1931
Dohenys are the first to regain SW title
Objection plays vital part
==================================================
South-West Junior Football Draws 1931
Clonakilty v Bandon, Durrus v Drimoleague, Enniskeane v Dunmanway, Bantry v Carbery Rangers,
Skibbereen a bye.
SW Junior A Football Championship 1931
Round 1 - Bandon 2nds 0-2 Clonakilty 2nds 0-2 April 12th in Kilbrittain
A strong wind turned this into a game of two halves. In the first Clon, with the wind, did all the attacking but kicked numerous wides and the Bandon defence cleard well. Eventuall, points by McSweeney and Hurley gave as they might they just couldn’t the winning score. It finished 0-2 each .Dan O’Hea, Kilbrittain, was the referee.
Round 1 - Scorchers, Drimoleague 1-2 Durrus nil April 12th in Durrus
The game was well contested and both sides served up some good football. Against the wind, the Scorchers had a goal from O’Sullivan and points from Forbes, free, and Quirke. Driscoll and Farrell dominated midfield. In the second half Durrus improved but couldn’t break down the Scorchers defence. No score was registered in the second half. It finished 1-2 to nil. Keeffe and Dineen did well in the Carbery.
Round 1 - Dohenys 2-5 Enniskeane nil, April 12th in Kilmeen
Enniskeane fielded a very young side which lacked experience.
Round 1 - Bantry 1-4 Carbery Rangers nil, April 12th in Dunmanway
A raw bleak day with a piercing wind did not help the quality of the football in front of a small crowd. Bantry dominated against a Rangers’ team that lacked fielding and combination and led by 1-3 to nil at half time. Only a single point was scored in the second half, a Bantry point. Final score 1-4 to nil. T. J. Lynch N.T., Dohenys refereed.
Round 1 Replay - Bandon 1-1 Clonakilty 0-2, June 14th in Kilbrittain
A strong wind spoiled the play but it was a spirited game, with topclass sportsmanship, that went right down to the wire. Clon had the wind in the first half but failed to make full use of it, leading by a single point at half time, 0-2 to 0-1. A goal by Ryan ten minutes into the second half proved the crucial score and even though Clon pressed strongly in the closing staged, Bandon held on for a one-point win. Final score was 1-1 to 0-2.
Round 2 - Skibbereen 2-3 Bandon 0-2, July 12th in Enniskeane
Played in conjunction with the Kilbrittain v Dunmanway hurling game, won by Kilbrittain by a point, this game provided an easy win for Skibbereen. Skibbereen had heroes in Casey, Cottom, McCarthy and Sheehy in the forwards and O’Regan and Ronan in defence. For Bandon, Tobin, Gabriel, Hurley (goal), and O’Regan tried hard.
Semi-final - Bantry v Skibbereen
No account available but Bantry advanced to the final
Semi-final - Dunmanway v Drimoleague
No account available but Dunmanway advanced to the final.
SOUTH-WEST JUNIOR A FOOTBALL FINAL 1931
August 9th in Town Park, Skibbereen
Bantry 0-5 Dunmanway 0-2
On a fine day trains from Dunmanway and Bantry brought a huge crowd to Skibbereen. A great game was expected and even though slow to get going, it soon livened up and kept the spectators entertained. Dunmmanway were the better team in the first half, putting a lot of pressure on a strong Bantry defence. However, they had only two points from T. J. Lynch and Donal Foley on the board at half time. Bantry made a few breakaways but failed to raise a single flag. Score at the break was 0-2 to nil in favour of Dunmanway. The second half saw a huge change in fortunes as Bantry upped their game and laid siege to the Dunmanway goal for almost the entire half. But for some marvellous goalkeeping by Connie Whelton, they would have run up a big score
“Dunmanway were overpowered in every department now and were unable to break away. This continued to the end of the game, Dunmanway getting away on but one occasion.”
Among the scorers for Bantry were Tim Harrington and Pat Murphy.;
Tim Harrington was the most brilliant player on the field and Ralph Keyes played a sound game. T. J. Lynch and Donal Foley were outstanding for Dunmanway, with full forward, Scott, also playing well. All the forwards excelled and the goalkeeper, popularly known as Paul Doyle, did extremely well in the first half.
The spectators invaded the pitch on a few occasions in the closing stages but the game was brought to a satisfactory conclusion.
Denis Crowley, Skibbereen, (“The Belgian”) was the efficient referee.
Bantry Blues: Tim Harrington (capt..), Tim Cotter, Ralph Keyes, Ml. Vaughan, Jerh. O’Regan, Dannie McCarthy, Ml. McCarthy, Pat Murphy, Con Clifford, Donal McCarthy, Jack Keane, Cecil Keyes, John Keohane, George Keohane, Donal Hayes.
Dunmanway Dohenys: Connie Whelton (goal), Jack Lynch (capt..), Morgan Murphy, Liam Grainger, Donal Foley, Patrick Foley, James Scott, Patrick O’Leary, James O’Leary, Tim Joe Lynch, Willie Farr, Eddie Dullea, Willie Kingston, Willie O’Mahony, Patrick Roche.
