Crokes Tribesmen
Think Crokes, think Galway, think Niall Corcoran. In the lead up to next Saturday’s (18th June 2011) Leinster semi final clash we find the Kilmacud Crokes and Galway connection goes back well before the Meelick Eyrecourt and now Dublin corner back’s time.
The most prominent recent Galwegian has undoubtedly been Tom Rock, current secretary of the Hurling Committee. Thirty five years of unstinting service has seen him win multiple county championships as player and mentor and fill practically every officer role in the club including those of Club Chairman for 11 years, Hurling Chairman and Trustee. Among his many other commitments to the club, nowadays Tom is the very active and effective leader of the All-Ireland Hurling 7’s work group.
The first connection we can make with the Tribesmen is the 1937 Junior All-Ireland Home Final when five Crokes men were part of the Dublin squad to claim the title for the capital on a 6-6 to 3-3 scoreline. In 1951-52 the short lived Stillorgan Gaels featured three Corribsiders Owen O’Donoghue, Matt Fallon and Tom Kelly. From the early 1960’s onwards the connection became stronger. A subliminal indicator may have been the decision by Dalcassians to play in maroon. As the decade progressed two of the great Crokes hurlers, Mick O’Regan (Gort) and Mattie Fox (Carnmore), came to prominence. O’Regan, a garda, won senior county medals with Crokes in 1966 and represented the club on the successful Junior Board Selection in 1963. He was also a Railway Cup player with his native province. Fox had a magical Crokes career, winning senior championships in 1974 & 1976. He played at all grades for Galway and was on the Connacht team defeated by Munster in the 1959 Railway Cup final. Usually a centerfielder or forward, in his heyday Fox was one of the top hurlers in the country and honoured with a Gaelic Weekly All-Star for 1966. Mike Sweeney, another Galway stalwart of the decade, also had a spell with Crokes as the 1960’s drew to a close.
Probably the shining star in the golden period of the 1960’s and 1970’s for Crokes was 1971 All-Star Mick Bermingham. The former Dublin great has always been immensely proud of his Galway heritage in particular the fact that his uncle Mick Gill is the only player in the history of the GAA to have won two senior All-Ireland hurling medals in the same year*. As Crokes cemented their place as one of the leading teams in Dublin in the 1970’s none was more prominent than Jack Gilchrist from Laurencetown who won senior championships in 1974 and 1976. When the club regained the title in centenary year between the posts was another county man Martin Noonan from Liam Mellows. The connection continues to the present day not only through Niall Corcoran but also through whole hearted senior defender Adrian Grogan from Castlegar.
Galway clubs have long been great supporters of the All-Ireland Hurling 7’s on All-Ireland Final Weekend. Who can forget the powerful Joe Canning inspired Portumna’s march to victory last year? The same club previously annexed the title in 1998 and 2004. Before them Gort in 1983 and Kiltormer in 1988 and 1990 etched their names on the famous trophy.
As Dublin face the Tribesmen in the 2011 Leinster semi-final in Tullamore on Saturday 18th June and as our under 14 hurlers head to Loughrea for the national Feile na nGael finals on the weekend of 24-26th June long may the connection continue to grow and develop.
* The 1923 title with Galway and the 1924 with Dublin. Both finals were played in 1924.
14 June 2011