Millstreet’s flair and fluency was rewarded with 1963 county title
THOSE of an older persuasion remember exactly where they were when JFK was assassinated in late November 1963. Millstreet’s Tommy Burke was looking ahead to playing in a County Junior Football Final, less than 48 hours before the big match, the country was numbed with shock and horror on a Friday evening of the news from Dallas on the death of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. It made for mourning across the Irish nation, all public events including GAA fixtures were cancelled as a mark of respect to the late president.
“There was an outpouring of grief, the country plunged into a state of shock, President Kennedy’s triumphant visit to Ireland to the land of his ancestors a few months earlier in the summer was fresh in everybody’s mind. That trip lifted the spirits and captured the minds and hearts of the nation on an emotional visit to his homeland,” said Tommy.
GAA commentator Michael O’Hehir happened to be in New York when the news broke of Kennedy’s assassination, staying on, he delivered a live commentary into every household on Irish radio and television of the State funeral.
Back to business within a few days, that County Final between Millstreet and St. Nicks was deferred one week where ultimately Millstreet claimed silverware to the Macroom staging.
That Millstreet side was weaned on the exploits of a trailblazing team from 1948, winning the club’s lone County Senior Football title. A triumphant path recalls heroic deeds for a team outstanding in commitment and spirit, their march to outright honours met with unanimous approval.
Away from a world blighted by war and uncertainty, those were great days for football in Millstreet, the club contesting the county finals of 1940/41 only to fall to Beara and St. Nicholas respectively.
But Millstreet’s hour to bask in glory materialised in 1948, the club’s ultimate and cherished objective in seeking the most sought after prizes in Cork football realized at the completion of a memorable run.
Clonakilty and Fermoy were amongst the hot favourites to take the honours, the duo had dominated the previous six championships. Millstreet’s objectives were clear from the outset and rewarded to overcome St. Vincents in the county final.
“That Millstreet outfit from 1948 brought something special, the Millstreet football side reached new heights and offered a huge surge for underage to play Gaelic games in the subsequent years,” said Tommy.
The seeds of that Millstreet triumph bore fruition in 1957 on a glorious journey for an U-14 side that bettered Kilshannig, South Presentation and St Patricks, Upton in a county decider fronted by players who six years later were key to a side winning a county Junior title
In between, there was a minor voyage, mixed joy here for Millstreet in 1960, regaining a Duhallow title and sweeping past Beara and Macroom to reach the country section final against Mitchelstown. Drama and controversy unfolded, Millstreet altered their team somewhat, their case not helped by the concession of two penalties to incur a 4-3 to 2-6 defeat, all of Millstreet’s scores coming from one Tommy Burke.
“It was so disappointing to lose, there may had been a debate on the merits on the penalties, our ‘keeper Eamon O’Connor was close to saving. Interestingly Mitchelstown were guided by five county minor panellists and they went on to win the county final proper,” he said.
All through his career Tommy Burke emerged a telling influence for club, division and county, always a source of inspiration for his team, showing a willingness to present himself as a target and possess an ability to get control of the ball.
Burke made it onto the Cork minor football team in 1960, requiring a replay to overcome Waterford but improving to better Kerry in the provincial decider. That run continued to edge out Down to secure a place in an All-Ireland Final against Galway.
However the young Rebels were understrength for the decider, Myles Lane from Castletownbere and the McGann twins of the Lees club had returned to seminaries in preparing for the priesthood and all three were unable to play in the All Ireland show-piece.
Cork seeking a first time victory in the grade needed all hands on deck to thwart a star studded Galway team where the legendary three-in-a-row senior team of the sixties greatly benefited from this minor side as several of the players went on to distinguish themselves at the higher level.
“They were an exceptional team , minors from 1960 Séamus Leydon, Noel Tierney, Seán Cleary, Christy Tyrrell, and Enda Colleran went on to become house hold names on the great Galway senior team,” says Tommy Burke.
With nine players available for the following season, hopes were high that Cork had a chance of putting their name on the roll of honour for the first time in 1961. Experience helped complete a hat trick of Munster titles followed by a three point victory over Armagh in the penultimate hurdle to the All Ireland.
That pitted Cork against a fancied Mayo in the decider, the young men in red and white scripted a historic victory thanks to their ability to carve out goal scoring opportunities. Those All Ireland Football Finals saw Down sweep to back to back Senior titles in fare that revolutionized the game, playing with six inter-changeable forwards and moving the ball at pace that caught the imagination and drew massive attendances
“To play and win on the field was something special, without question it was a highlight in my career, the atmosphere for the 1961 final was something else, the massive crowd of the presence of over 90,550 spectators for the biggest attendance ever in Croke Park. There were up to 60,000 Down fans present, the sight and their colour brought an atmosphere on back to back appearances in Croker that was something else, not seen previously,” he said.
