Remember the Titans - Edenderry Minor footballers: 1951 & their legacy

Post date: Sep 13, 2018 10:58:8 AM

(The 1969 minor champions)

The 1980’s would see the most successful decade in the clubs history in the under eighteen grade with 3 winning teams collecting the trophy in 1980, 1981 and 1985. Declan Carroll would win a minor and senior medal in 1985 and, as we shall see later, he would emulate his famous father with his achievements in 1985.

(The 1981 & 1985 minor football champions)

The club next collected a minor title in 1997 and this team would supply players like Robbie Glennon and Basil Malone to our already successful senior team. It also must be mentioned that our former Chairman, and current Secretary, Colm Cummins was a member of this successful team and scored an important goal in the final victory over Tullamore, a fact that he never fails to point out when the opportunity arises!

(The 1997 minor champions & Captain Leon Bagnall pictured with Larry Swaine, Mick Cummins & John Reilly)

10 years later the team of 2007 would win our last U-18 championship in style, with players like Sean Pender, Derek Kelly, Mark Young, Stuart Cullen, Daithi Brady and Stephen Guing serving notice of what they were capable of and subsequently forming the backbone of current successful senior championship winning teams of 2011 and 2015.

(The 2007 minor winners - The last group of Edenderry men to achieve the feat & Sean Pender is the only Edenderry man to captain a minor & senior winning team)

Over the years many arguments and discussions have taken place among Edenderry supporters of all ages as to which team was the greatest group of minor footballers to represent the club and, like most GAA arguments, this one is impossible to definitively answer. But what if we look at which team would prove to be the most influential to the club in the years after they became minor champions? What group of 18 year old's would shape the clubs future as they moved on to the senior grade and beyond their playing days? Arguably the team from 1951 could lay claim to this title. Maybe other teams in the future will prove this claim wrong but from a distance of 67 years it would seem that this group’s success would have the biggest impact over the clubs footballing journeys in the years after their resounding final win of November 1951. Not only did many of these players go on to win 2 and 3 senior medals and represent their county, but their sons have also went on to match their fathers achievements in winning senior honours. The family names of Brady, Carroll, Nolan, Farrell and O’Connell are synonymous with Edenderry GAA and it all started with the Boys of ‘51

(Sean Foran, Tommy Cullen, Mick Brady & Gerry Carroll - Four of the all time greats)

1951 MINOR CHAMPIONSHIP:

The first recorded match report of Edenderrys minor championship run of 1951 was in the month of October in Geashill where Daingean would provide the opposition. Newspaper reports describe a “young and fast” Edenderry team completely dominating proceedings. Playing against the wind in the first half Edenderry went into the break with a lead of 1-4 to 0-0 and the writing was on the wall for Daingean. The final score would read Edenderry 4-10, Daingean no score. Captain Christy Carroll would be top scorer on the day with a tally of 2-5, J. Corcoran would contribute 1-1, R. Hunston 1-0 and M. Nolan, S. Brereton, L. Gorry and S. Hughes would each add one point.

Next up would be a semi final tie against a strong Tullamore team. The game would be played in Daingean on the 11^th November and for a while it looked like the game would not go ahead due to the appointed referee P. Leavy not showing up. With agreement from both sides Fr. McWey would be trusted with the whistle and reports state he was an “able and impartial referee”.

(Fr McWey refereed the '51 semi final v Tullamore)

Playing with a strong wind Tullamore would make the better start, scoring 2 points without reply. One of these scores would come from the boot of a former Edenderry player then working, residing and playing for Tullamore called Rory O’Connell. Edenderrys defence was coming under pressure early on but M. Brady, N. O’Connell and S. Farrell were outstanding in this early period. Edenderry began to settle and scored a quick goal and point before the break. L. Gorry netting and M. Nolan tagging on a point. At half time Edenderry went in leading 1-1 to Tullamore 0-2.

Early in the second half a heavy collision would see Edenderry's M. Maher sustaining a broken collar bone and he was replaced by Vince Kane. This did not seem to upset the now dominant Edenderry forward line and it was the replacement Kane who would get their next point. Edenderry would go on to score 1-2 without reply in the second half with Chirsty Carroll and Joe Bowman combining well for Bowman to goal and C. Carroll then rounding off a great solo run with a well taken point. S. Brereton would get the last point of the game as Edenderry booked their place in the county final on a scoreline of 2-4 to 0-2.

In 2 games Edenderry had scored an impressive 6 goals and 14 points and had only conceded 2 points. Whoever was going to face the young reds in the final of 1951 would surely have their hands full.

THE FINAL:

The county minor final of 1951 was fixed for 24^th November in O’Connor Park and just like the senior final of the same year Edenderry and Cloghan would do battle for the honours.

The game would prove to be complete one way traffic with a magnificent Edenderry team, led by their captain, the great Christy Carroll dominating proceeds from start to finish and giving a display of scoring that would break all previous scoring records.

