROM 1958 - WHEN THE GNR DEMANDED GUARANTEES FROM THE LOUTH COUNTY BOARD ABOUT TRAVEL ON THEIR TRAINS, THEY TOOK ON AN ASSOCIATION WITH TOM BURKE INVOLVED. IT WASN’T A WISE MOVE....
IT would have been a safe bet that the majority of the members of the House of Commons knew nothing about the Louth G.A.A team at the time when every Irish constituency sent a representative to Westminster.Tom Burke, veteran G.A.A player and legislator-remembers how the House of Commons was once made to fume and rage all because of Louth G.A.A. When Tom Burke was a young man every Gaelic football match was made the occasion of an outing. The team – 17 a side. Then travelled in a wagonette. The best seat was kept for the man who could play a fiddle or a melodeon. And the journey to and from the game was enlivened by songs and choruses.
For its bigger games the team and its supporters travelled by train.
The Great Northern Railway was a hard-headed business concern. Heavy guarantees were demanded for every G.A.A excursion and the struggling young Association found it difficult to meet them.
It was at this time that a Bill was introduced into the House of Commons to change a clause in railway legislation.
The passage of the Bill was regarded as important by the G.N.R. and the directors thought there would be little difficulty in having the bill enacted.
That was where Louth G.A.A came in. General
Secretary of the Ancient Order of Hibernians was J. D. Nugent and to him went several G.A.A men from Drogheda.
They told him of the terms of the guarantees which the G.A.A. had to meet for every big “away” game.
That conversation caused many British M.P.S to lose many nights’ sleep.
The Irish Party in the House of Commons fought the G.N.R. Bill clause by clause.
They caused obstruction at every stage. For long weary hours weary hours the Mother of Parliaments had to endue marathon speeches on every aspect of railway operation in Ireland.
At last a director of the G.N.R. fearful that the Bill would not be passed before the end of the parliamentary session asked J. D. Nugent why there had been such unrelenting opposition to the measure.
He was told that if easer terms were given by the excursions from Louth, the House of Commons would be permitted to pass the Bill!
A new scale of charges was drawn up and the G.N.R Bill sailed through Parliament within two weeks.
Since then says Tom Burke relations between and the G.N.R have always been helpful and cordial.
The man responsible for the present whiteand-red colours of Louth was the veteran G.A.A., Member Paddy Duffy.One day he was walking in Grafton Street. Dublin when he saw that Crotty’s, the sport outfitters, were having a closing-down sale.
In the window he saw here sets of red football jerseys with a thin line of white at the “V” of the collar. He bought them and brought them back to Louth.
At the time the Association did not own a single ground in the county. Drogheda teams played most of their matches on a field at shamrock Lodge, near the town. Admission was 3d, and for one important game in 1913 a sum of £58 was taken.
At every match which he attends at Croke Park, Tom remembered a day in 1915 when he competed there. It was the occasion of an athletic meeting and he won a race.
That athletic meeting was unusual. It was announced that there would be a two hour interval to enable the athletes and spectators to attend at the graveside of O’Donovan Rossa where Padraig Pearse was to give an oration.