KILKENNYKILKENNY GAAGAA YEARBOOKYEARBOOK 19971997 Editorial. 3 Nenagh Co-op Tournament 99 Foreword 5 On a Clare Day 101 County S.H. Championship 7 Co. Intermediate Hurling C'ship 105 Inter County Minor Hurling 12 Co. Junior Hurling C'ship 109 C Mick Crotty - An unsung Hero 20 Inter County Minor Football 112 Kilkenny Hurling - Jimmy Magee 27 Mick O'Neill - The Quiet Man 113 Inter County Senior Hurling 29 Co. Senior Hurling League 116 O Handball Report 36 Tribute to Noel Doyle 121 Dick O'Neill, County Selector 39 Tullaroan Féile Winners 124 WIT GAA 40 Camogie Report 2 130 Kilkennys' Wild Geese 41 Intermediate Football C'ship 133 N Melody of Clare 46 under 16 Football Report 135 Mick McCarthy, County Selector 47 under 16 Hurling Report 136 Masters Hurling 48 Minor Hurling Report 140 T Kilkenny Supporters in Kildare 51 Coaching Report 146 Radio Kilkenny Wins McNamee 53 All Ireland Intermediate Hurling 148 Faces 56 Profile of Tom Scully 153 Eddie Keher by Mick Dunne 58 The Rose of Mooncoin 156 E under 14 Football 61 Play for the Park 157 Graigue 1949 63 Nowlan Park Development 158 The Back Door 66 Tony Forrestal Tournament 159 N under 12 Shinty 70 Cumann na mBunscoileanna 160 Scoláireachtaí 72 The Way We Were 175 Senior Football Championship 73 Minor Football Report 179 Charlie Carter 77 under 14 Hurling Report 183 T Hendersons of Johnstown 79 Kevin Fennelly, County Trainer 187 Camogie Report 1 81 Vocational Schools 189 Scór 1997 84 Down Memory Lane 1 194 S Intermediate Hurling League 85 Inter Co. under 21 Hurling 195 Tribute to Tommy Connolly 88 Down Memory Lane 2 196 Monsignor Maher and the GAA 90 Down Memory Lane 3 198 1997 by Enda McEvoy 92 Tribute to Joe Doherty 206 Colleges Scene 96 Kilkenny GAA Results 207 1 Editorial KILKENNY G.A.A. xperience has taught us that the YEARBOOK success or otherwise of our ECounty teams has little bearing 1997 on the volume of material available for this publication. 1997 proves the case once again. Although our PRODUCTION TEAM: collection of national silverware is restricted to the gallant Masters, the Barrie Henriques (Editor) evergreen Eugene, Duxie and Brendan O'Sullivan (Chairman) colleagues, and the magnificent minnows of Tullaroan, we have no Gerry O'Neill (Treasurer) shortage of reports and reminiscences between our covers. Since Tom Ryall (PRO Co. Board)) Pat Henderson any GAA year is a busy one, there is much to recall and record. We Tommy Lanigan hope we have succeeded in recording as much of that activity as Dermot Dunphy possible and in presenting it in an attractive form. A yearbook Richie Stone worthy of the name should stand as a historical record and as a Nickey Brennan reference in coming years, but it should also entertain. We hope we John Knox NT have succeeded in both objectives. If we have, there are many Tommy O'Brien people to thank. Tommy O'Neill Firstly, I thank our many contributors, amateur and professional, who have provided us with copy - from the club PRO’s to the national journalists. I thank especially our professionals - John Knox (Kilkenny ADVERTISING People), Enda McEvoy (Sunday Tribune), Mick Dunne (Gaelic World) and Jimmy Magee (Sunday World) for their valued contributions. Barrie Henriques Over the past few years, you will have noticed an increase in the colour content of the yearbook - this years book having the highest PHOTOGRAPHS content ever - and here we are grateful to all our photographers, lay and professional - Tom Brett, Ray McManus and Tommy O’Neill especially, Tom Brett, Waterford Rd. Kilkenny for their professionalism and attention. We thank also, all the local and Ray McManus, Sportsfile, Dublin club “snappers” who provided us with hundreds and hundreds of pictures Thomas Brett, Waterford Rd. - more in fact than we could use. The pictorial content has always been Kilkenny Tommy O'Neill, Castlecomer vital to the yearbook. I thank our committee who worked very hard to compile this PUBLISHED BY: publication - harder than ever this year - as we took on the additional task of formatting the material ourselves. This involved an enormous Kilkenny County Board GAA, increase in the volume of preparatory work. Nowlan Park, Once again, we are enormously grateful to our advertisers, whose Kilkenny generous support is fundamental to the economics of this venture. Without them, this project would never get off the blocks. Please support PRINTED BY: them in every way you can. Finally, we thank our publishers "Kilkenny People Printing" and staff for Kilkenny People Printing Ltd., the help, encouragement, courtesy and patience they have always Purcellsinch, shown us, and, of course, for their first class professional work. Kilkenny. The inevitable last minute rush, which attends a publication such as (056) 63366 this, is almost bound to generate some errors and omissions. For these, we apologise in advance, but we nevertheless hope our yearbook will FRONT COVER: give many hours of enjoyment to you, and especially to our emigrant readers. Joe Dermody in action against Nollaig shona dhibh. Wexford. Pat O'Neill and Gary Laffin look on. BARRIE HENRIQUES Photo: Sportsfile Editor 3 Foreword eannachtai na féile libh arís a chairde go léir. Tá Bimleabhar iontach spéísiúl againn arís imbliana agus táim cinnte go mbainfidh lucht léite na h-irise seo an-taitneamh ar fad as. Míle buíochas do lucht eagraithe na h-irise agus do gach éinne a chabhraigh linn i rith na bliana. 