Paddy Payne and the Marble Hill Rovers hurlers

Browsing through a fading scrapbook last week your scribe came across an interview he had conducted a quarter of a century ago with Paddy Payne of 18 St Patrick’s Avenue, Carlow, an old hurler who brought to life one of the most romantic stories in Carlow hurling history.

For the then 87 year-old Paddy had, along with his brothers Jimmy and Tommy, been among the driving forces behind the fabled Marble Hill Rovers, who in their brief existence way back in the hungry 1930s, gained a host of admirers as well as recording a famous victory in the 1935 Feis Cup.

Along with Paddy’s St Patrick’s Avenue neighbour John O’Brien I spent a fascinating couple of hours listening to the veteran camán wielder recall the exciting exploits of Marble Hill Rovers.

 The club was formed in 1934. It was comprised mainly of residents of the Dublin Road area of Carlow Town who were disillusioned with the ‘set-up’ in Carlow Hurling Club.

“The natives had difficulty getting on the Hurling Club team which we felt was dominated by guards and bank clerks” Paddy revealed.

The new club drew its playing resources from the ‘The Arches’ to Leinster Crescent. ‘The Arches’ was situated at the site of the present O’Brien House.

 FIRST MARBLE HILL MEETING
The local paper of March 17, 1934 gave details of the new club:“The appearance of a new hurling team in Carlow augurs well for the growth of the game in the county. At a meeting of Marble Hill Rovers last week the following officers were elected:

Chairman: M Doogue; Secretary: P Dillon; Treasurer: James Doogue (Junior). Committee: W Cooney, W Doogue (Junior), Denis Kelly, James Doogue, Michael Burke, Ed Gahan, Thomas Donegan. Captain; Michael Burke, Vice-Captain: Paddy Payne.

Membership numbers 50. A youthful lot, great promise, hopes of honours to come. The club wishes to thank residents of the Dublin Road for their kind response to the appeal for financial assistance.”

 BROKE INTO RUGBY CLUB 
Training for the new club caused a bit of excitement as Paddy gleefully recounted. “We chanced our arm and broke into the Rugby Club field, then situated opposite St Mary’s Cemetery. If hunted from there then we’d content ourselves by hurling on the street on the Dublin Road.”

 Marble Hill Rovers made their competitive debut in the late April of 1934 when losing a Feis Cup semi-final to another new club, Erin’s Own of Bagenalstown. Their first victory was recorded against Drumphea (Myshall) in the Championship, which was then played on a league basis and contested by Erin's Own, Drumphea, Cooleyhune (St Mullins) and the two town teams, Carlow Hurling Club (affectionately known as the Carlow Blues though a separate entity to O'Hanrahan's GFC who also carried the same sobriquet) and Marble Hill Rovers.

 FIRST TOWN DERBY
The first town derby caused great interest in the county capital, the local paper’s preview stating: “The meeting of the two home teams at Carlow on Sunday next, if ground conditions favour a fast, accurate game, should produce a most attractive exhibition. Their styles are the compliment of one another and when they come together sparkling exchanges are assured.”

 The preview was spot on as the derby produced 11 goals, the Carlow Blues recording a 9-0 to 2-1 victory, the march report telling us: “The Hurling League game which took place at the Shamrocks grounds on Sunday last between the Marble Hill Rovers and the Carlow Blues resulted in a god win for the latter. The game itself was an hour of close hard tackling, the keenness of marking frustrating any attempt at a scientific display by either side. The exchanges in the first half were fairly evenly balanced, the half-time score reading Blues 3-0, Rovers 1-1.

 “In the second half, however, the Blues definitely assumed the upper hand and ran out winners on the score stated above. The referee Mr P Kinihan {a Blues committee member} performed his task in an efficient an impartial manner.

“It reflects great credit on both teams that the game was played in a manly, sporting spirit, a fact which must be admired because of the keen rivalry which inevitably exists between the local teams. In such an atmosphere and with such friendly contention among opposing teams, hurling is sure to progress and succeed in winning from the public the support and co-operation it deserves.

“Both teams are ones that will improve with practice and if the Marble Hill Rovers get down to hard training for the next few weeks Bagenalstown will have a ‘Beechers Brook’ to cross in they are to contemplate League Championship honours.

 FEIS CUP DERBY
In the Spring of 1935 the second Carlow town derby took place, this time in the Feis Cup semi-final, the knock-out status lending even greater intensity to the exchanges.

The local paper reported: “ The long awaited meeting of Carlow Town Hurling Club and their rivals, Marble Hill Rovers, also from the town, attracted a large crowd to the O'Hanrahan's Grounds on Sunday when they fielded out in the semi-final of the Feis Hurling competition.

