From 1972-1978 Scoil Lorcáin was to grace the hallowed soil of Croke Park

Naomh Barróg GAA Club

Introduction

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read by over 600 people in

different parts of the world.

For many of them it is recalling

past memories that they still

cherish in their hearts. We as

a Club, where ever they are,

remember them with great

fondness and gratitude for

their involvement in many dif-

ferent ways with us. It is an

honour for us to be in touch

with them through this

e-Newsletter.

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to them. Email this information

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Naomh Barróg has made huge

strides in 40 years. From our

humble beginnings to the

present day it is a great and

successful story to tell and to

recall. Most of the people in

the Club have grown up during

competed for the second year

running, this time against

different opposition in the

Clonmore Cup and in the Miller

Shield.

During these years Gaelic

football had a huge influence in

the life of the boys. They en-

joyed attending school so that

they could train and prepare for

their games. It was their life.

From 1972 until 1978 Scoil

Lorcáin was to grace the

hallowed soil of Croke Park. It

was a glorious time for a school

just opened to experience this

record where sport became the

culture of the educational

environment and gave the

young boys a sense of

belonging and identity with their

school and parish.

In 1973 the school entered two

teams in Cumann na

mBunscoil Competitions, a

Junior team and Senior team.

The Junior Team were in the

Clonmore Cup and the School

Senior team team were in the

Miller Shield.

In 1974 the School once more

reached Croke Park and

Inside this issue:

Miller Shield Final November 1973

2

Miller Shield Final continued

2

The Clonmore Cup Final December 1973

2

Headline in Evening Herald November 1974

3

Clonmore Cup-Reporters analysis

3

Kilbarrack’s Clonmore 3

Profile: Maurice Cassidy

4

Down Memory Lane 4

“The Final”-written by

Thomas Dennis 1974

4

Did you know?

In July 1974 a planning appeal against a

decision by a former Minister for Local

Government under which Dunne’s Stores

would erect a 96,000 sq foot shopping

complex in the centre of a residential area

at Kilbarrack, Dublin was heard in the

Custom House, Dublin.

The major case against the development

was documented by Kilbarrack and Dis-

trict Community Association. They argued

that the complex would irreversibly dam-

age the total community environment

because it would diminish still further the

existing lack of open space for a growing

population of children…

KADCA carried out a referendum on the

proposed development where 650 house

voted . The result was 68.5% objected to

the complex with 29.5% in favour.

History of the Club (1974-2014)

26th February 2014

Issue 4

centred ethos that has been

developed over the years since its

foundation.

In this Issue we continue the story

that led to the Club been formed.

This Issue relates how the school

teams brought honour to the

parish and Gaelic Games were

getting better known and

respected The foundation stones

were been laid.

this period and have ob-

served the growth it has

made. They have been part

of it, which fills them with

great pride. Those who

founded the Club in 1974

know and are content that

this Club is being adminis-

tered by members im-

mersed in the ethos since

the time they were young

boys. They will continue to

promote this strong child

Miller Shield Winners 1974

“A goal by left corner forward in the

opening minutes of the second half gave

Peter’s a great boost. Scoil Lorcáin

continued to play the ball around and were

rewarded with a goal by Anthony Mc

Donald and a point by Jimmy Maguire

which left th score 1-5 to 2-1 in St Peter’s

favour. These scores paved the way for a

really exciting finish. Scoil Lorcain just two

points behind piled on the pressure but it

was St Peter’s who broke away to get the

decisive scores. Minutes from time Noel

Lyons pointed and Declan Maguire

smashed home a brilliant goal to give the

score line a flattering appearance.

Scoil Lorcáin’s turn will undoubtedly come.

They were a fine footballing team and had

outstanding performers in Anthony Stewart,

John Ansley, John Mc Connell, Willie Mc

Dermott, Lar Mc Carthy and Jimmy

Maguire”.

