In 1963 St. Patrick’s took part in the minor football championship with the assistance of some players from Killenaule. In the opening round St. Patrick’s defeated a highly rated Ardfinnan team and drew with Mullinahone on a score of 1-7 to 2-4 in the second round. The replay of this game never took place as the Mullinahone club was suspended for 12 months over incidents in another game with Burncourt. St .Pat’s had an easy win over Carrick swans to gain a place against Eire Og of Clonmel in the south-final. Played in simmering heat at Clonmel sports field St. Patrick’s got of to the better start and took an early lead . In a report on the game published in the “Nationalist” St. Patrick’s were said to have paced themselves better and that they favoured the more direct approach which proved superior to the more devious methods of their opponents and took their scoring chances as they came. Eire Og were said to have missed a lot of close-in scoring chances and overall seemed to lack the speed, endurance and toughness of the St. Patrick’s lads. St. Patrick’s ran out winners on a scoreline of St.Pat’s 3-5 to Eire Og 1-3. St.Pat’s went on to defeat Inane rovers in the county semi-final but unfortunately went down to Lattin-Cullen in the county final. Team: Michael Thorne, Tony Kirby, Philly O’Connor, John Kennedy, Jimmy Noonan, George O’Brien, Dan Morrissey, Bob O’Shea, Stephan Nash, Pat O’Brien, Jack Cooke, Michael Power, Tommy O’Connor, Jim Kelly Paddy Hennessy, Jim Egan, John Harrington, Tom O’Shea. On Saturday night November 23rd the St. Patrick’s Gaa Club will honour this team on the fiftieth anniversary of winning the South Minor Championship along with the other teams of ’63 and ’53. Naturally fifty years later some of the men of ’63 have gone to their eternal reward and the evening will commence with a mass offered for all deceased members of the St. Patrick’s club in Cloneen church at 7 pm. This will be followed by a function in Cloneen Hall at 8.30 pm where the surviving members of these teams will be guest of honour. All are welcome to attend for what promises to be a great night! St. Patrick’s 1963 Minor football South champions
All are welcome to attend!
