Reeling in the years from Down Under

IT was reeling in the years time at a function in Jack Quinn's famous establishment in Scurlogstown, Trim a couple of weeks ago when film tapes of the historic and groundbreaking tour to Australia in 1968 by the then All-Ireland SFC champions were handed over to Meath GAA.

Centre half forward on that All-Ireland winning team and well known LMFM analyst Mattie Kerrigan acted as MC while members of the team recalled highlights of the tour.

At the outset Trim's Peter Darby said he was honoured and privileged to lead the team as captain out in Australia.

Mattie Kerrigan outlined how the trip came about. An Australian on holidays in New York in 1967, Harry Beitzel, was sitting in his hotel rooms and was switching channels on the television when he came across the All-Ireland final between Meath and Cork. That put an idea in his head and he headed back to Australia with that idea to bring an Australian Rules football team to take on the best in Ireland.

Kerrigan recalled an extract from Peter McDermott's book 'Gaels in the Sun' which set in motion the series of event that led to the tour.

"What would your reaction be if Meath were invited to play against the visiting Australian Rules team in Croke Park on Sunday next?" The voice had a distinctly Australian accent, the caller's name unknown to me," Peter McDermott wrote.

"In fact I was hardly aware that the Australian team was due to appear in Ireland. Most fortunately my immediate reply was: "Yes, I'm sure we'd be delighted to provide the opposition, but I'm not exactly the person to say 'yes'. There are big problems in our path by way of pre-arranged fixtures but I'm sure we can get some kind of a team to give the visitors a game"

Meath played the touring Australians in Croke Park that Sunday and five months later a group of 52 people, comprising the Meath Gaelic Football team, carrying the tag of Champions of Ireland, its officials and supporters flew out of Dublin on the first leg of an historic 30,00 miles round-the-world trip which opened up a new international vista for the all amateur Gaelic Athletic Association.

The tour took in Rome, Singapore, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Honolulu, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York with the overall cost £15,000.

It proved an enormous success and Meath played five matches in Australia in a short period of time and won all five.

Oliver Shanley who presented the tapes to Co Board chairman John Kavanagh told how he had been given the reels by then county secretary Liam Creavin about 25 years after the tour as he was organising a function in the Newgrange Hotel for all the lads and wanted to give them a copy of it at that time. Shanley said all the lads did themselves proud on the tour, not only in the way that they played football but in the way they behaved off the field.

Mattie Kerrigan also recalled a message from the then Minister for Industry and Commerce George Colley who was in Australia at the time of the tour and was present for the final game in Melbourne when he threw in the ball at the start of the match.

"This last contest showed the Meathmen at their finest mettle. After a tough series of matches, played under very trying climatic conditions, they crowned their efforts with final victory at Melbourne," the Minister said.

He continued: "In the course of my work on trade promotion in Australia that year, I visited centres which had been on the team's itinerary. In every case, without exception, I heard nothing but praise for the team, for their sportsmanship and for the really excellent impression they had made on their hosts as Irishmen and players. It was, of course, a very great help to me in my particular task to find that such a fund of goodwill towards Ireland had already been created by the team who had, if fact, acted as ambassadors for their country. Most willingly, therefore, I acknowledge the positive service they rendered to the cause of promoting Ireland in Australia during their tour."

At the start of the function a moments silence was observed in memory of the players and management who had passed away including Paddy Cromwell, Peter Moore, Terry Kearns, Noel Curran, Peter Black, Jimmy Walsh, Gerry, Quinn, Martin Quinn, Fr Patrick Tully, Liam Creavin, Kevin McConnell, Mattie Gilsenan, Paddy Everard, Jack Fitzgerald and Peter McDermott, as well as Jim Gammons who also made the trip and wrote a book about the remarkable journey.

Among those present on the night from the squad that toured Australia were Mick White, Jack Quinn, Peter Darby, Bertie Cunningham, Pat Reynolds, Tony Brennan, Mattie Kerrigan, Mick Mellett, Oliver Shanley, Dave Carty, Ollie Geraghty, Austin Lyons as well as some family members of those who have passed away