Objection
The almost inevitable objection materialized after the SW final when Dunmanway objected to Bantry. The resolution to most objections was to order a replay of the game. A replay of the final was ordered for September 13th but in the meantime the SW winners were scheduled to play Urhan, the Beara champions, in the county championship on September 6th. Whether Bantry or Dunmanway would represent Carbery in that game was decided by the toss of a coin, Dunmanway winning the toss.
County Championship
Dunmanway met Urhan in Bantry on September 6th. A mediocre start to the game was followed by a lively, interesting encounter, with Dohenys starting as favourites. As a team Dunmanway were described as “poor,” despite having outstanding individuals in Foley, Scott, Lynch and a few others. There were too many weak links on the team, however.
A large crowd attended the game at Godfrey’s Inches, a fine venue for the game, with Dunmanway as favourites. The first half saw Dunmanway doing most of the attacking but it was Urhan who scored first, a goal. Dohenys finally equalised when the hard-working Morgan Murphy centred and Ned Young back-heeled a goal. The outstanding Urhan defence kept the SW champions at bay and it was actually Urhan in front at half time by 2-1 to 1-0.
In the second half, Liam Grainger and Ned Young had quick points to cut the deficit to two points, and playing with the wind, they cut the lead to a single point with a Lynch free. But Dohenys missed several chances of scores before Urhan kicked a vital goal and, lifting their games again, the Beara men made the game safe with a further two goals. Final score was Urhan 5-2, Dunmanway 1-5. Strangely, Dohenys had dropped their regular goalkeeper, Connie Whelton, for the game. Whelton, known as “The Black Watch” because he dressed all in black, had been the regular goalkeeper since the early 1920s and was to retain the position until 1936. (Teams).
Carbery in the County Final
In only their second year in the championship the Carbery senior divisional side reached the county final, played on October 4th. Having beaten U.C.C., Fermoy and Na Deasúnaigh (teachers’ team), they met reigning champions, Macroom in the final and put up a great show before losing by 2-6 to 2-2. Because there were three from Bantry and two from Dunmanway involved in the team, the SW final replay had to be postponed to October 18th.
(20)
SOUTH-WEST JUNIOR A FOOTBALL FINAL REPLAY 1931
October 18th in Dunmanway
Dunmanway Dohenys 1-1 Bantry Blues 0-2
Played in a grassy field, the game drew a large crowd, gate receipts £10- 4-0 at 6d a head. Although the game was lively all through, and the result in doubt right to the finish, the inability of both sets of forwards to kick scores was the dominant feature of the hour. Carbery players, Liam Grainger and Donal Foley were missing from the Doheny team, having returned to college but intercounty player, John Dullea was back after injury.
Bantry dominated the early exchanges but Morgan Murphy at full back, and corner backs, Willie Farr and Willie Kingston, were outstanding in the Doheny defence. Tim Harrington had the first score for Bantry but the Lynch brothers and O’Leary were getting well on top for Dohenys. T. J. Lynch kicked the crucial Dohenys goal and brother Jack followed with a point. Murphy kicked a Bantry point before the break It was the home side in front by 1-1 to 0-2 at half time.
A spirited second half saw both attacks missing numerous scores and Bantry began to dominate as the game drew to a close. They had a great chance to win the game when Tim Harrington soloed through but, one-on-one with the goalkeeper, he kicked narrowly wide.
For Dohenys, Murphy, Dullea, Farr, Leary and Kingston formed a solid defence, while the O’Leary’s and the Lynch brothers were prominent all through.
Best for Bantry were Fitzgerald, Vaughan, Clifford and Keane in defence, Ralph Keyes at midfield and Cotter and Harrington in attack.
The final result was a 1-1 to 0-2 win for Dunmanway. The returned “Black Watch” had kept a clean sheet for the winners.
Referee, P. J. O’Driscoll, Bandon.
Dunmanway Dohenys: Connie Whelton (goal), Willie Farr, Morgan Murphy, Willie Kingston, Eddie Dullea, John Dullea, James O’Leary, Patrick O’Leary, Willie O’Mahony, Paddy Foley, James Scott, Jack Lynch (capt..), Paddy Roche, Ned Young, T. J. Lynch.
Bantry Blues: Paul Doyle (goal), J. O’Shea, J. Fitzgerald, Donal Clarke, Michael Vaughan, Jack Keane, Con Clifford, Ralph Keyes, Jer O’Regan, Timmy Cotter, Tim Harrington, Dannie McCarthy, J. Crowley, Patrick Murphy, Cecil Keyes.
SW Football League
A SW football league was organised once the championship had been completed, six teams entering. However no progress was made in playing the games.
======================================================================================
County Junior Football Final 1931
Urhan 0-6 Shamrocks 0-2, November 8th in Bantry.
==============================================
"Give them a chance, if you stint them now,
Tomorrow, you'll have to pay
A larger bill for a darker ill,
So, give them a place to play."
Denis A. McCarthy
============================================
Create Your Own Website With Webador