78 Wednesday August 23, 2017 www.tuamherald.ie

Jim Carney This Sporting Life The man who played for in two All- finals

IM FIVES has lived in Galway for most of his adult life. He Jplayed in Maroon and White from 1955 to 1959, including two All-Ireland Senior Championship finals and two Oireachtas tournament finals. In 1951, in his first year serving as an Army officer and based in Dún Uí Mhaoilíosa, Renmore he won a Galway Senior Football Championship medal. Before all that, he played hurling for Waterford - it's his native county. He excelled in inter-county Championship hurling, particularly in his year as Waterford captain (1951) and for Galway in the All-Ireland finals of 1955 and '58. Although neither of those two counties had sufficient strength- in-depth to go all the way at the time - until Waterford bridged an eleven-year gap in 1959 - Jim Fives gained considerable recognition at national level. It culminated in THE GALWAY team who lost to Wexford in the 1955 All-Ireland final. At back, from left: Tim Sweeney (Fohenagh), Bernie Power (Liam Mellows), his selection, with the captaincy, Jim Fives (An Céad Cath), Johnny Burke (Castlegar), Tommy Kelly (Eyrecourt), Joe Young (An Céad Cath), Billy Duffy (Eyrecourt), Johnny Molloy when a GAA Centenary Year team (Castlegar). In front: Billy O’Neill (An Céad Cath), Tom Boland (Faughs, Dublin), Paddy Egan (Castlegar), (Eyrecourt), James Duggan, was chosen by a panel of experts captain (Liam Mellows), with team mascot Paddy Walsh, son of Ned Walsh, The Malt House, Galway; Paddy “Mogan” Duggan (Liam Mellows), Mickey to honour the best 15 players not Burke (Castlegar). Two subs were sent on in the final: Hubert Gordon (Tynagh) and Mickey Elwood (Liam Mellows). to have won an All-Ireland SHC medal. was a real gentleman. It was, and including a draw with Kilkenny in Tourin, located near Cappoquin On the fields of play, he captained is, a great pleasure to know him." the final and a high-scoring , and the heritage town of Lismore. a Rest of Ireland team against Interviewed by me for the Herald plus an All-Ireland semi-final As a young man he captained his the then reigning All-Ireland many years ago, Jimmy Duggan clash with Munster champions secondary school hurling team in champions Tipperary in 1959, said that while some of Galway's Limerick. Galway had direct entry Lismore, the CBS, and his Cadet having played for the Rest of defeats in All-Ireland semi-finals into the All-Ireland final, as they School team at the Curragh; and he Ireland against a Universities in the late 1940s and the 1955 and had again in 1958; indeed they became a county senior hurler for selection in 1953 and against the '58 finals might suggest they were hadn't a competitive game that Waterford. Universities & Combined Services outclassed by the likes of Cork, year between the month of March They came agonisingly close in 1954. He played Railway Cup Kilkenny, Tipperary and Wexford, (end of their National League to an against-the-odds win over hurling for in a golden there was a contributory factor campaign) and September 7th, Tipperary in the 1951 Munster era for the inter-provincial that should be taken into account: the day they went down heavily to Championship quarter-final. competition. Connacht's best two Galway went into big games Tipperary, 4-9 to 2-5. In contrast, The Tipp team who clinched results in Jim's time were a draw "cold" without meaningful match- Tipp had played Limerick, Cork an All-Ireland three-in-a-row on with Munster in 1957 and a semi- practice, taking on teams who were and Waterford in the Munster September 2nd of that year got final win over Leinster in 1959. One battle-hardened in the Leinster or Championship, and an All-Ireland past Waterford at the Cork Athletic of his most renowned opponents Munster Championships, so a good semi-final against their big rivals Grounds on June 10th by a goal, was the Cork maestro start could not be sustained. Kilkenny. 2-10 to 1-10, but the Irish Press and he also had a special regard For example, in the 1955 All- Two years later, in 1960, while reported that it was a tight finish for Pat "The Diamond" Hayden of Ireland final against a star-studded participating in the United Nations in a "thrill-a-minute" contest and Kilkenny. Wexford team backboned by the peacekeeping mission to the Congo John D. Hickey wrote in the Irish Galway's 1955 captain was Jimmy three Rackard brothers, Galway with the 32nd Infantry Battalion, Independent that Tipperary were Duggan, a legendary figure in the led at half-time by 2-5 to 2-3 but Lieutenant Jim Fives was promoted very worried about the threat history of the great city club Liam the Leinster champions powered to the rank of Captain. In 1967-68 posed by a young Waterford Mellows along with his brothers to victory in the second half, 3-13 he again served abroad on a U.N. team who had "speed of the Seán and Paddy. Jimmy said to to 2-8. In the Irish Independent, mission, this time to the Middle supercharged variety." Jim Fives JIM FIVES: a revered figure in GAA me this week that he has "fond writer John D Hickey East, based for most of the time played at full-forward that day; and Army circles. memories of playing for Galway paid tribute to Galway's good in Damascus. Back home, he his brother Maurice lined out at with such a brilliant hurler as Jim first-half display which he said rose to the rank of Colonel. On midfield, and three other brothers preparing for a mighty battle with Fives," and he added: "He was a helped to make it a contest "of his retirement from the Army, he played alongside Jim and Maurice Galway in the All-Ireland final at wonderful player, very skilful with rare splendour, a spectacle of such gave outstanding service for many for the club. All five helped Tourin Croke Park on Sunday week. Jim a sure touch and a lovely style of grandeur that spectators warmly years, in a voluntary capacity, to to County Senior Championship has said to me that he hopes it will striking the sliotar, right and left. applauded the rival teams as they the Irish Heart Foundation. glory in 1950. They went into be a great game and that the losing As a defender he was especially went back to their dressingrooms As a hurler, he had stayed loyal Waterford GAA folklore as "The team will come back even stronger good at supporting the man closest at the interval." In the Irish Press on to Galway, his adopted county. Five Fives." next year and win the Liam to him if that man was under the day after that 1955 final, Mick It appears from all we know Paddy Fives's son John had sons MacCarthy Cup. That's the way pressure. Jim was always well able Dunne wrote: "Jim Fives never gave about him that he loved hurling who grew up with the family love he will look at it; he is that kind of to win his own personal duels but an inch." and gave total commitment to of hurling and two of them, Shane man, made of rock-solid integrity he was always anxious to help his Wexford had played three games all teams he played for, starting and Darragh, now play for the and generosity of spirit - an Officer team-mates, too. Off the field, he in the Leinster Championship, with his Waterford parish club Waterford senior team who are and a Gentleman.