1956

Courcey Rovers 5-4   O’Donovan Rossa 2-4

September 9^th   in Clonakilty

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Courcey Rovers, the holders, retained their title when they beat O’Donovan Rossas, Skibbereen, in the final of the South-West Cork Junior Championship at Clonakilty last Sunday.

      They had not a great deal to spare in doing so, though the margin in their favour at the end was almost three goals.

       Certainly, there was not that difference between the sides. At least two of their majors were of the ‘soft’ variety and on the whole a goal would have about represented their superiority. They owed their success to all-round evenness, whereas their opponents, while having some fine individual players, carried too many passengers. In C. Kelleher, a Limerick man serving as Army instructor to the F.C.A., Skibbereen possessed the outstanding player on view. Normally at centre-field, he played a roving game bobbing up al over the place in defence or attack as the occasion demanded, and always to his side’s advantage. Many senior sides of repute could do with him and he certainly looks an obvious choice on the Carbery team against Blackrock.

      Heavy rain up to the start of the match rendered the pitch greasy and conditions difficult.

      For the winners, the veteran Mick Nolan, Dave Sullivan and Gerald O’Donovan, with D. Coakley and S. Hales were best, while besides Kelleher, the most prominent for Skibbereen were S. Davis, D. Davis and T. O’Brien.

THE GAME

     Rossas opened the scoring with a point off a ‘70’ by Quinlan and P. Murphy added a further one. Courceys rushed a goal and when a high ball from the centre of the field dropped untouched into the net, they were well ahead. Further points by Fitzgerald (2) and Coakley were followed by similar scores from Murphy and Kelleher for Rossas.

     Two quick goals by O’Sullivan and Quinlan put Rossas ahead by a point.

     Courceys, however, returned to the attack and C. O’Regan netted just on half-time, to leave the score:

     Courcey Rovers – 3 goals 3 points.

     Rossas – 2 goals 4 points.

     In the opening ten minutes of the second half Rossas had the better of the exchanges but failed to turn the advantage to account. Against the run of play S. Sullivan got a goal for the Rovers from fifty yards out, Corcoran later supplementing with a major and R. Sullivan added a point. The result was:

      Courceys  -  5 goals 4 points.

      O’Donovan Rossa  -  2 goals 4 points.

      The teams were –

      Courcey Rovers – S. Hales, L. Keogh, M. Nolan, C. Corcoran, T. Scott, D. Sullivan, T. Fitzgerald, P. Buckley, J. Keohane. C. O’Regan, C. Coakley, D. Collins, P. Connolly, G O’Donovan and S Sullivan.

      O’Donovan Rossa – D. Davis, J. Donovan, F. Walley, P. Keohane, J. J. Holmes, P. Keating, P. Murphy, C. Kelleher, S. Davis, D. Cullinane, T. O’Brien, D. Davis, R. O’Hanlon, D. O’Sullivan and M. Quinlan.

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COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

Courcey Rovers met St. Finbarr’s in the inter-divisional on October 28^th and were no match for the city side, who recorded a 7-6 to 0-1 victory.

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COUNTY JUNIOR HURLING FINAL 1956

St. Finbarr’s 4-8,  Castletownroche 3-3  in Cork Athletic Grounds.

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Jack Lynch

"It was on an autumn morning, my neighbour called and said:

'I've heard it on the news at eight, it said that Jack was dead!'

I did not ask him who Jack was, there was no need you see - 

I knew 'twas him, the hurling king, from the city by the Lee.

His record stands unequalled, six All-Irelands in a row - 

One of the men from the famous Glen, from the forties long ago.

A gentle man who loved the game, but fearless in the fray - 

I bowed my head and softly said, "Thank God I saw him play." 

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