In conjunction with the ongoing YouTube matches, here in the notes we are going to take a weekly journey back in time to revisit events in our recent and not so recent past.

We start this week with the year we contested out 1st Senior Hurling final 1955.

1955: Busy Year

It was, perhaps, 1955 that fully established Abbeyside as one of the glamour clubs of the county and confirmed the all-round strength of playing membership and organizing personnel. Yet that may seem paradoxical since it was a year in which nothing was won save the Western Minor Hurling championship.

The impression was created mainly by the spectacular and exciting Co Senior Hurling final contest with Mount Sion. Neutrals were made aware of a power in the game, where down the years, an ordinary junior hurling club had been expected. Indeed, the contesting of the senior and minor hurling finals that year was a very long stride away from the image of a modest junior club projected no more than seven or eight years previous.

Though not winning a Co. Championship, it was easily the busiest year for Abbeyside, for every team went a long way. The club secretary was publishing semi apologetic remarks in late October that it had not been possible to run the Club’s Juvenile League as well as they could due to the ongoing demands of the minor and adult teams.

Senior Hurling

The campaign kicked off with a resounding victory over local rivals Dungarvan on a score line of 5-09 to 0-02. This was followed up with a similar results against Ballyduff (7-06 to 1-02) & Tourin (5-04 to 1-05) respectively to set up a first final appearance where Mount Sion lay waiting. The match was played in Fraher Field on 09th September and summed up by a local scribe –

“Had Abbeyside not been dogged with less hard luck, Mount Sion might not have won their 11th title. The defections of Paddy Browne and Anthony Hayes, due to incidents in the Ballinacourty-Stradbally football games of the previous Sundays, were a big loss to the Village XV, as both of these had proved their worth in the earlier games of the championship. The loss of Browne on Sunday was especially felt as in his role as full forward he had bagged many goals during the eliminating matches, and many felt he would have turned in a few more goals against Regan had he been eligible to field out.

It was a heart-breaking result for the Abbeyside fifteen who, following an early point by Mount Sion, went into the lead and held it for more than three-quarters of the game. With a seven point lead following a goal in the 11th minute of the 2nd half Abbeyside looked set to bring off the sensation of the year. However, it must be said that Mount Sion, although definitely rattled – particularly in the first half – never panicked and their consistency coupled with the opportunism of Seamus Power, who roamed loosely around centre-field in the last quarter of the hour, picking off valuable long-range points, brought the ultimate reward.”

L. Whelan

T. Collender A. Flynn L. Fraher

N McGovern G. Flynn L. O Dea

T. Barry J. O Connor

P. Whelan D. Whelan P. Clancy

J. Hogan A. Foley J. Clancy

With the massed bands of Connra na Gaelige, Dungarbhan and Abbeyside scouts there was a touch of Croke Park about the whole occasion that delighted a great crowd that paid a record gate of £455.

(The Abbeyside team that took the field that day contained 3 players who would end their playing careers with All Ireland senior medals.)

Junior Football

Following the previous years controversy, which entailed a phantom free, appeals and counter appeals up to Munster Council level, a refusal to field in an ordered replay and an abandoned Senior Football Final, Ballinacourty went at it with renewed courage in 1955. However, it seemed that some malign fate was always to deprive us. The team won through to the Western final in impressive style, but collapsed in the final itself, showing nothing of their earlier form. Final score Geraldines 3-03 Ballinacourty 1-03.

P. Whelan

J. Morrissey J. Cashin J. Terry

M. Hogan D. Whelan J. Hogan

G. Ahearn J. O Connor

M. Burke J. Clancy P. Clancy

A. Flynn P. Browne G. Foley

Western Champions

The minor hurlers who at the time were affiliated as Abbeyside Rovers had a fine campaign that brought them all the way to the Co Final played in mid-October. The path included victories against Naomh Nicolas, St. Garvan’s Rovers before triumphing over Cappoquin Rovers on a score line of 3-07 to 0-05 in the Western Final. Unfortunately, Na Risigh proved to strong in the Co Final running out 6-05 to 0-02 victors. We would have to wait another 15 years before claiming a 1st title at this grade.