HASTY REMEMBERED
THE remarkable story of Dundalk’s one-armed footballer, Jimmy Hasty, is to get an airing on the John Creedon show after the RTE broadcaster visited the County Museum last week.
The one-armed centre forward from Belfast came to Dundalk FC after committee member Jim Malone saw him play in Newry and signed him straight away, without waiting to get the approval of the rest of the committee. Jimmy made his debut in a League match in Oriel Park in November 1960, and while he brought in a few extra spectators, mostly out of curiosity, the disbelief of the committee soon turned to admiration when they saw him play, and this turned to wonderment when he scored.
He then led Dundalk to league title and then scored the winning goal in European Cup (Champions League) AWAY to Zurich.
In the 170 games he played with Dundalk, Jimmy scored 103 goals, a remarkable record. He left Dundalk in 1966.
Tragically in 1974 he became the innocent victim of the sectarian troubles when, at the age of 35, he was murdered as he walked to work on the streets of Belfast by Loyalists paramilitaries in a tit for tat killing.
Paddy Malone, whose father it was had signed Jimmy, contacted the Ryan Turbidy recently during a debate about Photoshop fails which saw celebrities Oprah Winfrey and Reece Witherspoon getting extra limbs. Paddy pointed out that nearly 60 years ago, a photo of Jimmy in Cork had a second arm attached.
As a result of this publicity, John Creedon decided to feature Jimmy’s amazing story and to visit Dundalk as part of a show to be broadcast on August 5th.
With the Dundalk FC exhibition at the County Museum as a backdrop, John Creedon interviwed those involved with the story, including Paddy and members of the Hasty family who travelled to Dundalk for the occasion
AS Paddy had learned that the Hasty family did not have Jimmy’s league medal and informed the club. Martin Connolly then asked him to locate an appropriate gift. Paddy arranged through jeweller Aidan Brennan, to obtain a replica of the league medal, which John Murphy presented to the family.
The Hasty family also attended Oriel Park where they met a number of Jimmy’s old team mates. His son Paul, has expressed the family’s appreciation for the welcome they received and how their father is still remembered in the town.