Doyen of full-backs moved to attack for his final campaign

ONE OF the benefits of the current situation is the opportunity afforded on these pages to take trips back in time, and to recall the exploits of sportspeople who deserve to be acknowledged and remembered.

In fact, there is likely to be a sea change in how we go about our business of filling this supplement when normality returns.

The warm response to recent historical articles has opened our eyes to the value of providing such material on a more regular basis, not just in a period when there’s no live sport to be covered.

The only thing preventing us from doing so heretofore was the lack of space, but it’s an issue that we will certainly revisit.

As it stands, it would appear that we won’t be struggling to find the time to debate and discuss the make-up of this particular part of the newspaper in the weeks and months to come.

For the moment, I’m going to start looking back at hurlers from other counties who represented Wexford through the years, after the equivalent columns on football stirred plenty of memories.

I’m planning to work my way forward once again from 1964, the first year of the inter-county Under-21 championships.

Arguably our favourite-ever ‘import’ from Kilkenny, Nick O’Donnell, was coming to the end of his distinguished service with the Seniors around this time 56 years ago.

While he will always be remembered as the doyen of full-backs,it’s interesting to note that his final games in a Wexford jersey were all at the opposite end of the field. He donned the number 14 shirt in every National League outing in early 1964, save for the ‘Home’ final defeat to Tipperary, scoring 5-1 in the process.

Ned Wheeler went one better, as he featured in his familiar midfield role for all five matches, including the decider when the Munster side romped home by 5-12 to 1-4.

Although a native of Rathdowney in Laois, he was quite young when his family moved to Wexford, and played on the first-ever Juvenile team to be entered by St. Martin’s in 1946, 14 years after the club was formed.

While Phil Wilson was Wheeler’s midfield partner in the first four league games of 1964, the Ballyhogue powerhouse moved to left half-back for that ill-fated clash with Tipperary.

Instead, Ned was paired with a man who featured already in our football review: Cork-born John Kennedy of Faythe Harriers, who later made his home in New Ross and was still gracing the local golf course in Tinneranny before cocooning came into play.

Wexford only had one Senior championship outing in 1964, with Wheeler (partnered by Geraldine O’Hanrahans stylist Martin Lyng) scoring two goals in a 5-9 to 4-8 semi-final loss to Kilkenny.

The county had the consolation of winning the Leinster Intermediate title that summer, and a Noresider grabbed the vital goal that downed his native county on a 1-9 to 2-5 scoreline.

Jimmy Mannion had already given distinguished service to the Blackwater club, but he had moved on to Gorey Wolfe Tones by the time of his match-winning score.

He came on for Larry Delaney of Davidstown-Courtnacuddy in the subsequent 2-8 to 1-5 win over Cork in the All-Ireland ‘Home’ final, while he appeared off the bench for Peadar Murphy (Ferns St. Aidan’s) when the overall crown was captured with a 4-7 to 1-11 triumph over London in St. Patrick’s Park on September 20, 1964.

Of course, the National League started before Christmas in those days, and Wexford had a Galway-born goalkeeper for their 7-8 to 3-5 win over Carlow in Dr. Cullen Park on November 8.

Ignatius Gavin of Faythe Harriers was playing his first match since a Walsh Cup outing against the same opponents in August of the previous year.

Given that he was understudy to the great Pat Nolan in the early sixties, it’s not surprising that his opportunities to shine were few and far between.

As an aside, on that day in Carlow (November 8, 1964), Tommy Nolan - the Faythe Harriers and Sarsfields star who died last year - lined out at midfield in both games on a National League double-header, partnering Larry Byrne (Shamrocks) in hurling, and Seamus Keevans in football. They don’t make them like that any more.