1963 St. Patrick’s South Tipperary Junior Football Champions
Having not been successful in Junior football for ten years St. Patrick’s were determined to get back to winning ways in 1963. Brian O’Donnell of Bannixtown was asked to coach the team and training started early in the year with a four mile road run from Cloneen up the Drangan road, past the rookery and down garranguile and back to the pitch. As the year progressed training increased to three nights a week so the team were in peak condition for the championship.
Carrick Swans were the first opponents and were dispatched by 5-4 to 3-4. In the south semi-final St. Pats had an easy win over Clonmel commercials on a score of 2-13 to 1-1. The south final was against hot favourites Kilsheelin which was played in Fethard on Sept 29th .
A large crowd turned up for the final and were treated to a great game played in ideal conditions. The game was tough but sporting with high fielding and long kicking the order of the day. It was close all through with never more than a point or two between the sides. With three minutes to go Kilsheelin were leading by two points and the title looked to be on it’s way to the banks of the suir but John Britton after a pass from Pat O’Connor rattled the Kilsheelin net and St. pat’s won by a single point.
The team : Paddy Russell, George O’Brien, John Mackey, Philly St.John, Eamy O’Connor, Paddy Gleeson, Jerry Hogan, Alan Britton, John Burke, Pat O’Connor, Philly O’Connor, John Britton, Frank Britton, Paddy Clancy, John Egan, Ned Barnable, Michael Power, Lory Clancy, Timmy Tobin.
Selectors: Phil O’Shea, Ed O’Donnell and Brian O’Donnell.
Trainer and coach : Brian O’Donnell.
On Saturday Night November 23rd the St. Patrick’s Gaa Club will honour this team on the fiftieth anniversary of this great win. 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 the teams of ‘53 and ‘63 will be guest of honour.
All are welcome to attend for what promises to be a great night!
