Toomevara/Moneygall defeated Youghalarra by 9-3 to 6-2 in the final at Nenagh on September 19. Youghalarra did a lot of their training at Coum Parker, as this was an ideal centre for Youghal and Portroe players.
The fact that the Youghalarra team was really an amalgamation with Portroe is reflected in the sentiments expressed by ‘Portroe Gael’ in a letter to the Nenagh Guardian on October 3. It is worth giving in full as it reveals a high level of anger.
‘Never were the anticipations of a large crowd, of witnessing a brilliant hurling match so rudely shattered at Sunday week’s final. Instead of hurling we had, on one side, brutality, and on the other, fortitude and endurance, which will redound to the credit of the Youghalarra team for many a long day to come.
‘I want to be as brief as possible. Molamphy was the first to go down, the result of an accident pure and simple. After receiving medical assistance, he managed to struggle on to the final whistle, though scarce able to breathe with clots of blood closing up his nose and throat.
‘We had not long to wait for casualty no. 2. Our full back – John Seymour – is put out of action with, among other injuries, a broken thumb. Bill Smithwick moves into Seymour’s position and five minutes later, he, too, goes down with a shattered knee. With what mingled grief and admiration we beheld poor Bill struggling to hold his post with only one leg to stand on! And in the moment of this brave man’s sufferings, a screech-owl voice cries out: ‘Good old Toom; keep it up.’
‘Half-time came, and, with the change of ground (and despite the fact that the strong breeze which had helped Toomevara, had abated) our boys shot in two goals and a point in less than two minutes. That could not go on, if the erstwhile Toomevara greyhounds, whom I now re-christen the Toomevara bloodhounds, were to retain the championship of North Tipperary.’
‘So a resounding thud is heard over the playing pitch: it is from the hurley of a Toom player brought down with full force on Rody Nealon’s body – to be correct, on the point of his stomach. However, with his indomitable courage, Rody struggles on only to be finally knocked out a few minutes later with a cruel blow to the head.
‘We had only seven ‘sound’ men left on the field, and still the blood-lust was not fully appeased. McCormack was the next victim.
‘Now, by way of contrast, we can more readily see what decent Gaels were the boys of Borrisokane and Newport, whom we had previously played.
‘Youghalarra stands today full of pride and glory, having the sympathy of every parish in North Tipperary save one; Toomevara stands alone, friendless and in disgrace.’
‘P.S. I would like to add in fair play that Stephen Hackett played a clean game, as he always does; also Jack Kennedy, Moneygall, and M. and P. Collison, and perhaps one or two more.’
Excerpt from the forthcoming Portroe GAA history.
