Jamesy Kelleher
Encyclopedia
Jamesy Kelleher was an Irish
sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local club Dungourney
and with the Cork senior inter-county team in the 1900s and 1910s. Kelleher's inclusion on Cork's Hurling Team of the Century marks him out as one of his county's greatest-ever players.
just outside Midleton
, County Cork
in 1878. He received a brief education at the local national school and, like many of his contemporaries, he subsequently earned his livelihood as a farmer. Kelleher remained a non-smoker and a non-drinker throughout his life and was regarded as one of the great players of his era. As well as hurling he also bred and trained many first class horses and won several cross-country trophies. His victory in a steeplechase
against many of the leading gentry was widely acclaimed.
Kelleher lived in his native Dungourney until his death in 1943.
with his local club in Dungourney
and enjoyed much success. He lined out in his first county final in 1900, however, city rivals Redmond's
were victorious on that occasion by 1-9 to 2-3. Two years later in 1902 Dungourney were back in the championship decider. Shanballymore provided the opposition on that occasion, however, Dungourney were victorious by 3-10 to 2-5. It was Kelleher's first county senior championship
winners' medal. After a five-year absence Dungourney were back in a third county final of the decade. North Cork's Castletownroche were the opponents, however, they were completely outclassed. At the full-time whistle Dungourney were the champions by 5-17 to 0-3 and Kellher had secured a second county championship title. After surrendering their championship title in 1908, Dungourney were back in the county final again in 1909. A masterful display of hurling saw Kellher and the men from east Cork secure a third county championship title following a 6-10 to 1-8 trouncing of Sarsfield's. Dungourney had the opportunity of making it two-in-a-row in 1910, however, Kellher's side were defeated by Blackrock
in the championship decider.
Kelleher was included in the Cork selection again in 1901 and lined out in his first Munster final. Clare
provided the opposition on that occasion and a high-scoring game followed. At the final whistle Cork were the winners by 3-10 to 2-6 and Kelleher collected a coveted Munster
winners’ medal. Cork subsequently defeated Galway
and Wexford
to set up an All-Ireland final meeting with London
. Cork were the overwhelming favourites against a team of exiles which was made up of nine Cork men. A downpour made the underfoot conditions difficult as London settled better and Cork floundered. A goal for London with ten minutes left in the game sealed Cork’s fate and Kelleher ended up on the losing side by 1-5 to 0-4.
Kelleher, who was captain of the team for the year, added a second Munster title to his collection in 1902 as Limerick
were overturned by 2-9 to 1-5 in the provincial decider. Galway and Dublin
were later defeated as Cork booked their place in the All-Ireland final and, for the second year in-a-row, London provided the opposition. The game was played in Cork
to mark the opening of the new Cork Athletic Ground
. Kelleher's side made no mistake on this occasion and powered to a 3-13 to 0-0 victory. It was a huge triumph for Cork and gave Kelleher a coveted All-Ireland
winners’ medal while he also had the honour of acceting the cup on behalf of his county.
Kelleher was still a key member of the Cork team again in 1903. That year he collected a third Munster winners’ medal as Cork trounced Waterford
by 5-16 to 1-1. Cork later received a walkover from Galway before defeating Kilkenny
in the ‘home’ championship decider. London provided the opposition for a third time in the proper All-Ireland final. Cork were well on top for the entire game and secured a 3-16 to 1-1 victory. It was Kelleher's second consecutive All-Ireland winners’ medal.
In 1904 Kelleher and Cork were attempting to capture a third All-Ireland title in-a-row. The campaign began well with Cork defeating Tipperary
to secure a fourth consecutive Munster title. A subsequent trouncing of Antrim
set up an All-Ireland final showdown with Kilkenny. It was the beginning of a hugely successful era for ‘the Cats’ as Cork were heading into decline. Kilkenny won the game thanks to Dick Doyle
’s first-half goal, while Pat ‘Fox’ Maher
made great save at the end to help his team to a 1-9 to 1-8 defeat of Kelleher's side.
