1928 Minor Championship (1st Inter county Championship)
In Leinster Dublin defeated Offaly and received a walk over against Kilkenny in the Leinster Final when the latter were disqualified for an illegal registration. Dublin lost the All-Ireland Final after a replay to Cork. Four Crokes players Francis Whelan, Kevin O’Toole, Luke Delaney and D O’Neill were on the panel for the All-Ireland Final. For the Offaly game, apart from Whelan and Kevin O’Toole, G O’Toole was also in the twenty four man panel. Five members of the All-Ireland Final panel, four representing a neighbouring underage club St Etna’s (Maurice Collins, William P Kells, R Kavanagh and J Hannon) and one, G Hughes, representing the Aughrim Street based Eoghan Ruadh were to later play with Crokes.
Francis Whelan
Francis (Franner) Whelan was a dual Dublin minor for three years, 1928 to 1930. He won a Leinster Minor Hurling Championship and played in the All-Ireland Minor Hurling Final of 1928. He lived in Millmount Avenue, Drumcondra, and the family is thought to have been from Dublin. He had a long association with Croke Park United and Crokes, well beyond his playing days. References to him in Dublin County Board Senior Executive minutes give some clues as to the context in which Crokes hurling developed. At different times we see him and being “banned” (confirm Rule 13 = Ban) and transferring to Croke Park United FC from Kickham FC (1931). We speculate that he was already aligned to Croke Park United at minor level and had played at adult level for Kickhams, then a prominent football club. The transfer to the club of origin came about as Croke Park United began to enter teams in adult competitions. Up to this two sister Croke Park Uniteds (one for hurling and one for football) had operated as effectively a single club fielding underage teams only.
In 1934 Whelan captained Crokes to win its first major adult trophy, the inaugural Corn Ceitinn. A T as opposed to F Whelan is listed on the Junior County Championship winning team of 1935 and we can only guess at what might have been the reason Francis did not play in the final. Francis, who seems to have been mainly a midfielder, and T Whelan were on the 1936 Junior County Championship winning team. Presumably T Whelan was a brother. A J Whelan featured on the Crokes team that won the 1935 Minor Hurling League Final at Brian Boru Park with a 7-2 to 4-3 victory over St Vincent’s. In 1938 Francis Whelan played on the first Crokes team to compete at senior championship level
Off the field, Whelan also gave lengthy service in different positions. He was elected club chairman at an AGM held on 14th December 1939, having been vice-chairman in 1936. In 1940 Crokes reverted to Junior ranks and went into a valley period. Whelan was one of those to stick it out as the nature of the club changed from a predominantly Clonliffe Road/Drumcondra based club to becoming one of the nomadic clubs plying their trade from the Phoenix Park with a much altered playing base including a substantial country input. During the 1940’s, and at least until 1952, Whelan served variously as vice-chairman, Treasurer and Senior County Board Representative.
Kevin O’Toole
In the Evening Herald of Monday 23rd February 1925 we find the first mention of a Croke Park United (“Croke Park United G.A.C “) meeting - held at Croke Park the day before. The captain of the intermediate team is listed as Master K O’Toole. At the time the club did not field adult teams.
At a young age Kevin O’Toole seems to have been quite active off the field as well as on. In January 1926 he was one of the nine committee members elected at a meeting specially convened by the Senior Executive of the County Board to elect a new committee and officers to carry on the work of the Schools League as the old committee had resigned when certain of their rulings had been upset by the Senior Executive. A notice for the AGM of Croke Park United H.C. to be held in Croke Park appeared in the Evening Herald of 2nd November 1926. The Herald tells us Croke Park United had a most successful season in the Dublin Schools League, wining both the juvenile and intermediate leagues. The teams were presented with their medals by Fr O’Flanagan, often described as “the republican socialist priest”. Fr O’Flanagan presided over the Schools League. Seemingly medal winners had to prove their proficiency in Irish before receiving their awards. The report went on to say “all three teams had a good season and one must comment on the hard work put into the game in Drumcondra by M Curran and K O’Toole.” At the Croke Park United AGM of March 1927 O’Toole was elected club secretary.
Kevin was the son of Luke O’Toole, GAA Secretary General from 1901 until his sudden death in 1929. The family lived at Croke House on Clonliffe Road, the residence then provided for the GAA’s General Secretary. Apart from the support which Luke O’Toole gave to his fellow Wicklow man, and Croke Park United/Crokes founder, Michael Curran, the depth of the O’Toole family involvement with Croke Park United becomes clear when we reflect on mention of various O’Toole’s as Croke Park United and Dublin minor players (1928 [Kevin O’Toole (Croke P.U.)], 1929 [Gerry O’Toole Captain (Croke P.U.)], 1930 [Sean G O’Toole Captain (Croke Park United)] and 1931 [S O’Toole (Croke Park United]). We believe the names Sean O’Toole, Sean G O’Toole and Gerry O’Toole refer to one and the same person, generally known as Gerry O’Toole. Gerry was the first Junior Schools captain in 1925. Fergus and Seamus O’Toole also played for the club and it seems the O’Tooles ceased to be involved with Croke Park United/Crokes in the mid 1930’s.
Luke Delaney
Along with Kevin O’Toole and Francis Whelan, Delaney figured on both the Dublin minor hurling and minor football teams in 1928. Somewhat surprisingly he seems to have made the hurling panel for the second year running in 1929 but not the football. That year Delaney had seven Croke Park United clubmates for company on the hurling panel Francis Whelan, G Noonan (also spelt Nunan?), Gerry O’Toole, T Smith, P Keneally, Wm Fallon and Kevin Picking (Peakin?). Delaney would have won Dublin Minor Hurling Championships with Croke Park United in 1928 and 1929. We have been unable to find a record of him involved with the club after 1929
D O’Neill
Apart from the fact he represented Croke Park United on the Dublin Minor Hurling Panel in 1928 we know little else of his club involvement. G and J O’Neills appear in 1930’s team list. Whether these refer to the same person we cannot at this stage say and would very much welcome additional information.