Legendary Art was true gentleman and a hero of childhood

IN THE 57th minute of the 1956 All-Ireland final between Wexford and Cork, Christy Ring moved on to a breaking ball and drove towards goal. And as he gathered momentum, the crowd noise grew louder with anticipation that something special was about to occur.

After outstripping the Wexford cover, he let fly from the 21-yard line but it was not the result the crowd had expected, as Art Foley pulled off a save that not only made his name synonymous with Wexford hurling, but throughout the country and beyond.

The death of Art in New York brought memories flooding back as he is the last of that great 1950s starting team to pass away, coming so quickly after the death of the legendary Ned Wheeler who was laid to rest in June.

It was in the closing minutes of that 1956 final that he made the match-winning save from Ring as Wexford led by two points.

‘There was a long clearance from Cork and Christy Ring won the ball,’ he told the ‘Irish Echo’ in 2011.

‘He took off on a long solo, cutting across the field.

‘He came straight down the middle and stopped at the ‘21. Why he didn’t keep going, I don’t know. I’m still surprised.

‘Well, he shot and I blocked it straight up in the air. The ball eventually hit the side-netting, Paddy Barry having doubled on it. That is where they always get it wrong.

‘They always say I caught it and cleared it straight to Nickey (Rackard) and he scored the goal.

‘I pucked it out to Jim English and he passed it to Tom Ryan and he got it to Nickey, and Nickey got the goal, and we went on to win.’

In the ‘Irish Independent’, Mitchel Cogley described it as the ‘save of the century’ in the ‘greatest final of the century’.

P.D. Mehigan, writing in the ‘Irish Times’ as Pat ‘O, drew attention to the overall quality of the performance.

‘Wexford owe much to their brilliant goalkeeper, Art Foley, who saved half a dozen hot shots in the second-half.’

He heralded the famous National League final win over Tipperary as the most memorable of his career.

‘To tell you the truth, the greatest game I ever played in was the league final that same year.

‘We came back from 16 points behind in the second-half and beat Tipperary 5-9 to 2-14. This is not to make little of the All-Ireland win that same year.’

Of all the great stories that resonates, it’s that save from Christy Ring which is most popular and regularly told when the 1956 All-Ireland final is recalled.

Art was born in Enniscorthy, and lived on Pearse Road in the town looking across at the spire of that great cathedral.

It was a cosy and traditional town housing estate, where people knew each other, and would always gather to discuss the general happenings in the town, and the exploits of the Wexford hurlers, while also taking in the achievements of their very own town side, the great St. Aidan’s.

Art Foley, having broken into that outstanding Wexford hurling set-up, was cherished in the area he lived in, and also in the cathedral town.

He worked in Davis’ Mills for many years before taking the trip with the Wexford hurlers to New York where he decided to make it a home from home, remaining in that famous city until his passing.

The Foley roots, like the roots of so many other neighbours, were never forgotten in his native town and county.

His sporting career blossomed, and what was Wexford’s loss was New York’s gain.

On many occasion his name will be recalled with affection, particularly after he took the journey across the Atlantic to set out on a life of his own.

To the youngsters of the day he was a great childhood hero. He was always there in the thick of the action for both club and county.

To those who knew him, he was a gentleman of extraordinary charm, kindness and courtesy.

His legendary name will never be forgotten, and he will be remembered with affection whenever Wexford people gather to reminisce on those magical days of yore.

He was a legendary figure on a legendary team.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.