“From the start the game was a fast and spectacular one, the hurling reaching a high standard. The opening half saw the Blues hold the upper hand and turning over with a six point lead. During the closing stages the superior training of their opponents was seen to great advantage – they succeeded in running the town team off its feet, and at the final whistle were in the lead by a goal.

The display on Sunday was definite proof that Carlow is showing marked progress in hurling and with a little more training will be able to hold its own with the best juniors in Leinster.

The victors on Sunday have received many congratulations on their display and it will be remembered their formation only took place a little over a year ago, so their appearance in the Feis final is by no means a mean performance.

FINAL FEVER
Final fever was rampant in the Dublin Road area and the local paper in a short fnal preview observed: “Hurling games are gaining in interest and popularity and it was a fine thing for the promotion of the game to have the teams included in the Feis Cup. It was only two years ago that the suggestion was made as hurling was at a low ebb and since then the standard has shown much improvement.

Marble Hill Rovers proved the surprise packets, making their first appearance in the final at the expense of the other Carlow town team. Their opponents on Sunday will be Bagenalstown (objection winners over Cooleyhune). The hurling Game will start at 4.45pm”

 FULL STEAM AHEAD
“’Full steam ahead’ was the order of the day for Marble Hill Rovers and they had all the better of the exchanges, particularly in the opening half” declared the local paper after Marble Hill Rovers final victory.

 The report, alas, carries no final scoreline though we do know the victory margin was six points. “Erin's Own travelled short such prominent players as Barron, Walsh, Reid and Holden, but at their best they would find tough opposition in the Carlow camp, who have an evenly balanced combination and their team spirit is commendable” declared the report.

 “On Sunday the Carlow lads went all out for victory and were not to be denied. Their skipper, Donegan, was a tower of strength and Payne, who was responsible for two goals, and Whelan gave good displays. The hurling, while not classic, was of a good standard and the game continued very lively right up to the final whistle. 3,000 were present in the Shamrocks ground to watch a keen struggle.

 MARVELLOUS MARBLE HILL
The new clubs victory prompted comment in the newspaper Carlow Town notes: “Inaugurated a little over a year ago the Marble Hill Rovers team have made history, when on Sunday they succeeded in winning the Feis Cup and medals by defeating Bagenalstown in the final by six points. Thus they have succeeded where often town teams have failed and brought the medals to Carlow after a lapse of many years.

 Sunday’s game was one of the best finals seen for some time and though the hurling did not reach a high standard, the liveliness of the players kept the large crowd of spectators on their tip-toe of excitement for the full hour.

It has been said that the Bagenalstown team were without four of their best players but I venture to say if Muinebheag had them on Sunday it would not have made any change to the result. The local side played one of their best games of the year and outplayed the visitors in every department. It is gratifying that our town secured one set of medals, for in the past few years silverware has been scarce.”

 THE BAGENALSTOWN VIEW
The Bagenalstown Notes, understandably, had a slightly different ‘take’ on the day’s proceedings: “The defeat of our hurlers at Carlow on Sunday came as no surprise to the followers of the game here. At no time this year have Bagenalstown shown anything approaching the form which made them unbeatable last season. Fielding short, even allowing for this their hurling right through the game was scrappy and altogether lacking the necessary dash. This dip in form is of a temporary nature, hopefully, Bagenalstown will lead the country again. In the meantime let’s not forget to pay tribute to Marble Hill Rovers who played a splendid sporting game on Sunday and proved themselves worthy winners of the Feis Cup.

 FROM DRUM-STICKS TO HURLEY STICK
The Feis Cup hurling and football finals were was held in conjunction with the Annual Feis staged in Carlow each June, a major event in the county’s social calendar.

 It was to prove a great occasion for Marble Hill Rovers and for Paddy Payne it was a busy day, you could say he was a dual-star. But, no, Paddy was not kicking in the football game as well.

You see jovial Paddy was a drummer in the Carlow Fife and Drum Band and he recalls: “I was part of the band playing the teams out on to the field, then I’d left down the drum-sticks, took off the uniform, put on the jersey and togs, picked up my hurl and went out and played the match!”

 Paddy was to repeat that rare musical/hurling double on a few other occasions as well.

 PADDY’S PEN-PICTURES

Marble Hill Rovers played some great hurling to overcome Erin's Own on that memorable day. While he never mentioned the fact that he scored two goals in the final itt was with considerable pride that Paddy Payne recalled the Marble Hill Rovers heroes of 1935 …

Robert Kearns – Our goalkeeper, he’d take your sacred life!
Tom ‘Whip’ Donegan – Centre-back, one of our main men, the captain
Noel Cooney – a good back, his father was a Tipperary man
Tom Bohanna – a good back.
Jimmy Cummins – back.
Vesty McGrath – Outstanding centre-fielder.
Jimmy Payne – ‘The Cairo’, tough centre-fielder.
Paddy Payne – centre-forward, I liked to ramble out.
‘Dolum’ Hogan – good forward, the team’s sharpshooter.
Paddy Pender – on the forwards.
John Pender – brother of Paddy’s, on the forwards too.
Percy McDarby – first cousin on the Payne’s, forward.
Larry Hayden – a divil, a baker.
Joe Walker – a butcher in Oliver’s.
Martin Doogue – versatile player.
Tommy Payne – “carry the jerseys!” (said tongue-in-cheek!)

