Wexford played its part in the Railway Cup football story
THERE’S A striking photograph adorning the cover of ‘The Story Of Interprovincial Football’, the latest book by The Rower-Inistioge clubman Dermot Kavanagh which looks at the history of the Railway Shield, Tailteann Games, Railway Cup and M Donnelly Cup between 1905 and 2017.
It’s a captivating moment in time as a Connacht defender, complete with peak cap, prepares to clear his lines as Leinster attacker Kevin Heffernan looks on during the 1954 final in Croke Park.
And most interesting of all is the old Cusack Stand in the background which is packed to the rafters. We learn inside that there was a record crowd at headquarters that day of 49,023 for a competition that was once second only to the All-Ireland series in terms of prestige, but which has sadly faded off the G.A.A. radar at this stage.
It had been on its last legs for many years, and the plug was finally pulled when Connacht announced that they would not be competing in 2017.
The last final was played in Carrick-on-Shannon on December 18, 2016, and I was there myself to watch
Ulster beating Connacht by 2-16 to 3-10.
I felt at the time that it might be my last chance to see a game in a competition I had always enjoyed, and so it proved as there’s certainly no appetite for a return.
Dermot Kavanagh is a prolific author and this is his sixth book, the ideal accompaniment to ‘The Story of Interprovincial
Hurling’ which was released in 2015.
It’s a chronological review of the action since 1905, and there was an interesting
Wexford story in that first-ever Railway
Shield as the mighty Mike Cummins from Ballymurn helped Leinster to football and hurling titles on the same day.
I learned that Wexford Park played host to one Railway Cup football game, on February 22, 1942, when Munster defeated Leinster by 2-7 to 0-6 in the semi-final.
And although the county wasn’t as well represented on football teams in comparison to hurling over the years, Wexford still figured prominently on several successful sides.
Nick Walsh and Martin O’Neill, stars of the 1920s and ’30s, lead the way with three medals apiece, while the list also includes the likes of Paddy Spillane, Jack Fane, Jim ‘Sacker’ Furlong, Paddy Kehoe, Joe O’Neill, John ‘Suck’ Morris, Andy Doyle, Seamus Fitzhenry, John O’Gorman, Scott Doran, John Hegarty and Matty Forde.
There’s a striking action photograph of Enniscorthy’s Jim Cody gathering possession in the 1949 final defeat to Connacht, while Dan O’Connells stalwart Ger Howlin is flanked by Dublin’s Paddy Cullen and Joe Cassells of Meath in a Leinster team shot from the semi-final of 1976.
While the competition was much maligned in recent years, it meant a lot to Wexford players when they were given a green Leinster jersey and had the opportunity to play with some of the stars of the game.
Indeed, the grand total of four - Graeme Molloy, Brian Malone, Adrian Flynn and Redmond Barry - played in the final loss to Ulster in Croke Park in 2013.
Wexford only had one better representation on a Leinster team in a decider before that - in 1946 when the side featured Jim Cody, Jackie Culleton, Willie Goodison, Des O’Neill and Nickey Rackard.
Dermot Kavanagh has done the G.A.A. a considerable service by ensuring that the happy memories from a once-popular competition are preserved in book form.
It’s a great pity that the inter-provincials are no more in my view, but this publication captures football’s most memorable moments. ALAN AHERNE
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