"To beat Moyvane by a single point you had to be four points a better team"

The recent Moyvane GAA Social was a night full of great cheer and nostalgia.

Not even the mighty Eoin Bomber Liston, guest speaker on the night, escaped the force of Moyvane footballers over the years - and he hasn't forgotten it!  The Bomber brought back happy memories for everyone at the club during his address to the mass attendance on the night.

Medals were presented on the night to the current Moyvane Junior Team for their 2011 and 2012 Division Three North Kerry League successes while the Bomber presented awards to the Moyvane Senior 1982 Junior County Championship and 1983 Senior North Kerry Championship winning teams.

M.C. on the night Johnny Stack, a member of both these victorious teams, thanked all those who received these awards for their commitment to the cause over the years and described that group of players as one of the best to represent the parish in its long and distinguished history.

A statement to stir the passions of anyone with an interest in local GAA and I therefore decided to take a look at what other great players and teams have represented the Boro over the years.

The local District Board, the North Kerry Board was established in 1925 and Newtown, or Moyvane, had the distinguished honour of winning the championship in the Board's inaugural year.  Further North Kerry Senior championship wins in 1927, '28, '30 and '32 had enabled Moyvane to stamp their authority on North Kerry football.  The start of a long and enduring legacy from this great team.

One member of that winning team had already lined out for Kerry at midfield in the All-Ireland final of 1923, in which Kerry were defeated by Dublin, the indominatable Con Brosnan.  Renowned for his immaculate fielding and precision kicking, these qualities were to carry him to such a pinnacle of fame before his career's end as to be proclaimed among Kerry's greatest midfielders ever.  1923 was to be the first of eight appearances in All-Ireland finals for Moyvane's most famous son.  Con won six All-Ireland medals. He captained Moyvane to their victories in 1927, ‘30 and ’32.  Thomas O’Mahony, his team-mate on the Moyvane teams of that time, followed him on to the Kerry team winning All-Ireland medals in 1926 & 1927. He had been captain for Moyvane’s maiden North Kerry Championship victory in 1925.  Besides Brosnan and O’Mahony, that Moyvane team comprised of other footballers of great stature: Tom O'Callaghan, Paddy Windle, Dan Kearney, Joe McCabe, J. Brassil (goals), J. Finucane, William O'Sullivan, J. Stack, Josie Enright, Paud O'Sullivan, W. Finucane, D. Mulvihill, J.J. Moriarty, J. Mahony, J. McCabe and John Flavin.  William O’Sullivan had the honour of captaining the team to their victory in 1928.

After a three year gap, Moyvane were victorious once more winning four North Kerry championships in a row between 1936 and 1939, a feat that has not been repeated to this day.  Brosnan was captain once more of the victorious team in 1939 and many of his colleagues from their inaugural successes were still soldiering away at this time.  John Flavin won an All-Ireland medal with Kerry in 1937 and contributed handsomely to Kerry's joust with Galway in the All-Ireland final of 1938.

Alas, the golden era was to dry up and Moyvane suffered a slump in football fortunes through the 1940's and 1950's when rural clubs were being deprived by unemployment and emigration.

The emergence of a minor team, good enough to win a North Kerry Championship in 1954, heralded a new dawn for Moyvane football.  The upswing continued until 1958 and Moyvane marched to victory in the North Kerry Championship that year where they defeated Tarbert.  The team was captained by Donie Mulvihill and on that team were men who had upheld the honour of Moyvane during the lean years, energised by the new blood from the 1954 minor team.

The early 1960's were dominated in North Kerry by a truly great Moyvane team with Moyvane football now back with renewed vigour. Four Championships and three Leagues were annexed from 1961 to 1966 with victories over Ballydonoghue, Ballyduff, Tarbert and Ballylongford.  In 1963 Moyvane won the double of League and Championship along with the Frank Sheehy Tournament, which carried much prestige at the time.

Paudie Hanrahan, from the great Hanrahan family of “The Lane”, Kilbaha, captained the victorious 1961 team and his brother Liam repeated the feat in 1963.  The 1963 team lined out as follows: Ed.Stack (goal), Stevie Stack, P.J.Kennelly, Paudie Hanrahan, Brendan Sheehy, John McEnery, Timmy Hanrahan, Liam Hanrahan (capt.), Maurice Stack, Des Broderick, Bernie O'Callaghan, Brendan Broderick, Tommy Mulvihill, Michael Hennessy, Colm O'Callaghan.  Liam Hanrahan had also won an All-Ireland medal with the Kerry Junior side in 1963. Both Joe Sheehy and Bernie O'Callaghan also won National League medals with the Kerry senior side that year.

Stevie Stack had the honour of being captain in 1964 and this championship win is especially memorable in that it was achieved without the services of Bernie O'Callaghan who was hospitalised for the final against Tarbert, a factor which mitigated against Kerry's chances against Galway in the All-Ireland final of the same year also.

