1935
Dohenys Capture County Title
Controversial SW Final
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South-West Junior Football Draws 1935
Twelve teams entered the championship but four, namely, Durrus, Darrara, Scart and Carbery Rangers did not take part. Most of the Carbery Rangers’ players lined out with Barley Hill, junior B champions from 1934, who came within an ace of winning the championship.
Dohenys had affiliated again for 1935 and their players transferred back from other clubs, mainly from Clonakilty and Enniskeane. By coincidence, they were drawn against the champions, Enniskeane, in the first round. The junior A football draws were - Rosscarbery v Bandon, Scarth v Bantry, Durrus v Clonakilty, Darrara v Barley Hill, Enniskeane v Dunmanway, Drimoleague v Skibbereen.
SW Junior A Football Championship 1935
Round 1 - Dohenys 4-0 Enniskeane 0-3 April 14th in Dunmanway
Champions, Enniskeane, fell at the first fence in their bid for three-in-a-row. Some Doheny players who had played for Enniskeane, namely Liam Grainger and Willie Farr, starred for their own club in this lively encounter. Dohenys, with a strong wind, had goals from John and Micky McCarthy, and Eric Sheehy had the home side in front by 3-0 to nil at the break. Shortly after the resumption, John McCarthy kicked Dohenys’ fourth goal and try as they might after that, Enniskeane could only manage three points.
Farr, Dullea, D. O’Mahony, M. McCarthy, S. Lomasna, B. Kelly, J. McCarthy, Sheehy and Grainger were to the fore for the winners while Gus Keohane, Chris Donovan, M. Hennessy, J. Kehily, P. Foley and J. Warren tried hardest for the visitors.
The referee was C. O’Driscoll, Enniskeane.
Round 1 - Skibbereen 2-1 Drimoleague 0-7 April 28th in Bantry
Perfect weather, a good pitch and a sporting game ensued as Skibbereen and Drimoleague locked horns in Bantry. Star of the Skibb side was Gerald McCarthy while M. O’Connor was the Drimoleague hero. Drimoleague, with the wind, got off to a great start and five points in a row from O’Connor had them well in control. J. Forbes and C. Grace controlled midfield but missed chances and splendid goalkeeping by D. Carey in the Skibb goal kept the score down. E. Forbes pointed and it was 0-6 to nil at half time.
A whirlwind start to the second half saw Skibbereen kicking two quick goals and the game was level. P. Lordan, following a great solo run by Jim Forbes, shoved the “Scorchers” back in front but back came Skibb with Cottom prominent in attack. Great defending by Walsh, Connolly and Hourihane kept the Reds at bay. When Harry Deane kicked another points, Drimoleague seemed to be home and dry but that score was disallowed and minutes from time, Skibbereen secured the equaliser, 2-1 to 0-7.
Referee, Dannie McCarthy, Bantry.
Round 1 Replay - Skibbereen 1-4 Drimoleague 1-2 June 16th in Skibbereen
This was a ding-dong struggle between two evenly-matched teams. There was nothing between the teams as O’Connor opened the scoring for Drimoleague and both defences were well on top. Bill McCarthy levelled for Skibb before Drimoleague hit the butt of the upright. White pointed to give Drimoleague a half-time lead of 0-2 to 0-1.
It was looking good for the visitors when they kicked an early goal in the second half but then Skibb took control of the game. Bill McCarthy pointed again and another Skibb point cut the lead to two before the ball was lost over the fence and a second ball had to be procured. Eugene O’Donovan, the Skibbereen skipper, closed the gap to a single point. It was all Skibbereen now as they sought an equalising point and M.Walsh became the hero when he finished magnificently to the net a minute from the end. A long dispute followed the goal because of the square rule but the game finished in a sporting manner.
Best for Skibbereen were Gerald McCarthy, D. Carey (goal), Shanahan, Dwyer, Eugene Donovan (capt..), Bill McCarthy, M. Walsh, Crowley, Regan and Coffey. Best for Drimoleague were Forbes (capt..), Hodnett (goal), Lordan, Patrick Walsh, White, the Hourihanes, Sullivans and Fitzgerald.
Round 2 - Bandon 2-2 Bantry 0-3 July 7th in Drimoleague
Fr. O’Flynn, P.P., threw in the ball and Bantry with the wind, dominated the first half. It took some great defending by the Bandon backs, in particular P. J. O’Driscoll, to keep the score down to three points by the break, Bandon failing to score. A Humphrey O’Leary goal early in the second half levelled the scores and from then on it was all Bandon. Sullivan and Hourihane defended well for Bantry but Bandon finished with a goal and two points to emerge convincing winners by 2-2 to 0-3.
Best for the winners were the O’Driscolls, Leary, Downing and Red Crowley while Sullivan, Hourihane, Begley and Roveroft tried hard for the Blues.