For the second time in their history Cork secured a fifth consecutive Munster title following a 7-12 to 1-4 trouncing of Limerick. It was Kelleher's fifth provincial winners’ medal also. For the second year in-a-row Cork faced off against Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final. The game was a high-scoring affair with Cork winning by 5-10 to 3-13. The game, however, had to be replayed as Cork goalkeeper Daniel McCarthy was a British army
reservist and Kilkenny’s Matt Gargan
had played with Waterford in the Munster championship. The game was another high-scoring one, with Jimmy Kelly
scoring 5-2. A puck-out by Kelleher is said to have hopped over the Kilkenny crossbar. Kilkenny won the game by 7-7 to 2-9, with all seven of their goals coming in a thirty-minute spell. It was the third time in five years that McGrath had ended up on the losing side in an All-Ireland final.
Cork lost their provincial crown in 1906, however, Kelleher picked up a sixth Munster winners’ medal as captain following a 1-6 to 1-4 defeat of Tipperary
in 1907. Cork later reached the All-Ireland final with Kilkenny providing the opposition. A high-scoring, but close, game developed between these two great rivals once again. As the game entered the final stage there was little to separate the two sides. Jimmy Kelly scored three first-half goals while Jack Anthony
scored Kilkenny’s winning point at the death. Cork went on two late goal hunts; however, the final score of 3-12 to 4-8 gave Kilkenny the win. It was Kelleher's fourth defeat in an All-Ireland final, however, the game became the benchmark by which all subsequent All-Ireland performances were judged.
Cork went into decline following this defeat and fve years past before Kelleher added a sixth and final Munster title to his collection. Because of a delay in the championship the 5-1 to 3-1 defeat of Tipperary allowed Cork to advance to the All-Ireland final. Arch-rivals Kilkenny provided the opposition again. Sim Walton
was the goal-scoring hero as 'the Cats' secured a 2-1 to 1-3 victory.
Kelleher suffered back-to-back defeats in the Munster finals inof 1913 and 1914, effectively bringing the curatin down on his inter-county hurling career.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
sportsperson. He played hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
with his local club Dungourney
Dungourney GAA
Dungourney GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Dungourney, County Cork, Ireland. The club fields teams in both Gaelic football and hurling. It is a member of the Imokilly division of Cork GAA. The club was one of the strongest clubs in the Cork during the first decade of the 20th...
and with the Cork senior inter-county team in the 1900s and 1910s. Kelleher's inclusion on Cork's Hurling Team of the Century marks him out as one of his county's greatest-ever players.
Biography
Jamesy Kelleher was born in DungourneyDungourney
Dungourney is a village in County Cork, Ireland on the R627 regional road northeast of Midleton. The Kiltha river flows through the village. St. Peter's National School is located in the centre.-Sport:* Dungourney GAA club* Dungourney Camogie Club...
just outside Midleton
Midleton
Midleton, historically Middleton , is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies some 22 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
in 1878. He received a brief education at the local national school and, like many of his contemporaries, he subsequently earned his livelihood as a farmer. Kelleher remained a non-smoker and a non-drinker throughout his life and was regarded as one of the great players of his era. As well as hurling he also bred and trained many first class horses and won several cross-country trophies. His victory in a steeplechase
Steeplechase
Steeplechase may refer to:* Steeplechase, an event in horse racing* SteepleChase, a Danish jazz label* Steeplechase , a 1975 arcade game released by Atari...
against many of the leading gentry was widely acclaimed.
Kelleher lived in his native Dungourney until his death in 1943.
