In Praise of Heroes

Tony Wall’s Address

‘Last Friday we buried Kieran Carey—we buried him in Knock a small village outside Roscrea—and as we stood around the grave and listened to the oration I saw the yew trees and I thought of Brian McMahon’s ballad about Tommy Daly

 

On the wind'swept Hill of Tulla ,  where the Claremen place their dead,

Four solemn yews stand sentinel above a hurler's head,

And from the broken north lands from Burren bleak and bare,

The dirge of Thomas Daly goes surging on through Clare.

 

Later on we told stories of his exploits and that of others—and afterwards I returned to Dublin - and Jimmy Smyth brought over his book - and as I browsed through it I came across the following lines on Kieran:

‘Cloyne’s own wizard Christy Ring, he saw him from the wing—

He knew that Tipperary had a backman full of sting;

Once or twice those great stars clashed, but the ‘Ros’ man won the day—

No forward in the hurling game could best Carey from Roscrea’.

 

And I thought to myself---This is what this book is all about!

When I was growing up in Thurles  in the 40’s one of the great perks was free access to the then Thurles Sportsfield—now Semple Stadium. There I saw many matches and many exploits—most of these I have long forgotten—but one of my most vivid memories is of a series of Harty Cup finals and replays—between St. Flannans and St. Colmans and the outstanding displays of what appeared to be a giant of schoolboy player for Flannans. He appeared to score points at will from any point in the centre of the field. Over the years I sometimes wondered whether my imagination was running away with itself—but when I read this book I realised that my recollections were real and true—by his own account Jimmy Smyth was 12lbs at birth and 13st. of bone and muscle at full fitness at 14 years of age.

I was privileged to have seen him then and privileged-now—some 60 years later—to be asked to launch this book on his behalf.

This book is in three parts:

An Introduction—a marvellous and erudite introduction –by Dáithí Ó hÓgáin

A, memoir of hurling by Jimmy himself

And thirdly—a collection of poems and ballads in praise of the heroes and exploits of Gaelic games.

 

I am not sure which of these parts I enjoyed the most

Jimmy’s memoirs were an eye-opener -

They contain one of the saddest yet striking sentences I have read for some time. ‘I never thought I would see Clare win an All-Ireland hurling title’—imagine that—one of the greatest hurlers of all time---well up there with Ring, Mackey, Doyle, Rackard—just could not believe that his native county would ever win an All-Ireland title—and so sad too that Jimmy himself never got the chance to demonstrate his huge talent in Croke Park on All-Ireland day.

And I thought to myself: ‘how lucky we were in Tipperary and in Cork and Kilkenny—where we expect to be in All-Ireland Finals every year—or at least every second year---and that we are entitled to and capable of winning two or three in a row.

For make no mistake about it, Jimmy was one of the greatest. His record speaks for itself—Harty Cups, Railway Cups—county championships.—his scoring record is legendary—6-4 in one Munster championship alone—and all played with a manliness and sportsmanship second to none—it is well summed up in the lines

‘For pulling on a flying ball or doubling in the air

For sending raspers to the net or sailing o’er the bar.

He’s the terror of each backline from Mooncoin to Ardrahan

The Banner County’s hero, Jimmy Smyth from famed Ruan’.

His memoir is marvelous reading—his views on the game—the players—the style—the tactics—are well worth listening to. I like his description of styles: the loping, sloping, gliding, angular, sinewy style of Kilkenny: the fierce swish and legitimate force of Tipperary’s ground play.

I like his comparison with dancing—and the rhythm of this great game—one has only to visualize D.J. Carey or Jimmy Doyle in full flight to see what he means.

I like his discerning description of coaching—and tactics and how the game is learned.

I was particularly taken with the way he learned to put backspin on the ball—and how that controlled the flight of the ball—a craft well known in golfing circles—but a new one on me with regard to hurling.

All in all this memoir stands on its own and if expanded would make a very interesting book.

But Jimmy’s memoir is only a very small part of this book—this is a book of ballads about Gaelic games and their heroes.

