More on Blanchardstown ,St.Brigid’s G.A.A.Club and all that

Any of you who follow by blog will be aware of my family’s history , involvement with St.Brigids and childhood in Blanchardstown.At a most enjoyable birthday party for Sheila Hughes held in the GAA Club last Saturday evening I renewed many friendships from decades ago.A decent Limerickman,who I soldiered with on both Hurling and Football fields is now Chairman of the Club.Tongue in cheek he welcomed me to the Club and Blanchardstown and  it is no surprise to me  that  the courage he displayed on the field of play is standing him well in his present travails.Good man Fintan.

A great night was had by one and all and to meet so many old Blanchies and their converts was a great uplift.

Sheila’s father Herbie Hughes,who is just eighty years old was there with his wife Mona,a  runner in from Kildare and we shared a few bevies together.Herbie is one of the original Blanchardstown stock.He was reared on the old Ballycoolin road that ran through old Corduff to Ballycoolin and his father reared his large family from the land,mostly by growing vegetables for sale in the vegetable market in Green Street.Herbie drove horse and dray from there to the city to deliver vegetables and his father was the first man in Blanchardstown to have a pickup truck,which doubled as the transport for the football team to away matches.

Herbie’s sister was Mary Brennan ,whose son Rory is the father of Trevor the rugby player and Rory and some of his brothers and sister were there.

Anyhow we discussed my earlier article on my memories of the interaction between Blanchardstown and Castleknock College in the earlier part of the twentieth century.He confirmed my memory that a monk from the college used bring the unwanted rugby boots of the boarders to the GAA club before they were disgarded.This used happen at the summer break when they were left behind by the boarders.The monk’s name was Brother Michael.He was a Corkman and a GAA man in rugby territory.His means of transport was a Honda moped which had to be pedalled to start and his arrival with the sack of barely used boots was awaited anxiously each summer.There used be a fierce scramble to secure the best boots when the sack was tipped open.Ordinary people could not afford boots in those times.

Brother Michael used smuggle the GAA lads into the College during the summer break when the Priest teachers were away and they could avail of the use of the handball alley and open air swimming pool .More luck to him.And may God bless his generousity .Unfortunately I don’t know his surname.

Herbie’s memory is that the three pieces of sports equipment compulsory for the boarders were rugby boots,tennis rackets and table tennis bats..Vincent Brown’s people must have been loaded.

Herbie and a boy called Brian Barret,I think ,played under 14 football for Dublin in 1947 and Jonnie Brophy played hurling for Dublin that year.Barrets owned a lot of land in Dunsink ,including that which is covered by the present municipal golf course and he went on to Blackrock College to school and took to rugby ,which he excelled at.Herbie and Jonny went on to represent Dublin at minor Football in 1951,being beaten by Offaly in the semi final in Navan,where Herbie swears to this day that he kicked the winning point which was waved wide by Meath umpires.Herbie played all these matches in college rugby boots and didn’t own his own pair until he was twenty one.Remarkably these three men are still alive as far as I  know.

ON a different tack,Herbie informed me that the old Morgan Schools sports grounds,which now houses the St.Brigid’s club,was leased for three years before it was bought in 1971.I think.

Apparently a meeting was held in John Steward’s house in the late 1960’s at which Herbie,Johnnie,Sean O Siochan and O laoghaire of the GAA,Dan and Father Michael Cleary (guarantors) and Michael Staines Solicitor agreed the leases and purchase of the field.This had to be done expeditiously as Bohemians Soccer club were in hot pursuit also and the legal tenure of the club on the Priests field in Blanchardstown was dubious.The Club’s bank balance was £80.00 at the time.No shortage of balls there.

In the eighties there was a huge resession.Herbie was high up in the Council’s water service and greatly helped my family and other families from Blanch.with employment.I don’t forget such decency.Herbie was so popular then that he was under constant pressure from all the political parties to stand for election and was wise enough to decline.A true gentleman.