Hitler shocks Poland and the Cats shock Cork

IT was with great interest I read your World War II anniversary feature last Monday, with particular reference to the photograph of the Kilkenny hurling team led by Jimmy Walsh and the Cork team captained by Jack Lynch, parading around Croke Park.

Last year I spoke to a man who told me that on September 3, 1939 his father was motoring back from Skibbereen to his home in New Ross. Before leaving Skibbereen, he heard that England had declared war on Germany. Later that day as he was travelling through Co Cork he saw a crowd outside a house listening to a radio (or wireless as it was then known). He stopped and enquired how things were going. One of the crowd shouted “bad”. The motorist asked what had happened, thinking that possibly some of the warring powers had taken action against Ireland.

The answer was unexpected: “Kilkenny are after scoring a goal.”

Obviously there were different priorities on that day when World War II started and the Kilkenny Cats beat Cork in the famous thunder-and-lightning hurling final — by one point.

Raymond Anthony

Owning

Piltown

Co Kilkenny