Tommy Mulvihill lifted the cup for the victory in 1966 against Ballylongford and this final is probably best remembered for a great display at centre forward by John Chris Cunningham.   The overall display belied the team’s longevity and particularly against a youthful and soon to be dominant Ballylongford team.  An unsuccessful if gallant appearance in the North Kerry league final of 1968 against Tarbert was to be this great team's swan song.  Eleven of this team had represented Kerry in one grade or another during the team's period of dominance.

Four North Kerry Championship victories in six years, an outstanding achievement in whatever context you look at it.

Apart from a North Kerry minor league win in 1968 and unsuccessful appearances in the North Kerry Senior Championship Finals of 1970 and 1971, Moyvane had to wait until 1977 for their next major title when they won the North Kerry League defeating Ballylongford in a replayed final.

Once 1978 rolled around, Moyvane were once again back in the North Kerry Championship final and it started the legacy of great games between Moyvane and Beale in North Kerry Championship finals over the next ten years or more.  Unfortunately the Ballybunion men had become Moyvane’s bogey team and they lost to them on five occasions in 1978, ’79, ’81, ’84 and ’89. 

Sandwiched between these losses however was Moyvane's first County title won in the Junior County Championship in 1982, played in Abbeydorney where they overcame Ardfert to win the Con Brosnan Cup.  They also defeated Ballylongford in the North Kerry Championship Final in 1983, taking their first championship in 17 years.  The team was as follows: Jody Fitzmaurice (goals), Noel Sheehan, Mike Mulvihill, Noel Larkin, Johnny Stack, Johnny Mulvihill, Eamon Fitzmaurice, Michael Flaherty, Thomas Mulvihill, Tomas Keane, Hamish Beaton, Eamon Sweeney, Donal Mulvihill, Paddy Mulvihill and Colm O'Callaghan. Johnny Mulvihill, centre back on the day, had won an All-Ireland minor medal with Kerry in 1975 and followed with U21 and senior medals subsequently.  Unfortunately, this team was to taste the bitter taste of defeat once more in the North Kerry Championship Finals of 1987 and 1990 against Finuge and Tarbert respectively.

Eight North Kerry Championship Final appearances in thirteen years is an achievement that these great warriors should receive the upmost respect for however the legacy of only one championship victory in this period is one that will leave these same players with many regrets. 

A new era dawned when the 1990’s rolled around and following victories in the U21 North Kerry Championship in 1989 and the Minor North Kerry Championship in 1993, an influx of these players contributed to a further North Kerry Senior Championship success with victory over arch rivals Listowel in 1995.  Captained by Eamon Stack and driven on by a Man of the Match display by midfielder Maurice Kearney, the heart and spirit long associated with Moyvane sides over the years was in abundance as they conquered their more vaunted opponents.  Unfortunately, the following year, 1996, they were unable to put back to back titles together and were forced to give best to Finuge in the replayed final after an epic draw previously.  However, Moyvane did have the honour of closing out the old Millennium with their 17^th title after victory over Tarbert in the final of 1999.  Maurice Kearney was a very deserving winning captain on the day while the long serving Eamon Stack collected the Man of the Match award.

The new millennium saw Moyvane still challenging at the business end of campaigns and a further North Kerry League was annexed against Ballyduff in 2000.  And 2003 was to be a very special year with a second North Kerry League and North Kerry Championship double with victories over Duagh and Castleisland Desmonds respectively to capture a historic 18th North Kerry Championship title.  Jackie Mulvihill was captain on the day while sharpshooter Eddie Bowler collected the Man of the Match award.

A second County Championship title was achieved in 2006 with a victory over Na Gaeil in the County Novice Championship Final.  And the most recent success was a North Kerry League final win in 2009 over Beale which brought Moyvane's total of North Kerry League titles to nine.

The great, and late, John B Keane best summed up the attributes of a Moyvane footballer in the following words “Always tough and resilient, they were precision footballers with great artistry and a style all of their own, great men to play to the last gasp and never, never intimidated.   To beat Moyvane by a single point you had to be four points a better team.  That is the estimation by friend and foe alike of this remarkable parish”.

Lets hope that the young boys and girls of the parish continue to display the attributes that have made this club so successful over the years and the role models of Brosnan, the Hanrahan’s, the Mulvihill’s and current star Patrick Curtin continue to inspire them in the years ahead.  The following poetic words on one of Brosnan’s many successes should help in this regard:

At midfield where the fight was raging
Shone Brosnan, bright as the morning star.
He drove the leather right up to Landers
Who fisted neatly across the bar...

and the lines describing one of his great winning scores was as follows:

With steady nerve and unerring aim
He scored a point and again we led them.
'Twas the final score in a hard-fought game

 

 

 

 

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