KKiillkkeennnnyy Issue 15 10th Aug 2009 lleeggeenndd MMaarrttiinn WWhhiittee cceelleebbrraatteess hhiiss 110000tthh BBiirrtthhddaayy TThhee WWhhiissttlleerr oonn tthhee DDiittcchh GGuuiinnnneessss -- tthhee HHaannddppaassss 225500 Celebrations Henry Shevlin after scoring Kilkenny’s second goal against Celebrations Waterford in the 2009 All Ireland Semi-final Photo:: SPORTSFILE FEATURE From the heart Martin White ISSUE 15 Aug 10th 2009 2 Martin White a Hurling Centurion Kilkenny’s Martin White has seen every senior Kilkenny All Ireland medal winner since their first winin 1904 in the flesh. He also won 3 senior medals himself in 1932, 1933, and 1935. In this interview for the Black and Amber DVD he talks about his life and times in the Kilkenny jersey. Was there much hurling around Tullaroan when you were growing up? In every parish there was a recognised hurling field. You had men hurling in one part of it and boys in the other and boys at school would use that field at lunch time as well. There was a field belonging to my father - God be good to him - on the old homeland. That field was always recognised as the hurling field. All the hurlers used to go there especially in the summer evenings. On Sunday evenings there could be 40 men there and teenagers. Then in another part of it you had all the youngsters and they were hurling away and then up in the other corner you had the handball alley. Where did the idea for a handball the floor and side walls. Where a rural area was Kilkenny’s first win in an All Ireland alley come from? concerned it was fairly good you know. You could Final was in 1904 you have seen all hurl for a while and then you could go up and play those players in the flesh? It was built by local labour against the gable end handball and vice-versa. Then there was another of of an old farmhouse. My father got a crowd of crowd that played skittles alongside the ball alley. The Feis in Kilkenny was always a free day for lads together and they drew the sand, laid down everybody and everybody went to the Feis because FEATURE From the heart Martin White ISSUE 15 Aug 10th 2009 3 President Mary McAleese with Martin White there was Irish music, step dancing and always a hurling match. A man named Mick Bolger a teacher with the Christian Brothers and Ned Purcell, - Ned wasn’t a Kilkennyman but he was a KILKENNY-ALL-IRELAND HURLING CHAMPIONS-1922 great man in the Gaelic League - they were the two Back Row: Peter Dunne (Mascot-arms crossed), Bill Walton (Manager), Ballyfrunk Creamery (with cap), Jack men who got the idea that if they got the old team Rochford (Trainer), Mick Heffernan (with hat), players only, Tom Tierney, Bill Brennan, Ned Purcell (Offi - that had won in 1904 and the team that won the cial), Eddie Dunphy, Dick Grace, Matty Power, Bill Kenny, Mick Brennan (no jersey). All Ireland in 1922 - played in 23 – to play in the Middle Row: Paddy Parsons (with hat), Sean Gibbons, Martin Lalor, Jimmy Tobin, Paddy Donoghue, Wattie Feis in 1924 they would get a great crowd. Sim Dunphy (Captain), Mark McDonald, Jack Holohan, Paddy Glendon, Miss Gorey, Tim Scott, Mick Dalton Walton, Drug Walsh and all those lads trained Front Row: Martin Egan (With hat), Tommy Carroll, Dick Tobin, John Roberts, Pat Ayleward, Mickey Whelan. hard for that game. Now there were some of them who were gone beyond training but they togged played 4 All Irelands with them, so they got their committee. They had oodles of housing and if the out nevertheless. The place was packed out and way. But it was the Feis committee that won out on day was wet they could hold the competitions they had tin cans and so on making all the noise. the day. inside. St James Park it was a pitch that was always It was a really enjoyable day I don’t think the dry because it was sandy. Then when they moved captain from 1904 Ger Doheny played that day. I Where was the game played? to Nolan Park, Dickboro took it over. know that Sim and Drug and the Doyles and Dick Grace played with the old fellows. The new fellows The Feis was held on the same grounds as the Who were the great players on the wanted him but the old fellows said that he had hurling pitch. It all belonged to the show 1922 team? FEATURE From the heart Martin White ISSUE 15 Aug 10th 2009 4 They were in and they were sent home and then they were brought in again which was a