1946–1948

Fohenagh camogie, 1946 to 1948

A first county final, and what the papers printed the spring after. The words in quotation marks are the papers' words.

1946, short of a final

In October 1946 the Connacht Tribune reported a runaway win for Fohenagh camogie over Ballinasloe at Duggan Park[1]. Three of the team had played for Galway against Antrim in Belfast the Sunday before. The paper did not name them[1]. They were already in the county championship. The Tuam Herald of 13 July had fixed Fohenagh against Caltra for 28 July, the winners to meet Erin's Hope[2]. Caltra beat Fohenagh in the semi-final[3]. The final, as the Herald of 9 November printed it, was Caltra against Erin's Hope. Fohenagh were not in it, and there was no 1946 county title for them[4]. In December the county board's convention still named Tuam, Caltra and Fohenagh as strongholds of the game[5]. A week later the Herald put Ballinasloe, Caltra, Tuam and Fohenagh among the best teams in the county[6].

1947, a first final

On 15 May, at Fohenagh, they beat Tuam by 8-2 to nil in the first round of the senior championship[7]. The Herald of 9 August fixed the semi-final against Ballinasloe Mental Hospital for 17 August at Ballinasloe[8]. The game was put back. The Herald of 23 August said a member of the Fohenagh team had suffered a bereavement, and it named Rita Clinton[9]. At Ballinasloe the Sentinel had half-time as Fohenagh 2-2, Ballinasloe 1-1[10]. The Tribune's full-time score was Fohenagh 2-3, Ballinasloe Mental Hospital 2-2, and it called Rita Clinton the star at centrefield. Fohenagh were into the county final[11]. M. Glynn opened with a point, and a goal followed. K. Lyons pointed from a 25 for Ballinasloe. K. Naughton scored a goal, and Rita Clinton added her point from 40 yards. O. Hanniffy scored a goal for Ballinasloe before the break, and half-time was 2-2 to 1-1[11]. In the second half Ballinasloe pointed from a 40-yard free and P. Mullins scored a goal. B. Clinton, M. Barrett and M. Madden held them. Rita Clinton had Fohenagh's only score of the second half, a point from centre-field[11]. The Tribune's best for Fohenagh were the Clinton sisters, M. Madden, M. Barrett and P. Hopkins. Miss C. Mulholland refereed. The semi-final line prints P. Clinton[11]. On 14 October the Sentinel recorded that Miss Clinton of Fohenagh, who was always prominent, scored Galway's point[12]. The Herald of 8 November fixed the final for College Park, Galway, on Sunday 16 November[13]. The Tribune of 15 November, the day before the final, put the game at U.C.G. Park at 3 p.m., and said this was Fohenagh's first county final. Erin's Hope would have six of the Galway county team. The preview also named Rita Clinton, M. Madden, and M. and A. Glynn on the county side[14].

The Irish Press of 17 November gave the score as Fohenagh 3-1, Erin's Hopes 3-0, and wrote of the "brilliant individualism of Rita Clinton"[15]. The Press names the Fohenagh scorers as R. Clinton (2-1) and F. Hopkins[15]. A History of Fohenagh places that final at UCG Park on 16 November, with M. Madden as captain. It records brilliant play by Rita Clinton, and a goal by Pauline Hopkins midway through the second half that put Fohenagh a point up. The book prints Pauline Hopkins as P. Hopkins, and B. Clinton in the twelve[16]. The book records the way to that final as wins over Tuam, Ballymacward, Ballinasloe Mental Hospital and Caltra. Erin's Hope led by two goals early, and Fohenagh were two points behind at half-time[16].

The twelve, as the book prints them:

The final

1948, the game at Fohenagh

The Tuam Herald of 10 April fixed the senior championship game, St Grellan's of Ballinasloe against Fohenagh, for 25 April at Fohenagh. Miss S. Ruane was appointed referee[17]. The Connacht Sentinel of 27 April reported that the referee called the game off just before half-time, after spectators attacked a goal umpire[18]. The Connacht Tribune of 1 May carried the same account. Fohenagh were leading by a goal to nil. R. Clinton had sent the ball goalwards, and it glanced off one of the Ballinasloe backs[19].

Eighteen months, and a life ban

The Tuam Herald of 22 May reported that the Galway County Camogie Board had suspended the county champions, Fohenagh, for eighteen months, after adopting the referee's report on the game that was called off at Fohenagh near half-time[20]. The Munster Express of 28 May reported that suspension as a life ban. The column said followers of the Fohenagh club had attacked an umpire, and that the Galway board had suspended the team for life[21].

Both versions are what those papers printed. This page does not choose between them.

August 1948

The club asked to be reinstated. The Tuam Herald of 28 August said the National Organiser, Mr P. O'Higgins, proposed that the application be agreed. It was refused. Miss M. Duggan, the chairman, recalled the rule that holds a team responsible for its supporters. The meeting agreed that the supporters' behaviour was what stood in the way, and that this was "not the girls fault"[22]. The Connacht Tribune of the same day put the decision more shortly. The application was left as it stood, and Fohenagh were rejected indefinitely. Miss Duggan quoted the rule that a team is responsible for the conduct of its following, and sympathy was expressed for the Fohenagh players[23]. The players themselves were not at fault. That is what the papers noted[22].

References

Courtesy of Irish Newspaper Archives. The club history is A History of Fohenagh by Tony O'Gorman.

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