Golden Jubilee reflections on one of Galway's greatest ever Minor football teams

By JIM CARNEY FIFTY years ago, a bright new era dawned for Galway football. In the preceding decade, the 1950s, a grim time of economic hardship and social austerity, the G.A.A. had done more than its fair share to lift people's flagging spirits, particularly in rural Ireland. In the bigger towns and cities, facilities were improving for all sports and the G.A.A. led the way. This is the 60th anniversary year of the opening of Tuam Stadium â€â€ on Sunday, May 21st 1950 â€â€ and Pearse Stadium, Salthill was officially opened on Sunday, June 16th 1957. On the playing fields the highlight, unquestionably, was the All-Ireland Senior Championship title in 1956, along with the All-Ireland Minor victory of 1952, the All-Ireland Junior Championship in 1958; the Tuam Stars' Seven-in-a-Row in the County Championship (1954 - 1960 incl.), the St Jarlath's College, Tuam Hogan Cup victory in 1958, and two Sigerson Cup titles for U.C.G., in 1950 and â€Ëœ54. A feast was to follow. By the end of the 1960s, Galway football people, at home and abroad, would be basking in more All-Ireland glory at Senior, Junior and Minor levels, most notably the historic S.F.C. Three-in-a-Row, while St Jarlath's went from strength to strength in the Hogan Cup, and U.C.G. won the Sigerson Cup again in 1960, â€Ëœ62, â€Ëœ63. The irresistible lure of nostalgia means the 1964, â€Ëœ65, â€Ëœ66 All-Ireland Three-in-a-Row will always hold pride of place in our affections and reminiscences, but for the purposes of this particular trip down Memory Lane, and to honour Galway Football Board's special guests on County finals' day, the showpiece date in the clubs' calendar, we're focusing here on one year: 1960. The Golden Jubilee men standing in the spotlight â€â€ and it's hard to credit it was all of 50 years ago that they had their glory days as a team â€â€ were the 1960 All-Ireland Minor champions, exceptionally talented, undoubtedly one of the best ever to represent Galway in the very popular U-18 grade, and probably as good a team as ever won the All-Ireland M.F.C. since its inception as far back as 1929. Seven members of the Galway panel also won All-Ireland Colleges S.F.C. medals in 1960. It was the third St Jarlath's Hogan Cup victory, and one of the most memorable in the renowned Tuam school's history, as an outstanding team defeated St Finian's, Mullingar in the final at Páirc Chiaráin, Athlone on Sunday, May 1st by 3-10 to 3-7. In five Championship outings, the all-conquering Galway Minor team of 1960 returned an aggregate score of 15 goals 43 points for, and 3 goals 22 points against. They were so superior to all opposition that they defeated Leinster champions Offaly, who were especially highly rated, by nine points in the All-Ireland semi-final (2-12 to 2-3), and then had a 13-point victory over Munster champions Cork in the final, 4-9 to 1-5. It was an auspicious occasion for the G.A.A., the day of the 1960 All-Ireland Football finals: Sunday, September 25th. On that historic date, a new attendance record was set as 87,769 spectators witnessed the victory of Down over Kerry in the senior final, for Down to become the first Ulster county to bring the Sam Maguire Cup across the border. For all its historical and political significance, it was of no concern to the Galway minors that famous day; they were celebrating their own magnificent victory, the climax of a sweeping run which started with a 2-6 to 0-4 win over Mayo in the Connacht Championship, and continued with a 3-6 to 0-7 win over Sligo, one week before they defeated Roscommon in a one-sided Connacht final at Markievicz Park, Sligo on July 10th: 4-11 to 0-3. By then, Galway minors were huge crowd favourites and the word was out, all over Ireland, that there was really something special about them. Only Offaly were considered likely to run them close, as they had an exceptionally good midfielder, Martin Turley, but in the All-Ireland semi-final the Galway centrefield pair, Harry Anderson and Seán Cleary (captain), helped each other out so effectively, and so cleverly, that the gallant young Offaly man Turley couldn't mark the two of them. Significantly too, Galway played the versatile young Tuam man Gerry Prendergast at centre half-forward, as a 'playmaker' long before the word became fashionable in coaching circles, and according to the Tuam Herald report it was the winning of the game for Galway. 