Ballydesmond cherish
T
HE Ballydesmond roar that greeted the full time whistle said it all about a groundbreaking desire for a first time victory at the end of the 1971 Duhallow Junior A Football Championship. From a year dominated nationally by big headlines on the arrival of decimalization currency and internment in Northern Ireland, in gaelic games, the romance of the season at domestic level belonged to the arrival of Ballydesmond.
At times, Ballydesmond lived dangerously during a competitive championship yet a positive level of commitment and a fantastic will to win surfaced to allow a new name on the prestigious Duhallow roll of honour.
Facing Dromtariffe in a novel decider, at the end of the hour, the honours went where they deservedly belonged. From a fine team performance, Ballydesmond paraded a competent and slick outfit who demonstrated their class to their appreciative supporters.
A unique club that draws players, officers and members either side of the Cork/Kerry county bounds forms Ballydesmond GAA.
In 1964, the head count of players in the Ballydesmond parish galvanised the efforts to form a GAA club. With players drawn from both sides of the border, it led to a Ballydesmond delegation discussing the procedure with Cork County Board Secretary and future GAA president Con Murphy after a Duhallow convention in Kanturk.
That led to a well attended Ballydesmond meeting, and a decision taken to form a club and enter a novice team in the Duhallow division. Green shoots in Ballydesmond had surfaced much earlier, the stars of the future sprang from a triumphant Minor football team named Na Piarsaigh that won the 1954 County U14 championship. Featured on the successful panel were players from Ballydesmond along with Boherbue, Glenlara, Kiskeam and Knocknagree.
The Cork/Kerry rivalry ensured gaelic football remained a hot topic of conversation and that generated appeal towards playing the game, be it with Kiskeam, Knocknagree and Dromtariffe. Ultimately calls for the formation of a new club bore fruition under Chairman Dan Murphy and Secretary Danno Dennehy.
Those operating with other clubs returned to their native heath and the famed Paddocks became a home for Ballydesmond training purposes. A tradition remaining up to the current day was initiated, a gathering on St. Stephen’s Day allowed players devoid of football to convene and play that resulted for competitive involvement.
The new club was soon up and running and it did not take long for silverware to be sampled, winning the 1965 Duhallow novice championship and Knocknagree Carnival tournament and the divisional novice league in 1966.
Captain of the 1971 side Seán Kelly referred to the team entering Junior A ranks for 1968, acquitting themselves well before bowing out to Knocknagree in three games.
“That A grade was much a different proposition than Novice, Newmarket, Kiskeam and Dromtariffe amongst the top teams. Those sides were experienced, well prepared and attired whilst we were relative newcomers, some played with sneakers rather than football boots,” Kelly ( pictured) said.
“We were learning from every game, apart from Duhallow, we played in tournaments run in conjunction with carnivals in Rockchapel, Brosna, Mountcollins, Rathmore and Kiskeam. They were as good as any championship games, hotly competitive and drawing massive crowds,” said Seán.
That allowed Ballydesmond build up momentum, progress continued, winning the 1969 Examiner Cup though hopes of a championship breakthrough were shattered in the final by a Newmarket side retaining their title.
It’s fair to say that Newmarket’s rating was spiralling upwards, the 1970 campaign will be forever etched on Newmarket landing their initial county title. That win was made all the sweeter after Newmarket became the first side to win a hotly competitive Duhallow championship three years in succession when they defeated Dromtariffe by a five point margin.
Into the county, Newmarket recorded comprehensive victories over both Valley Rovers and Douglas to earn a ticket to their third appearance in a County JAFC Final, hoping to overcome previous disappointment of losing to Urhan (1928) and Canovee (1950).
However, third time lucky for Newmarket to lower the hopes of Adrigole in the Macroom staging. That success opened new opportunities for other teams within Duhallow for 1971, the one certainly was new football champions would be crowned during September.
A loss two years previously was a bitter pill for Ballydesmond to swallow but the disappointment was put behind as they faced into a season with optimistic hopes. And Ballydesmond could take encouragement from a great run in the Examiner Cup only to falter to arch rivals Kiskeam in the decider.
Team captain Kelly added insight to the competitive rivalry between the sides and commended the improving standards