1997 will probably be regarded as a very disappointing year for Cumann Lúthchleas Gael here in Kilkenny, because there were great expectations that an All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship win could be achieved. Regrettably, this did not happen even though our Seniors gave us great pleasure and entertainment up to the end of August, going out in the semi-final of the League and Championship. The Masters team were the only ones to will be necessary for the management and clearance of go all the way, after a good win over old rivals, Wexford in the debt. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the final. Leinster successes were achieved at Minor and who have assisted the Board in any way during the past Intermediate grades. year, in particular, our main sponsors, Avonmore PLC, St Canice's Credit union, Vale Oil, Iarnród Éireann, I would like to pay a very special tribute to Nickey Hennessy Sports, Barlo Nissan, Iverk Produce and Brennan for the time, effort and hard work he has put into Duggan Steel. the GAA in Kilkenny down through the years. He did not deserve the treatment he got from some so-called Again, I say a very sincere thank you, on behalf of our supporters. A special thanks also to Richie Power and hard-working committee, to all who contributed such Pat Aylward. splendid articles, information and photographs. The venture would never be possible without the support we New club champions emerged in Kilkenny this year with receive each year from our advertisers. I urge you to give Dunamaggin winning their first ever Senior Championship them your support in return at every possible opportunity. beating last year's champions and most people's favourites, Young Irelands, in the final. This small rural Thank you sincerely to Barrie Henriques, our hard- club, in only their second year as senior grade, showed working Editor, who, once again, has done such a fierce pride and determination in claiming the Tom Walsh splendid job, organising the material for this yearbook. Cup. The performances of Ballyhale Shamrocks, in Barrie is also responsible for securing the necessary winning Intermediate and Minor Hurling, and Tullogher, in advertising for the publication. I know he would certainly Junior, are also worthy of mention and who can forget wish me to remember the excellent and hard-working Tullaroan's young hurlers and their famous Féile victory. committee, without whom, the production would not be viable. I thank them all very sincerely for undertaking Kilkenny Handballers again had numerous successes, such a tough task over the past few months, doing the county proud and keeping Kilkenny very much on the top of this sport in Ireland. Once again, Duxie I know that this year's book will find its way to many Walsh continued to make records, claiming his thirteenth corners of the globe, not to mention many Christmas Senior Singles and tenth Senior Doubles titles with stockings. I am sure that you, the readers, will derive the Eugene Downey. Johnny Brennan took Intermediate same pleasure from reading it as it gave the committee in Singles, Pearse O'Keeffe and Eamon Law, Intermediate compiling it. Doubles. Congratulations to them all. Finally, my sincere thanks to all you faithful and dedicated After three years work, the planned redevelopment of Kilkenny supporters wherever you may be. Many thanks Nowlan Park is now completed. The development was to all the clubs in the county, and their officials, for their essential for the safety, comfort and updating of our continued loyalty and endless support to me personally county facilities for all GAA patrons, now, and in the over the past years. future. A sincere thank you to all who made this possible - the National Lottery, GAA Headquarters, Leinster Sean Ó hÉilí Council, Business people, our dedicated supporters and Cathaoirleach, the clubs of Kilkenny. Your continued financial support Coiste Contae Cill Chainnigh 5 finding season followed in the top flight. And in 1997 Dunnamaggin claimed the richest prize available in the county when they stormed to victory in the Credit union senior hurling championship. The win has to be put down as one of THE From rags achievements in the long and proud history of the GAA in Kilkenny.