 DRUNK FOR A WEEK
“We were drunk for a week after winning the Feis Cup,” laughed Paddy. “Nolan’s of the Courthouse, now the Irishman’s, was our local. The head barman was Tommy Hyland and it was 9d for a bottle of stout at the time.”

 ON HURLS, SLIOTARS AND OTHER ITEMS
Paddy Payne also touched on few more topics before we departed.

On hurls … “Our hurls were cut out in the saw-mills in Bruen’s (now Lennon’s). The three Payne’s were carpenters and the hurls were shaped out in the workshop

 On hurling balls … “hurling balls were bought in any hardware shop.”

On transport … "chance bikes if car not available".

On opponents … "Mick Gaynor and Jack Monaghan were two great Bagenalstown hurlers. Drumphea weren’t to clean!"

On jerseys … “Marble Hill Rovers wore white with a green shamrock".

On introduction to hurling … "I went to school in the CBS on College Street. Br Byrne, a Mayo man, started us hurling in the early 1920s. There was a big sandy yard. We hurled among ourselves with ‘hurleys’, sticks of all sorts".

 CHAMPIONSHIP CHASE
From 1934 to 1945 the Carlow Junior Hurling Championship, them the county’s premier grade, was played on a single league system with the top team on points declared champions.

 Marble Hill Rovers now set their sight on completing the double but their hopes received a major jolt when beaten 3-3 to 3-1 by Drumphea, who drew their hurling resources from Myshall and district in the Summer of 1935

 A keen, spirited struggle, the lead alternating a couple of times in the second half,” stated the match report “The Carlow team had the better of the opening half, Hogan making sure of points from frees awarded against one of the Drumphea defenders. Twelve minutes after the change-over they had erased a two points interval lead and taken a one point lead. Marble Hill Rovers, pulling out, followed up to net the lead goal but entering the final lap, Drumphea had a winning spirit and their forwards breached the Carlow defence for the winning scores. Kinsella, Kinsella, Crumney, and Brennan best for Drumphea, Hogan and Coyle to the fore for Marble Hill Rovers. Referee, Martin Lynch.

 ANOTHER TOWN DERBY
Though their respective chances of winning the competition were now slim, the championship collision of the two Carlow Town hurling clubs again created a real buzz by Barrow’s banks.

 Beneath a scoreline of Carlow Blues 3-1, Marble Hill Rovers 0-2 we read: “With rain falling throughout it was a splendid game between the local hurling teams at O'Hanrahan's Ground on Sunday. Great interest centred on the match which was exciting and somewhat rough at times.

“Marble Hill Rovers, who had beaten their opponents in the Feis Cup, expected victory but were grievously disappointed. The winners from the outset were the superior team and once in the lead they never lost it. Marble Hill players struggled bravely but they were for most of the second half in the wake of the ‘boys in blue’ who were superior at every part of the field.

“The winners were well served by Long, Donnelly and Burke in goal while Donegan held the whip hand for the losers.
“J Holden, Bagenalstown refereed.

 ‘WHIP’ DONEGAN
The reference to Donegan holding the whip hand in the match report above was neat use of local knowledge as Tommy Donegan was known to all and sundry as ‘Whip’ because of his advice to all players to ‘whip on the ball’.

 Paddy ‘Whip’ Donegan, from Rebel Cork, who worked in the Railway station and lived on the Dublin Road, was the driving force behind Marble Hill Rovers, a dedicated hurling man.

On one occasion at a Co Convention in Ballon a lot of the delegates began to move off once the agenda reached the motions concerning hurling. Donegan stood up and in his grand Cork accent addressed the meeting thus: “Mr Chairman, before all the delegates leave I would like to make a suggestion. There is a graveyard just outside here and I think before we go home we should go out there and give the game of hurling a decent burial!”

 ACCOLDADES AT AGM
The third AGM of the Marble Hill Rovers Hurling Club took place in the Foresters Hall on February 24 with the following officers elected:

Chairman: M Doogue; Secretary: J Bryan; Treasurer: T Payne; Committee: L Hayden. D Kelly, T Donegan, P Payne. Captain: P Whelan; Vice-Captain: J Hogan.

 The team were congratulated on their winning of the Feis Cup and medals. A splendid spirit prevailed.

Practice at the Shamrocks club grounds at 11 o’clock on Sunday morning.

