<span class="postTitle">Oration at the Interment of Michael O'Dwyer</span> Ardmayle Cemetery, June 7th, 2025

Oration at the Interment of Michael O’Dwyer

Ardmayle Cemetery, June 7, 2025

Since hearing of Michael’s death on Thursday one image keeps flashing in my mind. It is of a group of people outside Granny’s kitchen on a beautiful Sunday morning in 2002. In the centre of the picture is the imposing figure of G.A.A. President, Joe McDonagh, who was on a brief visit to Cashel and the most appropriate place to meet him was in the shadow of the Rock and where we could enjoy the hospitality of the O’Dwyer family.

The G.A.A. President’s visit was brief but it was a recognition of the achievements of the club and its contribution to the G.A.A. in general. Of course I have to add it had something to do with the fact that a Galway man, was secretary of the Cashel King Cormacs!

In contrast, today we are witnessing a more sombre picture, the interment of a past chairman of the club, Michael O’Dwyer. But I believe there is a connection. During the years of Michaels’ chairmanship, 1980-1984, the improvement in the club’s achievements that came to fruition in the early nineties, can be seen.

Michael got involved with the club in the late sixties, when his son Liam was part of that outstanding under-13 side that qualified for the county final in hurling and football, winning the latter but beaten by Ballina in the hurling. That side formed the basis of the outstanding success through most of the 1970s

Following his involvement with the juveniles in coaching and selectorial roles, Michael was elected to the senior committee in the late seventies and became chairman of the club in 1980, succeeding Jim Sullivan. His first year as chairman was a hectic one. It marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the West Board, which was celebrated in an appropriate manner. It included a visit of GAA President, Paddy McFlynn to Cashel and a presentation to him by Michael. More importantly the King Cormacs defeated Sean Treacy’s in a replayed West final. An even greater achievement was the winning of the county minor championship, beating Thurles Sarsfields convincingly in the final, and to add cream to the achievement, the under-16 hurlers also won the county championship beating Toomevara in the final.

During these early years of the 1980s the hurlers in the CBS were flying under the baton of the aforesaid Galway man, and won two All-Ireland B College hurling titles. Training facilities were very important for the preparation of the team. This was the time when Cashel King Cormacs weren’t in control of Leahy Park but Matty is very appreciative of the efforts that Michael made in these years to ensure that the CBS had the facilities of the park for training.

It isn’t possible to recount all the achievements of the late Michael O’Dywer, but two stand out with distinction. The first of these was the introduction of a club constitution in connection with Martin Quirke. This was a major innovation as it was the first time Cashel King Cormac’s club had a system of rules and basic principles by which the club is run. Its existence safe guards the members as well as the existence of the club.

The second of these was the refurbishment of Leahy Park for the hosting of the 1983 county senior hurling final between Borrisleigh and Loughmore Castleiney. It was prevented from taking place in Thurles because of the refurbishment of the stadium for the 1984 All-Ireland final. It was a brave decision to host the final as the facilities in Leahy Park were primitive by today’s standards at the time. But, everything went off without a hitch.

Michael O’Dwyer’s contribution to the Cashel King Cormacs and to the G.A.A. in general was recognised when he was honoured with a Laochra Ghael Award in 2009. In the citation, following the listing of some of his achievements, it stated: ‘Michael had the capacity to surround himself with a good team of clubmen whom he knew would move forward any project to a successful conclusion. On the social side of things he was instrumental in organising some of the most successful club socials during the 1980s and in leading club tours to London. During his time as chairman, the King Cormacs were trend setters in producing a club history. Stepping down as chairman at the club AGM in Centenary year, Michael was described as a moderate and calm club chairman.’

In conclusion I want to extend the sympathy of the Cashel King Cormacs to the O’Dwyer family and express the club’s thanks for Michael’s contribution during a long lifetime.

<span class="postTitle">Handball Stars from Cashel Won Several Awards</span> Presentation Booklet for the Annerville Awards at Clonmel on January 25, 2025

Handball Stars from Cashel Won Several Awards

Presentation Booklet for the Annerville Awards at Clonmel on January 25, 2025

The number of handballers from Cashel who were honoured by the Tipperary United Sports Panel in the Cidona/Annerville awards down the years reflects the strong tradition of the game in the town. According to Albert Carrie, the game was played in Cashel as far back as 1850 when the members of the RIC had an alley in Hogan Square and they forbade the locals from playing in it. Those who did were issued with summonses. When the GAA was founded, it tried to foster the game by establishing an alley in every parish, but it was 1935 before an alley was built in Cashel on what is now Dean Ryan Terrace. It captured the interest of many players and great games took place, as it developed into the most popular outdoor recreation place in town. When the alley was knocked down in a hurricane in 1960, it put an end to handball in Cashel for a time.


