As we face into another Junior Hurling Championship campaign we take a quick look back at our trailblazers from 1910 who first won the Junior championship. The panel would include a number of founding members and others who made a name for themselves on the field of battle during The Troubles.
The year 1910 started with a Middle League hurling final against Galtee Rovers. This match was eagerly awaited as both teams had met earlier in the league and had drawn. They were also both unbeaten in their other league games and were in the running for the Junior Hurling championship. But Kevin’s had a secret weapon. Their gymnastics training in Richmond Hill throughout the year had paid off as they ran out winners 2-8 to 0-2.
From this team Tom Carroll lined out with the Dublin Junior hurlers (who were represented by Crokes) against Kilkenny in the Leinster junior hurling final.
The clubs annual general meeting was held on the February 20th with T. O’Toole presiding. The reports of the secretary and treasurer were adopted as satisfactory. The election of officers resulted as follows: – President, M.Creedon (re-elected); Vice-President, T. Atkins; Secretary, F. Jordan (re-elected); Treasurer, T. Carroll. The committee members elected included J. O’Neill, J. Collins, and T. O’Toole. J. O’Neill was elected captain of the first team with F. Jordan vice-captain. J. Collins was elected captain of the second team with T. Atkins as vice-captain. J. O’Neill was elected as delegate to the Hurling League and J. McDonnell as registrar.
The Junior hurling championship kicked off in March with a game against Independents in Croydon Park. The squad called for duty ran out easy winners and included J. O’Neill (captain), F. Jordan, T. Carroll, J. Murphy, J. Cahill, J. Maguire, J. Carroll, J. Doyle, G. Mc Gann, J. Mooney, P. Kearney, W. Robinson, T. Nolan, P. O’Neill, J. Connolly, E. Jordan, J. McDonnell, T. O’Toole, J. Dunn and J. O’Neill. The second team squad as reported in the Freemans Journal of April 23rd included J. Collins (captain), Collins (2), O’Brien (2), Bell, O’Mara, Foster, Dunn, Kelly, Mulhall, Whelan, McDonnell, Eurelle (2), Kerr, Geoghan, Fitzpatrick, Bolger, Fleming and Bond.
The semi-final tie was fixed for Saturday June 4th against Lusk. The team selected to play at Jones Road included J. O’Neill (captain), F. Jordan, E. Jordan, J. Cahill, J. Connolly, G. McGann, J. Carroll, T. Carroll, J. Mooney, P. Kearney, J. Maguire, P. O’Neill, J. Doyle, J. Dunn, W. Robinson, T. Nolan, H. Byrne, J. Murphy, J. McDonnell and T. O’Toole. The Freemans Journal of Monday, June 6th reported that Kevin’s led at half time by 0-3 to 0-2, but pulled away in the second half winning by 3-5 to 0-6 and setting themselves up for a final against Purveyors on June 26th.
The final in June was held in Jones Road now known as Croke Park and proved to be very exciting. The Freemans Journal reported that the final started with Purveyors playing into the city goal. Kevin’s attacked from the throw in, but the Purveyors defence was sound. Prominent for Kevin’s in the first half were T. Nolan, J. Byrne, Maguire and Dunne and the sides went in level at half time, Kevin’s 1-4 to 2-1. Kevin’s were better after the restart and went ahead on the score. Both sides played faster and better than in the opening half, but the Kevin’s striking told and they won with the full-time score Kevin’s 3-5 to Purveyors 2-4. The first Kevin’s team to achieve senior hurling status included J. O’ Neill (captain), F. Jordan, J. Connolly, T. Carroll, J. Murphy, P. Kearney, J. Cahill, J. Carroll, J. Doyle, P. O’Neill, W. Robinson, T. Nolan, M. Creedon, J. Mooney, H. Byrne, J.Dunne and J. Maguire.
