Book honours the ‘immortals’

SEVERAL members of the Meath All-Ireland-winning panel of 1967 who made the ground-breaking trip to Australia the following year were present for the launch of Jim Gammons’ new book ‘Football Immortals’ in Brogan’s Hotel last Friday evening.

The publication was officially launched by the author, Rathkenny native Gammons, a life-long Meath supporter who made the trip with the team, along with Pater Darby who captained Meath to that All-Ireland success in 1967.

Jim, who now resides in Virginia, Co Cavan, formerly lived close to the homestead of Rathkenny man Richard Blake, secretary general of the GAA, in its early years.

Brendan Cummins was MC for the night and he outlined the background to the trip, with Meath winning Leinster titles in 1964 and 1966 before making the breakthrough FRIDAY OCTOBER 27

Carlanstown: Meath Hill v Drumconrath, Tailteann Cup Final, 8.0.

Dunganny: Wolfe Tones v O’Mahonys, U-21 FC, 8.0.

Cortown: Dunderry v Clann na nGael, U-21B, 8.0, P Melia.

Moynalty: Nobber v St Ultan’s, U-21C, 8.0, C McManus.

Ballinlough: Gaeil Colmcille v Oldcastle, U-21A, 8.0. the following year to win only their third senior title.

Then came the visit of the Australian Rules squad to Dublin where they took on and comprehensively defeated the All-Ireland champions. An invitation to Meath to visit Australia followed - if they could raise the funds needed.

Thanks to the hard work of coach Peter McDermott and his fund-raising committee, the target wasn’t just reached but exceeded.

Cummins recalled that not only did clubs and the people of Meath contribute to the fund, but money poured in from all parts of the country, including contributions from the Newtown Blues club in Louth and the Portarlington club in Laois. Other sporting organisations, including Navan Rugby Club, also contributed to the fund.

A party of 52 people set out on the opening leg of the journey to SATURDAY OCTOBER 28

Rathkenny: Curraha v Ballinlough, B League Div 4 final, 3.0.

Trim: Kilbride v Boardsmill, U-21C, 3.0. Ashbourne: St Colmcille’s v Dunshaughlin, U-21 FC, 4.0, J Synnott.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 29

Pairc Tailteann: Na Fianna v Ratoath, MFC final, 1.0, P Mooney; Simonstown Gaels v Summerhill, SFC final, 3.0, Liam O’Brien. Rome on Saturday March 2nd 1968. There were other stop-offs in Calcutta and Singapore and a massive welcome awaited the squad as they touched down in Perth where they played their opening match of the tour.

From that it was on to Melbourne, then Sydney and back to Melbourne, with the trip a resounding success and Meath winning all five matches.

On the way back it was decided that it would be cheaper to keep going rather than returning by the same route, so the journey home included stop-offs in Hawaii and the United States, completing a complete orbit of the globe.

In the book Gammons recalls he got a telegram from the Irish Times on the morning of the trip requesting him to send back dispatches to the newspaper as there was no journalist on the trip. RTE’s Micheál O’Hehir relayed commentary on the matches back to Ireland at different times of the day and night, but he travelled separately by another route to Australia.

As well as a detailed account of the trip, the book also has an abundance of glossy photographs from almost 50 years ago. The book also contains a number of other articles, including Meath’s first-ever All-Ireland senior football win in 1949, and the Boylan Years.

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