{"id":2338,"date":"2015-05-29T15:20:25","date_gmt":"2015-05-29T15:20:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kildare.ie\/ehistory\/?p=2338"},"modified":"2015-05-29T15:20:25","modified_gmt":"2015-05-29T15:20:25","slug":"clearing-up-some-historical-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/clearing-up-some-historical-facts\/","title":{"rendered":"CLEARING UP SOME HISTORICAL FACTS"},"content":{"rendered":"

LEINSTER LEADER 18 FEBRUARY 1978<\/strong><\/p>\n

Clearing up some historical facts<\/strong><\/p>\n

With the snow of the weekend bringing field activity almost to a halt, I am provided with an opportunity to catch up on some correspondence.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Recently with the help of a cutting from an old \u201cIrish Press\u201d, I published some prematch facts of the Kildare v Cavan All-Ireland Senior Football title of 1935 and I am more that happy to say that the short recapping of those interesting historical items were widely welcomed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 However, down Clane way, all I did write didn\u2019t meet with complete agreement.\u00a0 This very old stronghold of GAA games has first hand knowledge of the happenings of those old days.\u00a0 Clane people are not happy with the explanation as to how Kildare came to wear the all white strip as told us by the \u00a3Green Flag\u201d.\u00a0 He got his information from that famour [sic] Kildare and Roseberry footballer of long, long ago, \u201cJoyce\u201d Conlon.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cJoyce\u201d, a survivor of the historic Leinster Championship winning team of 1903, Kildare\u2019s first, indicated that it was because of the great Rafferty that Kildare first donned the all white.<\/p>\n

\u201cGreen Flag\u201d Version<\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Just to re-familiarize readers with the position I again quote, \u201cGreen Flag\u201d, August 1935:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThe old Kildare man, who was assisting with the preparation of the Kildare side at OakseyPark, Celebridge, told me, how \u201cThe Lilywhite\u201d first came to be adopted as the county colours.\u00a0 Clane were in the early part of the century champions in\u00a0 the short grass county.\u00a0 And while their colours were black and green, Rafferty, who captained the tea, usually wore a white singlet.\u00a0 The bronzehaired Clane footballer was an outstanding figure on the field and when the question of county colours arose, Roseberry, a newly established club, advocated a white sweater, and white it has been since\u201d<\/p>\n

This explanation is questioned by the present Clane Club chairman, Joe Bracken.\u00a0 Joe, by the way, is a nephew of the famous Bill Bracken of the lofty days of the early nineties.<\/p>\n

Flour Bags<\/b>.<\/p>\n

The long-time Clane official was a close friend of Bill Merriman, who died in 1963.\u00a0 His exploits in football and hurling would need a special book to do full justice to him.\u00a0 Joe has a very different version of how Kildare got their colours and all this coming from Bill Merriman\u2019s lips.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 For the younger ones information, Bill Merriman was a dominant figure in a dominant Clane in the late part of the eighties and right up to the early 1920\u2019s when he moved to Rathcoffey, and continued to play hurling and football well into his fifties and indeed climaxed a great career when he came on a sub to assist Kildare to their first Leinster hurling title in 1934.\u00a0 Something unique to relate about this historical encounter is that, also on the Kildare junior hurling side that beat Kilkenny at Naas were his two sons, Bill jnr., and Tom.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In the late part of the last century, G.A.A. games weren\u2019t that well organised in the county, and indeed, there were periods when the functioning of the CountyBoard completely lapsed.\u00a0 During the last of those barren periods, a Clane team was picked to play another Kildare side from Tiermoghan, in the parish of Kilcock, and for the occasion the local ClongowesWoodCollege, where several of the side were employed in the bakery, loaned them a set of jerseys.\u00a0 Apart from the school crest, they were all white.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 That was the start of it.\u00a0 At a later date Clane playted a side from Dublin in a challenge game and through their members in the Clongowes bakery, flour bags were suitably adjusted and turned into jerseys.\u00a0 Unfortunately for the Kildare side, the opponents spotted the \u201cAnna Liffey\u201d brand mark on the inside of the jerseys and the \u201cDubs of the day called the Clane men the flour bags.<\/p>\n

Another Link<\/b><\/p>\n

Another correction of that article of some weeks ago was my assertion that \u201cJoyce\u201d Conlon was the only link between the Kildare All-Ireland wining team of 1905 and 1919.\u00a0 Untrue of course.\u00a0 Clane\u2019s Larry Cribben, better known as \u201cHussy\u201d and an uncle of popular longstanding official Sean, played left fullback on the 1905 winning side, as he did in 1903, and was the Kildare keeper on the side that ousted Galway in the 1919 All-Ireland Final.<\/p>\n

