Glenflesk / London GAA Link-Up to Honour 1966 Heroes

Glenflesk GAA Club hosted a celebration of the involvement of Noel Lucey and Patsy Flynn in the London GAA Club winning of the 1966 All Ireland Junior Football Championship at The Kerry Way Public House recently. Included are front: Gearoid Healy (left) and Darragh O’Connell. Seated  from left: James Flynn, John Fleming, Secretary, Currow GAA Club; Patsy Flynn, Tom Jameson, Noel Lucey, Denis O’Sullivan, Secretary, Glenflesk GAA Club and Paul Lucey. Second row from left: PRO East Kerry GAA Board, Áine Ní Shuilleabháin, East Kerry GAA Board Vice Chairman, Johnny Brosnan, Derry Healy, Danny Healy Rae, TD; Kevin O’Donoghue, Derry Crowley, Michael O’Donoghue, Dan Favier and Peggy Horan. Back row: Rosie Healy, Mary O’Sullivan, Aileen Healy, Eabha Healy, Brendan O’Brien, Paudie Horan, Pat O’Donoghue, Paul Favier and Kieran O’Callaghan. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Noel Lucey was honoured by the London GAA Board for his involvement with the team which won the 1966 All-Ireland Junior Football Championship. Mr. Lucey is pictured at the recent reception at Glenflesk GAA Club with his grandchildren: Claudia Looney, Alannah Eviston and Adam O’Connor. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Currow native, Patsy Flynn was honoured by the London GAA Board for his involvement with the team which won the 1966 All-Ireland Junior Football Championship. Mr. Flynn is pictured at the recent reception at Glenflesk GAA Club with his daughters, Tracie Ferris (left) and Georgina O’Connor. ©Photograph: John Reidy

At the Glenflesk GAA Club hosted celebration of the involvement of team members, Patsy Flynn, Currow and Noel Lucey, Glenflesk in the London GAA Club winning of the 1966 All Ireland Junior Football Championship at The Kerry Way Public House recently. Included in the photograph are, from left: John Fleming, Secretary, Currow GAA Club; Patsy Flynn, Tom Jameson, representing London GAA Club; Noel Lucey and Denis O’Sullivan, Secretary, Glenflesk GAA Club. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Glenflesk GAA Club hosted a celebration of local involvement in the London GAA Club winning of the 1966 All Ireland Junior Football Championship at The Kerry Way Public House recently. Currow man, Patsy Flynn and Glenflesk native, Noel Lucey were honoured as members of the team and presented with inscribed plaques by Tom Jameson on behalf of the London GAA Club. Included in the photograph are, front from left: John Fleming, Secretary, Currow GAA Club; Johnny Brosnan, Vice Chairman, East Kerry GAA Board; James Flynn, Patsy Flynn, Tom Jameson, Noel Lucey, Denis O’Sullivan, Secretary, Glenflesk GAA Club and Paul Lucey. Second row from left: PRO East Kerry GAA Board, Áine Ní Shuilleabháin, Tracie Ferris, Georgina O’Connor, Claudia Looney, Karen Lucey, Linda and Alannah Eviston, Sandra Lucey, Áine Keogh and Deirdre O’Connell. Back row from left: Richard Keogh, Alan Looney, Patrick Eviston, Colin Russell and Adam O’Connor. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Noel Lucey was honoured by the London GAA Board for his involvement with the team which won the 1966 All-Ireland Junior Football Championship. Mr. Lucey is pictured at the recent reception at Glenflesk GAA Club with his daughters, Deirdre O’Connell (left) and Áine Keogh. Back from left: Karen Lucey, Linda Eviston and Sandra Lucey. ©Photograph: John Reidy

A momentous event for those involved in the Gaelic Athletic Association in London in the remarkable year of 1966 was commemorated there last year.

However, there was a handful of loose ends to be tidied up and men to be tracked down and honoured properly before the book could be closed on the 50th anniversary celebrations.

1966 Junior All-Ireland Football Championship

A team of Irish emigrants made up the London Gaelic Football team which entered the 1966 All-Ireland Junior Football Championship.

Four Kerrymen were on that team and two of them were honoured at a specially convened function at The Kerry Way Public House in Glenflesk just recently.

The night was a successful collaboration between the London GAA Board, Currow and Glenflesk GAA Clubs.

Honoured for the parts they played in that historic 1966 win at Limerick’s Gaelic Grounds in 1966 were Patsy Flynn from Currow and Noel Lucey from Glenflesk.

London to Glenflesk

Castleisland native, Tom Jameson travelled from the London board to link up with the Glenflesk and Currow club representatives in their home patch and a great night was had by all.

Before the celebrations proper, the presentations were made to the two men. They were both surrounded by family members and friends on the great occasion.

Castleisland Desmonds GAA Club and Kerry senior footballer, the late Timmy O’Sullivan was also a key figure on that team and the scorer of an all important point in that final against Cork.

Heroic Roles in Defence

Another Kerryman, Tom Roche also scored a point for London in the final.

It appears from newspaper accounts at the time that both Flynn and Lucey played heroic roles as defenders in that final.

In one passage of an uncredited report, Noel Lucey shines: “Lucey was the man who steadied the defence in moments of peril, some of his catching was superb and his clearances must have broken the hearts of the Corkmen.”

Brief Cork Revival

“O’Sullivan (Timmy) was an eager beaver out the field and his point in the 26th minute was one of the best I have seen.”

There was a brief Cork revival of effort after London has scored a goal from a penalty and the reporter saw it thus:

“That goal put London ahead 1-5 to 0-6, and whipped Cork into even greater endeavour. But, against as solid defence in which Lucey received outstanding support from Joe Harrison and Pat Flynn, they could not get the scores that would have made all the difference.”

With thanks to the London goalkeeper on the day, Malachy Nally for the press cuttings.

The London Team

The London GAA Club Junior Football team which defeated Cork in the 1966 All-Ireland Junior Football Championship Final at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick. Front row from left: Martin Moffat, Mayo; Eamonn Glennon, Galway; Ray Dowd, Armagh; Joe Madden, Mayo; Timmy O’Sullivan, Kerry; Tom Roche, Kerry; Noel O’Reilly, (captain) Mayo; John Kilcommins, Galway; Paddy Grainger, Kildare and John Gallagher, Mayo. Back row from left: Dermot O’Brien, (selector) Offaly; Stephen O’Sullivan, Cork; Joe Harrison, Kildare; Patsy McKenna, Fermanagh; Noel Lucey, Kerry; Malachy Nally, Mayo; Patsy Flynn, Kerry; Jimmy Langan, Mayo; Eddie Grainger, Kildare; Frank Gaughan, Mayo; Seán Keane, Mayo; Rory Tierney, Mayo; Johnny Lynn, (selector) Longford and John Gormley (selector) Galway.

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