Search Results for 'Jimmy Duggan'

Hurling is more than just a game, it is the most Irish thing we have apart from our language, a national passion which is woven deeply into the social fabric of Irish society, an icon of Irish culture, a game that is played for pride, not money.

One could almost say that the Duggan family of College Road were born to play the game of hurling. A number of their predecessors had played for a famous College Road team in the 1890s, and their uncle Paddy played for Galway. They were given their first hurleys by Eddie Moore O’Flaherty from the Claddagh when they were very young children, so it was no wonder that Sean and Paddy and Jimmy would play for Galway and that Monica would become a very famous camogie player. Paddy and Monica have gone to their reward, but happily Sean and Jimmy are still with us.

In 1966 Galway were fortunate to get out of Connacht by beating Mayo. To an extent they were also lucky in a hard fought semi-final against Cork. They eventually won what was regarded as the best game of football seen in years, by a score of 1-11 to 1-9. And so they were into their fourth All-Ireland final in a row and going for three wins in a row and the question was, would this team reverse the three losses in a row that Galway suffered at the hands of Kerry 1940, Kerry 1941, and Dublin in 1942? Meath still stood between them and Sam.

A challenge hurling match and a return game played between Galway Woollen Mills, Newtownsmyth, and the Post Office was the seed that led to the inauguration of an inter-factory hurling competition. A meeting was held in the CYMS in February 1954 and the following committee was elected: Jimmy O’Connor, GPO, chairman; Tommy Connellan, CIE, secretary; Tom Mooney, the Hat Factory; Sean Duggan, ESB; Sean O’Connor, Galway Woollen Mills; Jimmy Duggan, O’Gorman’s; Paddy Purcell, Sisk’s; Mick McGrath, AA Stuart’s; and Cronan Treacy, McDonoughs.