Is Louth legend Smith part of an elite club?
A thought crossed my mind last week as I read through a piece about the retirement of Kerry’s silken skilled forward Declan O Sullivan.
The article spoke in glowing terms of his contribution to the Kingdom since his debut in 2003 and how he was one of only eight men to have lifted Sam Maguire more than once as All Ireland winning captain.
Eight sounded like a very small number to have achieved this notable feat in the 120 year plus history of the association.
When you dig a little bit further, prior to the introduction of the Sam Maguire trophy in 1928, the total increases to fourteen.
And digging a little further again, with my dearg agus bán geansaí firmly tucked into my togs, that number could possibly be increased to fifteen. Bear with me for a moment while I go through the first fourteen:
• Brian Dooher from Tyrone was the most recent on the list after he captained his county to wins in 2005 and 2008. The Clan na Gael clubman took over the captaincy in 2004 after the untimely death of Cormac McAnallen. He retired in 2011.
• The aforementioned Declan O Sullivan led Kerry to 2006 and 2007 triumphs after his divisional side South Kerry had won four county championships in a row between 2004 and 2007 and nominated him as captain.
• St Vincent’s Tony Hanahoe didn’t just captain Dublin to back to back wins in 1976 and 1977, he actually managed the team in 1977 after Kevin Heffernan shock retirement following the previous year’s success.
• Enda Colleran was part of Galway’s famous three in a row winning team of the Sixties and he captained the side to the 1965 and 1966 triumphs. He was named right corner back on the GAA ‘Team of the Millennium’.
• Another member of that ‘Team of the Millennium’, Sean Flanagan led Mayo to wins in 1950 against Louth and 1951 against Meath. The 1951 success is sadly the last time Mayo have lifted the trophy at headquarters.
• The gallant John Joe O’Reilly led Cavan to their famous 1947 Polo Grounds win over Kerry and again the following year against Mayo. Cavan had beaten Louth in the 1948 semi-final by 1-14 to 4-02. The Cornafean Army Officer, who was named centre back on the ‘Team of the Millennium’, died aged just 34 in 1952 after suffering an injury on the football field.
• Roscommon have won just two All Ireland titles in their history and Jimmy Murray captained them to both in 1943 and 1944. Roscommon beat Louth 3-10 to 3-06 in the 1943 semi-final. But for two late Kerry goals in the final, the St Patricks clubman would have led his county to the 1946 title also. He passed away in 2007.
• During Kerry’s 1929 to 1932 four in a row, Joe Barrett from Austin Stacks captained them in 1929 and 1932. In an act of reconciliation after the bitter Civil War, Barrett, a republican, offered the 1931 captaincy to Free State Officer Con Brosnan who duly went on to lift the cup.
• During the same troubled period in the Kingdom, another leading republican John Joe Sheehy captained the 1926 and 1930 Kerry winning teams. After the Civil War, while still on the run, he soften turned out for Kerry, his safe passage guaranteed by the aforementioned Brosnan.
• New Ross native Sean O Kennedy captained Wexford’s Blue and Whites to the first three wins during their famous four in a row victories from 1915 to 1918 (He was injured for the 1918 final). They were trained by John Roche, who a few years earlier had fought for the World Heavyweight boxing title, which tells you something of the style of play at the time.
• Dick Fitzgerald of Dr Crokes led Kerry to their 1913 and 1914 triumphs. He ended his career with six All Ireland medals and later became a famous administrator and political figure in Killarney. Fitzgerald Stadium in the town is named in his memory.
• Dublin dominated the early years of the competition winning eleven titles between 1891 and 1908. A lot of this early success can be attributed to the many country footballers who were living and working in the capital at the time.
Kilkenny man Jack Grace who represented the Kickhams club, captained Dublin to their 1907 and 1908 win. Matt Rea representing the Geraldines club led them to success in 1898 and 1899 and John Kennedy from Young Irelands captained the team to three titles in 1891, 1892 and 1894.
And finally, to the possibility of there being a 15th member of this exclusive club??
Louth won the All Ireland in 1910 and 1912. Jim Smith, a brilliant centre back from the Tredagh club in Drogheda, captained the side to glory in 1912.
He originally came from Colpe on the southern side of the town and played his early football with Bettystown.
He represented Meath in the 1909 championship but declared for Louth the following season after his mother (an Eakin from Ardee) left him a farm in the Townley Hall area of Tullyallen.
Smith was also part of the team that won the 1910 All Ireland receiving a walkover in the final from Kerry who refused to travel because of a dispute with the Great Southern and Western Railway.
He played in both the Leinster final win against Dublin (0-03 to 0-00) in Navan and the All Ireland semi-final victory over London (304 to 1-02) in Dundalk.
His club, the Tredaghs, won the Louth Championship in 1909 and 1910 but was he the Louth captain in 1910?
Over the last week or so I’ve spoken to several knowledgably GAA people around the county and opinion is split on whether the 1910 captain was Jim Smith or another great Tredagh player of the time, Larry McCormack. McCormack was the great grandfather of Louth’s new manager Colin Kelly … a good omen for the year ahead perhaps?
Tight affair
On Sunday in Drogheda Sean O’Mahonys face Ballinlough in the Leinster Intermediate final.
All the O Mahonys games this year have been tight affairs and expect nothing different here. Don’t be surprised if it takes extra time to separate them.
Siviniaco Conti’s two length win in the Betfair Chase added another €60 to our charity total and this week we go for a draw at the end of normal time between O Mahonys and Ballinlough at odds of 13/2.