FROM THE ARCHIVES:The crowd at the All-Ireland football final in 1954 saw a stirring political pageant at half-time as well as Meath beating Kerry. –
JOE JOYCE
YESTERDAY WAS Meath’s big day in Dublin. In what experts described as the finest win of their career, the Meath team beat the well-fancied Kerry side by 1-13 to 1-7 in the All-Ireland football final at Croke Park.
Yet, in spite of the scintillating win by the Royal County and the brisk, bright day that favoured the big annual event attendance fell below the expected record; 75,275 people paid £9,613 7s. to see the match. That was well below last years football crowd of 85,155. Nevertheless a bigger radio public heard the final this year. As well as the Radio Éireann Radio Brazzaville link up, the senior game was also heard in New York through station WYNC. In the crowd at Croke Park were many prominent Irish public figures, and 160 Americans who had toured the country between games – they came to see the hurling final and stayed to complete the Gaelic double. Mr. Edward Tuite, an engineer, who had travelled all the way from the Belgian Congo for the game had a bright day: his native county is Meath.
A surprise for those at the game was the pageant of the Four Green Fields, which was staged at half-time. A Kerryman, Bryan McMahon wrote the script for the colourful display, which depicted Mother Ireland calling her sons from the Four Provinces.
Thirty-two boys with flags of the counties of Ireland came to the centre of the field from the four corners. Theme through the pageant was one of unity; one Ireland. The story of the Provinces’ history was broadcast on the loudspeakers as the pageant proceeded. The Pomeroy (Co. Tyrone) accordion band which many had expected to appear, did not, although members of it went to the game. The band had attended another function in Dublin yesterday morning.
As well, four boys representing the Provinces came from each corner of the field, Leinster to the music of “Who fears to speak of 98?”: Munster to “The Clare Dragoons”; Connaught to “Men of the West” and Ulster to “O’Donnell Abu.” All left the field to “A nation once again.”
From about noon, the ground began to fill. Arrangements by G.A.A. officials and Civic Guards to cope with the rush worked excellently. It was the Gael’s big annual fixture, and hundreds of them had made sure of their visit to the game by including the day in their annual holidays.
To bring the crowds from the two rival counties the G.N.R. ran 13 trains from many centres, most of which were in Meath and on the Belfast and Derry lines. C.I.E. ran 20 specials-six of them from the Kingdom.
Kerry has always been described as the most famous team in Gaelic football; because of that an exception following from all over the county comes to Dublin to see them in the finals. Yesterday, it was a big disappointed Kerry crowd. Royal Meath had taken the football crown from the Kingdom players.
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