A fabulous footballer
Years in the purple and gold of Wexford
3 semi-final, was his playing with Wexford, dn’t spare them in the ater when the visitors his team-mates, John or the Foley brothers o were ‘top class’, as einster regular Andy
Merrigan, the man with the cap who was tragically killed in a farming accident in 1973 when he was in his footballing prime.
He also mentioned Davy Rowe, the Berry brothers, Larry O’Shaughnessy, Eddie Walsh of Ballyhogue, Tommy Nolan, and Denis Asple, ‘a very good young player coming through at the time’.
And he had a particular memory of Seamus Keevans, who was a Garda Sergeant based in Kill, Co. Waterford, in those days, and the man behind the ‘Peileadóir’ columns in this newspaper which began in 1966.
‘I recall his articles in the paper every week. Seamus was very much into his training, and proper preparation. Often we’d arrive for a match, and he’d ask me to go for a walk with him.
‘He liked to be away from the general chit-chat of the dressing-room, just to clear his head and stay focused.’
John was also thrilled to line out in club football with hurling legend Billy Rackard. ‘Billy was living where the golf club is now, and he played for a period with St. Mary’s.’
By the time 1968 came around, John had been sent back to Lifford in Donegal to work, and he actually travelled down for some of his last matches with Wexford.
He scored in all three of his final encounters in that year – 1-2 in a 3-5 to 1-3 league win over Kilkenny in St. Patrick’s Park on February 11; 0-1 in a heavy 1-17 to 0-3 loss to Offaly in the Division 4 semi-final in Carlow on March 10; and, finally, 1-1 in a 2-12 to 1-9 championship defeat to Laois back in Dr. Cullen Park on April 28.
‘I had married Rita by then, and our future was in Donegal,’ John said.
He transferred to the famed Seán Mac Cumhaills club in the twin towns of Ballybofey and Stranorlar, and still resides in the latter.
For those unfamiliar with the geography of this beautiful part of Ireland, think New Ross and Rosbercon by way of a local comparison, expect in this instance the bridge dividing the two places over the River Finn is considerably shorter.
And the county Minor of 1963 quickly made an impact on his return to the playing fields of the north-west.
His sole Ulster Senior championship match, played in Ballybofey, may have resulted in a 3-8 to 2-6 loss to Antrim in 1970, but some context is required.
Their rivals had won the All-Ireland Under-21 title in 1969 and gave Derry a good run for their money in the provincial Senior final after beating Donegal.
Sadly, the Troubles intervened and Belfast burned, with that fine group of footballers never fulfilling their potential as a result.
John continued playing into the early 1980s, winning two Senior county medals with Mac Cumhaills from five appearances.
They beat Clanna Gael in 1971, lost to St. Joseph’s in 1973 and 1975, beat Gaoth Dobhair in 1977, and went down to Bundoran in 1979.
John served the club in various capacities over the years, both as a mentor and an administrator.
And his timing was impeccable as, in his sole term as Chairman in 1992, he had the honour of welcoming Brian McEniff, his players, and the Sam Maguire Cup to the twin towns after Donegal’s first-ever All-Ireland Senior title success.
Nowadays his favourite sporting pastime is golf, and he served as President of the local club in 2017.
John and Rita have a family of five, three boys and two girls, and two of the lads have carved out their own sporting careers in impressive fashion.
Shane was a member of the Donegal Senior football team during the late 1990s, but he is perhaps even better known as something of a cult hero with Finn Harps F.C.
He made 291 appearances with the club between 1997 and 2010, scoring 39 goals, while his older brother Damien – a goalkeeper – manned the posts in 40 outings during two separate spells in the League of Ireland from 1987 to 2002.
John and his wife are slowly coming to terms with the new reality of cocooning, but happily help is not too far away.
While one of their children lives in Co. Down, and another is in Inishowen, three are close enough to be able to assist with delivering messages and the like.
And while they’re clearly missing the normal inter-action with their 14 grandchildren, they have been using Skype to keep in touch with their loved ones.
With many of Rita’s family still around her native Kilrane, the Bradleys remain regular visitors to the place that left such an indelible imprint on John’s life after that random quirk of fate brought him there all those years ago. ‘I was down for a funeral last year, and met up with old team-mates like Barry Burke, Brendan Walsh and Matt Wickham,’ he said.
‘Wexford is a great sporting county, and I have such fond memories of my time there. Everyone treated me so well.’
Those who saw him in action in the 1960s are agreed on one thing: John Bradley was a fabulous footballer, one of the finest ever seen in a St. Mary’s (Rosslare) jersey.
He’s also an absolute gentleman, something I learned for myself in our chat last Friday.
He can rest assured that his contribution to Gaelic football in Wexford will always be appreciated, and never forgotten.