Hartigan played with and against us in Intermediate

PART TWO of our look back at non Wexford-born hurlers who pulled on the famous colours starts this week in 1965. Rather than a beginning, though, that year marked the end of the line for an outstanding servant, already featured seven days ago.

I’m referring to Rathdowney native Ned Wheeler, who was brought back into the fold one last time for the All-Ireland Senior final 55 years ago, coming on for John Nolan of Oylegate-Glenbrien in a 2-16 to 0-10 loss to Tipperary.

Wexford were holders of the All-Ireland Intermediate title in 1965, and they enjoyed another good run before surrendering their crown to Cork in the ‘Home’ final.

And a key man at right half-back in all five games of that campaign was Christy Hartigan of Duffry Rovers, a schoolteacher who had arrived in the county after assisting his native Tipperary against us earlier in the decade.

In fact, the Newport native was on the opposing side in the exact same position in 1961 - the first year of the Intermediate competition - when his Premier county lost the replayed ‘Home’ final to Wexford in Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, by 4-11 to 3-9.

And he was a panel member in 1962 when Tipp. took the honours in the second All-Ireland Senior final meeting between the counties in the space of three years.

Christy and his new Wexford colleagues played four matches en route to that Leinster Intermediate crown in 1965, beating Wicklow (5-11 to 0-1), Kilkenny (8-8 to 1-9), Offaly (9-11 to 2-9), and finally Antrim - who were included as they had no competition in Ulster - on a 4-16 to 3-8 scoreline in Croke Park on June 20.

The full-forward in the first round against our neighbours was that great St. Martin’s clubman Jim O’Mahony, a proud native of Kilkenny.

His place for the remaining provincial games went to Martin Codd, but the Intermediate side’s chance of a double wasn’t helped when the Rathnure veteran, along with Phil Wilson, duly lost their status to the Senior side.

Moving on to 1966, I’ve a particular interest in the background of the man who replaced John Keane of St. Fintan’s when Wexford beat Kilkenny by 3-9 to 1-12 in the Leinster Intermediate semi-final in Nowlan Park on June 19.

Seán Casey was playing with Ferns St. Aidan’s at the time, but he is a native of Kilworth in north Cork, the same parish as my father.

They were team-mates in 1961 when the club lost the county Junior final to Cloyne, along with Mick O’Riordan, who went on to help Liam Mellows to local honours in the same grade just three years later. Mick’s brother Dave, himself a Cork Minor footballer in 1959, is married to one of my aunts.

Not alone did all three go on to play hurling in Wexford, they also had the distinction of receiving Seana Ghael awards. And after Mick was the third to be honoured in this manner in 2017, a photograph and text outlining that achievement was framed and presented to their home club in Kilworth for use on their premises.

It’s certainly highly unusual to see three men from the same small unit of the association in Cork honoured as Seana Ghael recipients so far from home.

Seán Casey came on that day against Kilkenny in a full-forward line that also contained Jimmy Mannion of Gorey Wolfe Tones, another man already mentioned last week who was up against his own.

However, neither featured in the subsequent Leinster final loss to Dublin, when the big talking point was the inclusion of Billy Rackard on a comeback outing at centre-back.

Still on 1966, Tom Byrne of Enniscorthy St. Aidan’s was certainly familiar with the territory and the opposition when he won a Leinster Under-21 medal at midfield against his native Laois on August 7.

The game took place in Portlaoise, his home town, and this talented dual player - already featured in the football recollection - also came on in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final victory against Antrim in Casement Park, Belfast. He didn’t play in any of the three-game saga in the decider versus Cork.

There was one final outing at Intermediate level for Christy Hartigan in 1967 - scoring the consolation goal from his new role at centre-forward as Kilkenny prevailed by 2-6 to 1-6 in New Ross.