Referee, Ned Forbes, N.T., Drimoleague
Round 2 - Barley Hill 2-4 Clonakilty 2-0 July 14th in Castlesalem, Rosscarbery
Barley Hill, near Rosscarbery, junior B champions from the previous season with a final win over Clonakilty, repeated their victory in this junior A game. The game was played in sweltering heat and started late because the official referee refused to do the game, not having been notified by the Board. Chris Kiely, the Clonakilty senior footballer, took charge.
Only one score was registered in the first half, a goal for Clon by O’Sullivan from a free. In the second half D. Donovan kicked two goals for the winners, the second following a great rush on the Clon goal, and J. Hodnett and T. Donovan scored four points between them.
Semi-final - Barley Hill 0-4 Bandon 0-3 August 11th in Clonakilty
The game for the most part was dull and the standard poor, as both teams lost some of their best players through injury during the game. Although they lost, Bandon seemed to be the better throughout. Well into the first half “the game was becoming very rough. Knockouts were frequent on both sides and neither side had secured a score.” Bandon led my 0-2 to 0-1 at half time. Barley Hill quickly levelled in the second half. J. McCarthy and O’Driscoll swapped points. C. Callaghan scored the winning point for Barley Hill.
Semi-final - Dohenys 3- 3 Skibbereen 2-2 August 11th in Drimoleague
In front of a large attendance, Dohenys showed better combination and were the better team but Skibbereen fielded some very strong individuals. Despite a strong offensive by Dohenys, the Skibb men managed to stay in touch all through, registering some good scores. The game was fast and exciting all through. Ned Forbes, N.T., Drimoleague refereed the game.
SOUTH-WEST JUNIOR A FOOTBALL FINAL 1935
September 1st in Skibbereen
Dohenys 2-2 Barley Hill 2-2
In front of a large attendance, this was a final best forgotten as Dohenys and Barley Hill waged a battle, literally, for the title. The standard, overall, was very poor with wides, fouls and faulty shooting being the order of the day. Barley Hill looked the better team and had they availed of their many chances in the first half, they would have won hands down.
The bad-tempered game exploded in the closing stages with Barley Hill leading by a goal. A fight broke out between the players and when some spectators joined in, all hell broke loose. The crowd encroached on the pitch and the play was held up for a considerable time. During the melee some Barley Hill players were very roughly treated by their opponents and when play was finally resumed again, it was noted that some of those players had battered faces and blood-spattered jerseys.
Understandable, on the resumption of play those players “became cowed and fell away.” Dohenys kicked a late equalising goal and would probably have won had not the referee blown the final whistle.
Apparently, the trouble did not stop on the pitch but continued on the streets of Skibbereen afterwards.
Barley Hill were missing four of their top players on the day because of bereavements.
Referee, Gerald McCarthy, Skibbereen.
Dohenys: C. Whelton (goal), J. Crowley, W. Grainger (capt..), J. McCarthy, E. Dullea, M. O’Rourke, P. Hayes, W. Farr, A. Collins, M. Hennessy, T. Murray, J. J. O’Sullivan, Dee O’Mahony, M. McCarthy, P. O’Driscoll.
Barley Hill: Dan O’Callaghan, Charlie Cunningham, John Hodnett, Mick Donovan, Paddy Daly, James Hodnett, John McCarthy, Jerh. McCarthy, Jack McCarthy, Dan Donovan (Barley Hill), John Coakley, Paddy Burns, Bob Cunningham, Martin Donoghue, Dan Donovan (Madranna), Mick Mahony, Dan Regan.
The following appeared in the “Dunmanway Doings” –
“A DRAWN ‘BATTLE’ – The local representation divided the honours in the junior football championship final at Skibbereen on Sunday and will live to fight Barley Hill another day. The word ‘fight’ is used here merely in a figurative sense, not in the literal blast with which it was interpreted last Sunday when disgusting scenes were witnessed on and off the field. Strange, isn’t it, what an inverted idea some alleged ‘sports’ have of sportsmanship?”
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In the “Skibbereen Seen and Heard” we read –
“Disorderly scenes- Unpleasant incidents occurred during the progress of a football match at the Town Park on Sunday, between Dunmanway and Barley Hill. Greater blackguardism was seldom witnessed here or anywhere else on a playing pitch and we have no hesitation in saying that the Dohenys were responsible for the discreditable scenes, and adding that they should be disqualified from taking part in Gaelic pastimes in the future.
Batons Drawn – What occurred in the Park was rather mild compared with the display of hooliganism and blackguardism the Dunmanway players and followers were guilty of in the town after the game. Weapons such as spanners, sticks and bottles were freely used in the conflicts that took place on the public streets when congregations were going to and from different places of worship. The Guards had to make a baton charge to quell the disturbance.”
