April, 2021

In October 1920, James Reddy, the Secretary of the Kilkenny Gaelic Football Team of New York, sent the following poem to the Kilkenny People newspaper which published it (Sat. 16 Oct. 1920, p. 6). The poem was written to commemorate the victory of the Kilkenny Gaelic Football team in the 1920 U.S. championship game played on 15 August 1920 between Kilkenny and Cavan exiles in New York. In the run up to the game it was reported that Cavan obtained a number of out of town “stars” for this game (New York Herald, 12 Aug. 1920, p. 11). Glenmore is mentioned twice in the poem along with Hanrahan. It is assumed that Hanrahan may be a reference to Glenmore native Michael J. Hanrahan (1888-1968) Interestingly the colours of the Kilkenny team in the poem are listed as green and black rather than the usual black and amber.  

There is a joy tonight in Ossory,
               From Gowran to Glenmore,
From ancient Kells across to where
               Poulnassy waters roar.

From the hurlers of Moondharrig,
               To the banks of the Linaun,
From the storied town of Rebel Ross,
               To the highlands ‘round Faranaun.

Proud are the white-walled villages,
               That claim a gallant son,
Among Ireland’s best in New York town,
               Who have played today and won;

Who have met the north, the south and west,
               In battle fierce and keen,
Who have never lowered their colours yet—
               Kilkenny’s Black and Green.

They have won today far, far away,
               Upon the Yankee shore,
Let their praises ring through mount and glen,
               By Barrow, Suir and Nore;

And let old Slieve-na-man look down,
               And sing their praises too,
For her gallant sons before them fell,
               Across the ocean blue.

Besides the towering turrets,
               Of mighty Gotham Town,
Where monuments to Irish brawn,
               From lowering clouds look down.

To battle for the championship,
               Your gallant sons went forth,
Against Cavan’s famed O’Reilly’s,
               Great champions of the North.

The scattered Gael in thousands came,
`              from the north, south, east and west,
To see his game of boyhood days,
               Played by Old Ireland’s best.

And many a cheer ‘rose ringing there,
               When Cavan took the field,
Prepared to test Kilkenny’s best,
               Who were never known to yield.

Now silence fell upon the field,
               As the ball goes into play,
And like flashing fire from out the sky,
               Jim Reddy broke away.

The leather goes from Whelan now,
               To Duggan, of renown,
And across to Tommy Daly,
               The pride of Cotterstown.

Here Furlong and Jim Farrell,
               Now charged the Cavan back,
With Kilkeasey, Matty Butler,
               In a fierce but grand attack.

Great was that Cavan back defence,
               ‘Gainst the miners from the Nore,
But the white flag fluttered in the breeze,
               For the first Kilkenny score.

Down came the mighty northmen,
               And charged the miners’ ground,
But down upon our half-back line,
               Some fearless men they found;

Here Hanrahan and Dowling,
               From Gowran and Glenmore,
Met and sent back in slashing style,
               Amid a thund’rous roar.

Again the red-clad northmen,
              Came charging down the field,
In fierce determination,
               To make our back men yield.

But Carroll, Dwyer and Aylward,
               Across the goal were drawn,
Sons of Kells and old Knocktopher,
               With Jack Maher from Faranaun.

There goes the final whistle sound—
               Kilkenny wins the day!
There goes the news across the wave,
               To homes far, far away;

To home in verdant Orrorie, 
               Which sigh for them in vain,
Saying, “Come back to me, I yet will be
               A nation once again.”

by James P. Veale, New York City, U.S.A., August 15^th, 1920.

[Update 7 Dec. 2024. The author James Patrick Veale (1878-1930) was born at Ballyglossom, Templeorum, Kilkenny, the son of Michael Vale (sic) and his wife Margaret Butler. ]

The featured photo is from a 1924 championship senior football match played in Ireland between Wexford and Dublin. Both photos were originally published in the Freeman’s Journal.

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh