On this day in 1995: Edenderry crowned senior champions

Post date: Oct 15, 2020 7:32:15 PM

25 years ago today:

Ciarán Reilly

Twenty-five years ago today, 15^th October 1995, there was an outpouring of emotion as Edenderry won the Dowling Cup for only the sixth time beating Clara, 2-10 to 1-10 in the Offaly Senior Football Final. This piece is offered as a personal reflection of that day and I hope it will rekindle fond memories from supporters and players alike.

But let’s rewind slightly first.

It was the long hot summer. Club games were put on hold as Offaly hurlers made their way to the All Ireland final aiming to make it back to back Liam McCarthy wins. Clare had other plans of course, as the curse of Biddy Earley was broken.

The weather was so hot for so long that summer. It seemed endless and GAA pitches throughout the country resembled a desert. The pitch in Edenderry was no different and was so badly damaged from the sun and cracked that it was deemed unplayable. To change things up a bit the senior team trained in the bog on a few occasions in the long lay-off between the last group game on 9 July and the quarter final on 27^th August. On these hot summer evenings, I remember helping out by having buckets of water filled with cups and as the players finished sprints you filled a cup for them (so much for Covid regulations!)

The path to the 1995 final had been a long one for many players. There were a couple of near misses in the late 80s but despite renewed optimism in the early 1990s the team always came up short. In 1991 a semi-final was reached but ended in defeat to Clara; 1992 a semi -final reached but a one-point loss to Ferbane and in 1993 the semi-final was once again reached but a three-point defeat to Ferbane followed in an eight-goal thriller. Then 1994 - disaster with the first round defeat to Belmont, then just up from Intermediate. The dug out that day resembled Emerson’s Waiting room but Belmont were worthy winners on the day. Anyways the players regrouped from the defeat it could have gone either way, but they played the remaining league matches and applied themselves. Only the players themselves and management will know what work was put in that winter under the guidance of Kildare man, Ray O’Sullivan. However, a personal memory of that winter is seeing the players training in small groups around the five mile and down the canal.

Commencing collective training February the panel of thirty trained hard and opening league wins including an 0-11 to 0-7 win over Ferbane signalled brighter days ahead. Despite playing well there were many nerves as Edenderry faced Kilcormac-Killoughy in round one on 30 April, but the issue was soon settled and the Reds ran out 4-12 to 1-3 win over Kilcormac Killoughy winners. Next up was Ballyfore in a repeat of the epic battle in 1993. Finishing 1-10 to 1-9 only a late Tony Kenny salvo, as he jinked his way along the end line, was the difference. A third victory on 2 July with two points to spare over Tullamore (1-11 to 1-9) saw Edenderry clinch a quarter final place with one group game to spare. That final group game was played one week later in Clara against Doon but despite the glorious sunshine the reds suffered a 1-12 to 3-9 loss. The long layoff as the county hurlers took centre stage allowed the team the knuckle down and in the six weeks that followed the hard yards were put in. An easier than anticipated win over St Carthages/Mucklagh 1-17 to 0-9 in the quarter final meant that Edenderry faced Gracefield in the Semi-final which was played on the Sunday evening after the All Ireland Football Final between Dublin and Tyrone. Again, a sterner test was expected from a fancied Gracefield team but Edenderry ran out easy winners 2-13 to 0-5. After three semi-final defeats from 1991-93 Edenderry had finally reached a final.

Although Edenderry had defeated Gracefield on 17 September they would have to wait another three weeks before Clara defeated Tullamore by a single point, 2-8 to 2-7, in what the Offaly was described as a ‘bruising battle’. Almost at once, there was controversy as the preparations for the final commenced. Clara were aggrieved with the quick turnaround and angered that they were expected to play a county final six days later. The final was initially fixed for Saturday because of the clash with Offaly’s National Football League fixture, a home game against Tipperary. However, Edenderry objected and Tom Reilly, secretary, fought the clubs case maintaining that the final would not be played as it would rule Cillian Farrell out of contention. Farrell had been sent off two weeks previous in a junior hurling match and his suspension was due to end at midnight on the Saturday. In the end, the game was put back twenty-four hours to Sunday, but with the earlier throw in time of 12.45 to allow time for the National League fixture.

