St.Josephs celebrate in the dressing room after their great win in the final. | Photos: Noel Browne
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Way back in 1923, men from the working class areas of Morrisson’s Road, Barrack Street and Doyle Street conceived St Joseph’s Football Club.
Maurice Walsh, Pakie Keane, Eddie and Joe Hodge, Teddy Hennessy, Noel Kavanagh, Jack Smith, Sean King, Mattie Keane, Tim Galvin and Paddy Elliott were just some of the men who were the founder members of the club all those years ago.
As far back as 1936 Pakie Keane became the first Waterford born man to lift the Munster Cup when he captained St Joseph’s to glory in that competition.
All of those wonderful gentlemen have long since moved to the playing fields of heaven and during the past number of decades the club has been in the capable hands of equally top class folk such as John Grant, Walter O’Mahony and Christy Hannigan.
When the full time whistle blew in Ozier Park on Saturday night last it was heart warming to see Walter and Christy smile broadly as the present captain Paul Butler lifted the Sheridan Cup high into the air.
I have no doubt whatsoever that my father Pakie Keane and all of his friends from back in the early 20s enjoyed looking down on the hallowed turf of Ozier Park on Saturday last from up above.
The celebrations after the game continued long into the early hours of Monday morning, yes almost 48 hours after the final.
But no one could begrudge the current St Joseph’s team and of course Walter O’Mahony and Christy Hannigan and all of the present mentors their two days of joy and happiness.
The wonderful tradition that is ‘The Saints’ remains very much alive. “And departing, leave behind us footprints on the sands of time”, which pretty much sums up the club in a nutshell.
See The Munster Express newspaper for full match report.
