In Praise of RTE Radio Cork
The GAA is built on the club in every parish and the ‘honour of the little village’. The great rivalry built up in communities all over the country since 1884 has been the bedrock on which the Association has flourished. These great sporting rivalries are on the field of play.
Outside the ‘chalk line’, neighbours and parish rivals get along perfectly. Bride Rovers and St Catherines have had many great tussles on the hurling fields of East Cork down the years. Two clubmen, Dick Morrison of St Catherine’s and John Arnold from the Rovers, met up for an afternoon recently. There was no dust flying in the square, just talk of times past and reminiscing on family history.
Dick Morrison’s mother was Kelleher from Kippawn/ Mellifontstown, Bartlemy. His grandfather was Richard Kelleher from near Gearagh, just outside Midleton. In 1892 this Richard Kelleher was a member of the Midleton Gaelic football team that won the much delayed 1890 All-Ireland championship. Midleton defeated Blues and Whites of Wexford by 2-4 to 0-1 on June 26th, 1892 at Clonturk Park in Dublin.
Richard Kelleher married Mary Ahern of Kippawn in 1901 and came farming to Bartlemy. He died in 1932 and was buried in Cloyne, whilst his widow Mary lived on until 1968 and is buried in Gortroe.
Dick Morrison is now the guardian of his grandfather’s coveted All-Ireland medal and he brought it to Bartlemy on his recent visit to John Arnold. The medal was in the Kelleher home in Kippawn for years, where Johnny and Dick Kelleher lived. After the death of Dick Kelleher, it passed to Dick Morrison. At present, John Fenton of Midleton is doing further research into that 1890 Midleton team and the men who brought the All-Ireland title Leeside all those years ago.
The following poem was written in the 1980s by John Arnold.
I remember when I was on holidays in Fujibumbum
We had eggs for the breakfast with custard and rum
The days were exciting with dancing and dining
The nights even better sunbathing and wining.
Now my friends are aware that my skin is so white
So it doesn’t agree with that ultra violet light
The first time on the beach all I wore was a smile
I got burnt in quare places so I didn’t sit for a while.
The girls were so cheery, the girls were so pretty
Like you’d meet in Dublin or here in Cork city
They said “I love you” and they called me honey
But I knew all they wanted was me farm and me money!
So now on foreign holidays no more I will go
My sunbathing’s confined to a day in Garryvoe
To the listeners I say, have a great summer this year
And keep RTE Radio Cork very close to your ear!