DELAYED CHAMPIONSHIP
The Feis Cup champions, though out of contention, still had two delayed 1935 JHC engagements to fulfil in the spring of 1936, hurling an exciting draw with Cooleyhune in Myshall before facing Erin's Own in a vital encounter in that if Marble Hill Rovers won Drumphea would be declared champions.

 As it turns out the Bagenalstown brigade gave “a sparkling display” although the game was much closer than the scores would indicate. Marble Hill Rovers, on the run of play, should have lost by a narrower margin, but while admitting the merit of the losers, tribute must be paid to Muinebheag, who gave one of the most convincing displays of their career and richly deserved their victory.” Erin’s Own, emerging as the dominant force of Carlow hurling, beat Drumphea in that play-off. .

 FROM THE BOG TO DOOLEY’S
When playing in the famed ‘Bog’ in Bagenalstown, Dooley’s Hotel was the hurlers favourite watering hole and it was there in 1936 that Marble Hill Rovers drowned their sorrows when Cooleyhune dethroned the ‘townies’ when winning a Feis Cup semi-final narrowly.

While no scoreline is given we learn from the match report that both spectators and scores were scarce:

 “There was a small attendance, Marble Hill Rovers were somewhat unfortunate to lose to Cooleyhune. They attacked as much as their opponents and were well served in defence. There was little to choose between the teams at any period. Cooleyhune turned to account one of the few scoring chances. Marble Hill were unable to do so and lost a game from which they should have taken some reward”

REDUCED CHAMPIONSHIP
The 1936 Junior Hurling Championship was reduced to just three – Erin's Own, Marble Hill Rovers and Drumphea – after a decisive Erin's Own victory over the Carlow Blues “did not pass without question and had an unhappy denouement.” That denouement involved the suspension of Carlow Hurling Club while it is not clear why Cooleyhune were ‘marked absent’

 DR CULLEN PARK DEBUT
By October 1936 Dr Cullen Park had opened its gates and the vital championship collision of Erin’s Own and Marble Hill Rovers was fixed for the brand new County Grounds, the preview declaring “The Carlow Park by its wide dimensions is eminently to Erin’s Own who are better this year than ever.”

 GOODBYE TO THE HILL
It was a case of ‘Hello Dr Cullen Park’ but ‘Goodbye to the Hill’ as that championship match on Sunday, October 5, 1936 was to prove Marble Hill Rovers farewell appearance.

 The local paper, beneath a scoreline of Erin's Own 2-4, Marble Hill Rovers 0-3 tells us: “The hurling game developed into a splendid struggle, Erin's Own winning from Marble Hill Rovers by seven points. In the opening half the home combination had the better of the play, and in a ding-ding struggle there were many thrilling passages, and the teams were level at the interval.

 “Following their hard fought first half, Marble Hill did well for ten minutes of the second moiety, but the craft and staying power of the Muinebheag players carried the day, and in the closing 20 minutes their strong finish put them well in the lead.

“On the run of play they richly merited their victory, but they were well tried and at no time were they found wanting. Neill was a tower of strength in defence and received able support from Reid and Hastings. Gaynor, Mahon and Gough were seen to effect in the forward line, but to mention these few is not to reflect on others of a well balanced team.

“’Vesty; McGrath was the most untiring worker Marble Hill Rovers had, and he struggled manfully with Hogan, Hayden, Cullen and Roche to hold the more confident Muinebheag players in the second half.”

 THE MTYH OF TEN-IN-A-ROW
So ended the brief, but exciting, life of Marble Hill Rovers and such was their popularity that in the mists of time stories concerning them grew to mythical proportions. “Some younger people thought we won 10 championships in-a-row” piped Paddy, “and sure we made them none the wiser!”

 CARLOW UNITED
At the 1937 Carlow Co Convention Motion No 4 read: “That the members and officials of the Carlow Hurling Club be re-instated.” Marble Hill Rovers

 It was the first step in their own demise as by the affiliations meeting that same year a club called Carlow United was entered in both the hurling competitions.

 The combined Carlow enjoyed Championship and Feis Cup success, winning the ‘Double’ in 1937 and the Feis Cup again in 1938 when the competition counted for the championship as well. Paddy Payne was a valuable member of those sides and was still there as ‘an old-stager’ when Carlow Hurling Club won the Humphries Cup in 1942. Paddy Payne, for many of these finals, again performed his double-act of drummer-cum-hurler.

 

“Those Carlow Hurling Club teams had such fine hurlers as Ned Long, Mick Donnelly. Mick Burke, Billy Dalton, the Kealy brothers, Edmund and Jimmy and Paddy ‘Bantox’ Whelan” stated Paddy, “as well, of course, as Vesty McGrath, an old Marble Hill Rovers comrade.”

 

Paddy Payne passed away on Sunday, June 21, 1998.