In a recent 'Nationwide' programme on RTE a number of young students based in St. Macartans College, Monaghan were on screen having their first 'shave' in a local hairdressing salon. The salon proprietor gave a talk on the correct methods of shaving etc. This brought my mind back to the first time I went through a similar procedure. By Joe McManus One of the reasons for my shaving was that I had been invited to spend the last weekend of September 1938 with my relatives in Dublin for the All-Ireland football finals of that year and, of course, wanted to make a presentable appearance in the city. I had reached 15 the previous month. In McCusker's hairdressing salon at Main Street, Cavan I was shaved by a gentleman (not one of the McCusker family) and someone told me the man was one Terry Coyle, famed All-Ireland football star of the 1933 Cavan team. Too shy to ask any questions, I always liked to believe that it was indeed Terry. All the talk in the salon was about the forthcoming games. On Sunday, 25th September 1938 I had another first - my visit to Croke Park. It was arranged that I would go there with my Uncle John who was then a detective sergeant in Dublin Castle and had to work early on that morning. It was a glorious sunny day as I went to the Castle accompanied by my young cousin Eileen (now resident in Virginia) on an open-topped double-decker tram. That was my first time on a tram. Meeting with my uncle and a colleague named 'Kilkenny' (a Leitrim man) we duly arrived in Hill 16, mine hosts having paid the entrance fee of one or two old shillings each! (Mr. Kilkenny's nephew became one of my colleagues in the Garda Depot seven years later). On entering I was amazed at the sheer size of the crowd, the colour, and the pall of smoke that encircled every area of the stadium. I am unable to find the attendance figures in records, but I remember the 'Irish Press' placard on the following day - 'Over 75,000 in Croke Park'. Thinking that we were in plenty of time I was surprised to see the blue jerseys of our Cavan minors mingled with the Green and Gold of Kerry out on the playing pitch. Afterwards we learned that the game had started a quarter of an hour earlier than the official starting time due to a crush consequent on gates having been broken down and an encroachment on the grounds. I glanced at the scoreboard and saw that Kerry had scored four points, whereas Cavan's total was 0-0. By half-time Cavan had improved and were just a point in arrears. They seemed all buoyed up in the second half and John Johnson scored a great goal. This was followed by another goal from Peadar Doyle and I cannot recall the third, or whether it came in the first or second half. Anyway, Cavan won that minor All-Ireland on a score of 3-3 to 0-8. The team was: JD Benson, W. Doonan, B. Cully, PP Galligan (later Fr. Galligan), M. Reilly, P. Coyle, S. Deignan, J. Maguire, S. McCormack, Kevin O'Reilly, P. Conaty, M. Fitzsimons, F. Coyle, J. Johnson, P. Doyle. Willie Doonan, Bernie Cully, Peter Paul Galligan, Simon Deignan, Seamus Maguire, Paddy Conaty, and Peadar Doyle all became Senior players in later years. I saw Patsy Coyle playing for Cavan seniors in a challenge game against Westmeath in 1943. Of the Kerry side P. Burke, T. Long, D. Kavanagh, T. O'Connor, M. O'Shea and T. Lyne became noted senior players. On that September day in 1938 I knew Willie Doonan, Bernie Cully, PP Galligan and Peadar Doyle. PP Galligan and Peadar Doyle played for St. Patricks College day-pupils together on St. Patricks McRory Cup team. As to others on that great Cavan minor team I got to know Patsy and Felim Coyle, Michael Fitzsimons and Kevin O'Reilly in the following year. The two Coyles from Kill and Michael Fitzsimons played for Drung minors against Upper Lavey in Lees' Field, Upper Lavey in 1939 and Michael Fitzsimons played afterwards for Drung and Annagh in Junior Championship games. He had several great tussles with the late Vincey Smith (Lavey) while yours truly was confronted by Michael's brother, John. In the Croke Park programme Michael's club was given as 'Drumalee', but in those days in Cavan there was no problem with minors playing for a neighbouring parish when no minor team existed in their own. Kevin O'Reilly was from Ballyjamesduff and played for Upper Lavey minors same year (1939) at a Drung venue. If I were asked to locate that venue today I am afraid I could not do so, but there was a wide river behind the sideline where most of the spectators congregated. At one stage here was a race for possession and a shouldering duel between my brother, PJ and a Drung player called 'Seaghal T. Brady' and were it not for the assistance of the spectators, both players might have ended up in the river. Reverting to the All-Ireland finals, I recall that due to the early conclusion of the minor game, there was a long interval before the start of the senior game. Again, there was another first for me when I caught sight of the Artane Boys Band. Although not having much knowledge of music, I could not but be impressed and emotional by the magnetism of the martial airs. There was a lull as the bad took a rest, then came a spontaneous outburst of community singing. On Hill 16 there was no segregation whatsoever and everybody seemed to join in. The Cavan contingent began the singing with 'Come Back Paddy Reilly'. Galway took it up with 'Galway Bay' (not the Fields of Athenry) and Kerry responded with the 'Rose of Tralee'. A huge cheer greeted the arrival of the Galway team dressed