THE FIELD OF DREAMS
Growing up in a GAA, and especially hurling household, and listening to the stories about the ‘olden days’, where jerseys always seemed to be on the clothesline either ‘ drying’ or ‘airing’, without realising it we were privileged.
Our father, Eddie as he was known to his family and Ned on the pitch, ate, slept and lived for Ballygiblin hurling. The club was his life and everything had to revolve around training and matches.
Dad’s stories were always interesting, but you’d want to be listening intently as he relayed his stories of matches as he’d gather momentum when it got to the good parts or when goals and points were scored. He was as good as Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh to tell a good ‘scéal’ or replay a match.
It all began in the summer of 1955. Dad, a few lads from the locality, Pato O’Brien, Lar Burke, Tom O’Farrell and Mick Harrington used to puck a ball around down in Burke’s field in Glenduff, but when the interest grew and word got around, the lads moved down to Tom and Ellie Lyons field, down past Ballygiblin church, where more local lads joined them. Uncles John and Matthew Barry, Paddy, Seán and later Stephen Tobin, Johnny O’Connor, Fanahan O’Neill (who didn’t play for long as he got a job aboard a ship), Mossy, Paddy and Richard Walsh, Ned Molan, Timmy Mackessy, Gerry O’Keeffe, Tommy White, Mick Reidy, Jimmy Murphy, Tommy Casey, Big John Aherne (the local postman), the Moher brothers Paddy and Jimmy who were playing for the Fingerpost (not an affiliated club either) joined the Bally boys by the end of the summer. Big Jim Moher, Bertie Childs, Tommy Norris, Liam Sherlock, Johnny and Jimmy Walsh and their brother PJ was selector along with Tommy Pyne, Pat Reidy,
Tom Buckley and Davey Casey.
Ballygiblin hurling club was not affiliated at this stage. Their first challenge game was organised against the Fingerpost in Lyons’ field. After a few weeks, they then started their 15-a-side challenge games which were played every Sunday. Apparently, sliotars and hurleys were scarce and if the ‘one’ sliotar that they were playing with went into the stream, the players would have to cut back the briars to get the ball out of the water.
Dad used to repair the sliotars in those days and Ned Molan (Glenduff) repaired and banded the hurleys. Dad was the only player to always play with his ‘cap’ on. He never played without it and when the helmets came in, he wasn’t too happy about having to replace the cap with his new green helmet.
One autumn evening of that same year - 1955 - four of the lads stayed behind (dad, Uncle John, Mick Harrington and Pato O’Brien) and sat down on the field to hold a meeting. In uncle John’s words ‘Eddie did most of the talking’. Dad spoke about starting up a club and suggested Mick Harrington to be chairman, Jimmy Moher the treasurer, John Barry secretary and Pato said they should enter a team in the North Cork Novice Hurling Championship and so Ballygiblin Club was formed on that autumn evening and the club was affiliated to the North Cork Board in 1956.
In 1961 the club ran a silver circle draw to raise money for the club. There was a massive response to this with club members travelling around to neighbouring villages and towns to get people to join. The weekly draw took place every Sunday after Mass in Jimmy O’Donnell’s house. This went on for three months. A great profit was made from that draw and £50 was invested in Prize Bonds in March 1961.
As the name Ballygiblin Hurling Club was not allowed to be used in purchasing the Prize Bonds, it went down in Paddy Tobin (secretary) and dad Ned Barry (treasurer).
One Saturday evening, 1st December, 1977 Paddy Tobin came to our house. We kids were sent to our rooms (but we had the door open a little to hear what all the excitement was about). My mother was laughing and crying at the same time and my father kept saying over and over ‘Oh God spare us and Bless us’. He was reading this letter that was addressed to himself and Paddy. Dad went up to his bedroom and came back with a tin box with a piece of paper and I always remember Paddy saying ‘ Thanks be to God’ Dad had kept the ticket in this tin box under his bed for the previous 16 years. Apparently if the winning ticket could not be located, the prize could not be claimed. Dad and Paddy went to the local solicitor the following week where they were told that there was nothing to say anything about any club being the winner and that they both could keep the money if they wanted to. Both being so honest they said they wouldn’t hear of such a thing. It was always their dream and wish of buying a field for the club.
A fundraising draw started and it went on for over 3 years. A field was purchased from John Hanrahan for £25,000. I remember as youngsters we were always down at the new field every evening and weekends picking stones and raking.
As I said, growing up where hurling and GAA was the centre hub of our home, we all slotted in with the training and matches. Dad used to drive the underage/juvenile teams to their matches. At one stage he even traded in the family car for a green Hiace van so he could transport all the players together. Oh the embarrassment, especially on a school morning if the bus didn’t show up and he’d have to drive us to school in this green van.
But the players loved being driven to games in the back of this van sitting on bales of hay or straw and Dad teasing them to watch out for the mice and hitting the brakes ever so often and boys falling over in the back. You’d hear the boys shouting ‘Do that again Ned, do that again’! I’d be sitting in the front with Dad as I was on that U14 team. I was the first female to play with Ballygiblin Hurling Club. When the other teams would find out there was a girl on the Bally team, many a fine goal and point I scored, I think they were afraid to tackle me!
Behind every dedicated GAA man there has to be a loyal and supportive woman. My mam was always there to back and support Dad towards his involvement in the club. She held the fort when Dad was off training, playing matches and even when he retired from playing but was still actively involved in the club, it was only then Mam could go to the games with him and enjoy the outings. She often remarked how she had to make sure the jerseys were washed first before the family washing.
I know if Dad, Uncle John, the boys from the team of ’63 and teams down through the years who have all gone to their eternal reward could only be here this week for the build-up to the match and to see this present team walk out on to the pitch in Croke Park, they would be the proudest men ever.
I know Dad in particular would be so proud to see his grandson Dean line out for Ballygiblin as it was his dream and the dream of Dean’s late Mam Deborah to see him play in Croke Park one day.
Every good wish to the boys on Saturday. Bring home the cup and remember where it all began in Lyons’ field on an autumn evening in 1955 where plans and dreams were made.