mistake. Billy Barry and Wedger Brennan (Martin), they were from they city. They should have let them sleep in their own beds. Cork were the better team but Kilkenny were a better team than they showed on the day. Do you remember many of the the Cork team? Sean Óg was captain and Ballyhayes as they used to call him, Eudie Coughlan’s brother was in the goal and Jim Hurley, Jim Regan, Dinny Barry Murphy, Eudie Coughlan, Paddy Delea and “The Hawker” Grady. The30’s was a great decade for Kilkenny, Martin! The declaration rule in 1925 meant that players could now play for their county of birth rather than their county of residence. In that year Mattie Power, Eddie Byrne, Tommy Leahy, they all played with Dublin and I think Dan Dunne played with them too because Dan was working in Dublin at Brian Coady and Tommy Walsh visit Martin White on his 100th birthday. Photo: Sportsfile the time. They all declared for Kilkenny and Martin Power he was in the army. There were a You must say that Dick Grace was number one. Kilkenny were beaten by Cork in 1926! couple of young fellows comming like Jimmy He scored the goal that beat Tipperary. I think he Walsh. Jimmy didn’t play in 31 which was a scored 2 goals that day from wing half back. There The Tipp team went off to America. They were mistake – but I won’t say who made the mistake - was Watty Dunphy, Neddy Dunphy from supposed to be home but they went off to It wasn’t a hard run through Leinster because Mooncoin, John Roberts, Paddy Donoghue, Dexter California or some place and the Munster Dublin were a bit denuded then because of the Ayleward (Pat), he played with Dublin afterwards, Championship was late. I know that Kilkenny were players declaring. We played Wexford in the first Paddy Glendon, he was left corner back and Bill brought in and they stayed in a hotel in Kilkenny round down in New Ross and I remember Mattie Kelly. Bill was from Ballyragget, he played with and trained during the day. It didn’t suit many of Power saying to Peter Reilly what kind are the Dicksboro. the players. They were from a rural background. young fellows. “Don’t worry about the young FEATURE From the heart Martin White ISSUE 15 Aug 10th 2009 5 fellows” Pete said. Wexford wern’t good and I remember Mattie saying get the first score after half time. That was his motto every time and we beat Wexford easily and came through Leinster. Then you had Galway in the semi- final! Yes we had Galway in the semi-final played on a very wet day. We benefitted from the declaration rule. Dublin had too many players all together and it wasn’t fair. When the guards started, O’Duffy was very keen on gaelic games and any fellow that was any good if he made the size he got into the guards. He brought the Clare fellows the Rourke’s, “The Fowler” McInerney, Jack Gleeson they were all in the guards and then the other man then in charge of the army the Clare man he brought up a whole lot of lads into the army. Martin Power was one, Paddy Larkin and all those fellows weren’t getting any matches at all until the declaration rule Cork and Kilkenny parade before the 1931 All Ireland Final came in. Galway had a good team in 1931 of course Mick Gill was playing midfield and Mick Finn. They were a great asset to Galway. Eudie Coughlan, Balty Aherne and Hawker Grady centrehalf at the time but I wouldn’t have minded had been there for a long time and they had a lot getting another chance on him. I might have You met Cork in the final the year of of skill. People started to talk about the match and handled him differently. the 2 draws! those that wern’t there came the second day. I don’t know if there was a bigger crowd the last day You suffered a few injuries for the last because a lot of people hadn’t money. In the rural game! The first game – as hurling was at that time - was areas the shopkeepers were a bit annoyed that all a great game. It was recognised as an improvement the money was being spent going to the matches. on previous years. A lot of skill had come into it. Lory wasn’t playing. He suffered a few broken The half back line of Dinny Barry Murphy, Jim Where did you play yourself that year? ribs the second day. Dick Morrissey who could Regan and Tom Barry of Carrigtwohill, that line I was centre forward on Jim Regan. I wasn’t good have won a match on his own as he had a great was there the whole time.