Croke Park, Lansdowne Road and Joe Osborne's Stables

Leinster raise their game in second half

On Wednesday, March 17th, 1954, Leinster did the double in the Railway Cup finals. In The Irish Timesthe following day, Pat'O gave this report on the football decider

Leinster 1-7 Connacht 1-5

THE FOOTBALL game opened on a very quiet note with Connacht laying siege to Leinster’s goal and failing to score time and again. Play never reached interprovincial standard in this half.

The second session compensated, after Leinster had stretched their two points lead at half-time to four points.

Connacht hit back with vigour and an O’Donoghue-Langan goal put the western province on terms.

Thence forward the game was rousing as Connacht took the lead. A grand finish by G O’Reilly of Wicklow, McDonnell and White of Louth, with Freaney, O’Leary and Heffernan of Dublin helping, got three decisive points from happily-combined winging movements.

O’Neill held a great goal for Leinster and he was well covered by the O’Brien pair, and O’Connell.

Gerry O’Reilly of Wicklow, at right half back, was the man of the match. He often beat three men in solo runs and changed defence into attack by fearless, swerving movements.

Rogers and White had their match in Nallen and O’Malley of Connacht, and it was Leinster’s neat movements near goal that won through, though K Heffernan had an off-day in place-kicking.

Brady saved half-a-dozen hard shots in Connacht’s goal. Prendergast, Flanagan and Dillon were their best backs and Nallen put in a lot of work at midfield.

The Connacht forwards were remiss in the first half, but, later on, Purcell, O’Donoghue and Langan finished well.

Playing from the city goal, a light wind helped Connacht who kept up a constant attack for 10 minutes. Leinster’s defence was very sound – the O’Brien’s, O’Neill and G O’Reilly clearing their lines time and again. Play was mainly in the Leinster area, but Connacht’s forwards shot without accuracy; O’Donoghue, Hayden McGarrity and Dillon all drove wide.

G O’Reilly, for Leinster, had good solo runs, but Prendergast, Dillon and Flanagan saved well and Nallen sent Connacht to the attack. O’Neill saved twice under the bar.

Following a great solo run and centre by G O’Reilly, O’Leary got possession for Leinster and drove a good ball to McDonnell who shot Leinster’s first point across after 28 minutes.

O’Dowd (Sligo) was switched over on G O’Reilly but failed to hold him. He ran right upfield and fed Freaney, who passed to Meegan, and the latter placed for J O’Reilly to add Leinster’s second point near the 30th minute.

Leinster broke away quickly and a free at 35 yards’ range, taken by P Meegan, was safely landed for Leinster’s third point. Good work by Nallen and Purcell sent Connacht upfield. Langan was pulled down and Purcell opened their point score from a 35-yard free.

A neat Leinster passing bout following – G O’Reilly placed Freaney, who gave Heffernan an opening for Leinster’s fourth point after 10 minutes’ play. O’Leary’s solo run gave Meegan an opening to notch Leinster’s fifth.

Connacht played back with a will. O’Donoghue drove a grand centre to the square and Langan punched home a Connacht goal. The teams were level when O’Dowd pointed a free.

The football now was vastly improved and, after a great movement, Purcell’s point from a free put Connacht ahead for the first time at the three-quarter stage.

Leinster put in a fast combined movement, and O’Leary placed Jim O’Reilly to drive into a crowded goal for a major score.

McDonnell had two Leinster points from good movements, and late in broken time Kelly placed O’Dowd for Connacht’s final point.

CONNACHT: A Brady; P English, P Prendergast, S Flanagan; B Lynch, T Dillon, F Kelly; G O'Malley, J Nallen; I O'Dowd, S Purcell, E O'Donoghue; T Hayden, T Langan, P McGarity.

LEINSTER: J O'Neill; M O'Brien, P O'Brien, K McConnell; G O'Reilly, P Dunne, A Murphy; J Rogers, S White; J O'Reilly, O Freaney, C O'Leary; P Meegan, J McDonnell, K Heffernan.

Ring kept in check as Munster lose out

In the hurling decider, Leinster were in front from start to finish, resisting a series of strong Munster assaults in a terrific finish which had the big attendance roaring encouragement to both sides. This is The Irish Times' report of the match.

Leinster 0-9 Munster 0-5

THE MUNSTER hurlers played far below their form in the first half and their forwards were completely mastered by Leinster’s grand backs, of whom Hogan, Hayden and Wheeler were outstanding.

Both goalkeepers, Matthews and Reddan, stood up to heavy pressure splendidly, and the fact that no goal was scored in the whole hour is the best tribute to their gallant defence.

It was a great day for Kilkenny’s hurlers. Hogan, Hayden, Buggy and McGovern were immense as defenders; Sutton was out on his own at midfield; Langton, Fitzgerald and Kelly filled their posts well. Allen of Dublin hit some glorious balls, but, after a heated passage between Allen and Hough in the second half, both players were sent to the side-line.

Munster hurled like Trojans in the second half, O’Riordan, Stakelum and Doyle trying hard to save the game. Outplayed at midfield, Munster’s forwards got few openings. Ring was followed like a shadow by Hogan, who was at his best; Cork’s captain got a couple of his flashing points near the end, but he had a quiet day and was often out-manoeuvred by his rival. Hartnett, Daly and Bannon finished strongly, but they met a staunch Leinster defence.

