Players from the Ballyhea senior hurling team that contested the GAA Centenary Cork senior hurling championship against Cork City side St. Finbarr’s at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in September 1984, gathered for a team reunion at the Corbett Court Restaurant, Ballyhea, just a few miles south of Charleville town last Saturday evening.
Those present were welcomed by the current chair of Ballyhea GAA Club Eamon Morrissey who recalled the day they took on the star-studded Barr’s team, who had no fewer than six players on the senior Cork team that had won the centenary All-Ireland final in Semple Stadium in Thurles. He paid tribute to the players, who had done the club, their parish and their families proud on the day. He also paid tribute to the club’s then president and 1984 senior team coach, Jerome O’Keeffe (RIP), who sadly passed away a few weeks ago.
The North Cork standard bearers were given no chance of success and indeed were defeated, but before a packed Páirc Uí Chaoimh they provided stiff opposition for their opponents who ran out winners on a score of 1-15 to Ballyhea’s 2-3. A measure of the latter team’s performance on the day was that the man of the match award was presented to half-back player Philly Ryan, who along with fellow players Jack Russell and Johnnie O’Callaghan, held the defensive line for most of the game against their much-vaunted opponents.
John O’Callaghan, who played a defensive role in the county final outlined the Ballyhea path to the final. “We defeated divisional side Seandun in the first round, and Newtownshandrum in the second-round game played in Charleville. We drew with Sarsfields in the third round but won the replay to qualify for the county final for the first time since 1886,” said John. Bridging the 88-year gap was a massive achievement for the small parish of Ballyhea, one of the strongholds of North Cork hurling.
Among the attendance were three members of the victorious St. Finbarr’s side in the captain John Hodgkins, John Cremin and Niall Kenefick. They were also welcomed by the Ballyhea Club chairperson Eamon Morrissey, who presented John Hodgkins with a memento commemorating their victory forty years ago. Mr. Hodgkins suitably replied, thanking Ballyhea for their magnanimous gesture and he wished the club well in the future.