New Alley

It took until 1975 for a new alley to be built. The amount raised by a fundraising committee wasn't sufficient, so it was decided to build it by direct labour, under the direction of Albert Carrie. The work began on Holy Thursday and was completed in less than six months and the alley was officially opened by Brother Malone on October 26, 1975. It was named after Monto Carrie, a well-loved supporter of all local endeavours, who died in a car accident in August 1973. The alley became a great centre for the promotion of handball in the town and in a short time success came to the club. In 1979 John O'Donoghue and John O'Neill won the All-Ireland Under 15 title, and Jimmy O'Neill and John J Murphy won the Under 18 title. In 1980 John Scannell and Richard Fahy won the All-Ireland Doubles Under 17, and on the same day John Scannell teamed up with Jimmy O'Neill to win the All-Ireland Under 18 Doubles. There were other successes in the Vocational Schools competition.


Spectacular Success

The number of successes is too many to mention in this short article, so I will concentrate on John O'Donoghue's achievements, which were spectacular. In 1980 he was beaten in the All-Ireland Singles final by P. McCann of Sligo, but came back in 1981 to beat his opponent of the previous year. In the same year, along with John Fitzell, he lost the All-Ireland Doubles final. In 1982 John O'Donoghue lost the All-Ireland Singles final to Ducksy Walsh, but there was consolation when he and Fitzell defeated Walsh and his partner in the All-Ireland Doubles final. In 1982 John won the All-Ireland Minor singles hardball final, and repeated the success in 1983. In the latter year he also won the All-Ireland Doubles with Eddie Corbett. In 1984 John won the All-Ireland Under 21 Doubles with K. Mullins. In 1985 he won the All-Ireland Under 21 Singles and the Doubles in partnership with Eddie Corbett. There were further successes in 1986, when there were two Under 21 Doubles All-Irelands, a Junior Singles and a Junior Doubles. Junior Doubles followed in 1989 and 1990 and Senior Doubles in 1991.


Back Injury

At this stage John's back was injured and he had to retire from handball. He returned in 2016 to win a Golden Masters Doubles, and repeated the achievement in 2017. A Silver Masters Doubles 60 x 40 was won in 2018, as well as a Golden Masters 40 x 20. There was much more that this outstanding handballer won, and he was the first Cashel person to win a Cidona Award when he won the Handball award with Kevin Mullins in 1984. He followed up with a second award, alone, in 1985, a third with Eddie Corbett in 1991, and a fourth when the two succeeded again in 1992. The nearest he came after that was when his son, Paraic, won with Daniel Hayes in 2016.

John O'Donoghue set the standard for others, women as well as men, in the Cashel club. David Moloney won the award in 1992, Carol Moloney in 1995, Jackie Keating and Carol Moloney in 1997, Daniel Hayes and Coilin Ryan in 2012 and Daniel Hayes and Paraic O'Donoghue in 2016

<span class="postTitle">Thomas Glendon is the Designer of the Knocknagow Award</span> Presentation Booklet for the Annerville Awards at Clonmel on January 25, 2025

Thomas Glendon is the Designer of the Knocknagow Award

Presentation Booklet for the Annerville Awards at Clonmel on January 25, 2025

Thomas Glendon has been designing the Knocknagow Award for 45 years. He recalls being contacted by Maurice Durney from Showerings, Clonmel in 1979. The contact stemmed from a recommendation by Apple Advertising, who were looking for an artist to explore and produce ideas for a series of sports awards.

Johnny O'Loughlin is the longest-serving member of the United Sports Panel. He joined the panel in 1976 and recalls that there was no specifically-designed Knocknagow Award before 1979. The panel usually contacted a provider to supply trophies for the recipients, with a bigger one provided for the Knocknagow Award. There was a lack of consistency in the design and quality

Johnny O'Loughlin is the longest-serving member of the United Sports Panel. He joined the panel in 1976 and recalls that there was no specifically-designed Knocknagow Award before 1979. The panel usually contacted a provider to supply trophies for the recipients, with a bigger one provided for the Knocknagow Award. There was a lack of consistency in the design and quality of the trophies.

Thomas Glendon's brief was to design a major award, Knocknagow, for a Tipperary sports star of the past; and a secondary award, named the Cidona Awards, for established and emerging athletes. There was no restriction on the field of sport and over the years a broad range of activities, including Gaelic football, hurling, soccer, rugby, boxing, athletics and showjumping were to receive recognition.

