Cork’s rich pickings at Piarsaigh

CORK’S famous hurling nursery, Na Piarsaigh, celebrated its 60th anniversary last Friday.

Tomorrow at Croke Park the proud Northsiders will be represented by four players, the Ó hAilpín brothers, Sean Óg and Setanta, John Gardiner and Mark Prendergast the largest complement of players the club have ever contributed to a Cork senior hurling team on All-Ireland final day.

Donal 'Fox' Sheehan, of the victorious 1966 squad, was the first to wear red in senior championship hurling. Roger Tuohy was at midfield in the 1969 final and Tony O'Sullivan earned winners medals in 1984, '86 and '90.

When Na Piarsaigh won their first county senior hurling championship title in 1990 they had five players on the Cork team the following year O'Sullivan, Mark Mullins, Mickey Mullins, Paul O'Connor and Leonard Forde.

For a club founded under the light of an ESB pole on Redemption Road in 1943, Na Piarsaigh's rise has been meteoric; all achieved in the vicinity of their nearest neighbours, the celebrated Glen Rovers.

According to club president Ailbe Allen, three men are mainly responsible for Na Piarsaigh's success; George O'Sullivan, Liam Connery and Tony Hegarty. "What these people did, not alone keeping us afloat, but to elevate us to an enviable status in Cork GAA, was nothing short of extraordinary.

"I remember well when we were drawn to play Glen Rovers in the first round of the juvenile championship. We had no hurleys. Liam Connery went into Elvery's on Patrick Street on the Saturday before the match and ordered 20 of the best hurleys even though it was generally felt that a star-studded Glen side would win at a canter. More importantly, the club had no funds to pay for Connery's purchase.

"It poured rain in Kilbarry that day and the Glen duly won by a cricket score. Connery took the hurleys and washed them in the bath at his home in Farranree. On Monday morning he brought the hurleys to Elvery's and told the the man behind the counter, take them back, they're no feckin' good.

"It is true to say we were an impoverished club. One day we were down at the old Cork Athletic Grounds playing in a juvenile final against the Barrs. One of our players got injured and Tony Hegarty, who was in charge, rushed out to him. Seeing the extent of the injury Tony shouted to the line "bring Nation on'. At the time track-suits were not in fashion and while Hegarty was still tending the stricken player a mighty roar went up from the crowd. There was Nation out on the field in his overcoat. Hegarty shouted at Nation 'take off your coat'.

Another roar went up. Hegarty turned around to find Nation nude as the day he was born apart from a swimming trunks.

It was 'Fox' Sheehan's son, Brian, who first introduced 12-year-old Sean Óg to Na Piarsaigh, after the Ó hAilpín family came back from Australia to take up residence in Parklands, a few hundred yards from the Na Piarsaigh club.

Ailbe Allen takes up the story: "Sean Óg had never held a hurley before then but we started him off in football. Unfortunately, Sean Óg thought that Gaelic football was played under the Australian Rules system and we had quite a job trying to curb his exuberance.

"He always had that something that marked him out from others and considering he never played hurling before joining us his achievements are nothing short of astonishing. In five years he won Féile na Gael, juvenile county championship and minor championship medals with the club, a Dr Harty Cup medal with North Mon and a minor All-Ireland medal with Cork. In one season alone, aged 18, he won eight medals in both hurling and football with us, at minor.

"From the first moment he picked up a hurley, Setanta was destined for stardom. I remember one U15 game against the Barrs. Playing at full-forward he scored four goals in the first quarter of the game and was running riot. We took pity on the Barrs goalkeeper, who was shattered at this stage, and moved Setanta back to centre back. Shortly afterwards his mother Emeili shouted at him in Fijian. Suddenly he took off, soloed down the field, and blasted home his fifth goal. Afterwards, I asked Emeili what she had said.

She replied "If you don't wake up, I will tell your father when we get home".

Ailbe revealed that John Gardiner was a different kettle of fish.

"His grandparents Matt and Mary, were stalwarts members of the club from its infancy, while his father John and uncles Matt and Thomas all played with distinction for us. But John did not catch the eye as quickly as the Ó hAilpíns, but after 15 he really blossomed."

Although, a year younger than Sean Óg, Mark Prendergast played on the same winning club teams as his celebrated colleague. "Mark might not have achieved the same distinction as a player but he has been a great servant to us and is a born leader."