Star of the Sea School, winners of the Johnston Mooney and O’Brien Cup

The picture above is of the victorious Star of the Sea team who beat St Mary’s Place by one goal in the final of the Johnston Mooney and O’Brien Cup back in 1967.

The team was coached by Star teacher, the late Mr Tom McCarthy (inset), who spent many unpaid hours after school in Ringsend Park coaching the lads in the fine arts of hurling. The team honed its skills to the cries of “ground hurling, lads” from Mr McCarthy. In the end, it paid dividends. The final was played in O’Toole Park in Crumlin.

The match was originally scheduled for Croke Park but bad weather caused the change of venue. It was fitting that the Star should win the Johnston Mooney and O’Brien Cup, named after the bakery, as their headquarters was in Ballsbridge and many locals worked there. The bakery has long moved out and is now the site of the Herbert Park Hotel on the banks of the Dodder.

To name a few from the victorious team, there was Vincent Canavan, Pat Haugh, Denis McKenna (former manager of ‘NewsFour), Michael Bergin, Colm McKeown, Pat Sullivan, Damian Toffelli, Anthony Bridgeman, Tom Flynn. We would be delighted to hear from any of the members of that team to put names on the photograph and give their memories of that day.