A special night in store as Jacob’s career celebrated

THE LIFE story of one of Wexford’s finest hurlers, Michael Jacob, will be told in the Riverside Park Hotel in Enniscorthy this Sunday night, and already one can see the early positives for this Oulart-The Ballagh G.A.A. club fundraiser since it’s sure to attract a wide audience.

Oulart-The Ballagh is one of those small rural parishes that many felt would not be big enough to impact on the game of hurling in the county, but after so many near misses, against all the odds they went on to become one of the dominant forces, even managing to add a provincial club title to their marvellous haul.

It’s fitting also they gave to Wexford a quality player like Martin Storey, the last man to captain the county to All-Ireland glory, in 1996, while another famous son, Liam Dunne, managed the county Senior hurling set-up for some six years.

But now the club, and a group of fundraisers, have decided to step further back into the past, to revive the contribution of Michael Jacob Snr., not only to the club, but also his county and beyond.

It’s great to see somebody who has contributed so much to the game as a player and later as a coach and mentor remembered. The groundwork has already taken place and now they are just waiting for the audience to assemble to make their own contribution towards honouring one of the finest players to wear the number 6 purple and gold jersey.

Born in Wickmore in January, 1946, Michael Jacob enjoyed one of the great careers in the purple and gold jersey, having been introduced to the game of hurling at a very young age.

His granduncle, Jim Mythen, was an All-Ireland medal winner with Wexford in 1910, so it was no surprise that Michael thrived in a hurling background, becoming an established player in the club’s Junior team at the tender age of 16 years.

But it wasn’t easy going in the early stages of his career as, having won Junior and Intermediate championships, he lost out in five Senior championship finals.

He made his Senior inter-county debut as a Minor, later going on to win an All-Ireland Under-21 medal, before joining the Senior team during the 1967-’68 league.

That was the start of a remarkable career as he went on to win one All-Ireland medal, as a substitute in 1968, four Leinster medals, and one National League medal, while he was an All-Ireland runner-up on three occasions.

Jacob took his talents outside the county as a member of the Leinster inter-provincial team, winning three Railway Cup medals. Throughout his inter-county career he made 31 championship appearances before retiring from the inter-county scene following the conclusion of the 1984 championship.

Jacob’s siblings, Christy, Robbie and Bridie, all played with distinction at all levels with their county, with Bridie an All-Ireland comogie winner, while his children, Helena, Ursula, Michael and Rory, kept the family flag flying.

Ursula inspired the county to Senior All-Ireland camogie honours, and who will forget that stunning goal against Cork in one final, with a ground pull that sent the ball rocketing to the net.

And one cannot forget Michael’s wife, Breda, an All-Ireland winning camogie star, who down through the years has made such a massive contribution to the club, particularly at under-age level through her work as a primary school teacher in the parish.

Michael Jacob also has the distinction of being Wexford’s first All Star hurler, receiving the accolade in 1972. He went on to win three All Stars in total, while he was also chosen as one of the 125 greatest hurlers of all time in a 2009 poll.

On retirement, Michael may have hung up his hurley from competitive play, but he took his great knowledge of the game into team management and coaching.

Jacob will be remembered as one of the great stylists of centre-backs, and I’ve fond memories of having played against the great Oulart-The Ballagh man with St. Anne’s/St. Patrick’s.

It’s wonderful to see players such as Michael being fondly remembered. Memories will flood back for so many in the Riverside Park Hotel this Sunday evening. Let’s see the model army descend on the Riverside Park Hotel for 7.30 p.m. this Sunday to pay tribute to a great hurler of the past.