John Lockes Callan GAA

[HISTORY]



CROWRADDIE H.C. - 1930 SOUTH KILKENNY JUNIOR HURLING CHAMPIONS

Front row (l to r): J.Foley W.Purcell, J.Walsh, P.Casy, R.Reilly, P.Leahy.
Second row (l to r): P.Hogan, J.Power, J.Madigan, T.Power (capt),F Maher, W.Lyons.
Third row (l to r): J.Walsh, J.Brien, T.Croke, J.Burke, J.Corcoran,
L.Maher, M.Madigan, D.Hoyne. J.Lyons, M.Joyce C.B.R (Hon. Sec. and
Treas.).
Back row(l to r); E.Hennessy(President), W.Maigan

The hurling tradition in Callan and the locality is as old as the G.A.A itself. In the early days of the Association it is recored that Callan fielded many a formidable side. They played in the Kilkenny Senior Hurling Chanpionship as early as 1889, just 5 years after the founding of the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1884. It is a tradition of over 100 years which helped in the development of a community spirit, to foster an awareness and love of the national ideals in the people of our area.

Callan entered the Senior Hurling Championship for the first time in 1889 and were beaten by Sart of Freshford. They contested the County Final in 1890 but were beaten by Bennettsbridge on a score of 1-4 to 0-0. There was no senior championship in 1891 or 1892 but in 1893, confederation, a kilkenny city team, put an advertisement in the local papers for teams to take part in the Senior Hurling and Football Championship of that year. Callan was the only team to respond, and confederation beat them in the Hurling Final by 1-4 to 0-0. Callan again reached the final of 1894 but were again beaten by confederation on a score 2-5 to 1-1.

During those years, James Nowlan, who later became G.A.A president and after whom Nolan Park is named, was a prominent figure in the
Confederation Club. Callan also appeared in the Senior Hurling Final of 1896 but were again beaten by Confederation
Callan continued to play in the senior championship until 1910 and they contested the 1911 junior championship final as John Lockes. The match was played in James's Park on July 21, 1912 when they beat Moncoin by 7-1 to 1-0. The next Callan Team to context a County Final was a team called Avonree Rovers, who appeared in the 1928 Minor Hurling Final but they were beaten by Sart. A member of the Srat team that day was the legendary Paddy phelan. Another Callan team crowraddy, played in the 1930 Junior final bet were beaten bu Danesfort 3-2 to 2-3. Crowraddie objected but they were again beaten in the replay 6-2 3-3. John Lockes qualified for the 1931 minor final against St Rioch's but the final was never played.

John lockes were back again when they drew with Eire Og, score 2-3 each, in the 1932 minor final, however, in the replay in June, 1933 Eire Og won by 8-4 to 4-4. In a long drawn out Intermediate Final of 1932, Crowraddy met Conahy and after two draws Conahy eventually won on the 6th January 1934 by 5-2 to 4-3. Intermediate honours came to Callan Parish in 1935 when on the 17th November in Nowlan Park, John Lockes beat St. Kieran's of Johnstown with a score of 10-4 to 0-2. John Locke's next County final appearance was in aMinor Final of 1944 in which they were beaten by St. Mary's Kilkenny, 5-1 to 1-4. In the Junior Final of 1947, they drew with Johnstown/Urlingford ~ 4-4 each. In the replay, on the 28th February, 1948 Johnstown/Urlingford won by ~ 6-5 to 2-2. In 1949 Brother Redmond from the CBS formed a Minor team called Eoghan Ruadhas, who were beaten by Graigue in the Minor final of that year ~ 5-1 to 2-1. This was the first of four consecutive appearances by Eoghan Ruadhas in Minor county finals.

The next eight years could be described as the “Glory Years” of Callan hurling when Minor, Junior and Senior Hurling Championships were won. 1950 saw Eoghan Ruadhas defeat Graigue by 3-3 to 2-3 to win the Minor county final. Eoghan Ruadhas were beaten by Dicksboro in 1951 Minor Final 6-7 to 2-2 whilst the same year Bennettsbridge beat John Lockes in the Junior final. In 1952 John Lockes were back to win their second Junior title when they defeated Galmoy/Urlingford by 4-4 to 2-1 in Nowlan Park on 2nd November. The following Sunday – November 9th Eoghan Ruadhas were beaten by Dicksboro 4-5 to 2-2 in the Minor Final, for the second year in succession. John Lockes were now back in the Senior Hurling Championship and on August 26th, 1956 they met Bennettsbridge in the Senior Hurling final. Bennettsbridge won that match by two points: 2-8 to 3-3 but John Lockes players and supporters still maintain to this day that but for the fact that an Umpire denied them a perfectly good goal, victory would have been theirs.

Disappointment was short lived however and John Lockes came back the following year 1957 to win their one and only Senior Hurling championship, defeating Slieverue by 4-4 to 0-5. Paddy Buggy, who is now president of the G.A.A played with Sliverue that day. It was ten years before John Lockes appeared in another County final when in 1967 they won the McGuinness Cup for Under 16 Hurling. In 1968 they retained the McGuinness Cup and also reached the County Minor final but were defeated by James Stephens 4-8 to 1-3. John Lockes won an Under 16 League Final – Roinn B, in 1974 by defeating Johnstown 6-4 to 0-5 and the following year, 1975 they were beaten by Freshford in the Under -16 Roinn A County Final, the score being Freshford 3-10, John Lockes 2-1. In 1979 John Lockes contested the Minor B Hurling Final but were beaten by Emeralds by 2-9 to 3-5. In 1981, John Lockes contested three County Finals. They were defeated by Mullinavat in the Roinn B Minor League Final. They also lost to Emeralds after a replay in the Under 16 Roinn B. League Final but they had a good win over Tullaroan in the Under 16 Roinn B Champinship Final. In 1982 a team containing many of the same players won the Under 16 Roinn A. Final for the first time when they defeated James Stephens 1-7 to 1-4. John Lockes also contested the Under 21 Roinn B Final of 1982 but went down to Galmoy 2-11 to 3-6. 1982 also saw John Lockes contest their first adult final since 1957 when they qualified for the Junior Hurling Final but were beaten by Barrow Rangers 0-12 to 0-6.





JOHN LOCKES HURLING TEAM -- 1961

Front row (l to r): P.Teehan, B.Lynch, J.Wall, J.Gardiner, P.Tobin, S O'Brien.
Center (l to r): J.Power, P.Tobin, N.Tierney, T.Ryan, P.Fitzgerald, T.Leahy, G.Woodgate
Back row (l to r); D.Ryan, M.Lynch, S.Minouge, J.Lynch, J.Lyons, M.Saunders, D.Sullivan, T.Barry.





JOHN LOCKES MINOR AND UNDER-16 TEAMS -- 1968

Front row (l to r): ) Rev. Bro. Shreenan, Harry Bryan, Eamon Condon, Michael Delaney, John Roughan, Rev. Fr. Kennedy P.P.
Second Row (l to r): John Brennan, James Cahill, Pat Murphy, Tom Townsend, Bobby Kennedy, Tom Cahill, Pat Kennedy, Sean Townsend, Ollie Hennessy, Tom McGuire
Third row (l to r); Tony Condon , John Sullivan, Michael Kirwan, David Kelly, Tom Ryan, Pat Guiton, Pat Kirwan, John McCormack, Roger Kennedy Back row (l to r);) Noel Freaney, Milo Condon, P.J. Townsend, E.J. Ryan, John Freeman, Michael McCormack, Richard O'Halloran, Tom Freeman, Pat Sheehan.