1908

Laune Rangers – 1908

 

Laune Rangers re-entered the Co. Senior Football Championship after a lapse of two years and, after a good win over Newtownsandes, lost surprisingly to Dingle Gascons in the second round.

 

Mike Joy did not play in the Munster Senior Football Final victory over Waterford. However, he played in the All-Ireland semi-final win over Mayo but did not play in the All-Ireland Final defeat to Dublin.

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

A meeting of the young men of Killorglin was held on Mon. evening 3^rd Feb. at James O Regan’s, Iveragh Road. Jeremiah Hayes was in the chair. The purpose of the meeting was the organisation of a football team for the year and doing their best to bring back to the town of the Laune the honour, which it had formerly of possessing an invincible football team, as were the Laune Rangers of only a dozen years previously and of whom a few were still amongst them. It was decided to adjourn the meeting until Friday 7^th Feb and Paddy O Regan, one of the famous seventeen, was ordered to circularise all the young men of the town to attend on that night.

The adjourned meeting was held on Saturday 8^th Feb. at James O Regan’s. Patrick Kelly presided and there was a large number present. The following committee was elected: Patrick Kelly, James O Regan, Danny Clifford, Mike Joy, M. O Connor, Nick Flynn and Mossie Counihan. It was decided to hold practice every other Sunday for the future until they would consider themselves strong enough to affiliate. The first practice was held on Sun. 9^th Feb. and nearly twenty entries were taken.

 

Co. Senior Football Championship

Ten teams took part in the Co. Senior Football Championship, Dingle Gascons, Keel, Laune Rangers, Newtownsandes, Valentia, Ballylongford, Listowel, Lispole, Tralee Mitchels and An Cuas.

 

Rd. 1 on Sun. 1^st Nov. at Tralee: Killorglin 3-5; Newtownsandes 0-3.

That game was played in bad weather conditions and before a fair-sized attendance. However, in spite of the wretched weather and the extreme bad state of the ground, play was above the average and the keenest interest was manifested during the progress of the game.

Playing with the breeze at their backs, the Newtownsandes men made things lively from the outset and splendid playing on both sides characterised the first half-hour. It was fully ten minutes before Newtownsandes scored their first minor, which was greeted with a round of cheering from the spectators. That was followed up by repeated attacks on the Killorglin posts, where Paddy Joy and Dan Lyons had their work cut out for them. Dan Hayes and Tommy Corcoran were doing great work for Killorglin at midfield, and John Paul McCarthy made the North-Kerry backs hustle. Walsh, the latter’s Herculean captain, was a tower of strength to his side and several times he was successful in breaking up the combination of the Laune Rangers. Newtownsandes did well on both wings, but they indulged to excess in passing the ball. Were it not for that defect in their playing, they would have made more scores. Several sharp encounters took place near the North-Kerry goal-mouth, where Walsh and his men were hard-pressed for a few minutes. John Paul McCarthy and Mike Joy were relentless in their attacks and at length were successful in bringing off a goal. The halftime whistle sounded shortly afterwards, leaving the score at Killorglin 1-0; Newtownsandes 0-3.

On resuming, play began to be brisk and vigorous. The Laune Rangers showed their superior dash and speed, with the result that several minors were added to their score. John Paul McCarthy and Mike Joy in the forward line, Tommy Corcoran and Dan Hayes at midfield and Burns, John P. Riordan and Danny Lyons in the back division were Killorglin’s best men. Ref: Batt O Connor (Dingle).

The GAA Notes in the Kerryman of Sat. 7^th Nov. contained the following: “The Killorglin team, especially, surprised and delighted me. The way in which they disposed of the Newtownsandes men was worthy of the best days of the old ‘Rangers’. The prospects of the present team are, in my opinion, very bright. Indeed Championship honours assuredly lie on their path if only they adhere to it with perseverance and determination.”