Unfortunately John Flynn missed the final

when he got injured a few days before the

game. He asked Mr Fields at half time could

he come on. He had to refuse him. John

was so disappointed but that was the spirit in

the team.

The Clonmore Cup Final– Saturday the 1st December 1973

The following report was written in the

Evening Herald Monday the 3rd of

December 1973,

St Nicholas 3-3 Scoil Lorcáin 1-5

“The Final of the Clonmore Cup was a

close affair. In the end it was St

Nicholas who came out on top,

beating a never say die Scoil Lorcáin

team. With the Kinsealy boys first to

get to grips with the match, they soon

opened up a lead. By half time they

led by 2-2 Nigel Driscoll getting all

their scores to a Maurice Cassidy

point.

Kilbarrack came more into it in the second

half. John Ansley, Ronnie Ryan and

Dominic Geoghegan in defence with

Maurice Cassidy in midfield while up front

Aidan Brennan, Joe Bradshaw, Frank

Shiels and Derek O’Neill worked hard to

turn the tables on St Nicholas’s gallant

side. A goal and two points from Joe

Bradshaw, and a point each by Maurice

Cassidy and John Clarke failed to narrow

the gap”.

The Miller Shield Final-Saturday November 24th 1973

Miller Shield Final continued The Miller Shield Team-Runners up 1973

Philip Redmond, Stephen Finnegan, Lar

McCarthy, Anto Stewart, Ronnie Ryan, John

Ansley, John Clarke, John McConnell, David

Ormonde, Maurice Cassidy, Willie Mc

Dermott, Derek O’Neill, Jimmy Maguire, Joe

Bradshaw, Tony Mc Donald/Alan O’Brien

Willie Sheridan,

Clonmore Cup Team-Runners up 1973

John Heffernan, Thomas Dennis, John

Ansley, John Canning, John Clarke, Ronnie

Ryan, Dominic Geoghegan, John Mc

Connell, Maurice Cassidy, Joe Bradshaw,

Derek O’Neill, Aidan Brennan, Brendan

O’Connor, Frank Shiels, Martin Horan

Page 2 Naomh Barróg GAA Club

The following report was in the Evening

Herald on Monday the 26th of November

1973.

“ St Peters, 2-6 Scoil Lorcáin 2-1

The ability to take their chances was the

chief reason for St Peter’s surprise victory

over Scoil Lorcáin in the final of the Miller

Shield.

It was obvious from an early stage that little

separated the two teams in ability, but

whereas St Peter’s made the most of their

opportunities, Scoil Lorcáin , much to the

disappointment of their big following

wasted a succession of chances.

It was a pity really, for it would have been a

treat to have seen these two teams in a

replay such was the high standard of play.

The Phibsboro boys got away to a tonic

start with a point in the opening minute by

Gerard Kinsella and when the same player

added another later, it looked as if St

Peter’s were set for an easy victory.

However this was far from the case. Scoil

Lorcáin who had twelve of last year’s Corn

na Laoch victors in their ranks began to

find form and against the wind played the

better football. But unfortunately they could

not finish off some brilliant approach work.

Still a Willie Mc Dermott goal left them

only 0-5 to 1-0 behind at the break and the

match appeared wide open”.

John Heffernan with ball, being

supported by Thomas Adams

“The curtain comes down on the 1974

Dublin Primary Schools Football League

when St Brigids, Blanchardstown and Scoil

Lorcáin Kilbarrack line out at Croke Park in

the final of the Clonmore Cup.

Kilbarrack are the more cocksure. They

failed in the corresponding final last year

but their pre-Christmas victory in the Miller

Shield final augurs well as nine of the

successful Shield XV will be in action.

Goalkeeper Paul Mc Carthy, defenders

John Canning, Thomas Dennis, Bily Dillon

and Thomas Mc Adam are well steeled

with senior experience.