In addition to promotion to Senior ranks, the prize for winning the Junior hurling championship included selecting the county team. During this period the standard practice was for the winning side to provide the majority of players with a sprinkling of players from other clubs to supplement the squad. The first round of the Leinster Junior hurling championship was fixed for September against Offaly and included J. O’ Neill as captain with F. Jordan, J. Cahill, J. Murphy, J. Carroll, T. Carroll, J. Doyle, P. O’Neill, W. Robinson J. Dunne and seven from other clubs including Rapparrees, Purveyors, Naul, Lusk and Independents. Maguire, Creedon and Kearney from Kevin’s were named as subs. Kevin’s progressed to the semi-final on a score line of 5-4 to 1-0. However, the campaign ended at this stage with a loss to Leix in Jones Road on the 6th November. The Dublin side included 10 starters from Kevin’s and 3 subs. Final score was Leix 4-1, Dublin 1-0.
So who were these men? Many were former pupils of Synge Street CBS including TR Atkins and electrician from Spencer St, who would play a prominent role in 1916 a the subsequent project to gather witness statements. Frank Jordan hailed from Haddington Road, a founding member and also the clubs first secretary. Joe O’Neill was also a founding member and the clubs first captain. Joe was a past pupil of Synge St who went on to be a successful builder who later built the primary school who many a Kevin’s player was recruited. Jim and Tom Carroll were also founding members and played an active part in the club on and off the field. Tom represented the club at county level across 3 decades an achievement yet to be matched. His first Leinster Final was in 1909 and last in 1924. Sadly Tom passed away before his time, but Jim who also played in the 1924 Leinster Junior Hurling final settled in Drumcondra and worked in a Builders Merchant all his life. Jim served as Club President until his death in the early 1970s. Little is known of James Dunne except that he was a founding member and is also the first Kevin’s man to represent the club at senior inter county level in 1914. Seán Connolly played in goal with the club and was the first rebel killed in action in 1916. Other notable names include P.Kearney and E.Jordan… whether they were, or connected to Peader Kearney (who wrote the Irish National Anthem) and Eddie Jordan (of F1 fame) is a research line yet to be completed.
Kevins has always been an open club and as a result included some country men Amongst this collection of Dubs was Seamus Doyle who moved from Borris-In-Ossary in Laois. He was a regular feature as a player, but didn’t take up any committee roles. However, his kept himself busy off the field and took part in the 1916 Rising. Based in Mount Street during the Rebellion himself and a small group of men were responsible for one of the biggest victories on Easter Week, with the Sherwood’s Foresters taking the brunt of the gunfire on Northumberland Road.
But they weren’t all Rebels. Another man from North Kerry called Michael Creedon was elected Club President and also played on the field. Michael was a master builder and was the likely master mind behind the Kevin’s weekly training base and gymnasium in Richmond Hill, Rathmines which attracted some attention from the print media of the day, due to the advantage it gave the Kevin’s men. Incidentally it was around this time that the Kevin’s camógs were playing a key role in the development of camogie in the county and across the country. Teams were forming throughout Dublin, but there pitch availability was a challenge. Locations in St James Park, Dolphins Barn and the now Loreto College, Crumlin were considered with the later considered unsuitable due to the many bumps, bumps and hills, but the first central location would be the C.Y.M.S. grounds in Richmond Hill. How influential Kevin’s were in attaining this ground for the betterment of Dublin camogie is not documented, but we are in little doubt that it was not a coincidence, as Michael Creedon had established some good connections when he was commissioned to do some construction work in Rathmines church.
We are always interested in hearing from people who have a connection to our past, no matter how small that connection might be. In 2023 we were contacted by a Monaghan lady who had no connection to the club whatsoever. She found a medal in an apartment in New York City over 20 years previous and decided to research the potential owner. She spotted the club name and contacted us to enquire if the medal was connected to the club. It turned out to be the first ever hurling title we won in 1908. The Saturday Hurling League! This was the same group who went on to win the Middle Hurling League a Junior Championship in 1910 and most likely one of these legends in the team photo.
Kevin’s also won the Junior Hurling Championship in 1939 and 1978, but more about that at a later date.
