Cork's win caps special reunion for Kevin Jer O'Sullivan and the class of '73

50 Years a greying The Cork 1973 All Ireland winning team and representatives pictured in Pairc Ui Chaoimh at half time in the SFC game Cork V Roscommon pic George Hatchell

The paths of two Cork teams crossed briefly on Saturday afternoon. While 50 years does separate them, they are not complete strangers. A small patch of common ground has been identified.

The class of ‘73 have picked up on some early similarities between their own reawakening of Cork football and this latest revival on Leeside.

As John Cleary’s players made their way down the Páirc Uí Chaoimh tunnel at half-time against Roscommon, coming out against them at a far more gingerly pace was the county’s All-Ireland winners of 50 years ago.

One by one they were introduced to the crowd of 14,294. One by one they nodded or gave a modest half wave.

It isn’t for the interval feting they enjoy occasions such as Saturday. The novelty of saluting strangers from the middle of a field wore off many moons ago.

It’s the opportunity it presents to come together, to shake the hand of a former teammate you haven’t seen since before Covid, to reminisce, and of course to compare football’s current existence with how they did it back when Billy Morgan couldn’t be beaten and JBM and Jimmy Barrett couldn’t stop beating the opposition number one.

Before Cork and Roscommon threw in, the 1973 panel convened on the second floor of the South Stand for a meal.

Kevin Jer O’Sullivan was half-back on the team that ended the county’s 28-year wait for Sam. On Saturday, his half-back colleagues for dinner were Dave McCarthy of Clon to his left and May Kelleher, wife of the late Humphrey Kelleher, to his right.

“Poor old Humphrey, no longer with us. He was our strongest man,” says O’Sullivan.

With 50 years of water now between them and their 3-17 to 2-13 final victory over Galway, occasions such as Saturday are also sad reminders of old teammates and better friends passed on.

Half-back Connie Hartnett, second-half sub Séamus Coughlan, and fellow panellist Teddy O’Brien have all been taken from the dressing-room.

“Unfortunately, we have lost a few,” O’Sullivan continues. “Connie, who was younger than me, was represented by his daughters. It was lovely to meet them and Humphrey’s daughters. Saturday was a lovely get-together. It was fantastic to see everyone.

“Fifty years is a long, long time. To have so much of that team in such good shape, the majority of them still go to matches. The majority of them are still able to go out and play a reasonable game of golf.

“We were a unique team. We stuck together and were great friends. And we remain friends 50 years later. Isn’t that what it’s all about.”

Dinner ate and interval act performed, they returned to their seats for a second half where Cork got the better of a Division 1 side for the second weekend running.

Kevin Jer, like everyone else on Leeside, speaks only of progress. Progress long overdue. Low ebbs and dark corners have been climbed away from.

“They are making strides this year. We didn't expect they'd do as good as they have.” Couldn’t the same be said of his 73 crew?

Kerry had won four of the five previous Munsters. World War II was only three weeks concluded when last Cork had planted their flag on football’s summit.

Coach Donie O’Donovan had them bouncing fit. It might have been close to 1am when the county board arranged taxi carrying the West Cork quartet of Kevin Jer, Bernie O’Neill, Declan Barron, and Donal Hunt dropped him back in Adrigole after midweek training sessions in the city, but climbing into bed in the wee hours was small change for the enjoyment he derived from those Tuesday gatherings at the old Athletic Grounds.

“Occasionally, we'd have a night where we would have a break from training, and we'd have a few drinks. There was this real special togetherness. Everyone on the panel was a skilled player and self-taught. What got us together was Donie. He was a super trainer.”

There are too many memories to get through. Most are fresh from Saturday’s stroll. Kevin Jer has a 1pm Wednesday tee time in Glengarriff, one of two rounds of golf the 74-year-old plays each week. We wouldn’t dream of having him late.

There’s recall of the Munster final afternoon Cork went “crazy” and took Kerry for five green flags within the opening 24 minutes. Mention too of the thousands that lined the streets as an open lorry carried the All-Ireland winning team from the train station to the old Victoria Hotel on Patrick Street.

“Hurling dominated in Cork and we were the first to kind of break that. It was football for a while after that. We had a great team, maybe as good a team as ever came out of Cork, but we should have won more.”

Himself and a couple more “got the bullet” after the 10-point Munster final defeat to Kerry in 1975. Finishing up in red at 28 didn’t sit well with him. That said, he was glad to have got out before Kerry’s handpassing game took over.

There were other disappointments. The aforementioned Bernie O’Neill was part of the panel for the Munster campaign of 73, but not on All-Ireland final Sunday. Kevin Jer remains adamant that two All-Ireland medals should have been celebrated in Adrigole that September.

Beara representation within the Cork dressing-room is nowhere near as plentiful or common as it was back when he was collecting successive All Stars in 72 and 73. Neither is Beara’s footprint on the local scene anywhere near as pronounced as it was when a teenage Kevin Jer helped the division win the county senior in 1967.

The division didn't field a team in this year’s championship, while not since Gary Murphy in the middle of the last decade has a footballer from the peninsula played summer fare for Cork.

Green shoots have emerged with a couple of underage county titles in recent years. Rural depopulation, though, remains a frustratingly difficult opponent.

“Emigration is such a big factor. Adrigole lost four junior county finals in the 60s and 70s, and we could field a team from four or five houses. Whereas now you only have one, two maximum, from each door.

There was almost half a team in the seven O’Sullivan brothers alone. Although "only" 5’8 in height, it’s easily known why Kevin Jer never had an issue in the aerial department.

“I had six brothers, and there was one ball between us. If you didn't catch it, you got no kick. Now they go out on the field with 20 footballs, so you'll definitely get a kick. Where we kicked the ball 40 or 50 yards, there are 10 or 15 passes for that now. I don't enjoy all the passing.”

Time and the game have moved on. Neither can dilute the importance of their famine-ending win 50 years in the rearview mirror.

Last Saturday, he reckons, was their first proper get-together since the 30th anniversary marked in Tralee. A function in Dublin on All-Ireland football final weekend next month means they haven’t to wait long for their next outing.

And wouldn't they only love if the current crop were involved that weekend too.