None of this of course detracted from the teams preparations and the build-up was electric. Crowds gathered to watch the team train and the town was bedecked in red and white for the first time in a decade.

After a nervy first half Edenderry held a slight two point advantage going into half time with late points from Ciaran O’Connell, Cillian Farrell and Declan Flynn confirming the Reds dominance. However, it was a blistering start to the second half which would prove decisive.

Eight minutes into the second half Edenderry looked to half both hands on the cup and led by 2-8 to 0-5. Goals from John Mason and Niall Comerford had Clara on the ropes. But then the comeback started and Clara started to ask questions of the would-be champions. It looked as if would be anyone’s game as Clara score five points on the trot. Then up stepped Cillian Farrell who kicked a majestic point from out on the left into the scoreboard end to stem the Clara tide and from there on in it was frantic stuff as Edenderry tried to hold on to the lead. David Reynolds tapped over when he could have gone for goal to leave three points between them. Eddie Dunne’s whistle sounding the end of the game was met by an outpouring of joy. Young and old rejoiced.

There was anger though that the supporters were not let out on the field because of the impending National League fixture. The gates were locked and I remember supporters doing their best to break them down. In the end, the presentation was a shambles held in the corner of the pitch near the old Tunnel as Declan Farrell received the Dowling Cup from Brendan Ward, chairman of the county board. Declan didn’t care though as he got his hands on the cup.

Ever the consummate professional Finbarr Cullen made his way to play for Offaly against Tipperary, a game that was delayed because of the celebrations. Lining out at corner forward he scored three points in a 3-14 to 1-7 victory. Most of the 4,000 crowd had left by that stage and there was more interest from an Edenderry perspective in the evening to come.

Later that evening as darkness set in the team arrived at Killane Bridge. No one expected the numbers which lined out to greet them as the players were bundled onto to the back of Grady’s lorry. The celebrations continued long into the night with several hundred packed into the GAA pavilion.

Of course, I was much too young to enjoy the celebrations properly but I remember the following day my father making a speech in Byrne’s Pub which was packed to the rafters. Thanking those who had made the day possible, not least the players he ended quoting Van Morrison: ‘my momma told me they’d be days like this!’

A long week of celebration followed, culminating in a civic reception organised by the Towns Commissioners on Friday 20 October in the Town Hall. Later that night the Dowling Cup was guest of honour at Cathal’s 21^st in the rugby club. With most of the players present, it was little wonder then that Edenderry’s opening game in the Leinster Club championship two days later was a difficult assignment. Making the trip to Wexford and after a lacklustre display the reds were victorious in Gorey on a score line of 2-6 to 1-4, thanks mainly to a Peter Brady penalty. Killinerin, backed by Mattie Forde would have revenge four years later at the same venue.

The drama of 1995 wasn’t finished there. There wasn’t much time to draw breath from the victory over the Wexford champions as Edenderry prepared to face the Dublin champions Ballyboden two weeks later in Tullamore. Backed by Dublin midfielder Paul Bealin, who scored two points, Ballyboden emerged 2-8 to 0-10 winners. Almost as soon as the game was over there was more controversy as Edenderry joined Dublin’s Erin’s Isle in lodging an objection against Ballyboden on the grounds that Bealin had already played championship football that year for his club St Kevin’s Kilnamanagh before transferring to Ballyboden. The appeal from Erin’s Isle and the objection from Edenderry rumbled on for days but was eventually dismissed by the Leinster Council but not before they issued a statement claiming that Ballyboden had ‘breached the spirit of the rules of the association’ but they would allow them continue in the competition.

Anyways, back to the 15 October 1995. Reporting on the outcome of the game Eddie Rogers in the Offaly Independent believed that it had been Clara’s shooting that let them down but praised Edenderry who were the more balanced side. It was a sentiment shared by Peter Carter in the Offaly Topic, which carried the headline ‘Red Sails in the Sunset’. It was the start of four senior football championship victories in six years. A magical day. A quarter of a century ago today.