The Southern Star also carried the following piece on its front page –
“FOOTBALL FINAL – South-West Division Championship – THE RE-PLAY -
Protest Meeting
On Monday, September 9th, two meetings were held in St. Patrick’s Hall, Dunmanway, the first a meeting of the SW Board to discuss the events in Skibbereen, and immediately afterwards, a meeting of the Doheny Club to pass a resolution strongly condemning the articles in the Southern Star which blamed the Doheny Club for the incidents on the pitch and later in the town of Skibbereen. It was proposed by Liam Grainger and seconded by John Dullea.
The Editor of the Southern Star responded to this proposal by writing another strong condemnation of the incidents and stating that the newspaper would not give in to bullying or intimidation.
SW Board Meeting
The meeting of the SW Board on Monday 9th was chaired by Seán O’Sullivan, N.T., Bantry, chairman of the Board. The purpose of the meeting was two-fold, to hold an inquiry into the final and to consider an objection by Barley Hill to Dunmanway. Unfortunately, the Skibbereen delegates, who were to be the principal witnesses, and the referee himself, Gerald McCarthy, failed to turn up at the meeting despite instructions to do so.
The referee did send in a written report which stated that the game was a draw, that Dunmanway supporters had invaded the pitch causing a stoppage during which several Barley Hill players received injuries and that he had severe difficulty in getting Dunmanway followers to leave the pitch. Eventually, he succeeded and the game was finished.
At that time the rules stated that the referee’s report should be posted the same day as the game, in this case September 1st. However, McCarthy’s report had not been posted until 5th and was received by the secretary on 7th. The Dunmanway delegates proposed that the report be ruled out of order and the chairman had no option but to agree.
The meeting took an unusual turn when the Barley Hill delegates admitted that a player had been sent off during the game but that the referee had not included that in his report. The rule governing that stated that the referee should be automatically suspended for six months and, accordingly, Gerald McCarthy was suspended for six months by the chairman! Loud cheering and clapping of hands by the Dunmanway delegates greeted that decision.
OBJECTION
The Barley Hill objection was then considered. They claimed that the game should be awarded to Barley Hill on the grounds that –
- The Dunmanway team played right through in a rough manner and when a player from each side was sent off, the Barley Hill player left the field but the Dunmanway player continued playing right to the finish of the game. 2. The followers of the Dunmanway team and their known partisans conducted themselves in an outrageous manner, encroaching on the pitch and assaulting a number of Barley Hill players.
- Daniel Donovan of the Barley Hill team was struck down and kicked while on the ground by Dunmanway supporters, causing serious damage to his eye.
- The Dunmanway team included in their list, and on the field, a player named Denis O’Mahony, who had already played with Kilmichael in the championship.
The Board secretary, Gus Keohane, pointed out that Denis O’Mahony had been re-instated by him.
The chairman then stated that the objection could not be discussed as the referee’s report had been ruled out of order and none of the Skibbereen delegates were present. The best approach would be to ask the County Board to instigate an inquiry into the whole affair. The County Board was asked to hold the enquiry as quickly as possible as the Division would have to nominate a team for the county championship.
Finally, the chairman agreed to a resolution by the Dunmanway delegates that the Southern Star be strongly criticised for its reporting of the game in the newspaper.
Strangely, even though it was the SW final, none of the Board officers had been in attendance at the game.
County Board Investigation
The County Board investigation was carried out on Monday, September 16th, in Enniskeane, on a night of terrible weather conditions. County Board chairman, Seán McCarthy, chaired the meeting and evidence was heard from numerous witnesses. The meeting lasted from 8.45pm to midnight.
In its report, the committee found that the evidence tendered did not justify the very serious reports that had circulated about the game and the aftermath. Incidents did occur but not serious enough to justify any serious penalties against the two teams or the Skibbereen committees. It was decided that a severe caution be issued to both clubs, especially Dunmanway as their evidence did not seem as candid as that of Barley Hill. It was recommended that the replay should not be played in Skibbereen.
It was also decided that the suspension on the referee, who had done his very best on the day, should be lifted.
“The report would be referred to the S.W. Divisional Committee to act accordingly, and also regarding the reports of the match, which seemed to be exaggerated.”
Barley Hill Meeting
At a special meeting of the Barley Hill Club the decision of the County Committee was discussed and severely criticized. It was claimed that the evidence given by Dunmanway witnesses was both false and misleading. A resolution was passed stating that none of the Barley Hill players or supporters misconducted themselves on the day.
SOUTH-WEST JUNIOR A FOOTBALL FINAL REPLAY 1935
October 13th in Bantry
Dohenys walkover from Barley Hill
Final Replay
At a meeting of the SW Board, the replay of the final between Dohenys and Barley Hill was fixed for Bantry on October 13th. At the same meeting the suspension of the Skibbereen referee, Gerald McCarthy, was lifted.