‘Pars from Puck’, in the same edition of the Kerryman, wrote as follows: “It would appear from the result on Sunday’s football match that Killorglin has yet some of the spirit and dash of the old and famous Laune Rangers. Of course they are glad of having won their first match this year and they intend to do their utmost to bring their matches in the future to as successful an issue as they did this one. It was one of the notable features of the old Laune Rangers that they were so modest and courted publicity so little, and it would appear as if the present team were following their predecessors on this count. However, we hope they will practise more for their next, than they did for their last match, as practice makes perfect.”

 

Rd. 2 on Sun. 21^st March 1909 at Tralee: Dingle 1-7; Killorglin 0-1.

That match was not up to expectations and resulted in a surprising victory for Dingle.

Ref: Alex J. Smith (Valentia).

 

Tralee Mitchels, captained by Tom Costello, beat Dingle Gascons, 0-8 to 0-4, in the final, which was played on 18^th July 1909.

 

Munster/All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

 

Final on Sun. 6^th Dec. at Cork: Kerry (Tralee Mitchels) 0-7; Waterford 0-2.

Kerry: Con Healy (capt.) Tralee, Tom Costello (do.), Con Murphy (Killarney), Frank J. Cronin (Tralee), Edward Spillane (Killarney), T. Scully (Tralee), John Sullivan (do.), J.J. O Riordan (do.), P.J. Cahill (do.), Paddy Dillon (goal) Killarney, Denny Breen (Castleisland), Batt Connor (Dingle), Jerry Moriarty (do.), John Casey (Valentia), Dick Fitzgerald (Killarney), Jack Lawlor (Tralee), Paddy Landers (Listowel).

 

Semi-final on Sun. 14^th Feb. 1909 at the Markets’ Field, Limerick: Kerry 2-4; Mayo 0-1.

Kerry: James T. Fitzgerald (capt.) Tralee), Tom Costello (do.), Con Healy (do.), W. Mahony (do.), Frank Cronin (do.), Jack Lawlor (do.), J.J. O Riordan (do.), Dick Fitzgerald (Killarney), Paddy Dillon (do.) goals, Con Murphy (do.), Edward Spillane (do.), Batt O Connor (Dingle), Paddy Landers (Listowel), Mike Joy (Killorglin), Denny Breen (Castleisland), John Casey (Valentia), John McCarthy (do.). Subs: Burns (Killorglin), Dan Mullins (Tralee).

 

All-Ireland Final on Sun. 9^th May 1909 at Thurles: Dublin 0-10; Kerry 0-3

Kerry: Paddy Dillon (goals), John Casey, Denny Breen, Tom Costello, Con Healy, John McCarthy, Edward Spillane, Frank Cronin, Batt O Connor, Con Murphy, John Mullane (Listowel), W. O Mahony, Jack Lawlor, J.J. O Riordan, John O Sullivan, Dick Fitzgerald, James T. Fitzgerald (capt.). Subs: Dan Mullins (Tralee) goals, McDonnell (Listowel) forward, Ned Condon (Valentia) forward, Paddy Landers (Listowel) back, Jack Kennelly (Listowel) back. Team trainer – Jacques McDonnell (Tralee).

 

Administration/Miscellany

 

James Nolan, Cill Coinnigh, was Uachtarán CLG. Annual Congress was held in Thurles on Sun. 23^rd Feb.

 

The Munster Council Convention was held in Tipperary on Sun. 16^th Feb. James Harrington, Corcaigh, was re-elected as Chairman, Pat McGrath, Tiobrad Árainn, as Secretary and Dan Fraher, Port Láirge, as Treasurer.

 

The Annual Convention of the Kerry Co. Board was held in the Urban Council Offices, Killarney on Sun. 16^th Aug. 8 clubs were represented. Laune Rangers were not represented. The following officers were elected: Chairman – Austin Stack (Tralee), Vice-Chairmen – Alex J. Smith (Valentia) and P.J. Houlihan (Dingle), Secretary – Frank Cronin (Tralee), Treasurer – John Moran (Listowel), Delegate to Central Council – Austin Stack, Delegates to Munster Council – Frank Cronin and J.A. McDonnell (Tralee).