Others who came through the Shield

campaign, are D O’Neill, Aidan Brennan, D

Allen, John Heffernan. Despite the array of

talent confronting the Blanchardstown boys

they enter the fray confident of taking the

title. It is to Blanchardstown credit that they

defeated Killester the only side to have

checked Kilbarrack” .

St Brigids caught– Kilbarack‟s „Clonmore‟

Clonmore Cup Decider– A reporter‟s analysis of the two teams in the final.

This report was written in Evening Her-

ald 25th of November 1974.

Scoil Lorcáin , Kilbarrack 6-4

Scoil Lorcáin , Palmerstown 3-0

“Scoil Lorcáin, Kilbarrack who led 0-3 to

nil at half time lost the lead when Scoil

Lorcáin Palmerstown netted three quick

goals. Scoil Lorcáin came back like true

champions and through Joe Bradshaw

(3-0), Maurice Cassidy(2-0) and Damian

Allen(1-0) son of Norman Allen won the

Primary Schools Senior Football Final

and the Miller Shield to make up for last

years defeat. Winners, Scoil Lorcáin

won mainly through their half back line

Scoil Lorcáin (Kilbarrack) 4-5

St Brigid’s (Blanchardstown) 3-3

“Scoil Lorcáin’s bid for victory in this

Dublin Primary Schools Junior Final for

the Clonmore Cup was akin to that of a

top class racehorse being paced carefully

along for they upset pacemakers St

Brigid’s in the closing ten minutes with a

flurry of scores which put the result

beyond the losers reach. Aidan Brennan

got through a tremendous amount of work

in midfield for Scoil Lorcáin and it was

primarily his persistent work which led up

to the winning goals. St Brigid’s goalkeeper

got his finger tips on Raymond Keegan’s

goals in the last ten minutes and failed to

turn the shots away but David Breen

followed up with the winners third goal.

Kilbarrack had a goal disallowed into the

bargain. But Keegan, Brennan, and Breen

polished off the good work in a determined

effort by Kilbarrack , in which Damian Allen

a son of former Dublin great Norman Allen,

Derek O’Neill, Tom Adams, Billy Dillon,

Thomas Dennis and John Canning

contributed handsomely”. Scores R

Keegan(2-1), D Breen(1-0), A Brennan (1-

1), D Allen(1-0), D O’Neill ( 0-1)”.

Headline in Evening Herald– Miller Shield goes to last years finalist, Scoil Lorcáin Kilbarrack.

Miller Shield Winning team 1974

P Mc Carthy, T Dennis, D O’Neill,,M

Cassidy, J Mc Connell, B Dillon, R

Keegan, S O’Connell,P Stewart, J Clarke,

D Cummins, A Brennan,T Adams, D

Geoghegan, D Allen, M Horan, P Scanlan,

J Bradshaw, J Canning, T Mc Keown, D

Barron, D Curley,J Heffernan

Clonmore Cup Winning Team 1974

P Mc Carthy, J Canning, T Dennis, J

Sheridan, B Dillon, T Adams, S Russell, D

O’Neill, A Brennan, P Scanlan, P Stewart,

P Breen, D Allen, R Keegan, J

Heffernan,G Loughran, D O’Brien

Page 3 Issue 4

of Billy Dillon, John Mc Connell and Dom

Geoghegan. There best forward though

not a scorer was Derek O’Neill who with

Joe Bradshaw and Maurice Cassidy were

real stalwarts.

Scoil Lorcáin, Palmerstown missed many

chances. The three goals in rapid

succession at the commencement of the

second half by Martin Murray(2-0) and

Ciarán Christie gave them great hope but

due to the fighting qualities of the winners,

it was short lived when they staged their

winning comeback in the last quarter

which resulted in six goals and a decisive

win for the Kilbarrack boys”. Dominic Geoghegan in his back

garden with the Miller Shield 1974

Mary Dunne, Foxfield Park, the wife of

Denis Dunne, former founder, Secretary,

Registrar and PRO of the Club shared

these memories with us.