Burke saw the magic unfold at first hand and in time, he became Director of Millstreet based company “Clara Toys and Clothing” that began to provide GAA merchanchise in an era, teams such as Offaly were sampling success.
By the arrival of 1963, Millstreet had decided to regrade to Junior ranks for the first time since 1944.
Hurling had made strides too, the majority of the football team were part of a Millstreet side that completed back to back Duhallow titles though the 1963 title was secured after Castlemagner conceded a walkover in the final and waiting a full two months for a county semi final and defeat to Ballinhassig.
In football, Millstreet were strong favourites to succeed in Duhallow, encountering a number of nervous moments to get past Kanturk and Dromtariffe only to discover a ruthless edge to power past Castlemagner in the decider.
“Early on in the campaign, we were far from convincing, lucky to get over Kanturk, got the job done against a competitive Dromtariffe and easing to victory over a Castlemagner side where many of their great players were at the end of their careers,” said Tommy.
“Training would entail a few laps of the field and sprints, do what you could do as age would allow,” he added.
During the Duhallow campaign, key Millstreet player William O’Leary was called into the Cork team to play Kerry just a few days prior to the Munster SFC Final. That came after an impressive performance with Duhallow against St. Finbarrs in the County SFC, O’Leary grasped the opportunity to shoot 2-3 only for Kerry to surface during the latter stage to snatch victory.
Into the autumn, Millstreet focused on the County JFC, a compelling tussle against Skibbereen
Photo by John Tarrant
yielded a 2-11 to 2-9 victory. Figuring on the Skib outfit was Bobby Evans, later to render outstanding service to Millstreet and Duhallow underage affairs.
With the lead changing hands regularly, it took a brilliant showing from O’Leary to tilt matters. The outcome placed Millstreet into a semi and a clash with Crosshaven, the Duhallow champions availed of a narrow cushion before the Carrigdhoun outfit rallied to leave the minimum between the sides.
With the contest in the balance, late goals from O’Leary and Der Cribben rubberstamped victory and set up a meeting against St. Nicks. World affairs cancelled the original fixture, the reschedule date caught the imagination with a big attendance descending on the spacious Macroom ground.
“We had many a tough battle against Macroom but they really supported Millstreet teams. Of course, Millstreet had a tradition of being based in TP Cotter’s Pub, that added to a close association between the clubs,” said Tommy
Burke.
“We knew what to expect from St. Nicks, they had been narrowly beaten in the Senior Final by UCC yet their Junior side fielded some great players, unavailable earlier in the autumn, owing to injuries picked up playing hurling with Glen Rovers such as Denis O’Riordan, Tom Crowley and Denis Coughlan. They would be physically strong, our own John Corcoran had it drummed into us, no matter, the severity of the challenge, we weren’t going to be intimidated, just get up and continue with the game was ringing in our ears,” he said.
Millstreet laid down a marker from the outset, in defence, the play of Brendan Burke, Jerry Cronin and Paul Ryan constituted a very effective half line with Connie Kelleher and Der Cribben asserting themselves in the centre.
Quick and inventive upfront, William O’Leary and Tommy Burke won an amount of possession with Donie O’Mahony bagging a pair of goals. The Nicks rallied on the restart yet Millstreet maintained a grip, O’Leary netted from a penalty.
Forced to soak up late pressure, the Millstreet rearguard remained tough and resilient, the experienced Denis “Toots” Kelleher composed between the posts as were the heroic Christy Dunne, Mattie McAuliffe and John Kelleher in the full back line.
At the full time whistle, marvellous scenes of jubilation greeted a Millstreet triumph with the late Connie Kelleher lifting the County JFC for the second occasion in the club history. Much to the delight of Tommy Burke, Millstreet had showed their character and true grit to land a 3-9 to 2-3 victory.
“Our teacher Bill O’Keeffe always emphasised a team should operate their best players at midfield and in the half forward line. How right he was, Master O’Keeffe gave me the thumbs up after the game, Millstreet best juvenile forward of his time Donie O’Mahony had an ability to find the target two inches under the crossbar with classic goals,” he said.
Down through the years, Millsteet paraded excellent teams rewarded with championship silverware, the men of 1963 did so with experience and emerging talent.