 

Laune Rangers were not represented at any of the fortnightly Co. Board meetings until August. For the remainder of the year, J.P. O Sullivan represented Killorglin. At the Co. Board meeting on Sun. 23^rd Aug. in the Young Ireland Rooms, Listowel, it was reported that Killorglin had intended affiliating a senior and junior team for 1908. Affiliation fees were 12/6 and 5/- respectively.

J.P. O Sullivan represented Killorglin at the Co. Board meeting on Sat. 5^th Sept. in Tralee, at which it was announced that Killorglin F.C. had affiliated.

J.P. O Sullivan represented Killorglin at the Co. Board meeting on Sun. 13^th Sept. in the Young Ireland Rooms, Listowel. On a motion by P. Guerin, it was decided that it was illegal for anyone to become a member of a football or hurling club outside the limits of his parish when an affiliated club actually existed within that parish. J.P. O Sullivan stated that he had received communication from the ‘Irish Independent’ with reference to an announcement which had appeared in that paper in connection with the Tralee Sports, in which the names of one or two Tralee gentlemen were libellously mentioned. He asked the Board to take steps to have bogus reports and announcements put a stop to. The members present agreed with Mr. O Sullivan that the practice was causing much annoyance and bringing discredit on the Association. Mr. O Sullivan also proposed that the Secretary be instructed to write to all athletes and cyclists in Kerry cautioning them against competing at sports meetings for which no permit had been received. That was passed. Killorglin was drawn against Newtownsandes in the 1908 Co. Senior Football Championship.

At the Co. Board meeting in Tralee on 12^th Dec. a permit was granted to the Killorglin Football Club to hold a Gaelic Tournament on 6^th January 1909 in Killorglin.

 

The following appeared in the GAA Notes in the Kerryman on Sat. 15^th Feb: “That that spirit which promotes and perpetuates Gaelic games and pastimes is not dead in Killorglin, the town by the Laune, is evidenced by the latest move of the young men of the town to re-organise a football team. The signal prestige, which that famous team, the Laune Rangers, achieved, and the victories they won in many a hard-fought field some years ago, are not yet forgotten by the people of Ireland.

Undoubtedly, some of that spirit, which actuated the members of the Laune Rangers in their palmy days, when they made Ireland ring with their meritorious victories, still lives on in Killorglin to-day and, although being dormant for some time past, an energetic and appreciable effort is now being made to resuscitate it. We say, with all our hearts, ‘Success to the movement’ and may it produce good and permanent fruit.”

 

‘Pars from Puck’ by Laune Ranger 11 in the Kerryman on Sat. 29^th August wrote as follows: “Talking of the Laune Rangers, reminds us that there is a move made to get a football team here by the Laune this season. It is a pity if it will not succeed, as the old football spirit seems to have died out of the young men in this part of the county. What was once their place in the Gaelic world may, if they try, belong to them again, and why not try this as well as any other year?”

 

‘Pars from Puck’ wrote in the Kerryman edition on Sat. 12^th Sept: “Now that we have a football team in Killorglin again, we hope that they will do their utmost, as they did before, to make the town by the Laune as famous as it was in former years and make the name Laune Rangers synonymous with the best and most active as well as the most spirited footballers in Munster (not to say Ireland). We still have some of the old hands here who have imbued the spirit into the new ones and we hope they will profit from it. We shall not have long to wait to find out, however.”

 

The train, bound for the All-Ireland Football Final in Thurles on Sun. 9^th May 1909, left Killorglin at 8.55am and the fare was 3/6.

 

J.P. O Sullivan acted as handicapper or manager/starter at the following Sports meetings: Sun. 2^nd Aug. – Listowel Sports; Fri. 7^th Aug. – Ardfert Sports; Sun. 20^th Sept. – Dingle Sports; Sun. 27^th Sept. – Tralee Sports.

 

During the year, the former Gaelic Athletic Association President, F.B. Dineen, purchased the Sports grounds at Jones’ Road, which he afterwards sold to the Association and which is now Croke Park. The purchase money, including law costs, amounted to £3,642-8-5.