Considering the brand and products produced by Showerings, a motif based on an apple appeared the most appropriate design for the Knocknagow award. At an early meeting at the design stage an apple in marble was suggested, but when a request emerged for it to be sprayed silver, the idea was dropped. Thomas Glendon explains his intention: “In my modelling of the award I felt an apple in the round would be too much in volume. This led to the process of paring and decoring to arrive at a satisfactory shape. To an untrained artistic eye it had to immediately convey its source of firm, distinctly apple and not easily mistaken for another fruit. The success was in the outline, it conveyed an apple without all the weightiness.

“The award is made of bronze, cast in a sand mould, polished and patinaed. In the raw the metal is cased and filed to define the outline, then the edges are patinaed and the face given a high polish. Elevated on a bronze dowel, it is set on a polished base made of Kilkenny limestone”.

The original Cidona Awards, now ceased, were medallions of sterling silver, echoing the Knockagow in outline.

Thomas Glendon hails from a line of long established monumental masons in the Dun Laoghaire district, who originally came from the Inistioge area of Kilkenny in the 1880s.

His introduction to craftsmanship in stone was in his father Laurence's workshop at Deansgrange, County Dublin. Under his guidance he learned the primary techniques in stonework, geometry, lettering and toolmaking. Sometime later he was introduced to the well-known letter-cutter and sculptor, Michael Biggs.

The 1916 Proclamation carved on Ardbraccan Limestone at Arbour Hill is his masterpiece in lettering. He also had a very successful and influential body of work in Sanctuary Furniture design; St. Michael's Church, Dun Laoghaire and St. McCartan's Cathedral in Monaghan are well-known examples of his approach to sacred elements.

Thomas was Michael Biggs' assistant for six years, from 1968-1974, when he received an excellent grounding in the fundamentals of letter design and model-making.

They parted on good terms and Thomas set up his own studio in Shannon, County Clare, learning the rudiments of the self-employed.

In fact, while in Shannon the request to design the Knocknagow award came about.

He has fond memories of travelling through the Glen of Aherlow to meetings in Clonmel.

<span class="postTitle">Bulmers' Connection with Tipperary United Sports Panel Goes Back 60 Years</span> Presentation Booklet for the Annerville Awards at Clonmel on January 25, 2025

Bulmers' Connection with Tipperary United Sports Panel Goes Back 60 Years

Presentation Booklet for the Annerville Awards at Clonmel on January 25, 2025

This year we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the sponsorship of the Tipperary United Sports Panel Awards by Bulmers.

In connection with the presentation of the 1964 awards in the Ormonde Hotel, Clonmel on January 31, 1965, a large advertisement appeared in The Nationalist newspaper announcing the sponsorship: 'The Irish Cider & Perry Company Ltd salute the Tipperary Sports Stars of 1964 and are pleased to sponsor the Cidona Trophies'.

This was a major coup for the original members of a group of men, who assembled in the Slievenamon Hotel on December 12, 1959 with the object of promoting sport throughout Tipperary by the annual presentation of awards to selected stars. The group, which included Sean Cleary, Sean Lyons, Sean Barlow, Bill Hyland, Christy Mulcahy, Eddie O'Neill Bill O'Brien, Paddy Cummins, Ken Hogan, Tom Halpin and Ted Dillon, adopted the name, United Sports Panel, and presented their first awards in St. Patrick's Hall in Clonmel on January 17, 1960.

The sports honoured were camogie, soccer, table tennis, sports executive, athletics, cycling, hurling, basketball and Gaelic football. Each winner was presented with a cup and, in the course of his speech introducing the stars at the presentation, Sean Lyons thanked those who had donated trophies.

The need to have regular presentation trophies for the stars was a problem for the panel. It became more urgent in 1962, when the panel made an important addition to the awards with the decision to honour an outstanding sportsperson from the past to the list of recipients. They gave the name Knocknagow to this award and by its very nature something special was required.

The advent of the Bulmers sponsorship was timely, as it afforded the panel the opportunity to provide suitable trophies of regular design. However, the range of trophies presented could differ from year to year and the need for something more permanent was required, especially for the Knocknagow Award. Cidona Awards

Bulmers took the initiative in 1979 when Maurice Durney from the company contacted Thomas Glendon about designing a suitable trophy for the Knocknagow Award and a secondary award for the Cidona Awards for established and emerging athletes. Considering the brand and products produced by Bulmers, a motif based on an apple appeared the most appropriate.

And so, permanent trophies became the norm in the presentation of the awards. The awards for the stars continued to be presented until a number of years ago, when the panel had a new award designed by John Quirke of Cahir.

