Appearances were sometimes surreptitious with modified surnames
Many clerical playing careers were thwarted in times past by strict restrictions on the involvement of seminarians in ‘violent games’, but that didn’t prevent several priests and seminarians from making appearances on the field of play.
These appearances were sometimes surreptitious with modified surnames often given to avoid detection. It was not unknown, either, for a priest to shield his face during the team photograph.
Recently, I asked readers to help compile a list of clergy with All Ireland medals. Here’s what we’ve put together.
We’ll start with Redmond “Mundy” Prendiville who won a senior All Ireland medal for Kerry in 1924. Mundy, expelled from All Hallows, went on to become the fifth Archbishop of Perth and one of the youngest bishops in the world at the time.
Fr Moss O’Connell, from Ardfert, lined out on the winning Kerry team of 1959. He boarded a plane at Dublin airport after the match and returned promptly that night to his duties in Manchester.
Missionary
The Holy Trinity Capuchin community in Cork boasts a medal holder in Fr Michael Murphy who won an All Ireland junior football medal for Cork in 1955. The following year, he was a member of the Cork seniors who lost to Galway in the final. He served for over 30 years as a Capuchin missionary in Africa.
Historian and author Fr Anthony Gaughan, a native of Listowel and pastor emeritus at Newtownpark Avenue parish in Blackrock in Dublin, was listed as a substitute on the 1950 Kerry minor team that beat Wexford in the All Ireland final. His name was on the programme but he was unable to line out in Croke Park as he was across the road in Clonliffe College on his 30-day retreat.
Fr Peter Quinn (Columban) played on All Ireland winning Mayo teams of 1950 and 1951. He was marked in the ‘51 semi-final by Kerry’s Fr Paddy Godley who also won All Ireland minor (1946) and junior (1949) medals.
Cavan’s Fr Séamus Heatherton was a member of the team that beat Meath in the 1952 All Ireland final, while Kiltegan Fr Jack Boylan (RIP), a native of Longford, played on the Cavan team that lost to Cork in the final of 1945. Jack would spend 57 years as a missionary in Nigeria.
Offaly’s Fr Nick Clavin, now in San Diego, celebrated All Ireland football success in 1971 and 1972 with the Faithful County.
In hurling, Fr Mick Waters (SMA) and Fr Seánie Barry (Kiltegan) played on Cork’s 1966 All Ireland winning senior hurling team that ended an uncharacteristically bleak decade for the Rebels. Fr Pat Barry (SMA) won senior honours for Cork in 1976.
Thurles Sarsfields’ man, Fr Ray Reidy (Kiltegan), captained the Tipperary minor hurlers to All Ireland victory in 1955 before winning a senior medal in 1958. Fr Ray is a brother in law of the late senator and eight times All-Ireland winner, John Doyle.
An injury forced the legendary Iggy Clarke, who won several All Stars, to watch Galway’s famous 1980 win from the stands. It was a day made memorable by Joe McDonagh’s rendition of The West’s Awake, and captain Joe Connolly’s “people of Galway, we love you” speech.
Fr Tommy Murphy (Ossory) hurled with Kilkenny, winning senior All Irelands in 1963 and 1969. Fr Colman O’Donovan of the Diocese of Cloyne won All lreland gold in the 1952 senior hurling final for the Rebels. From 1945 to 1949, Fr Paddy Gantly (RIP) played with the Galway senior hurlers.
Before managing the Tipp and Offaly hurlers, Fr Tom Fogarty, president of St Patrick’s College, Thurles, hurled with the Premier County.
Kiltegan’s Fr Rory O’Brien was a dual star, playing both minor hurling and football for Offaly in the 1940s. He also played in the 1953 junior All Ireland hurling final.
Club landscape
Clergy and religious feature in the club landscape too. The late Fabian O’Donohue, Presentation Brother and native of Ballinagun, Co. Clare, won an All Ireland club football medal with Cork’s Nemo Rangers in 1979 after beating St Vincent’s of Dublin in the final.
Fr Martin Casey, a native of the hurling enclave of Causeway in north Kerry, won an All Ireland club medal (1989) and 12 county championships with Buffer’s Alley in Wexford, as well as a minor All Ireland medal for the county.
Meath native the late Fr Seán Cassidy won a Wicklow senior club championship with Kilbride in 1968. And Glen Rovers man, Fr Joe Kelly, won All Ireland senior hurling medals in 1944 and 1946 for Cork before going to work in New Zealand.
This account is not exhaustive but it lends some credence to the observation that the football and hurling teams fielded by St Patrick’s seminary in Maynooth would have given the All Ireland champions of their day a good run for their money.