Flannan’s lads shunned by Coláiste girls

THE Coláiste girls, in a show of solidarity with Ennis CBS, wouldn’t even go out with the Flannan’s lads in the lead up to one of the most famous Dr Harty Cup hurling finals of all time.
This is just one of the memories Ennis man Dickie Pyne has of the 1962 final, when he lined out at centre-forward for St Flannan’s College against the CBS, the only occasion that the two Ennis schools clashed at this stage of the championship.
“I played at centre-forward and I was on Vincent Hogan from Newmarket, who was a strong player. The town was mainly CBS with St Flannan’s made up mainly of Tipperary and Clare players.”
Dickie, the current captain of Lahinch Golf Club, Jim Lillis and the late John Nevin, from the town were playing for Flannan’s, along with Frankie McNamara from Clarecastle.
“We were the locals and we were almost treated as outcasts by the people of the town because there was a huge volume of support for the CBS, who had never won the Harty, whereas Flannan’s had a number of successes.
“In fact, it got so bad that Coláiste girls would not go out with a Flannan’s fella coming up to the game. We were treated as social outcasts but that was only healthy rivalry,” he recalled with a smile.
The retired county council engineer continued, “The match created huge excitement. The crowd was massive, the biggest ever seen in Cusack Park. The Ennis CBS crowd were on the river side and the Flannan’s crowd on the side nearest Tesco. It was almost like a soccer match.”
Before the game there was a great exchange between the late Bertie Garry, who taught for many years at St Flannan’s, and the late Aidan Tuttle and money was wagered. Bertie had to pay afterwards as Flannan’s were beaten, Dickie noted.
Br Jim Hennessy, who trained the CBS, went on to train Limerick CBS to four titles in-a-row from 1964 to 1967. St Flannan’s were trained by Canon Reuban Butler, now an assistant priest in Newmarket-on-Fergus, having been there as parish priest for many years.
“St Flannan’s togged out in the Queen’s Hotel and walked over to the pitch. I believe that we made a serious error at half-time in that we went into the dressing room and the CBS were in the other dressing room. There was only a four-inch block wall between the two dressing rooms and we could hear everything. Br Hennessy certainly had his players fired up and we heard all of that at half-time. They were two different dressing rooms,” recalled Dickie.
As for the match itself, conditions were poor and the pitch was very heavy.
“There was a severe breeze and it favoured them in the first half. They were leading at half-time by 3-2 to 0-2. At the start of the second half the CBS attacked. Unfortunately, our full-back slipped and fell and the CBS goaled. We now had a mountain to climb. Flannan’s had the aid of the breeze in this half and had the better of matters.”
As Flannan’s piled on the pressure, Pyne believes he scored a goal that wasn’t recorded.
“I remember clearly striking the ball, which went a yard over the goal line. I raised my arm to acclaim the score but CBS goalie Michael Hayes scooped the ball back from behind the line and the umpires never moved. At the time I was furious but, looking back, in the scale of life it was theirs to win as Flannan’s had won so many.”
Dickie recalled another critical incident from the game. “Early in the first half, our captain Tony Loughnane, who was the free-taker, got a belt on the face and he was concussed. We got a free and I should have taken it. It was a simple free but Tony clearly wasn’t himself. From playing golf I knew he wasn’t squared up right to the free. He put the ball wide and we were beaten by a point.”
Highlighting the rivalry between the schools in the lead up to the game, Dickie related how Caimin Jones, Flannan’s wing-back, and Vincent Loftus, who was marking him, exchanged letters; harmless schoolboy stuff, about what they would do to each other. On the day, both were quiet. John Nevin was also under severe pressure, as he had switched after his Inter Cert from the CBS to St Flannan’s.
On this historic day for Clare hurling, Dickie noted, “Jim Lillis was outstanding for Flannan’s, as was Frankie McNamara at midfield. Ennis CBS were highly motivated and they got the rub of the green as well.  Paddy Flynn was outstanding for them.”
Five from St Flannan’s and four from the CBS went on to play for Clare and Dickie subsequently played for Ulster. His brother, Noel, who was a St Flannan’s substitute in the ’62 final, later played for Munster. Many also played together with Éire Óg.
The win marked the only time that the CBS won this title. St Flannan’s currently lead the Harty Cup roll of honour with 21 titles.