'Prendergast had a wonderful hour at centre-forward,' wrote J.P. Burke. 'He was first to every ball, in the air and on the ground, and in possession he was a constant source of danger to the panicking Offaly backs. He would send Séamus Leydon racing goalwards; another time he would place Eamon Slattery with pinpoint accuracy, or he would coolly pick off his own point.' Galway's scorers were: N. Cheevers, E. Slattery (1-1 each), G. Prendergast (0-4), S. Cleary (0-3), S. Leydon (0-2), J. Gavin (0-1). Also singled out for special mention were full-back Noel Tierney and centre-back Tony Ryan, both from Milltown, and a very talented young forward from Moylough, Noel Cheevers, the team's goal-scoring ace in the Connacht Championship. Johnny Geraghty had already established his reputation as a brilliant goalkeeper, for St Jarlath's and Galway, and along with Geraghty and Tierney four others were future stars of the Galway seniors' Three-in-a-Row: Enda Colleran, Seán Cleary, Christy Tyrrell and the flying left wing-forward Séamus Leydon whose blistering pace and mesmerising ball control made him one of Gaelic football's brightest stars for all of that decade. The All-Ireland final against Cork was a mere formality for Galway: a 60-minute lap of honour. Cork were considered to be a physically strong but slow team and Galway won easily, without ever hitting the heights of their dynamic display against Offaly in the semi-final. The Tuam Herald report had particular praise for Galway's six backs, Gabriel Lohan, Noel Tierney, Larry O'Brien, Enda Colleran, Tony Ryan and John Smith, along with Seán Cleary who gave a captain's example at midfield, and Séamus Leydon and Eamon Slattery, outstanding in attack. Pat Donnellan of Dunmore, Man of the Match in St Jarlath's Hogan Cup victory that year, and his schoolmate Eddie Geraghty, from Kilkerrin, were over-age for the Minor grade, while two others were unlucky to miss the All-Ireland Minor final because they had gone on to Third Level education and weren't released to play: Johnny Geraghty and Noel Cheevers. Johnny's place in goal went to Michael King from Ballyconneely, and Noel Cheevers was replaced in the full-forward line by Andy Donnelly from the city club St Michael's. THE LINKS between the two victories (Colleges and Minor) were provided by Johnny Geraghty, Enda Colleran, Larry O'Brien, Tony Ryan, Gerry Prendergast, Séamus Leydon and a sub for both teams, Jimmy Saunderson, who graduated to the St Jarlath's first XV the following season and was a key player, at right half-back, on the victorious Hogan Cup team of 1961. Also in 1960, St Michael's won the County Minor Championship, defeating Milltown in a replayed final at Athenry, 0-8 to 0-7. St Michael's were backboned by their county minors Seán Callaghan, Harry Anderson and Andy Donnelly, and Milltown had star names in Noel Tierney and Tony Ryan. In the North Board final, Milltown were 2-6 to 1-4 winners over Mountbellew who had the services of county minors Enda Colleran, Gabriel Lohan, Noel Cheevers and Johnny Gavin. The County Juvenile (U-16) title went to another city team, St Augustine's (an under-age feeder club for Fr Griffin's) who defeated Tuam Stars in the County final at Athenry, by 2-16 to 2-7. Tuam had lost the North Board final to Dunmore MacHales but by the time the County decider was played, in October, several members of the Dunmore team had gone back to their boarding schools and the MacHales' mentors sportingly offered their place in the County final to their great rivals Tuam. Several members of the great Galway Minor team of 1960 â€â€ Johnny Geraghty, Enda Colleran, Eamonn Slattery and Christy Tyrrell, along with St Jarlath's Hogan Cup winners Pat Donnellan, Séamus Kilraine and Pat Sheridan â€â€ went on to Sigerson Cup glory, winning back-to-back titles in 1962/63. They were already proven big-day performers. For the record, Galway were crowned All-Ireland Minor football champions four more times: 1970 (captained by Joe Corcoran, St Michael's), 1976 (captained by Gerry Burke, Corofin), 1986 (captained by John Joyce, Salthill / Knocknacarra) and 2007 (captained by Paul Conroy, St James's). Our 1960 nostalgia article is reproduced from last Sunday's County Football finals' souvenir programme, edited by Séamus Finnerty.