“My first memory was when Denis Junior

brought a message home in his schoolbag

from Mr Fields, telling of a meeting in Scoil

Lorcáin Boys School to discuss forming a

GAA Club in the school. About seven or

eight men turned up….”

“Our red Escort was stolen from outside

Parnell Park and was found burned out, but

Denis was amazed at the lads who cried

because they loved the car”.

“The weekly clothes-line of red and green

jerseys blowing in the breeze-Denis going

out early on Saturday morning to get a

good footballer out of bed - a Garda

(checking for road tax), stopping the car on

the way to a match and counting ten lads in

the back-he just laughed and wished them

good luck. Seat-belts had not been

invented)”.

“The Final”-Written by Thomas Dennis fullback on the victorious Scoil Lorcáin team who was in 5th class in 1974.

Memory Lane

Maurice Cassidy was born on the 10th of

January 1924 in the town land of Knockbridge

8 miles from Ardee Co. Louth. His place of

birth and the culture he grew up in, were to

have a huge influence on the rest of his life.

Arriving in Kilbarrack in 1970 with Margaret

his Wicklow born wife and his young children,

Theresa, Patrick and Maurice Junior he was

delighted when he was invited to attend a

meeting with the intention of forming a new

GAA Club in September 1974.

For 27 years he immersed himself in the life

of his parish in Knockbridge before leaving to

take up a job in the Killiney Castle Hotel in Co

Dublin where he worked for eleven years

before the hotel was bought by the Fitzpatrick

Group. Maurice whose father died from TB

when he was 4 yrs old was the oldest of three

siblings. After attending National School in

Knockbridge, he went on to Technical School

in Dundalk and at the age of 16yrs he served

his time in the Grocery and Bar Trade. He

was instrumental in forming a GAA Club in his

community called An Lámh Dearg acting as

Secretary. He was a member of Dowdallshill

AC, two miles from Dundalk and represented

Louth in the National NACA Cross Country.

One of his heroes was Patrick Kavanagh, the

Monaghan poet and novelist and one of the

foremost poets of the twentieth century. At

the Annual Local Sports in Inniskeen, the

home town of Patrick Kavanagh on the

Louth-Monaghan border, Maurice won the

100 yards and remembers the poet present-

ing him with first prize which was a jersey. He

loved the writings of Kavanagh. Maurice loved

poetry and all things Irish. He could recite

verses of poetry in English or in Irish that he

learnt from the age of five to the present day.

In Issue 5 we will continue with Maurice’s

story.

“On the 23rd of November 1974 the GAA

senior finals took place. Scoil Lorcáin,

Kilbarrack met Scoil Lorcáin Palmerstown

in the decider of the Miller Shield. The

week before the big match the school was

preparing hats and banners. Then the big

day came. Three double decker buses

were at the school at one o’clock. Soon we

were off. The match started at 2 30. and

the first half was a low scoring half. Deep

into the 2nd half Palmerstown netted three

quick goals and Kilbarrack lost their lead.

Profile: Maurice Cassidy

“Another brilliant Newsletter on Naomh

Barróg. It is fantastic work and I am sure

very few clubs would have this kind of

background on their club”. (Martin

Kiernan, Vice Chairman)

“No 3 was very enjoyable. I loved the

Duggan’s Chemist special potion-Olive Oil

and Winter Green, priceless”. (Hazel Mc

Weeney, formerly of Roseglen Rd now

living in the USA)

Page 4 Issue 4

With eight minutes to go it seemed

Kilbarrack had been defeated again, but

it was the fighting spirit of Kilbarrack

that kept them going. They came back

to get six goals in the last eight minutes.

Then the final whistle went. Kilbarrack

had won by six goals and four points to

three goals”.

Thomas Dennis 5th Class Scoil

Lorcáin 1974.

Con Clarke, Dublin Chairman

presenting Maurice with a silver

watch following Barrog’s gaining

Senior status in 1990