This Sporting Life the Brothers on Opposite Sides in a National League final
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www.tuamherald.ie Wednesday November 29, 2017 101 Jim Carney This Sporting Life The brothers on opposite sides in a National League final HEY TOGGED OUT to play a game of hurling T3,000 miles from the green, green grass of home. Josie and Stephen Gallagher from Gort. Brothers. Two great forwards who shared a love of the game. On that late September Sunday in 1951 at the famous Polo Grounds in New York, Josie and Steve were on opposite sides in the National League final. Josie, playing at centre half-forward for Galway, hit the two clinching points of a 2-11 to 2-8 win over the Exiles, for whom Steve Gallagher lined out at GALWAY Hurler of the Year in 1965, Jimmy Duggan, received right half-forward, with the his award from Micheál O’Hehir. renowned Kilkenny man Terry Leahy at No. 11. Saturday night and they all Four years earlier, the sang a song made famous by two brothers had starred Vera Lynn during World War for the all-Galway team II: Now is the hour when we who represented Connacht must say goodbye ... in the West's first Railway Irish tenor Josef Locke's Cup hurling triumph, twice recording of it was defeating star-studded particularly popular in Ireland opposition at Croke Park: in the late 1940s. Leinster in the semi-final and On a visit home in 1992, Munster (including Christy Steve did an interview for the Ring) in the final on April 6 Gort community magazine (Easter Sunday) 1947. Guaire. He loved New York The semi-final against STAMP OF APPROVAL: Seán but from the early years living Leinster was settled by Steve Duggan was honoured by so far from home he could Gallagher's last-gasp goal. One An Post with a national Hall recall many nights "lying in of his opponents in that game of Fame award in 2002. bed in the Bronx and longing was Terry Leahy. Emigration for south Galway." united them to play for New have been a different result if Growing up in Ireland in York at the Polo Grounds young Joe Gallagher had been the 1930s, life was the same three years later. playing from the start." for nearly everybody, he In the build-up to the After '47 it was sad for Josie told the interviewer: very County Cup final next that he didn't have his brother little money but there was Sunday, I was thinking about Stephen close to him in the always something to do, even legendary players who hold Gort and Galway forward when they were very young special places in the history lines. For a crucial late point - hurling, playing cowboys of the Gort and Liam Mellows in the 1947 Railway Cup final, and indians, visiting the local clubs, including the great Josie had the sliotar passed to forge, discovering woods Josie Gallagher, probably the NHL final, 1951. Josie Gallagher (Galway); Stephen Gallagher (New York). him by his brother. and places to go swimming. best hurler to have played for Gort had lost many talented "We had nothing and we had Galway before John Connolly MJ ("Inky") Flaherty from top freetaker and an expert of Connacht's 2-5 against players in the 1930s and '40s. everything," Steve reflected emerged in the mid 1960s. Bohermore; he was a Liam at taking sideline cuts, like Munster. He also looked back Steve went to Canada in '48 philosophically. And for Liam Mellows the Mellows man until he moved his county team-mate Joe on the Gort wizard's early and then to New York in 1950. Josie married Maisie Dillon Duggan family from College to Ballinasloe. Salmon and, at the present hurling life: playing for his It was in the "Big Apple" he from Ahascragh; it brought Road in the city: Seán, one of Josie and Steve Gallagher time, Joe Canning. In a Man club's juvenile (U-16) team in met and married Kathleen, together two legendary GAA the greatest goalkeepers of all were steeped in hurling of the Match display against 1936 at the age of 13 and Gort the sweet apple of his eye. families. The Gallagher boys time, and his brothers Jimmy tradition; their grandfather, Limerick in a National League senior goalkeeper for one They had a great life together. were outstanding forwards; and Paddy. All three were on Michael ("Captain") Gallagher, game at Galway Sportsground game at the age of 14. He was Steve would sing the ever Maisie’s first cousin Tom the victorious Mellows team led Kilbeacanty against in 1950, Josie pointed two a star forward for the club popular old song "I'll Take ‘Pook’ Dillon was a stalwart in the 1954 County Senior Meelick in the first County sideline cuts from the 21-yard when they won the South You Home Again, Kathleen" defender of indomitable Championship final against final, in 1887. It finished in line, which from a such a tight Board Senior Championship and every year he would fly spirit, one of Galway’s Ballinasloe at Tuam Stadium. a draw but no replay took angle clearly required great three years in a row: 1940-41- back to Ireland for a holiday greatest of all time. Seán was winning his fourth place; reportedly it was skill. 42. At 19 he was sent in, as a at home in George's Street, Josie and Steve have gone county medal that day and decided to nominate Meelick - He was featured in the 1965 sub, to play on no less a man Gort. He would plan his visits to their eternal reward, and Jimmy went on to win four. as an all-IRB (Irish Republican Galway GAA Yearbook. The than Jack Lynch of Cork in around club or county hurling so too have Seán and Paddy Their sister Monica was a Brotherhood) team - to writer, Martin Dolan, called the 1943 Railway Cup semi- matches. Duggan. They are all fondly great camogie player. represent Galway in the first it a tribute to the "hurling final in Nenagh. It was won He had never forgotten the remembered. Seán Duggan was captain All-Ireland SHC final, against forward supreme" and he by Munster, by three points, emotion of his departure from Jimmy Duggan, a proud of the 1947 Railway Cup Tipperary representatives recalled that two years before and the Connacht Tribune Ireland on Sunday, January Liam Mellows man, will be at champions. The 1951 National Thurles, the winners. the 1947 inter-provincial report of the game offered 25th 1948. Family, neighbours Pearse Stadium on Sunday, le League winners were led by Josie Gallagher was rated a series was won, Josie hit 2-4 the opinion that "it would and friends visited him on the cúnamh Dé..