Wexford sporting greats recalled with new exhibition at Enniscorthy Castle

SOME of Wexford’s finest sporting heroes now adorn the walls of Enniscorthy Castle, with a new exhibition taking centre stage for the summer.

Their Finest Hour – Sporting Greats of Wexford runs until September and features notable Wexford exponents of over 30 different sports.

The castle walls are decked out with some legendary figures you’ll be familiar with, and many whose sporting prowess may just have fallen off the radar of public consciousness over the years.

With the names of quite a few legends having passed his lips from his commentary position over the years, legendary broadcaster Liam Spratt was delighted to officially do the honours and open the exhibition.

“This exhibition gives you an idea of the diversity of sport in Wexford,” he said. “We have 51 GAA clubs in the county. We have the second biggest schoolboy soccer league in Ireland. Maybe we haven’t had as much success as we’d like. GAA wise we’re singing the same song for 25 years, so our record of success hasn’t been all that good.”

However, noting some of the figures on the wall, Spratt concluded that Wexford had made an undeniable impact on the sporting landscape, nationally and internationally, with some wonderful stories to tell.

“I see Bill Tector on the wall there who played rugby for Ireland,” he noted. “He also played GAA for Cloughbawn under an assumed name during the ban.”

Liam rattled off a host of names included in the exhibition that caught the eye. Legendary hurlers, all-conquering camogie teams, outstanding footballers and successful soccer players.

In GAA there was everything from Nickey Rackard to Lee Chin; in soccer there was everything from Bill Lacey from Enniscorthy who won league titles with Liverpool in the 1920s to Kevin Doyle, Rianna Jarrett and Festy Ebosele who is currently plying his trade with Udinese; in terms of rugby players Nick Popplewell, Gordon D’Arcy and Tadhg Furlong all feature.

However, also contained on the walls were notable achievements in the likes of cricket, athletics, motorsport, and even American sports like ice-hockey, baseball and American football.

In attendance and on the wall was Michelle O’Neill, whose massive achievements in refereeing were noted, the Wexford woman having taken on the role of assistant referee at Women’s

World Cups and even the UEFA Super Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea in 2019.

A really impressive undertaking, Their Finest Hour is the result of months of research from tour guides Paul Byrne and Mary Brickley, with the help of Enniscorthy Castle Manager Mico Hassett.

“We could talk for hours about these people on the walls here today,” Liam Spratt concluded. “We could spend even longer debating who else could be included. I think it’s only when you see an exhibition like this you realise just how many fine men and women have represented this county.

“We’re a marvellous sporting county and I’m never ashamed to say it and ram it down people’s throats at any opportunity! I think we need to take even more pride in the people who represent us.”