'Reeling in the years' - 1937 & the semi final v Rhode

Post date: Aug 05, 2018 1:32:21 PM

By David Farrell

In 1937 Edenderry and Rhode faced each other in the Offaly senior football championship semi final in O'Connor Park, Tullamore.

The reds were reigning champions having won their first ever title the previous year with Mick Hughes captaining Edenderry on that occasion. Rhode however had tasted glory on eight previous occasions with their last coming in the 1931 victory over Tullamore.

On Sunday September 11th 1937 the neighbours and rivals met in O'Connor Park in what was described at the time as the largest ever crowd for a semi final with an estimated 2000 people present. The gate receipts, excluding side line seats, were £80 15s.

The game was hotly contested and the clashing of two great teams had rightly led people to believe that this would inevitably produce a great game of football. However, few expected such a thrilling struggle or such a tide that rose steadily in favour of Rhode but then swept back in a gradually mounting wave of scores for the reds. Edenderry were on the cusp of victory but it was snatched from their grasp by a last minute goal from Joe Kilmurray who boxed the ball to the back of the net.

THE GAME

Rhode were captained by midfielder Joe Connor and it was his uncanny accuracy at frees that helped Rhode to victory. Playing alongside him was Dick Conroy who is said to have played the game of his life. Edenderry were well served by Joe Brennan, Peter 'Leesha' McGlynn and Willie Coyne but Rhode held a 3-2 1-2 lead at half time.

Mick Falvey and Willie Coyne blasted goals for Edenderry early in the second half but Joe Connor put Rhode back one point ahead. Ballybryan school teacher Mick Falvey levelled the game with a point for Edenderry but it was disallowed by the referee Tom O'Keefe of Clara.

Edenderry finally took the lead when Joe Brennan finds the back of the net but in the dying seconds of the game there's a scrimmage at the Edenderry goalmouth and Joe Kilmurray forces home a goal to give Rhode the win 4-3 4-2. In the ensuing fracas Mick Hughes was sent off for Edenderry. Rhode proceed to the County final where they fell to Walsh Island on a score-line of 3-8 2-5.

The Fallout

On September 17th 1937 at the Offaly county board meeting the Edenderry delegates strongly protested the manner in which the semi final had been refereed.

The referee, in his report, stated that he found it very hard to control the game, owing to the close tackling by players in their eagerness to win the match. Five minutes after the start he had to warn an Edenderry player and he had to send one off before the end of the game. He also stated in his report that he was struck by an Edenderry player when leaving the field after the game.

Mr George O’Connell (Edenderry) spoke and stated that there was no mention of a more serious incident in which the umpire left his post, rushed the field and assaulted a player before being escorted back to the goals. Mr O’Keefe (referee) stated he did not see the incident to which Mr O’Connell replied “There was a lot of things you didn’t see Tom”.

Mick Hughes, who had been sent off in the match, was called first and it was proposed to suspend him for one month. Mick Falvey, the controversial school teacher in Ballybyran and Edenderry footballer sarcastically commented “I propose five years”. Mr Favley was reminded by Rev Chairman Bannon to conduct himself.

The next player in the firing line was Kit Leavy who was one of three Rhode men playing for Edenderry in the semi final alongside the Leonard brothers, Spot and Dick. Mr Leavy was accused of striking the referee after the game in which the Tullamore delegates had to protect Mr O’Keefe. The Edenderry delegates reacted with Mick Falvey telling the county board members that the referee did not make much of either team and hadn’t the decency to remove his coat or cap to referee the game.

Mr Leonard (Edenderry) asked the referee who the first man was to protect him and insisted that it was he who had done so, putting his arm around him leaving the field. Referee Tom O’Keefe replied stating he did not know who done that.

Concluding, Mr George O’Connell asked that Leavy be allowed off with a caution. He had a very good record and played for years with Rhode. Mr J Dooley (Coolderry) proposed a one month suspension and the Rev Chairman Bannon said he regarded the case as a very serious one and the player had got off very lightly.

IN OTHER NEWS:

PORTARLINGTON TOURNAMENT V WALSH ISLAND:

Edenderry & Walsh Island met in the Portarlington tournament which was organised by the Laois club in order to pay off a debt they owed on their field. Edenderry were the reigning county champions having beaten Walsh Island in the 1936 final but this game was billed as an amicable affair. However, it turned out to be as amicable as the Spanish civil war and was spoiled by incidents towards the end of the game. The Edenderry players walked off the pitch and the game was awarded to Walsh Island 3-5 0-0.

AGM HELD IN FR PAUL MURPHY'S HALL:

The GAA AGM was held on March 12th 1937 in Fr Paul Murphy's Hall and Kevin O'Kennedy was elected Chairman and Treasurer with Mick Hughes elected captain of the senior football team. Sympathies were expressed by senior footballers Willie Leonard & Mick Hughes to Mr J Dunne who drove the Edenderry to Dublin bus on the tragic passing of his brother Gerald.

OFFALY V MAYO:

Offaly played Mayo in 1937 with Edenderry's Peter 'Leesha' McGlynn and Mick Hughes starting midfield for the faithful county.

LADLEY'S SERVICE GARAGE EDENDERRY:

Ladley's garage was selling the new Fiat Saloon for £150 or a £35 deposit with the balance to be paid over two years. Ladley's described the car as "unusually roomy with a 570cc engine".

HARBOUR HOUSE CATCHES FIRE:

The Harbour House pub caught on fire overnight in March 1937 but luckily the maid in employment Rosie Swords detected the smoke in time. It was determined that a match or cigarette thrown into the sawdust outside the counter was the cause of the fire but in an astonishing twist the fire was extinguished when bottles of stout burst on the shelves due to the heat and the contents flowed onto the floor and extinguished the fire before it could reach the stock of Whiskey.

THE BLACK & TANS AND A HAPPY END TO ROMANCE:

Hugh Murphy of Headford, Galway and Madge Edwards of Moate, Westmeath had both moved to Edenderry to work at UP Stores as a clerk and an assistant in the hardware store. When the War of Independence broke out in Ireland Murphy, an IRA man, left his sweethearts side to strike a blow for freedom. Having spent time on the run he was eventually captured and sentence to jail in England. When the treaty was signed, Murphy and another UP stores assistant travelled to America. Hugh kept correspondence with his sweetheart and returned to Dublin in early February 1937. Five weeks later he married Madge Edwards. Miss M Fox the chief clerk of UP Stores, Edenderry represented the staff at the wedding.

EDENDERRY'S HORSE & PONY RACES:

The annual Horse & Pony races took place on Thursday June 17th 1937 with seven races taking place and over £40 worth of prizes to be won.

GARDAI ON PATROL AT BALLYMORANE HOUSE:

Portions of land which had been recently acquired by the Land Commission were divided up among seven tenants with each receiving 13 acres on March 29th 1937. There was a further two farms still to be divided. A local committee had been appointed to negotiate on the appointment of Ballymorane House which the locals wished to transform into a church. The parish priests were in favour of the idea. On April 1st 1937 the inspectors gave possession of Ballymorane House and some 150 acres to Mr Joseph Bulfin, a former Chairman of Offaly Co. Council and a brother to the late TD Frank Bulfin. He was handed the keys to the estate and returned to Belmont shortly afterwards. No incidents were recorded but Gardai patrolled the district from Thursday April 1st.