A durable person was \u201cHussy\u201d and not long ago I was told by one with close connections with the period that he played a very vital part in the 1919 win when early in the game he clashed with Galway\u2019s top forward, \u201cknacker\u201d Walsh, who after the clash could never get into the game.\u00a0 \u201cHussy\u201d played for the all whites for another twelve months.\u00a0 In 1920, Kildare reached the Leinster final and drew with Dublin.\u00a0 An old injury saw \u201cHussy\u201d cry off for the replay in which Kildare lost their Leinster crown.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThe Railway Cup\u201d games as we know them were started in the mid-twenties but there was also an Inter-Provincial competition in the early days of this century.\u00a0 And in 1907, mainly manned by Kildare men and led by Rafferty, Leinster won the Railway Shield with such notable old stars as \u201cJoyce\u201d Conlon, Bill Merriman and \u201cSteel\u201d Losty in the lineout.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Isn\u2019t it a pity that Kildare\u2019s G.A.A. history, so laden with interest, is slowly dying.\u00a0 It took that 1935 cutting to again stimulate such interesting discussion and to bring to light such aspects s The Jersey\u201d story, the Railway Shield, the Merrimans, and Cribbens.<\/p>\n

Meet Galway<\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kildare, awaiting their National Football League Quarter-Final opponents, swing into competitive action at ConeffPark, Clane, next Sunday when they take on Galway in a game to mark the first playing of the Kaesar Bracken Memorial Trophy competition.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hopefully by then the weather will have cleared and the all white supporters will be given the opportunity to support a worthy cause while at the same time study the present wellbeing of their favourites.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Over the past weeks, a lot has been made of the so-called raw deal handed out to counties in the lower Divisions because of the present set up of the National Football league but something that has not been afforded much publicity is the factor that while the Division 11 sides have been having regular and competitive outings in the series, Kildare has been marking time, with no game since playing Kerry on the first Sunday in December.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Eamon O\u2019Donoghue and the selectors will be glad of the chance of putting the squad through their paces, but they must have an amount of uneasiness in their approach to the March game taking ito account that their opponents, whether it be Armagh or Down , will have had the benefit of at least three very competitive outings.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 For Sunday\u2019s game, the side chosen is the strongest available and while Pat Dunny has been picked to man a corner forward berth, the Raheens man will be travelling to Rathdowney to assist the county hurlers in their vital National Hurling League tie against Laois.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Incidentally, the selectors have extended their panel, and now listed in the substitutes are Allenwood\u2019s Mick Moore and Moorefield\u2019s Alex Whelan.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kildare team v\u00a0 Galway \u2013 O. Crinnigan; D. Dalton; P.O\u2019Donoghue; F. Mulligan; J. Giblin; J. Crofton; D. Reilly; E.O\u2019Donoghue; J. Geoghan; H. Hyland; P. Mangan; M. Condon; P.Dunny; T. Carew; M. Condon.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Subs; L. O\u2019Neill; M. Lynch; C. Feeney; A. Bracken; R. O\u2019Sullivan;\u00a0 B. O\u2019Doherty; A. Whelan; T. Herbert; P. Swords; M. Moore; M. Gorman; P. Kenny.<\/p>\n

N.H.L. Tie<\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 For the hurlers, currently going through their most disappointing National League run for years, Sunday\u2019s game at the Laois venue is very much a crunch one.\u00a0 So far they have only gathered two points, and with Westmeath having compiled the same total, it looks to be between the two as to which will make the drop to a lower Division.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 On the face of it, Kildare seem to have the better chance on Sunday.\u00a0 The Midland county \u00a0will be facing a Waterford side deadly keen to win and thus gain a promotional spot.\u00a0 A Decies defeat would bring Antrim into the reckoning, while at the same time Kildare would have to beat Laois to maintain an interest.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Form doesn\u2019t indicate a Westmeath victory, but neither does it point to a win for Kildare.\u00a0 Nevertheless, despite the advantage of going into enemy territory, I feel that Kildare on their best form would be capable of taking the two points, which would leave them with four.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Something interesting here:\u00a0 if Kildare do beat Laois and I am more than hopeful they will, and Westmeath account for Waterford, then it would be a Kildare-Laois-Westmeath playoff for the last spot in the table.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The mentors had arranged for a selection meeting on Saturday last at Ardclough, where the team has been having weekly training stints.\u00a0 However, the weather put paid to the latest stint, and it will be later in the week before the selectors will be able to get together to finalise the side.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 At this stage, there have been no additions to the usual panel but it is expected that, whatever the outcome of Sunday\u2019s game, the coming months will see a big drive to unearth some new talent for the Championship.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 On Sunday morning there will be a full list of Senior League games and they will start at 12 noon.\u00a0 This is a special arrangement to avoid a clash with the county game fixed for Clane later on Sunday.<\/p>\n

G.A.A. Comment By Offcor<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Re-typed by Mary Murphy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LEINSTER LEADER 18 FEBRUARY 1978 Clearing up some historical facts With the snow of the weekend bringing field activity almost to a halt, I am provided with an opportunity to catch up on some correspondence. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Recently with the help of a cutting from an old \u201cIrish Press\u201d, I published some prematch facts of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-newspaper-articles"],"blocksy_meta":[],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Kildare Local Studies","author_link":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/author\/localstudies\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2338"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2338\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}