When Thurles football stopped JFK in his tracks

Thurles Sarsfields are back in senior football. Can the town cope with dual ambitions? It did in 1960.

Tipperary Star clipping from November 12th, 1960

A momentous November week in 1960. America is going to the polls on Tuesday to elect JFK. It’s beet season and the first computer in Ireland is finally working at the Irish Sugar factory in Thurles to calculate payments to farmers. But all of that must take a back seat in a town gripped by uncommon football fever and heading en masse for Cashel.

“The US Presidential campaign and the Beet campaign have been swept to one side by this football decider,” concludes the Tipperary Star. “The community has been united as never before behind a football team leaving the hurling town. All available transport has been booked for the trip to the City of the Kings on Sunday.” 

We rewind via last Sunday when Thurles Sarsfields won the Tipperary intermediate football final, defeating Rockwell Rovers after extra-time and ascending to senior football for the first time since the 1950s. Can Tipp’s most decorated hurling town sustain dual efforts? Football coach Peter Creedon told Tipp FM it’s a “challenge to embrace”.

“That is up to the leadership of the club. Five adult hurling teams, there’s plenty of players in Thurles Sarsfields and it’s a nice headache to have. But I hope we won’t be a team next year that will be participating in the championship, I hope we’ll be a team that will be competing in the championship and that is up to the club to decide where they want to go with that.” 

For inspiration, they can recall the men who won the parish of Thurles its only senior football title. 

It wasn’t strictly a Sars triumph. In the late 50s, eventual Tipp county board secretary Tommy Barrett was the club leader rallying forces. Thurles Crokes was born, drawing big ballers from the local clubs of Kickhams and Fennellys as well as Sars, and wearing white rather than the blue of their chief source of players.

Not just a Sars triumph, though they can lay solid claim. Their formidable hurling team powered Tipp’s golden era. Five in a row county champions from 1955-59, then stunned by Toomevara in the 1960 county final. Sars would win the next five hurling titles too, but now they had three weeks to spare.

Football final opponents Clonmel Commercials had Tipp hurling legend Theo English, excused that Sunday's National League game with Carlow.

Thurles were captained by Tipp and Munster footballer Neil O'Dea. And backboned by household hurling names like Mick Craddock, Paddy Doyle. Larry Keane, 'Blackie' Keane, 'Musha' Maher and Mick ‘Rocky’ McElgun. And after edging past Emly in the semi-final, the selection committee felt more firepower was needed, and drafted in hurling greats Jimmy Doyle and Seán McLoughlin.

No stone unturned, famed Tipp masseur Joss Connors was detailed to 'rub them to victory'. And after the semi-final, trainer Michael Maher incorporated a "blackboard session" to eliminate some failings evident against Emly.  

And the Star printed the call to arms.

“I don't care how you get there, walk it, cycle or get out the ould ass, but get to Cashel on Sunday. Don't have to hide at the creamery on Monday morning when the question "Well, what did you think of yesterday's final?" is fired at you.” 

Travellers were rewarded, with Doyle and McLoughlin outstanding in a 1-9 to 0-9 win.

“Crokes distained any bustling and roughhouse tactics, and instead relied on good football. This policy paid handsome dividends and once they saw that they were at least as good as their opponents in this regard, they never stopped playing the game, with the result that the crowd was given value for its money.

“As the final whistle went, hats, coats and flags were thrown sky-high by the delighted Thurles supporters. Swarming onto the pitch they shouldered off their heroes amidst rousing cheers."

"They never get any less sweeter..." Tipperary hurling legend and Thurles Sarsfields football centre back Michael Cahill chats to Stephen Gleeson after yet another county title - this time in football #GAA @thurlessars 🏆@StephenGleeson_ 🎙#football
🎥: @kevinhanly32 #Tipperary pic.twitter.com/bPvdY1UffW

— Tipp FM Sport (@TippFMSport) November 2, 2025

Clonmel didn’t end the week empty-handed. The following week’s Star carried a profile of Johanna Fitzgerald from the town, third cousin of the new American president.

But the front page belonged to the heroes in white.

“I do not think that any Thurles victory of recent times evoked such unrestrained admiration from followers as Sunday's epoch-maker.

“The Cathedral town gave a tumultuous welcome to the victors on their arrival home on Sunday night. The bus carrying the players and committee and followed by a cavalcade of cars paraded over the bridge up to Kickham territory, reversed up to Fennelly ground and back to the famous Square. The whole parish turned out to greet them. Bonfires blazed in the streets.”

"We have shown the county that in Thurles we have ball players to stand up alongside the best," reflected Maher.

Thurles reached another final in 1962, beaten by Babs Keating-inspired Ardfinnan, before the Crokes project gradually faded.

But a ladder climbed again via Sars' junior success in 2022 has now reached the top rung, with All-Ireland-winning hurlers Mickey Cahill and Darragh Stakelum central. 

In Munster club action this Sunday, Cork's Aghabullogue will be wary of what happens when Thurles puts its mind to football.