Bill Irish (1899-1976) of Aylwardstown

Today, we are going to feature a Glenmore sportsman who played both hurling and football at club and county level. Unfortunately, Bill’s sporting days were tragically cut short when he was attacked and injured during a pitch invasion.  Bill won a county junior football title with Glenmore in 1919 and went on to win senior football titles in 1921, 1922 and 1923. He was a member of the Glenmore-Kilmacow combined team that won the 1923 junior county hurling title.

The Irish Family of Aylwardstown, Glenmore

William “Bill” Irish was baptized at Glenmore on 11 November 1899. He was the son of Robert “Robin” Irish (1838-1908) (farmer) and his wife Margaret Ribby (sic) (1861-1917) of Aylwardstown, Glenmore. His godparents were John Heffernan and Kate Ribby (sic). Robert Irish did not register his son’s birth until the 8^th of May 1900. There was a fine for failing to register, or for failing to register a birth within three months. In order to avoid the fine for registering a late birth it appears that Robert recorded Bill’s birth as 11 February 1900 although we know he was born on or before 11 November 1899 from the baptismal record.

While still in his teens Bill and his siblings were orphaned. Their father died in 1908 (the death register records his first name as Robin) and their mother died in 1917 of TB. The 1901 and 1911 censuses reveal that Bill’s uncle, Thomas Irish (1844-1928) resided with the family in Aylwardstown. Tommy Irish, a bachelor, at the age of 57 took the plunge and married a widow Ellen Roche née Kennedy, of Rathinure on 18 July 1901. This apparently unhappy union may be the subject of a future blog post.

Bill’s Parents and Siblings

Robert “Robin” Irish (1838-1908) and Margaret Rigby (1861-1917) were married on 22 November 1893 at Slieverue. The witnesses to the wedding were Peter Kennedy and Bridget Rigby. The couple had at least six children: John Irish (b. 1894); Mary “Mollie” Irish Doherty (b. 1896); Monsignor Michael Irish (b. 1897); William Irish (b. 1899); James “Skinner” Irish (b. 1902) and Patrick Irish (b. 1905).

Bill’s Grandparents

Bill’s paternal grandparents were John Irish, of Aylwardstown and Mary Irish née Irish, of Nicholastown, Slieverue. Bill’s paternal grandparents were married at Slieverue on 28 February 1832.

On the other side, Bill’s maternal grandparents were William Rigby, of Ballincrea, Slieverue and Bridget Hartley, of Busherstown, Glenmore. His maternal grandparents were married on 23 February 1857 at Glenmore.

Glenmore Football

Bill won a county junior football title with Glenmore in 1919, as well as senior championships in 1921, 1922 and 1923. Men on the Glenmore team included: Martin, Paddy and Michael Cody, Weatherstown; Jimmy, Dick and Pat Hanrahan, Glenmore; Andy and Stephen Hefferenan, Aylwardstown;  Jim and Johnny Phelan, Clonassey, Mullinavat; Mick Connolly and Peter Kirwan, Knockbrack; John Doherty, Davidstown; Ned Freyne, Ballyfacey; Paddy Murphy, Ballyveria; John Mullins, Flemingstown; and Ned Roche, Rathnure (sic) (Kilkenny People, Fri. 22 Oct. 1976, p. 10).

Bill was also a member of the Kilkenny team that lost to Dublin in the Leinster senior football final at Croke Park in November 1922. This Dublin team went on to beat Kerry in the all-Ireland final. See our previous post of 4 December 2022 detailing the Leinster final, and the fact that this Dublin team went on to beat Kerry in the all-Ireland final.  The other players on the Kilkenny team included: Martin Cody (captain), Andy Heffernan, Pat Hartley, Jim Phelan, Bill Irish, John Fitzgerald, Mick Connolly, Paddy Cody, Jimmy Hanrahan (Glenmore); Pat Dalton, goal (Knocktopher), Tom Brennan, Frank Hughes, Andy Brennan (Cloneen), J. McKenna and Wattie Landy (Cotterstown) (Kilkenny People, Fri. 22 Oct. 1976, p. 10).

Glenmore Hurling

In the early part of the 20^th century Glenmore was known for its football teams. Although a good football player, Bill Irish was described as being “equally adept at hurling.”

For the 1923 hurling season Glenmore amalgamated with Kilmacow and Bill Irish was the captain of the united team.  The other Glenmore players included: Jimmy Hanrahan; Jimmy Fitzgerald, Martin Cody, of Weatherstown; Jimmy, P. & John Murphy, of Ballyveria. The Kilmacow players included: D. Rockett, Jim Quinn, Tom Williams, Tommy O’Neill, Luke Phelan, Peter Phelan, Jimmy Cleere (goal), and Paddy “Bagger” Grant.  

The Glenmore-Kilmacow team fought their way to the 1923 junior hurling championship final that was played in 1924.  The “southern combination” were the underdogs going into the championship match against Dicksboro, a Kilkenny City based GAA club that formed in 1909. However, the united Glenmore-Kilmacow team “gave a most determined performance, surprising their more fancied rivals and emerged worthy winners of a great game.” (Kilkenny People, Fri. 1 Sept. 1967, p. 7).