Annerville Award

The association of Bulmers with the awards was made permanent with the adoption of the Cidona name for the awards from the advent of the sponsorship. The name continued to be used in the awards until 2007, when the name was changed to the Annerville Awards. The Cidona brand was no longer held by Showerings Ltd, the parent company, so the name Cidona could not be retained as the name for the awards. A new name had to be found and the one chosen was Annerville, the name of the townland near Clonmel where the company is located.

So, after 42 years of the Cidona Awards, they were called the Annerville awards in 2007, and presented as such at the presentation dinner at Hotel Minella on February 2, 2008.

The two names, Cidona and Annerville, indelibly connect the United Sports Panel with Bulmers and the Showerings company and reflect the long connection between a bunch of sporting enthusiasts and a local company, both with a love for and a desire to promote Tipperary sport at heart.

<span class="postTitle">Jimmy O'Neill, Cashel Person of the Year 2024</span> Delivered at Halla na Feile, Cashel, March 14th, 2024

Jimmy O’Neill, Cashel Person of the Year 2024

It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the Cashel Person of the Year for 2024. Jimmy O’Neill is the thirty-eighth person to be so honoured since Maura McHugh became the first in 1987.

At that time The Cashel Lions Club recognised the need to honour persons, who contributed significantly to the life of the town over the previous year. During the intervening years the club honoured men and women, who by their actions and lives made Cashel a better place to live for the people of the town and district

This evening Jimmy joins the ranks of these distinguished men and women because of his major contribution to the success of Larkspur Park over a lengthy period of time, that stretches back as far as the nineteen-seventies, and continues with undimmed interest and unflagging enthusiasm to this day.

When Jimmy joined Larkspur Park he was as an enthusiastic Pitch and Putt player, and he soon became an accomplished one. That enthusiasm for the game has never wavered and he continues to play off a 2 handicap today. At present, he is involved with the club in the Spring League, a competition between the five county Pitch and Putt clubs, a kind of Tipperary championship, which is played with great commitment and intensity. During his time in the club, he has won numerous competitions and he has also represented the club with distinction at the national level.

At an early stage of his involvement, Jimmy got involved in club administration and he continues to play a major part in club business, having held all the officer positions, particularly chairman. He is very skilled at organising competitions for club members and this ability was revealed at another level last year when he organised a new competition, a mixed scramble on Tuesday evenings. This has proved a major success and has introduced new people, young and old, men and women to the game of Pitch and Putt.

The success of this venture is due to the fun element, when teams of four, of all mixtures, play together in a friendly atmosphere. The scramble gives every member of the team an opportunity to contribute, while still retaining the element of competition. It is also a great social occasion, an opportunity to meet new people in a friendly environment. It has been and continues to be a great success.

One of the pleasures of playing the game of Pitch and Putt in Larkspur Park is the quality of the course, and this is another area in which Jimmy has excelled. He has involved himself for years, with others also, I don’t need to add, in maintaining the course to the highest standards. This has involved a lot of work and while many others may have honed up their tans on the beaches of Spain and other continental resorts during the summer, Jimmy has bronzed himself in the wind and sun of Larkspur Park, spending long stretches of his holidays there. This maintenance has involved cutting fairways and greens, hollow-tining, scarifying and seeding, so that Larkspur Park course is famous not only for its size and layout, but also for the superb condition of the fairways and greens. This has resulted in a number of All-Ireland competitions being played at the venue, with a further one scheduled for later this year.

Jimmy’s work in Larkspur Park hasn’t been confined to Pitch and Putt. He has been a member for many years of the overall governing body, the Larpspur Park Development Committee. Because I was chairman of this body for many years, I had great insight into his contribution to the overall development of the Park, and I can attest to the importance of that contribution.

On behalf of Cashel Lions Club, the Trustees of the Park for the benefit of the people of Cashel and District, I would like to thank Jimmy on this occasion for his long-time involvement and commitment to Larkspur, and ensure him of our appreciation of his work. In doing so I would like to involve his wife, Serena, in our appreciation of her contribution as an officer on the Pitch & Putt committee, and son, Sean, who is the gatekeeper of the park.

This is a night to celebrate the work of Jimmy O’Neill over a long period of time. It is also an occasion to admire the contribution of a man who has done so much to improve the recreational facilities of the people of Cashel. When it is realised that he has done all of this in a voluntary manner, without the expectation of any reward, it makes his contribution all the greater. Being honoured as Cashel Person of the Year for 2024 is possibly a small reward for so much done, but it is my pleasure to add his name to the distinguished list of men and women who have been honoured before him.