Club
Kelleher played his club hurlingHurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
with his local club in Dungourney
Dungourney GAA
Dungourney GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Dungourney, County Cork, Ireland. The club fields teams in both Gaelic football and hurling. It is a member of the Imokilly division of Cork GAA. The club was one of the strongest clubs in the Cork during the first decade of the 20th...
and enjoyed much success. He lined out in his first county final in 1900, however, city rivals Redmond's
Redmonds GAA
Redmonds is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Cork in County Cork, Ireland. The club participates in Cork GAA competitions and in Seandún divisional board competitions...
were victorious on that occasion by 1-9 to 2-3. Two years later in 1902 Dungourney were back in the championship decider. Shanballymore provided the opposition on that occasion, however, Dungourney were victorious by 3-10 to 2-5. It was Kelleher's first county senior championship
Cork Senior Hurling Championship
The Evening Echo Cork County Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Cork County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in the county of Cork in Ireland....
winners' medal. After a five-year absence Dungourney were back in a third county final of the decade. North Cork's Castletownroche were the opponents, however, they were completely outclassed. At the full-time whistle Dungourney were the champions by 5-17 to 0-3 and Kellher had secured a second county championship title. After surrendering their championship title in 1908, Dungourney were back in the county final again in 1909. A masterful display of hurling saw Kellher and the men from east Cork secure a third county championship title following a 6-10 to 1-8 trouncing of Sarsfield's. Dungourney had the opportunity of making it two-in-a-row in 1910, however, Kellher's side were defeated by Blackrock
Blackrock GAA
Blackrock National Hurling Club is a G.A.A. club located on the southside of Cork City, Ireland. The club was founded in 1883 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling.-History:...
in the championship decider.
Inter-county
Kelleher first came to prominence on the inter-county scene with Cork at the turn of the 20th century. He made his debut in 1900, however, Cork were defeated in the early stages of the championship that year.Kelleher was included in the Cork selection again in 1901 and lined out in his first Munster final. Clare
Clare GAA
The Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. The county board is also responsible for the Clare inter-county teams....
provided the opposition on that occasion and a high-scoring game followed. At the final whistle Cork were the winners by 3-10 to 2-6 and Kelleher collected a coveted Munster
Munster Senior Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland....
winners’ medal. Cork subsequently defeated Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
and Wexford
Wexford GAA
The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wexford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wexford. The county board is also responsible for the Wexford inter-county teams.-History:Hurling has been played in...
to set up an All-Ireland final meeting with London
London GAA
The London County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or London GAA is one of the county boards outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in London...
. Cork were the overwhelming favourites against a team of exiles which was made up of nine Cork men. A downpour made the underfoot conditions difficult as London settled better and Cork floundered. A goal for London with ten minutes left in the game sealed Cork’s fate and Kelleher ended up on the losing side by 1-5 to 0-4.
Kelleher, who was captain of the team for the year, added a second Munster title to his collection in 1902 as Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
were overturned by 2-9 to 1-5 in the provincial decider. Galway and Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
were later defeated as Cork booked their place in the All-Ireland final and, for the second year in-a-row, London provided the opposition. The game was played in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
to mark the opening of the new Cork Athletic Ground
Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Páirc Uí Chaoimh is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in the Ballintemple area of Cork in Ireland, where major hurling and Gaelic football matches are played. It is the home of Cork GAA...
. Kelleher's side made no mistake on this occasion and powered to a 3-13 to 0-0 victory. It was a huge triumph for Cork and gave Kelleher a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
winners’ medal while he also had the honour of acceting the cup on behalf of his county.
Kelleher was still a key member of the Cork team again in 1903. That year he collected a third Munster winners’ medal as Cork trounced Waterford
Waterford GAA
The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...
by 5-16 to 1-1. Cork later received a walkover from Galway before defeating Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
in the ‘home’ championship decider. London provided the opposition for a third time in the proper All-Ireland final. Cork were well on top for the entire game and secured a 3-16 to 1-1 victory. It was Kelleher's second consecutive All-Ireland winners’ medal.