Such was the surprise at the result it was dubbed the surprise of the century, and a challenge was issued by Dicksboro. The teams met in the same venue, St. James’s Park in Kilkenny, and the winners were to receive a “beautiful set of medals.” The Glenmore-Kilmacow team journeyed to Kilkenny City and played Dicksboro again and defeated Dicksboro again.

According to a Kilkenny newspaper, published 40 years later, the game was unfinished owing to a disputed score and Glenmore-Kilmacow who were leading at the time were awarded the match (Kilkenny People, Fri. 1 Sept. 1967, p. 7). Other accounts relate that disgruntled Dicksboro supporters invaded the pitch and one supporter attacked the Glenmore-Kilmacow Captain, Bill Irish (Kilkenny People, Fri 22 Oct. 1976, p. 10).

The Injury

According to the account in Bill’s obituary the invasion of the pitch occurred when there was a stoppage of play. Bill was “knocked out completely by a kick in the stomach, which troubled him for years subsequently and ended his playing career,” at the age of 25 (Kilkenny People, Fri. 22 Oct. 1976, p. 10).

The Munster Express reported on Bill’s injury and subsequent 2 day hospitalisation as follows:

Gaels throughout the County in general, and especially in the southern division, will regret very much the injury to Bill Irish, Glenmore’s popular player, on Sunday last in the match against Dicksboro at St. James’s Park. One of the outstanding Gaels of the county either on the hurling or football field, the many followers of the game will wish him a speedy recovery and hope he may soon be capable of donning the popular colours again. He was able to leave the Infirmary for home on Tuesday last.

We learn that he has made good progress towards recovery from the effects of the occurrence. He was one of the Kilkenny men selected to represent Leinster in football in the forthcoming Tailteann trials (Munster Express, Sat. 31 May 1924, p. 5).

Given the severity of the injury it is surmised that the kick landed lower than Bill’s stomach and the newspaper account of the time was being polite in its description. [Update 24 Feb. 2023: Given that Bill is found in team photos of the 1925 and 1929 Glenmore football teams it appears that Bill continued to play at least football after his injury.]

The Medals

In August 1924, after repeated requests for the medals made to Mr. E. Purcell, Mr. M. Heffernan, Glenmore wrote to the Kilkenny County GAA Committee raising the issue. He attached the agreement that had been entered into by the two teams.

Heffernan wrote, “I hope the scrapping of such an agreement will not be tolerated. I would have brought the matter up sooner but I could get no definite answer from Mr. Purcell. I now learn he intends putting the medals up for another object.”  In addition to withholding the medals, Heffernan noted that “Dicksboro played five of their senior players, which was contrary to the conditions in the agreement. The referee awarded the match to Glenmore. I cannot understand why Glenmore were not given the medals long ago.”

The enclosed agreement stated that the winners were to be given a set of medals and Glenmore to receive £5 towards travelling expenses. Heffernan did not raise the issue of the £5 in his letter, so it must be assumed that Dicksboro at least honoured that commitment.

The Chairman of the Committee stated, “The rule is that trophies for a friendly tournament must be deposited with the country secretary, and that rule was not enforced in this case.” He stated that he would ask the Secretary to write to Dicksboro and ask for the trophies to be deposited and the committee would deal with the issue at the next meeting (Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 6 Sept. 1924, p. 6).

After Sports

Bill Irish purchased a farm in the townland of Melville, Mullinavat and married Mary Ennett, of Cappagh, Glenmore. The couple had at least 5 children including: John Irish, Bobby Irish, Marie Irish Fleming, Kathleen Irish Francis and Margaret Irish Easden.

Bill died in October 1976 and his enthusiasm for Gaelic sports did not wane after his pre-mature retirement due to the injury he suffered during the pitch invasion in 1924. It was reported that the day before he died Bill attended a National League hurling game between Cork and Kilkenny in Cork.  Bill’s full obituary can be accessed on our obituary page by clicking here.   

Please send any corrections, additional information or photos of Bill Irish to glenmore,history@gmail.com.

For further information concerning Glenmore and other Kilkenny hurling and football teams see, The Kilkenny GAA Bible (2028) compiled by Gerry O’Neill.

The featured team photo above is the Kilkenny Jr. Hurling Team of 1922 (Freeman’s Journal, 16 Oct. 1922, p. 3.)

[Update 7 Feb. 2023: Special thanks to Patty Brown and Ann Fitzgerald for supplying Margaret Rigby Irish’s date of birth. We are attempting to verify details concerning Mary Irish through her great-granddaughter who is 93 years of age.]

[Update 15 Feb. 2023: Special thanks to Noeleen Fogarty née Hennessey for sharing a photo of Bill Irish.]

[Update 24 Feb. 2023: Special thanks to Jackie Walsh for sending on two team photos and more importantly for identifying each team members.]

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh

Glenmore Footballers (Unbeaten Champions 1914 – 1925). [1925 on football in photo]
Back Row: James Vereker (Davidstown), Jim Murphy, William Irish, Pat Hartley, Andy Heffernan, Richard Hanrahan.
Next Row: Mick Heffernan, John Fitzgerald, John Doherty, Paul Fitzgerald, Michael Connolly, Peter Kirwan, Paddy Cody, James Dunphy.
Next Row: Stephen Heffernan, James Fitzgerald, Martin Cody (Captain), Fr. Richard Vereker, John Phelan, Bill Hartley (Busherstown).
Front Row: Jim Hanrahan, John Mullins, Mick Cody, Paddy Murphy.