Munster had the sun to aid them, and a shot by Kiely was saved under the bar by Matthews. The hurling was fast, but the low sun was hampering Leinster. Backs beat forwards during 12 hard-hitting minutes. Hogan was marking Ring very closely, and Hayden and Wheeler held out the Munster men.

Sutton put in brilliant work in Leinster’s midfield, but Reddan, O’Riordan and Doyle cleared the Munster lines.

At the quarter-hour the first score came when Sutton placed Langton, who turned over a Leinster point with a fine shot from 40 yards. Allen (Leinster) sent to Fitzgerald, who had Leinster’s second minor. Buggy drove back, and Kelly trapped a fast-moving ball for Leinster’s third point.

Kiely opened Munster’s score with a long-range point at the 21st minute, but Leinster’s superiority at centre brought two fast points from Sutton and Langton.

From a free, Ring had Munster’s second point. Langton replied with Leinster’s sixth minor from a free. Ring was almost through for a goal, but Matthews brought off a great save.

From a breakaway in the second half, Leinster stretched their lead when Allen swung a flying point across. Fouhy and Stakelum put in some class hurling for Munster, but both were well watched by Flood and Carroll, whilst Hogan and Hayden starred in Leinster’s defence.

Hogan had a handful in Ring, who pointed a free and soon after broke away in a swerving run to drive Munster’s fourth point home and the game gathered pace.

The hurling was fierce at times. Ring shot hard and Matthews brought off a brilliant save under the bar amidst great excitement.

Sutton was still outstanding at centrefield and he made an opening for Flood who had Leinster’s eighth point.

In a hectic finish, Bannon had a flying Munster point and Sutton went away in broken time and hit a grand left-hand shot from midfield for Leinster’s ninth point.

MUNSTER: A Reddan; J O'Riordan, J Lyons, J Doyle; S Finn, P Stakelum, M Fouhy; J Hough, J Kiely; WJ Daly, J Hartnett, S Bannon; J Smith, D McCarthy, C Ring.

LEINSTER: K Matthews; J Hogan, P Hayden, M O'Hanlon; P Buggy, E Wheeler, J McGovern; K Allen, J Sutton; M Ryan, R Carroll, T Flood; J Langton, P Fitzgerald, M Kelly.

Belvedere boys fail to exploit O'Reilly's dash

In the 1954 Leinster Schools Senior Cup final, Blackrock College continued their domination, winning their 43rd title. The following day, The Irish Timescarried this report by PD MacWeeney.

Blackrock 11 Belvedere 3

THE MARGIN represents the remarkable ability of a Blackrock team to turn any opportunity to account in a final, for Belvedere did considerably more of the attacking and looked to have winning qualities, but could not translate them into practice.

The scoring was opened near the interval by a penalty goal from a range of 50 yards by the Blackrock fullback F O’Leary – a magnificent effort by a schoolboy.

Belvedere equalised early in the second half when O’Reilly’s strength and dash enabled him to beat off several tackles en route to the line.

It was all Belvedere for a period after this and it seemed as if they were establishing supremacy.

Their opponents, however, launched a counter-offensive from which scrumhalf Woods slipped around on the blindside near the line and sent Cox, his left wing, over in the corner of the Lansdowne Road pitch.

After this, Belvedere threw everything into attack, and the left wing, Carey, ended a fine combined movement by bursting over at the flag, but just before grounding the ball he knocked the post with his foot, and the equalising points were lost.

Then, with the issue still in the balance, Cleary intercepted a pass from Duffy to O’Reilly at top speed on the halfway line and was away on his own before anyone could turn, to end up between the posts, O’Leary converting.

That was decisive, for in the few minutes remaining the Belvedere boys could make no further efforts.

This was a bright, interesting display, but it was spoilt in the closing stages by injuries.

There was some excellent passing by both teams, but while the Blackrock movements seldom looked like beating a vigilant defence, O’Reilly, the big Belvedere centre, shaped like a match-winner whenever the ball came his way.

Where Belvedere failed was in not providing him with sufficient opportunities.

Their forwards had any amount of dash in the loose, but they were less cool and calculating than the Blackrock pack, and did not fulfil the vital duty of heeling sufficiently often from the scrums. Blackrock held the advantage here, and it decided the issue.

Also, they were better served at scrumhalf by Woods, who was much quicker on the pass than D Mulcahy.

O’Reilly played with great spirit, but the other Belvedere centre, Duffy, showed indifferent timing of his passes.

The Blackrock backs were held fairly comfortably, for their trump card, N Brophy, was closely watched by Carey who, indeed, proved the better wing on the day. Woods, however, was a smart scrumhalf and O’Leary was extremely reliable at fullback

Pembrey, O’Sullivan and G McCarthy were the best of a Blackrock pack who kept plugging away under pressure and bound together better in the scrums than their rivals, of whom O’Dwyer, McGinn and I McCarthy were outstanding.

BLACKROCK: F O'Leary; N Brophy (capt), T Cleary, R McDonnell, J Cox; D Grehan, J Woods; J Kenny, I Butler, G McCarthy, Keegan, C O'Sullivan, N Turley, EJ Pembrey, P Tubridy.

BELVEDERE: P Mulcahy; C Carey, A O'Reillv (capt), H Duffy, L Lloyd; A Lenihan, D Mulcahy; D Culleton, P Madigan, P McGinn, L McCarthy, J Leehane, B Reidy, J Mullett, J O'Dwyer.