However, Barley Hill were none too pleased that their club had received the same caution as Dunmanway and the extra distance to Bantry was considered too much of a penalty on the team.
As a consequence, Dohenys received a walkover when Barley Hill refused to turn up for the replay and the special train from Dunmanway had to be cancelled.
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County Championship
Dohenys met Mitchelstown in the county championship on October 27th in the Cork Athletic Grounds and the result was another draw for the Dunmanway men. A large attendance watched a fine game despite the strong wind. With the elements, Mitchelstown led by 1-6 to 1-0 at half time but Dohenys fought back in the second half, kicking 1-3 and holding the opposition scoreless. Final result was Dohenys 2-3, Mitchelstown 1-6.
Amazingly, when the sides met again a week later, the result was another draw, 2-2 each. The game was the curtain-raiser to the Cork v Dublin National Hurling League encounter and the early-comers were treated to a cracking contest. Mitchelstown led by 2-1 to 1-2 at the break but Dohenys took the lead early in the second half with a goal. Mitchelstown began to dominate and kicked an equalising point, as well as hitting the post. Dohenys rallied in the closing stages and were unlucky to strike the crossbar. There was no further score as the game finished all square, 2-2 each.
The second replay took place on November 24th in Douglas and again there wasn’t a kick of a ball between the sides. Dohenys started well with a penalty goal from Collins and Murray increased the lead with a point. Mitchelstown fought back, also scoring a penalty goal but before the break another p
oint from Murray and a goal from O’Mahony saw the West Cork champions leading by 2-2 to 1-0 at the interval. The third quarter was very evenly balanced before Mitchelstown kicked two points to narrow the gap to a goal. Try as they might, the North Cork men could not breach the Doheny defence again and it was the Dunmanway men through to the county final on a score of 2-2 to 1-2.
COUNTY JUNIOR A FOOTBALL FINAL 1935
December 8th in Enniskeane
Dohenys 1-3 St. Anne’s 0-3
A large and enthusiastic crowd, especially young people, attended the county final against city side, St. Anne’s. A beautiful day, a slight breeze and top-class arrangements led to a cracking contest. It was Dohenys in the ascendency in the first half with the breeze but scores were slow to come, with only a single point from O’Mahony. In the second quarter two points, one from Grainger, increased the lead before the city goalkeeper brought off a magnificent save. Dohenys were not to be denied and just before the break a great passing move, with Murray prominent, ended with O’Sullivan banging home a beauty of a goal. St. Anne’s rarely threatened in the first half and it was 1-3 to nil at the break. The second half saw Dohenys mostly on the defensive and luck was with them as St. Anne’s hit the post and crossbar in quick succession. The Doheny defence held on well conceding only three points but some scores were missed in breakaways. In the end it was Dohenys in front, 1-3 to 0-3, their first county title since 1897.
At the conclusion of the game W. J. Walsh (chairman, Bandon Town Commissioners) presented the County Cup to W. Grainger, Dunmanway’s captain).
Jerry Beckett, B. A., N. T., refereed all Dohenys’ games in the county championship.
Dohenys: C. Whelton (goal), J. Crowley, W. Grainger (capt..), J. McCarthy, E. Dullea, M. O’Rourke, P. Hayes, W. Farr, A. Collins, M. Hennessy, T. Murray, J. J. O’Sullivan, Dee O’Mahony, M. McCarthy, P. O’Driscoll.
St. Anne’s: D. O’Leary, E. Geaney, P. O’Sullivan, S. McCarthy, P. Lynch, T. McSwiney, J. Morrissey, F. Holly, W. O’Sullivan, J. O’Reilly, C. Coughlan, J. Sheehan, J. Herlihy, D. Swaine, C. O’Regan.
Dunmanway Doings –
“The victory was celebrated on Sunday night with a parade through the town, headed by musicians. Amid much jubilation, the Cup (carried by the captain, Mr. J. Dullea) was borne by the advance guard. The Cup is at present on view in the window of Mr. J. V. Hayes, Main Street.” (Southern Star, Dec. 14th)
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County Junior Football Final 1935
Dohenys 1-3 St. Anne’s 0-3, December 8th, in Enniskeane
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Dohenys: South-West Cork and County Junior A Football Champions 1935
(1936 Intermediate Final Team)
Back (L to R) Cormac McCarthy, Michael Kearney (vice-chairman), Dee O’Mahony, John O’Leary, Jimmy McCarthy, Tim Lordan, Connie Whelton, Jim Hodnett, Tim Murray, Joe Keady, Liam Grainger, Jerome Crowley, John Dullea.
Front (L to R) Mossie Sheehy, Brother Michael Crowley, Eddie Dullea, Michael McCarthy, M. Maguire, John Buckley. Sitting – Willie Farr.
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"It's a mortal sin to bury a man like him."
Woman at Christy Ring's funeral.
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