Jim Hurley
Encyclopedia
Jim Hurley was an Irish
sportsperson and revolutionary. A veteran of the Irish independence struggle
, he subsequently played hurling
and football
with Cork in the 1920s.
, County Cork
on 26 February 1902. In his youth, he became involved in the Irish struggle for independence. He played a prominent role in the War of Independence as leader of a flying column in the Third Cork Brigade. Following the publication of the Anglo-Irish Treaty
, Hurley took the republican
side in the subsequent Civil War
. He was later interred in Cork and the Curragh but was released in 1924. Following this, Hurley returned to his native Clonakilty where he became town clerk and shortly afterwards, he enrolled as a night student at University College Cork. It was here that his sporting career began in earnest as he won a Fitzgibbon Cup medal with UCC’s hurlers.
. He subsequently played his club hurling
with Blackrock
and his club football
with UCC
. With the famous Blackrock club, he won Cork SHC
titles in 1925, 1927, 1929 and 1930. Hurley was also successful in terms of club football winning Cork SFC titles with UCC in 1927 and 1928. In 1930, he returned to Clonakilty with whom he won a Cork JFC
title in 1930 and an Cork IFC
title in 1931. For the next two years, he played football for Clonakilty
but had little success with the side. In the mid-1930s, Hurley lived in County Meath
where he played club hurling with Kilmessan and won a Meath SHC title.
, Munster
and All-Ireland
honours. Hurley was instrumental in attack in the final against Kilkenny
. It was the beginning of a glorious era for Cork hurling. Hurley captured his second Munster medal in 1927, however, Dublin accounted for Cork in the All-Ireland final.
He added a third Munster title to his collection of medals in 1928, before winning his second All-Ireland medal following a win over Galway
. In 1929, he captured his fourth Munster medal in-a-row before later playing in his fourth All-Ireland final in-a-row. Cork’s opponents in the final were Galway once again and Ahern scored a goal after just 30 seconds. It brought him his third All-Ireland medal. Cork had no little success in the championship of 1930, however, Hurley claimed his second National League medal. In 1931, Cork were back under the captaincy of Eudie Coughlan
. Hurley won his fifth Munster title and once again qualified for the All-Ireland final, this time against Kilkenny
. It took two replays to separate the two sides with Cork eventually emerging as the victors. He retired from inter-county hurling shortly after.
. He later moved to Longford
where he worked as County Secretary. In 1937, Hurley returned to Cork and studied for an Arts degree in UCC. He graduated in 1942 and returned to Meath as County Manager. In 1944, Hurley returned to Cork and was appointed Secretary and Bursar of UCC, a position he held until his death.
His return to his native county coincided with a great era for Clonakilty’s and for Cork’s footballers. Hurley was a selector on the Cork football team that won the All-Ireland
in 1945 and he was largely responsible for Jack Lynch
’s selection on that team. He was also involved as a selector when Cork reached the All-Ireland finals of 1956 and 1957, and he was a selector on the Cork hurling team in the early 1960s.
Jim Hurley died in 1965 after a short illness.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
sportsperson and revolutionary. A veteran of the Irish independence struggle
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
, he subsequently 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...
and football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
with Cork in the 1920s.
Early life
Jim Hurley was born in ClonakiltyClonakilty
Clonakilty , often referred to by locals simply as Clon, is a small town on the N71 national secondary road in West County Cork, Ireland, approximately 45 minutes away by road to the west of Cork City. The town is on the southern coast of the island, and is surrounded by hilly country devoted...
, 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...
on 26 February 1902. In his youth, he became involved in the Irish struggle for independence. He played a prominent role in the War of Independence as leader of a flying column in the Third Cork Brigade. Following the publication of the Anglo-Irish Treaty
Anglo-Irish Treaty
The Anglo-Irish Treaty , officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and representatives of the secessionist Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of...
, Hurley took the republican
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
side in the subsequent Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
. He was later interred in Cork and the Curragh but was released in 1924. Following this, Hurley returned to his native Clonakilty where he became town clerk and shortly afterwards, he enrolled as a night student at University College Cork. It was here that his sporting career began in earnest as he won a Fitzgibbon Cup medal with UCC’s hurlers.
Club
In 1925, Hurley moved to CorkCork (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...
