Killeshin INDEX

County Laois

GAA Killeshin Football team

c1937

(Just click on the picture images to enlarge)

GAA Killeshin Football team

c1937

(Part of) "The Killeshin Team Photo"

Back Row - Left to Right. 1) Miss Molly Proctor, the Mall , Killeshin. - (2) Johnny "Franey" O'Rourke, Springhill. - (3) Paddy Procter, the Mall, Killeshin. - (4) Markie Brennan, Cooper Hill. - (5) Jack Cowley, Coolhenry. - (6) Johnny Drennan, Killeshin. - (7) Tomas O'Rourke.  - (8) Charlie Pollock. - (9) John O'Rourke. Front row  - Left to Right (10) Jim "Daisy" Lawlor. (11) young boy, Martin O'Rourke. - (12) man kneeling behind young boy is Billy O'Rourke. (13) Patsy O'Rourke. - (14) man with cap is Michael Dwyer. - (15) young boy, Frank Donnelly. - (16) Billy O'Rourke. - (17) Thomas O'Rourke. The above names were supplied by Jack Cowley in August 2006. He now lives in Farmington, Michigan, USA  where he established a successful Public House and Restaurant.

This is some of the lads from the 'Killeshin Football team' (above) probably taken sometime around 1937. Most of these lads would have been in their late teen's or early 20's.

When the Killeshin Football team broke-up in 1939 Jack Cowley went to play for Graiguecullen Club and played in his first Laois County Final in 1940. Tommy Murphy took the team off the field over a disputed goal scored by Graiguecullen consequently the team was suspended for a year from playing.  After working in England for a year with Mick Haughney Jack came back and in 1942 Paddy O'Rourke and Jack Cowley played again and won their first County Championship.

A very rare picture indeed!

Michael Brennan's Uncle Mark (Markie) Brennan is standing at the back and to the right of Jack Cowley. The girl (who is believed to be Paddy Procter sister from the Mall, Killeshin), one of her sisters or cousin was married to Hourigan from Ballickmoyler. We also believe that she was Markie Brennan's girlfriend and she was training to be a nurse. The man wearing the cap is Michael Dwyer. Billy O'Rourke who was a bricklayer (pulling young lads cheeks to make him smile). Patsy O'Rourke is kneeling centre picture, Thomas O'Rourke is the young boy at right of picture and directly behind him the football team member is another O'Rourke man. The man with the cap may be Michael Dwyer a teacher from Killeshin School.  Billy O'Rourke was a brother of Thomas O'Rourke. Patsy, John and Martin O'Rourke were brothers not related to Billy and Thomas O'Rourke.

The Killeshin football club broke up about 1939 and then the players amalgamated with Graiguecullen.  Jack Cowley played in the Laois County Final in 1940 with Graiguecullen. Jack was born on 3rd Sept. 1921.

My grateful thanks to Michael Purcell, Johnny Haughney, Charlie Haughney, Anna O'Rourke and Jack Cowley for helping identify the team members in the picture.

(Markie Brennan died on 6th November 1939 as a result of pneumonia as a result of a broken collar bone received whilst playing football).

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Source: Michael Purcell c2006

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More images of Killeshin football team: http://www.rootsweb.com/~irlcar2/Killeshin_football_01.htm

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Graigue - Killeshin - Carlow People c1937

 

The Team Left - Right: Front: Matt Dowling, Micky Ramsbottom, Jim Lalor, John Moran. Middle: Jim Doyle, Jimmy Ramsbottom, Jimmy Dunne Paddy Moran, Christy Bolton. Back: Christy Moran, Mick Brennan, Jack Doogue, Willie O'Rourke, Billy Fitzpatrick, Paddy O'Rourke, Paddy (Pakie) Moran.		"Players from the past" These are the members of the Killeshin Football team from 1937.  The picture (left) as appeared in the Nationalist newspapers c1990. The caption: A good team which reached a Laois JFC final, but never quite made the breakthrough, even though good enough to defeat the outstanding Carlow O'Hanrahans. "It was the best team in Killeshin for a long time, but it was very hard to win in Laois at the time" said team member Paddy Moran, a former Carlow Sugar Factory sugar cook. Paddy who was on the fringe of the Laois team at the time, played with Ballyfoyle (Maganey), Ballylinan and Crettyard before going to Killeshin.
Photo #1 Boy at the Back: Jim Fitzpatrick From left: Kate (Kitty) O'Rourke - Josie Teehan  -  Miss ? Wall - John Brennan - Tom O'Rourke - May Duffy - Billy O'Rourke - Willie Brennan.		Photo #2 Back Row: Josey Teehan - Miss (?) - Miss Molly Proctor. Front Row: Tom White - Unknown - John O'Rourke. The two boys are: Martin O'Rourke (brother to John ) - and Unknown Boy.
Mark Brennan, Molly Proctor and some close friends c1937. The young girl is believed to one of the Proctor girls from The Mall, Killeshin. He played football for Killeshin. (see football team picture) and he played in a band with Michael Ramsbottom.		Mark Brennan R.I.P.

The people in the above photos (#1 & #2) have been identified by Mr Jack Cowley Michigan, USA in August 2006. My grateful thanks to Jack (Michigan) and Michael (Carlow) for all their work in this project.

The information contained in these pages is provided solely for the purpose

of sharing with others researching their ancestors in County Laois.