In 1904 Kelleher and Cork were attempting to capture a third All-Ireland title in-a-row. The campaign began well with Cork defeating Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
to secure a fourth consecutive Munster title. A subsequent trouncing of Antrim
Antrim GAA
The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim inter-county teams...
set up an All-Ireland final showdown with Kilkenny. It was the beginning of a hugely successful era for ‘the Cats’ as Cork were heading into decline. Kilkenny won the game thanks to Dick Doyle
Dick Doyle
Richard ‘Dick’ Doyle was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Castlebridge and with the Wexford senior inter-county team in the early 1900s. Doyle captained Wexford to their first All-Ireland title in 1910.-Biography:...
’s first-half goal, while Pat ‘Fox’ Maher
Pat Maher
Patrick 'Fox' Maher was an Irish hurler who played as a goalkeeper for the Kilkenny senior team.Maher made his first appearance for the team during the 1893 championship and became a regular player over the next decade. During that time he won one All-Ireland winner's medal and eight Leinster...
made great save at the end to help his team to a 1-9 to 1-8 defeat of Kelleher's side.
For the second time in their history Cork secured a fifth consecutive Munster title following a 7-12 to 1-4 trouncing of Limerick. It was Kelleher's fifth provincial winners’ medal also. For the second year in-a-row Cork faced off against Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final. The game was a high-scoring affair with Cork winning by 5-10 to 3-13. The game, however, had to be replayed as Cork goalkeeper Daniel McCarthy was a British army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
reservist and Kilkenny’s Matt Gargan
Matt Gargan
Matt Gargan was a famous Irish sportsperson who played hurling with the Kilkenny. In a senior inter-county career that lasted from 1905 until 1917 he won six All-Ireland titles and five Leinster titles.-Teams:...
had played with Waterford in the Munster championship. The game was another high-scoring one, with Jimmy Kelly
Jimmy Kelly (hurler)
Jimmy Kelly was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Mooncoin and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1904 until 1913....
scoring 5-2. A puck-out by Kelleher is said to have hopped over the Kilkenny crossbar. Kilkenny won the game by 7-7 to 2-9, with all seven of their goals coming in a thirty-minute spell. It was the third time in five years that McGrath had ended up on the losing side in an All-Ireland final.
Cork lost their provincial crown in 1906, however, Kelleher picked up a sixth Munster winners’ medal as captain following a 1-6 to 1-4 defeat of Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
in 1907. Cork later reached the All-Ireland final with Kilkenny providing the opposition. A high-scoring, but close, game developed between these two great rivals once again. As the game entered the final stage there was little to separate the two sides. Jimmy Kelly scored three first-half goals while Jack Anthony
Jack Anthony (hurler)
Jack Anthony was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Piltown and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1904 until 1907....
scored Kilkenny’s winning point at the death. Cork went on two late goal hunts; however, the final score of 3-12 to 4-8 gave Kilkenny the win. It was Kelleher's fourth defeat in an All-Ireland final, however, the game became the benchmark by which all subsequent All-Ireland performances were judged.
Cork went into decline following this defeat and fve years past before Kelleher added a sixth and final Munster title to his collection. Because of a delay in the championship the 5-1 to 3-1 defeat of Tipperary allowed Cork to advance to the All-Ireland final. Arch-rivals Kilkenny provided the opposition again. Sim Walton
Sim Walton
Simon 'Sim' Walton was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Tullaroan and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team in the first two decades of the 20th century. Walton captained Kilkenny to the All-Ireland title in 1912.Waltons’s status as one of Kilkenny’s...
was the goal-scoring hero as 'the Cats' secured a 2-1 to 1-3 victory.
Kelleher suffered back-to-back defeats in the Munster finals inof 1913 and 1914, effectively bringing the curatin down on his inter-county hurling career.
Sources
- Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists (Hodder Headline Ireland, 2005).
- Fullam, Brendan, Captains of the Ash (Wolfhound Press, 2002).