Remarkable 1963 Killavullen North Cork NFC win recalled
In relation to the 1963 Avondhu Novice Football Championship final between Killavullen and Kilshannig, which made the national press, the following was recorded by the papers of the day.
“Records were broken in more ways than one at Burnfort last Sunday. It was the occasion of the Avondhu Novice Football final and Killavullen were seeking their first title in seventy years. They realised their long-sought ambition by beating Kilshannig but the finish of the game must be unparalleled in GAA history. They ran out of footballs after two became punctured. A car had to travel some miles to get a third ball and play was held up for twenty minutes.
No fear Killavullen will forget the day they became champions in Burnfort. If the third ball could not have been found, the match would have to be called off. Killavullen would have had to fight another day although they were well in front at that stage.”
President John F Kennedy was assassinated on 22nd November, 1963 and all GAA games were postponed, including our North Cork football final. The game was refixed for 3rd December in the old Clyda GAA grounds in Burnfort and when the 2nd ball got punctured, a representative of the host club had to go to his house and retrieve a football from that club.
The leather footballs of the time were completely different to what is used nowadays. The footballs tend to weigh about 410–460 g (14–16 oz) when dry and were inflated to 65.7–68.8 kPa (9.5– 10.0 psi). In the 1980s, leather-encased balls which were prone to water-logging, were replaced with balls encased in synthetic waterproof materials. The internal bladder of a football is what holds the air. This is the part that looks like a balloon! Bladders are usually made of latex or butyl. Butyl bladders retain the air for much longer periods of time than their latex counterparts.
Clubs tended to have just one ball per club in the 1960s, due to the cost of the ball. Typically, a ball of that period had 18 stitched zig zag shaped panels and 6 pairs of lace holes with leather laces. With age related wear, scuffs, scrapes, scratches and marks, a club could readily identify its own football, which was closely guarded.
When the final whistle was blown, unprecedented celebrations commenced, for it was the very first trophy that the long established Killavullen club won. Killavullen GAA Club was founded on 15th of February 1888, and all modes of transport were utilised to convey the very large crowd to the host venue. Tom Looney’s open backed truck was vividly remembered as a source of such transport and in the history of Killavullen GAA Club, which was compiled in 2013 to mark the 125th anniversary of the club, some of our older members fondly remember the game.
LOTTO
Jackpot rises yet again to €2,800 There was no winner of the local GAA lotto on Tuesday night, 28th November in the draw which took place in the community centre. The numbers drawn were 17, 19 and 24. The jackpot on the night was, at €2,700. The next jackpot will be a lovely sum of €2,800. That would set someone up very nicely for a splurge at Christmas. The winners of the lucky dips were as follows: €50 Jack Flynn, seller Haven Bar. €30 Pat Angland, seller John Angland. €20 Sean Magner, seller John Magner. From next week, until Christmas, for the season of goodwill that is Christmas, there will be additional lucky dips prizes so more chances to win. Purchase your ticket from any committee member or from our club website. Thank you for your anticipated and ongoing support.
UPCOMING ADULT FIXTURES
Killavullen will play Mitchelstown in the U21 B football semi-final on 9th December under lights, in Clyda Rovers at 7.30pm.
DATES FOR THE CLUB AGM
The date has been set for the AGM of Killavullen GAA Club and it is 8th December at 8pm in the community centre.
VOLUNTEERS – THE VERY ESSENCE OF A GAA CLUB
There is no organisation like the GAA. Nowhere in the world is there a national movement that has played such a positive role in the lives of its citizens or has given such meaning and purpose to small communities, larger towns and the whole nation.
GAA clubs with their wonderful facilities are the jewel in the crown of the association and are its most important asset. It is the incredible work carried out by thousands of volunteers, young and old, male and female, from every single walk of life which drives this remarkable organisation and keeps it fresh, relevant and a critically important part of the lives of Irish people. Being involved in the GAA gives a sense of fulfilment which is unrivalled. It brings membership of the biggest club in Ireland, puts one right at the heart of Irish culture and provides a pastime for every member of the family.
The three main rewards people get from volunteering are the satisfaction of seeing the results, the feeling of doing good and meeting people.
At a GAA volunteer workshop in Co Kildare, the answers given to the question of ‘Why do you volunteer?’ were quite revealing and are as follows.
Because I was asked! I grew up with GAA in my family. I moved into a new area and wanted to get to know the community. I enjoy it. It keeps me busy/occupied. I make and keep friendships. It helps my career. I got involved via my children. I wanted to “give something back” after my playing career ended. I want to be associated with something positive and successful. I became unemployed for a while and felt my occupation had a lot to offer. I retired early and had an interest in GAA and some “time on my hands”.
It is a fact that people do sometimes leave and we need to be aware of why they do so. Apart from the obvious reasons like burnout, personality clashes and frustration at the staleness of the club, those who leave because they feel their involvement has ended organically send out a particular message to club management committees.
Of critical importance is the image that your club has in the community. The GAA as an organisation has a powerful image and is rightly seen as progressive, well organised and modern in its outlook. Therefore, people will want to be associated with a GAA club that is positive in its outlook, is well managed and well respected in the local community. The club must be seen as:
Open and welcoming: it should be a ‘place of doors, not a place of walls’. An energetic place, full of enthusiastic people and full of activity. Making a major contribution to the community. Well organised where people’s time is productive. Safe (especially for children) and well managed. Part of a huge, vibrant and successful organisation.
It’s all-too-easy to take volunteers for granted. To keep everyone enthusiastic and refreshed GAA clubs should check that they haven’t overloaded anyone and keep providing feedback to them. It is important to give people variety and don’t leave anyone in the same place/role for too long. Constantly acknowledge volunteers, formally and informally.
Remember, that a simple ‘thankyou’ is all that is required. In general, people stay involved in clubs because: They feel valued. They feel their contribution is respected. They feel part of the group and do not feel excluded from decision making. They feel a sense of pride that they have contributed to the club
In Killavullen GAA Club, when we want to keep the atmosphere positive and friendly, remember the following; 6 - The six most important words “I admit that I was wrong!” 5 - The five most important words “You did a great job.” 4 - The four most important words “What do you think?” 3 - The three most important words “May I help?” 2 - The two most important words “Thank You!” 1 - The most important word “We.” The least important word “I”.
CLUB SPONSOR
Howard Farm Feeds.