in maroon jerseys. Up to the previous year (1937) Galway had worn green jerseys. A ballad re the Cavan/Galway minor semi-final at Mullingar read 'Next to face the music were the Breffni boys so true and they marched out to the battle with the flag of white and blue, their opponents from Galway in jerseys of green were a stiff opposition, as was afterwards seen.' Soon the famous Green and Gold jerseys of Kerry appeared and it was not long untill the parade began. Parade ended and there was a hush. All stood to attention. The band struck up 'Faith of our Fathers' and followed with 'Amhran na bFhiann'. The referee, Mr. Culhane from Limerick, threw in the ball and the players rushed to their places. To this day I remember the names of all the players. No so long ago I rhymed them off for that great broadcaster, Michael Uas. O Muircheartaigh. Kerry: D. O'Keeffe, W. Kinnerk, J. Keohane, W. Myers, W. Dillon, W. Casey, T. O'Connor, J. Walsh, S. Brosnan, P. Kennedy, C. O'Sullivan, T. McAuliffe, JJ Landers, M. Doyle, T. O'Leary. Galway: J. McGauran, M. Raftery, M. Connaire, D. O'Sullivan, F. Cunniffe, R. Beggs, C. Connolly, J. Burke, J. Dunne, J. Flavin, M. Higgins, R. Griffin, E. Mulholland, M. Kelly, B. Nestor. There were great individual battles, all sporting, throughout the game, especially those between Kinnerk/Nestor, O'Sullivan/Beggs, Connaire/Doyle and at midfield Kennedy and Brosnan v Burke and Dunne. Play flowed from end to end and the high fielding, lengthy kicking and some expert solo-running was a joy to behold, not forgetting the great kick-outs from Keohane and Connaire. Three times during the hour there was a 'hop-ball' between Kinnerk and Nestor, the referee having deemed the Galway man holding on to the ball and the Kerry man holding his opponent's jersey. At that time the ball was hopped between the players instead of the modern 'throw-up'. On those occasion there was great banter between the rival supporters. I can still remember the Galway people referring to the referee - 'he is from Limerick. They sell buttermilk to each other', while the Kingdom people alleged the ref was bringing the ball nearer to the Kerry goal than where the fouls were committed. There was drama towards the close. Teams were level - Kerry 2-7 Galway 3-4 when a flowing Kerry movement brought the ball to JJ Landers and he shot over the bar for what appeared the winning point, but the referee disallowed the score - explained afterwards that the time was up. There would be more drama both before and during the replay, but that is another story. In the years which followed I did not get the meet all those great players. However, there were a few exceptions. On the Kerry side, in the early forties, I had the privilege of doing some typing for Lieut. Joseph N. Keohane, as he was then, when he was on a course at Columb Barracks, Mullingar. Paddy Kennedy was stationed with my uncle John (previously mentioned) in Rathmines and was invited in to a Cavan ceili in Rathmines Town Hall on the night of the replayed 1943 final of Cavan and Roscommon. A sister of Billy Myers married a Mayoman named O'Sullivan. They lived at Ballycroy, Co. Mayo and their two sons played football with my two sons for St. Muredeachs Colleges, Ballina in the sixties. On the Galway side I met Dr. J. McGauran when he came on holidays to Enniscrone. He had also played in goal for Roscommon and I'm not sure whether he was a Galway ma or Roscommon man. I got to know John (Tull) Dunne very well at Congress and Connacht Conventions. In all our conversations I had some craic' with him about his disallowing of a great Simon Deignan goal in the Cavan/Cork All-Ireland final of 1945. He was the referee. John took my chastising in good humour and I would ask him if he remembered the 'Tuam Fiasco' of 1934. Beannacht De len a anam dilis. When I was young and going to National School at Knocknagilla my companions and I often heard 'Songs of Praise' about the Galway player, Brendan Nestor, from the Principal of the neighbouring school, Stravicnabo, one Mr. Michael Kelly, a Galway native who resided in Upper Lavey. I was delighted when I saw the said Brendan Nestor in action, but little did I realise then that approximately thirty years later he would welcome me to his home at Dunmore. Mr. Nestor was President of the Connacht Council in the early seventies, a truly dedicated, committed and uncompromising GAA man and a lifelong member of the Pioneer TAA. If ever the phrase 'one of nature's gentlemen' applied to anybody, then surely it was applicable to Brendan Nestor. I have digressed, but was unable to refrain from mentioning some of the great players of the past. As to the 1938 All-Ireland football final, I now that I amy be accused of looking back 'through rose-tinted glasses' but I still maintain that it was the greatest game of gaelic football I ever saw. One that came nearest to it was the Railway Cup final, 1943, which Ulster won by a point. I realise that time for me is moving on, but it is my prayer that some day soon a Cavan team will once more take its place among the Kerrys and Galways in Croke Park and that the Stadium will be used solely for the purposes for which it was intended by the great generations and GAA founders who went before us and provided it for our benefit. Ta a lan de na daoine luaite sa phiosa reamh - raite imighe uainn ar Shli na Firinne. Leaba imeasc na Naomh go raibh acu agus Solas na BhFlaitheas ar a n-anamnaca uilig. Tweet

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