1954
Photographs
1954 Tralee Wins V.E. Schools Football Championship
(The Kerryman, Fri. 3rd May)
Front Row (L to R):Jimmy Riordan, Martin Crean, Donald Quirke, Brendan Dowling (Capt.), Dan Harris, Pa Moynihan, Toss Cournane Back Row (L to R) Brendan Walshe, Noel Hanafin, Eamon Sullivan, Phil Cahill, Tom Carmody, Tom Falvey, Jerome Daly, and Owen O’Sullivan
Tralee Technical School who had won the Northern Division by beating Castleisland, Abbeyfeale and Listowel, defeated Waterville 2-11 to nil in the final of the county Kerry Vocational Schools’ football championship at the Austin Stack Park, Tralee, on Friday Week (April 20th 1954). In the first half the winners scored 1 goal 4 point.
A greasy ball did not make matters very easy for either side, but not withstanding the standard of play was well up to that usually provided by Kerry school footballers.
Brendan Dowling was a worthy leader of the victorious side, and others to catch the eye in a very fine fifteen were Cahill and O’Sullivan. For Waterville the Courtney brothers and Sugrue were best.
D. Roche (Listowel) refereed.
Teams:-
Tralee – L. Daly, M. Carmody, T. Carmody, P. Cahill, N. Hannafin, S. O’Donnell, D. Harris, B. Dowling (captain), D. Quirke, T. Falvey, O. O’Sullivan, D. Foley, T. Cournane, E. Powell, M. Crean.
Waterville – C. Moran, M. Donnelly, M. Courtney (captain), S. Galvin, S. Foley, D. McGillicuddy, C O’Shea, P. O’Shea, D. Sugrue, M. O’Sullivan, M. O’Shea, P. Courtney, P. O’Shea, P. Curran, P. Fogarty.
Social Function
Subsequently the teams and officials and the officers of the Co. Kerry Vocational Schools Games Committee, Mr. S. MacDwyer(Chairman), and Mr. P. Drummond (Secretary), and Mr. F. J. Sheehy, Chairman, Kerry Co. Board, were entertained in Tralee Technical School.
Mr D. MacSweeney, C.E.O., Tralee, presided, and having welcomed the guests, he paid tributes to both teams, being especially complimentary to the defeated Waterville boys.
Mr. S. MacDwyer, C.E.O., Co. Kerry Vocational Schools, thanked the Kerry County Board G.A.A. for its encouragement and help by presenting a magnificent cup for the competition.
Cup And Medals Presented
Mr. F. J. Sheehy, having presented the cup and medals, praised the Games Committee for organising and directing the competition and said that its success was but a fitting reward for the efforts of the officers. He stressed the importance of Vocational Education in Irish life and he expressed his pleasure that the national and cultural aspects of technical education were being emphasised.
