Senior Champions at Last! 1966

Senior Champions At Last

1966 was the year Crokes Hurling Club and Kilmacud Football and Hurling Club came together.  The fusion met with immediate and momentous success.  After so many years trying the Dublin Senior Hurling Championship was won.  Especially for those who had travelled the long road with the Crokes Hurling Club this was a sweet moment.

In the championship Crokes first accounted for Bank of Ireland (7-4 to 3-3) and UCD (4-7 to 2-8) before meeting the Dublin Junior Board Selection in the semi-final.  With thirty minutes remaining Crokes were behind 4-10 to 1-8.  Thanks largely to goals by Mick Regan the deficit was reduced and Crokes prevailed 5-12 to 4-14.

The final against St Columbana’s in early October at Croke Park was a high scoring affair with Crokes emerging victorious by 6-7 to 7-3.  Crokes scorers, Mick Regan (2-2), Paddy Daly (2-0), Gerry Keane (1-3), Mattie Fox (1-0) and Kevin Houlihan (0-2) represented counties Galway, Dublin, Limerick, Galway and Kilkenny respectively.  According to the Irish Independent of 3rd October Crokes best players were John Maher, Mick O’Brien, Brian Cooney, Gerry Keane and Mick Regan.

Team:

C Walsh, J Maher, J McCormack, F Cooney, T McDonald, M O’Brien, P Fox, B Cooney, D Dunne, K Houlihan, G Keane, M Regan, K Daly, P Daly, M Fox.  Subs used D Scully, M Daly.  Other subs: J Barry, S McDonald.

Eight of this team had won senior county medals with the Dublin Junior Selection in 1963.

The South County newspaper article following gives more detail... Clipping