Recently in a Dublin hurling circle, I asked a group of hurling followers what they knew about Tommy Daly? Tommy who? was the reply. But I said Tommy Daly won four All-Ireland hurling medals with Dublin. His exploits have however faded from the Dublin memory—but in Clare where Bryan McMahon’s great ballad is held in great regard—Tommy Daly is still recognized as the greatest goalie ‘that ever clutched a ball’

And I think this is a very good example of the power and efficacy of the ballad----and truth of the quotation used by Jimmy in his other great book ‘Ballads of the Banner’:

No man shall love his land or race

Who has no pride in his native place

Nor will traditions linger long

Where local poets make no song.

And that is why the book is so great and so important. It recaptures in song and story the tradition and culture of Gaelic sportsmen—it brings them to life and perpetuates them—the heroes and their gaisces -

It is an immense work of folklore and history—to anyone interested in history and local traditions the notes to the ballads are a treasure trove.

For instance the ballad about the 1941 Munster final is interesting but the notes are even more interesting.---

In 1941 Foot and Mouth disease spread through Tipperary and Kilkenny. Travel was restricted and the Munster and Leinster hurling finals could not be played. As a result Cork were nominated to represent Munster and Dublin nominated to represent Leinster in the All-Ireland final.

Cork won the All-Ireland—but when the Foot and Mouth abated, the Munster final was held and Tipperary beat Cork in the Munster Final. And so Cork picked up an easy All-Ireland - their first since 1931 - their first in 10 years - their first of four in a row and Christy Ring’s first of eight -

An all through the book one can pick other gems of history—for instance we learn that in hurling matches between Carlow and Wexford prior to 1798 the gentlemen of the two counties sponsored and attended the matches—in the presence of the great and the good ensued good order and no fighting during the matches. No need at that time for yellow or red or disciplinary bodies.

But the notes are only notes—footnotes. It is the ballads themselves that count—they recapture the culture—the history—the ethos. They come from all times and places—all codes—hurling, football, handball. Although it does appear that hurling has a more mystical attraction. To the hurling man, hurling is the game.. It requires strength and stamina and speed—certainly—but above all it requires skill—and this skill and this expertise seems to be more in concordance to flights of fancy and poetry—poetry in motion. But then I think of Purcell and Stockwell—and Mick O’Connell—and Peter Canavan. And perhaps there is room for the odd footballer in a book of poetry too.

And so there is - and the book contains 150 pages about football.. It is a treasure  throve - you can delve in anywhere and come up with gems.

But this is all summed up in greater detail by Dáithí Ó hÓgáin  in his introduction. An introduction, which is well worth reading on its own—a masterpiece of erudition and learning—and steeped in the ethos and culture of Gaelic games and folklore. His introduction highlights some of the real gems. For instance he picks out and highlights the Roscommon song.

No here’s to young Bill Carlos boys

He filled us all with awe

He’d take a ball down from the clouds

The lion with the velvet paw

 

Or the one about Christy Ring

‘Now Cork is bet—the hay is saved’

The thousands wildly sing

They speak too soon—my sweet garsún

For here comes Christy Ring

But every page has its own gem. I was browsing through the book last night and I came across the following—without even trying

The mighty throng in Croke Park field is waiting eagerly,

The dash: the clash: the smash of ash and then the ball breaks free.

From nowhere comes a lightning streak that nothing can confine

And like a jet ‘tis in the net, that goal from Dinny Ryan.

And perhaps my own favourite verse is from Bryan McMahon’s ballad about Tommy Daly. Perhaps because the hair is getting silvery and the long long whistle of the eternal referee is approaching. It has however—I think—universal relevance.

‘Beyond this place of toil and tears beyond this plain of woe,

There is a bourne in Paradise where all the hurlers go,

And there in prime they're goaling and race across the sod

And thrill our dead forefathers on the level lawns of God.’

 

And finally it gives me great pleasure to launch this book

A beautiful book-- by any standard

A great work by a great player and author.

 

“In Praise of Heroes – Ballads and Poems of the GAA” by Jimmy Smyth is published by Geography Publications.  Copies can be obtained by contacting books@geographypublications.com or writinfg to the publishers at Kennington Road, Templeogue, Dublin 6W.  

The author hurled with Clare, Munster, St Flannans College Ennis and his native Ruan for over 23 years and was one of Clare’s greatest ever players.  An Post/GAA inducted him to the Hall of Fame and released a stamp in his honour in 2002