. He subsequently played his club 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 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:...
and his club football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
with UCC
UCC GAA
UCC is a football and hurling club associated with University College Cork. UCC teams play in the Cork Senior Football Championship and Cork Senior Hurling Championship as well as the two main third-level competitions namely the Sigerson Cup in football and the Fitzgibbon Cup in hurling...
. With the famous Blackrock club, he won Cork SHC
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....
titles in 1925, 1927, 1929 and 1930. Hurley was also successful in terms of club football winning Cork SFC titles with UCC in 1927 and 1928. In 1930, he returned to Clonakilty with whom he won a Cork JFC
Cork Junior Football Championship
The Cork Junior Football Championship is a Gaelic football competition in Cork. The competition was originally established in 1895 as a competition for second teams of clubs playing in the Cork Senior Football Championship. This is the fourth level of football clubs, under Senior, Premier...
title in 1930 and an Cork IFC
Cork Intermediate Football Championship
This is the Second tier Gaelic football team competition organized by the Cork GAA board. This championship was discontinued after 1938 because of a lack of clubs. From 1939 until 1964 any team that won the Junior County Football Final could go straight to Senior. The Intermediate Championship was...
title in 1931. For the next two years, he played football for Clonakilty
Clonakilty GAA
Clonakilty GAA is a Gaelic football and hurling club based in the town and parish of Clonakilty in County Cork, Ireland. It is affiliated to the Carbery division of Cork. The club has achieved fame primarily as a Gaelic football club. The club has played in the Cork Senior Football Championship for...
but had little success with the side. In the mid-1930s, Hurley lived in County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
where he played club hurling with Kilmessan and won a Meath SHC title.
Inter-county
By 1924, Hurley was playing junior hurling with Cork at inter-county level. This culminated in the winning of Munster and All-Ireland titles in 1925. He quickly joined the senior team and in 1926 captured his first National Hurling LeagueNational Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
, 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....
and 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....
honours. Hurley was instrumental in attack in the final against 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...
. It was the beginning of a glorious era for Cork hurling. Hurley captured his second Munster medal in 1927, however, Dublin accounted for Cork in the All-Ireland final.
He added a third Munster title to his collection of medals in 1928, before winning his second All-Ireland medal following a win over 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,...
. In 1929, he captured his fourth Munster medal in-a-row before later playing in his fourth All-Ireland final in-a-row. Cork’s opponents in the final were Galway once again and Ahern scored a goal after just 30 seconds. It brought him his third All-Ireland medal. Cork had no little success in the championship of 1930, however, Hurley claimed his second National League medal. In 1931, Cork were back under the captaincy of Eudie Coughlan
Eudie Coughlan
Eugene 'Eudie' Coughlan was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Blackrock and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1919 until 1931. Coughlan captained Cork to the All-Ireland title in 1931...
. Hurley won his fifth Munster title and once again qualified for the All-Ireland final, this time against 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...
. It took two replays to separate the two sides with Cork eventually emerging as the victors. He retired from inter-county hurling shortly after.
Later life
Following his retirement from inter-county hurling and football, Hurley had a distinguished career as a public servant. In 1932, he graduated from UCC with a BComm degree and was appointed County Accountant with Meath County CouncilMeath County Council
Meath County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Meath in Ireland. The Council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and the environment. The head of the council has the title of...
. He later moved to Longford
Longford
Longford is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 7,622 according to the 2006 census. Approximately one third of the county's population resides in the town. Longford town is also the biggest town in the county...
where he worked as County Secretary. In 1937, Hurley returned to Cork and studied for an Arts degree in UCC. He graduated in 1942 and returned to Meath as County Manager. In 1944, Hurley returned to Cork and was appointed Secretary and Bursar of UCC, a position he held until his death.
His return to his native county coincided with a great era for Clonakilty’s and for Cork’s footballers. Hurley was a selector on the Cork football team that won the All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
in 1945 and he was largely responsible for Jack Lynch
Jack Lynch
John Mary "Jack" Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland, serving two terms in office; from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979....
’s selection on that team. He was also involved as a selector when Cork reached the All-Ireland finals of 1956 and 1957, and he was a selector on the Cork hurling team in the early 1960s.
Jim Hurley died in 1965 after a short illness.