Centenary of East Cork GAA celebrated in Cobh
Cobh was the location last Saturday where the centenary of the founding of the East Cork GAA Divisional Board was marked. Mass in St Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh at 6pm got proceedings underway, concelebrated by Bishop William Crean and Fr Tom McDermott.
This was followed by all present for the occasion making their way to Páirc Ui Chonaill, home of Cobh GAA Club, where Avril Geary, chairperson of the Imokilly Board, unveiled a plaque in memory of Ben Purcell, the founding chairman. The occasion marked exactly 100 years since a small group of Gaels gathered in Cobh Town Hall with an idea of forming a board to govern Gaelic games in East Cork.
Avril welcomed former president of the GAA Christy Cooney, chairman and officers of Cork County Board, Deputy County Mayor John Healy, members of all clubs within the division, members of referees and Scór committees, sponsors and media partners. She
then outlined the events that led to the formation of the East Cork Divisional Board.
“Great change was taking place on the island of Ireland in the aftermath of independence. The GAA was already 40 years into existence when on April 13th, 1924 a meeting was held in Cobh Town Hall, the aim of which was to set up the East Cork Divisional Board. The meeting was presided over by Henry Murphy, then chairman of Cork County Board. Officers elected were as follows chairman Ben Purcell Cobh, vice chairman James Barry Carrigtwohill, secretary Eamonn Fleming Midleton, treasurer Joe Foley Sarsfields and out of humble beginnings in the town of Cobh it all began,” she stated.
MUCH PROGRESS
In synopsising the last 100 years of the East Cork board, she spoke of the ‘great vision of the 1924 executive and subsequent executives’ and the ‘excellent administrators’ across the division’s clubs, noting Christy Cooney of Youghal who in 2009 became the 36th president of the GAA and Killeagh’s Tracey Kennedy, who was recently elected the first female representative of Congress to sit on the GAA’s Management committee.
In early 1960s there was rapid expansion of the East Cork Board ‘and prompted by forward thinking, the Juvenile Board was formed. Jack Cotter of Midleton and Peadar Seymour of Carrigtwohill were just two of the names in those early years that were pivotal in running the board’, she recalled.
She noted the huge significance at the time of the appointment of a paid juvenile coach in Mary O’Connor, while the Imokilly Scór committee was set up in the late ‘60’s, with Dan Kenneally of Dungourney becoming chairman of the first Scór committee.
Stating that ‘an abundance of on the field talent has emerged from the Imokilly Division down through the years’, Ms Geary in noting that there were ‘ too many to mention’, made two exceptions - Christy Ring who was remembered recently on his 45th anniversary, along with dual player Teddy McCarthy, ‘one of the greatest hurlers in the history of the game’, as we approach the first anniversary of his untimely death.
Concluding, she thanked all those whose input made the occasion possible and reserved ‘a special mention’ for Denis Hurley from the Sarsfields Club, ‘ vice president of our division and friend to many. He has served his club, division and county in all facets and I am led to believe he is the oldest surviving former officer of the Imokilly Board’.
Board president, Jerry O’Sullivan, also spoke, along with Cobh GAA president, Tom Hayes and formal proceedings ended with a rendition of the national anthem, followed by refreshments and a social gathering.