Edenderry led by 3-6 to no score at half time and when Referee, Mr J Flaherty blew the final whistle on the final of 1951 Edenderry had amassed a record score of 7-13. Cloghan failed to register a single score over the whole game so dominant was the Edenderry defence.

Edenderry’s team on this record breaking day would read as follows:

D O’Neill

S Farrell, J. Corcoran, J Lee

M O’Connell, M Brady, N O’Connell

C Carroll (Capt), M Nolan

J Bowman, L. Gorry, R Hunston

S Brereton, S Hughes V Kane

Subs: P Nolan, M Maher, K O’Connell, L Hunston, M O’Donoghue, M Kelly

SCORERS FOR EDENDERRY:

Vince Kane 3 -1, Sean Brereton 0-5, Joe Bowman 2-1, Christy Carroll 1-3, J Corcoran 1-1, Mick Nolan 0-2.

(Eamon & Sean O'Connell with the Dowling Cup in 2011 while their brother Noel welcomes the team back to town)

SENIOR STARS:

1951 would be a very special year for Edenderry GAA. It would be the first time the club would capture both senior and minor football championships in the same year. This feat would be repeated on two more occasions in 1985 and 1997. The minor team of 1951 would supply the senior team of that year with 3 players on the starting fifteen with Christy Carroll, Mick Brady and Mick Nolan lining out in the senior county final vs Rhode. Each one would make a big contribution to the senior teams success of 1951 and would go on to collect 2 more senior winning medals in 1953 and 1957. Sean Farrell, Mickso O'Connell, Noel O’Connell, Joe Bowman, Liam Hunston, Joe Corcoran and many others would also progress to the senior ranks over the following years and also add championship winning medals to their collections. In fact, at least 12 of the 21 man panel collected senior medals in the 1950's. However, the 3 players of 1951 who would win minor and senior medals hold a special honour in Edenderry's proud history. They were the first players to achieve this feat and deserve a special mention.

CHRISTY CARROLL:

The captain of the minor team, he would go on to win 3 Senior medals in total and play for Offaly over many years. A player of great skill and vision, he was described as someone who could bring others into the game with great passing and accuracy. Former teammate and senior medal winner from 1957 Noel Guing remembers seeing Christy as a young boy on his way to school toe-tapping a tennis ball as he went and never losing control of the small ball. All attempts by the other boys to intercept or grab the ball off Christy would prove impossible such was his control and skill. Noel described Christy as the “George Best” of Edenderry GAA such was his sublime talent. His sons Gerry and Declan would go on to win senior medals for Edenderry in 1985, with Declan emulating his famous father in 1985 by also winning minor and senior honours in the same year. Gerry Carroll of course went on to win All Ireland honours with Offaly on that famous day in 1982 and could arguably be considered Edenederry’s most successful senior of all time. Christy’s daughter Helen would also represent Offaly Ladies and collect All Ireland titles for the faithful county while his grandson Keith McGuinness has won two senior titles in 2011 and 2015. C. Carroll, as he became known to all, left a lasting legacy in Edenderry.

(The great Christy Carroll pictured in the front row, third from the right)

MICK BRADY:

An Edenderry legend, Mick would also collect a senior championship medal in 1953. He would represent Offaly with distinction and be a proud member of the Leinster winning teams of 1960 and 1961, narrowly missing out on the ultimate prize in the All-Ireland Final defeat to a great Down team in 1961 on a day when a record 90,000 people crammed into Croke Park. A player of great style and commitment, he was as good a player as there was in Ireland in that era. His sons Peter and Michael Óg would emulate their Father. Michael Óg would win Senior medals in 1985 and 1995 and Peter would become the proud holder of 5 senior medals, a record in Edenderry. Michael Óg would represent Offaly with distinction in the late 1980s but Peter would match his Fathers achievement’s when winning a Leinster Senior medal in 1997 on a never to be forgotten day in Croke Park. Peter would also go on and manage the Edenderry team to Senior Championship wins in 2011 and 2015. What a legacy Mick Brady has left to Edenderry.

(The late Mick Brady pictured with Tomas Ó'Se at the 2014 Edenderry awards night)

MICHÁEL NOLAN:

