County Senior Football Champions 1948

The Millstreet team which won the Cork County Senior Football Championship when defeating St. Vincent’s in 1948 on a scoreline of 1-2 to 0-3.
Front row, from left: Jerry O’Keeffe, John Joe Tagney, Denis “Toots” Kelleher, Seámie Kelleher, Mundy Singleton, Neily Dennehy and young supporters.
Back row, from left: Paddy Kelleher, Richard Barrett, Michael Byrne (father of Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne), Denis Twomey, Con Corcoran, Garrett Hickey, Denis O’Connor, Paddy Cremin, James Manley, Eddie Collins, Jerry O’Connor, Jerry Hickey, John O’Keeffe (Captain), Denis Hickey, Cormac Dineen, John Hickie, Seámus Murphy, Denis Manning, Teddy Kelleher, Dan O’Driscoll, Denis Kelleher, John Weir.

Question: D. Cummins from Millstreet was listed as a sub for the Cork Senior Football team in 1948 (v Sligo Sligo Champion – 6 June 1948). Was he not playing in the county final?

The Cup comes to Millstreet

Nineteen forty eight was the date of the year
Our young football team on the field did appear
They won from Dunmanway right down to Fermoy
And the city of Cork they went out to defy
On the banks of the Lee on an October day
For the County Cup we went for to play

Ten to one were the odds on that great City team
Our men were too soft and our boys were too green
With Den Connors midfield and the brave O’Keeffe brothers
Those brave city lads would soon sigh for their mothers
Still they put down the cash to humble our pride
And send us home beaten to the Blackwater side

Our team lost the wind to the toss of a coin
So St. Vincent’s they planned for to lick us in time
Then Munty tried hard for to stop the attack
But the first point they scored put our nerves on the rack
The play was resumed at the kick-out of the ball
When Kelleher Pound Hill got a very bad fall

John Joe Tangney, Dick Barrett, Byrne and Weir
Shouts ‘toughen the game while the wind is from there’
Then on to the field the sub Dennehy came
Sub or no sub he played a fine game
We went on defending till the half-whistle blew
Then of points we were nil, but St. Vincent’s had two

The restart of the play, oh what terrific speed
Jim Manley he proved a true friend indeed
Young Kelleher thought of sweet Minor Row
And he scores a fine goal with the tip of his toe
Then Cork’s ardent backers fell into despair
While Millstreet’s supporters flung their hats in the air

St. Vincent’s they rushed on their major attack
But Dineen and O’Driscoll knew how to hit back
Still they sent in the ball to the mouth of the goal
Denis Manning with honours put his name on the ball
With excitement the sidelines by now had gone mad
They were betting their shirts and what money they had

Five minutes to go with our team in the lead
Our opponents displayed all their old keen breed
They rushed and they fought in the air and the ground
‘Twas then Jerry Connor showed himself sound
When at last came the whistle with a cheer for full time
Old Millstreet were champions till 1949

Then home by Macroom over many a mile
All gay and light-hearted we wore a bright smile
The bonfires were blazing in our dear native town
And even old Claragh looked lovingly down
By our priests and our people the welcome was great
We have brought home the Cup for 1948

– Jerry Doody

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One of the medal from the 1948 final [twitter: Lawrence Hickey]