When you think of Edenderry GAA your mind immediately takes you to the Nolan family. Their family are etched in the history books and in 1951 both Micháel and Pat were members of the 1951 minor football team. The 1951 minor team set a record in Offaly minor football by scoring a total of 87 points in just four games and Micháel Nolan was instrumental in this success, often described as the 'architect' of Edenderry's attack. He represented Edenderry at both football and hurling and was successful at both codes collecting an intermediate hurling medal in 1954. A winner of three senior football medals in the 1950's Micháel was regarded as one of Edenderry's finest servants and was renowned as a fast and fearless footballer. In 1953 when Edenderry beat Rhode in the senior football final Micháel Nolan was described as the 'smallest man on the team but also the most dangerous'. From 1995-1997 he served as a selector with the reds as they collected two more senior championships. Micháel's son Paul was the minor football captain when Edenderry won the championship in 1985 and Paul also captained the Vocational schools side to All-Ireland glory that same year. Micháel's brother Pat was also part of the panel in 1951 and Pat also collected senior honours in the 50's while his son Cormac was corner back on the 1995 Edenderry team that won the Dowling Cup. Pat and Micháel's nephew Daniel was part of the Edenderry panel that won the 2011 senior championship while Micháel's nephew Niall Comerford will always be remembered for his heroics in the 1997 final victory over Ferbane. Pat's grandson and Cormac's son Ciaran is now part of Peter Brady's senior football panel having made his debut this year and his younger brother Briain is expected to join the panel in 2019 continuing a fine tradition of Nolan men representing the reds with pride.

Micháel Nolan was inducted into the Edenderry GAA 'Hall of Fame' in 2012 while his brother Pat was made Honorary Life President alongside Eddie Kenny in 2014.

(Micháel Nolan is hoisted following the 1951 victory)

OFFALY MINOR CHAMPS V KILDARE MINOR CHAMPS:

In June 1952 the reigning minor champions of Offaly and Kildare, Edenderry and St Pat's, faced off against each other in a tournament final. Edenderry's young guns are said to have made a 'very favourable impression' on spectators as they routed the opposition 1-17 1-2. Sean Brereton top scored with 0-5 with Christy Carroll 0-4, Joe Bowman (0-3), Leo Gorry (0-3), S Tyrrell (1-0), and Vince Kane (0-1) among the scorers. Presenting a shiny silver cup to Edenderry captain Christy Carroll, Rev. T Kennedy CC Rathangan lavished praise on the Edenderry footballers saying they were 'magnificent team, one of the best I've ever seen'. Rev. Kennedy advised if they could stay together, train well and concentrate on 'points' rather than 'pints' they could help Offaly to Leinster championship glory and even All-Ireland titles. Captain Christy Carroll thanked Rev. Kennedy for the kind words and the promoters of the tournament for presenting such a tremendous trophy.

(Sean Foran, Mick Brady & Tommy Cullen represented Offaly in the All-Ireland final in 1961)

FATHERS & SONS:

From the 1951 minor football team a legacy was born. Seven members of the squad who went on to win senior football championship medals for the club also produced sons who would achieve the same feat. From the full back line Sean 'Hooper' Farrell's son Seán Óg won senior titles with the reds in the 90's and in 2011 at the age of 39. He also became the first Edenderry man to win a senior All-Ireland hurling medal with Offaly in 1994. Bill Corcoran, son of full back Jody Corcoran, played corner forward when the reds beat Raheens in 1985 while Noel O'Connell's son Kieran 'Duke' O'Connell won four county medals. Centre back and Edenderry legend Mick Brady is highly regarded as one of Edenderry's finest ever players but if there is one player who may surpass him it may very well be his son Peter who is the sole record holder in Edenderry with five county medals. Mick's eldest son Micháel Óg also won two senior county titles in 1985 and 1995.

Christy Carroll is remembered as a 'genius' of a footballer and his sons Gerry & Declan emulated their late father by collecting senior medals with the reds in 1985. Declan also starred on the minor team in 1985 matching the feat of his father who achieved the minor/senior double in 1951 while 'The Bronze' (Gerry) reached the holy grail with Offaly's never to be forgotten 1982 All-Ireland victory over Kerry. Micky Nolan's son Paul captained our minors to victory in 1985 and was part of the 1997 panel that beat Ferbane in the senior football final. Cormac Nolan, son of club President Pat, was corner back when Edenderry beat Clara in the 1995 senior football final.

There have been many cases of father and son and even grandsons winning county titles in Edenderry such as Noel & Kevin Guing and their grandson/nephew Derek Kelly, John Snr & Greg Blong and their grandson/nephew Gary Blong, Tony & Alex Kenny, Liam & Ken Corcoran, Joe and Dermot Byrne & their grandson/son Colm Byrne, Peter Hurley and his sons Cormac & Ciaran, Declan & Ciaran Farrell and Tommy & Finbarr Cullen to name but a few but for it to happen with seven players off the one team is quite extraordinary. So those GAA discussions and arguments mentioned earlier will go on forever but the boys of 1951 can rest assured that they will be mentioned as long as the club is in existence and as long as GAA people discuss players of the past. Their exploits have made them footballing immortals.

As it stands, the students of 1951 are top of the class.

(Club President Pat Nolan with his grandsons Briain & Ciaran) (Ciaran Farrell with his Uncle Seanie & Father Declan)

(Finbarr Cullen, Kevin Guing & Peter Brady have a combined 13 senior medals as players, their fathers with 4)