Blackrock National Hurling Club
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| Cumann Iománuoíchta Náisiunta Na Carraige Duibhe | |||||||||
| File:RockiesCrestFinalMedium.png | |||||||||
| Founded: | 1883 | ||||||||
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| County: | Cork | ||||||||
| Nickname: | The Rockies | ||||||||
| Colours: | Green and Gold | ||||||||
| Grounds: | Church Rd., Blackrock | ||||||||
| Coordinates: | 51°53′35.43″N 8°25′05.87″W / 51.8931750°N 8.4182972°W | ||||||||
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| Senior Club Championships | |||||||||
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Blackrock National Hurling Club is a G.A.A. club located on the southside of Cork City, Ireland. The club was founded in 1883 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling. No club in Cork holds more Senior County Hurling titles or All-Ireland Club Championships. The club is widely known as 'The Rockies'.
Hurling
History
In a city that boasts three of hurling's most notable clubs, Blackrock, on the south side of Cork City, has seen some considerable success. Blackrock Hurling Club was officially founded in 1883, one year before the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association itself. It is therefore the oldest club in Cork. Until 1888 the club was known as Cork Nationals, when it changed its name to National Hurling Club of Blackrock, and later in the same year to Blackrock National Hurling Club.
Blackrock won eight of the first nine Cork Senior Hurling Championship titles and, in the early years of the All-Ireland Championship when the winning clubs represented the county, subsequently claimed the All-Ireland titles for Cork in 1893 and 1894. Blackrock once again claimed the All-Ireland hurling title for Cork in 1903 and were such a dominant force in Cork hurling that up until the 1930s the Blackrock club selected the county team.
Blackrock's dominance in Cork hurling has been challenged by Glen Rovers and St. Finbarr's, however, Blackrock have always been the leading club on the Roll of Honour, helped in no small part by being longer established than its main rivals. . The team enjoyed a successful spell in the 1970s winning All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship titles in 1972, 1974 and 1979, along with five Munster titles in the same decade.
In the last six years, Blackrock have won five Under 16 Premier Juvenile Cork County Championships (2008-2013), four of the last five Premier Minor Cork County Championships (2009, 2011 & 2012, 2013) and the 2012 Under 21 Cork County Championship. The challenge remains to convert this underage success into renewed Senior Championship competitiveness. The club has now gone twelve years without tasting senior glory.
Honours
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships: 5
- 1893, 1894, 1903, 1925, 1931
- All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championships: 3
- 1972, 1974, 1979
- Munster Senior Club Hurling Championships: 5
- 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979
- Cork Senior Hurling Championships: 32
- 1887, 1889, 1891, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1897, 1898, 1903, 1908, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1920, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1956, 1961, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1985, 1999, 2001, 2002
- Cork Junior Hurling Championships: 5
- 1895, 1901, 1910, 1931, 1947
- Cork Under-21 Hurling Championships: 5
- Cork Minor Hurling Championships: 11
- 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1994, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013[3]
- Cork City Junior Hurling Championships: 7
- 1931, 1947, 1949, 1970, 1973, 2003, 2013[4]
- Croke Cup Winners: 3
- 1903, 1910, 1913
- Féile na nGael All Ireland Champions: 1
- 1971
Famous Hurlers
This is a list of notable hurlers who have played for Blackrock. Generally, this means players that have enjoyed much success with the club or have played for the Cork senior hurling team.
| Player | Era | Club titles | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-Ireland | Munster | County | ||
| Mick 'Gah' Ahern | 1920s-1930s | 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931 | ||
| Paddy 'Balty' Ahern | 1920s-1930s | 1920, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931 | ||
| John Bennett | 1950s-1960s | 1956, 1961 | ||
| Jimmy Brohan | 1950s-1960s | 1956, 1961 | ||
| Alan Browne | 1990s-2000s | 1999, 2001, 2002 | ||
| John Browne | 1990s-2000s | 1999, 2001, 2002 | ||
| Richard Browne | 1980s-1990s | 1985 | ||
| Jim Cashman | 1980s-1990s | 1985, 1999 | ||
| Mick Cashman | 1950s-1960s | 1956, 1961 | ||
| Tom Cashman | 1970s-1980s | 1979 | 1978, 1979 | 1978, 1979, 1985 |
| Donie Collins | 1970s-1980s | 1972, 1974, 1979 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979 |
| Eudie Coughlan | 1920s-1930s | 1920, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931 | ||
| John Coughlan | 1920s-1930s | 1920, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931 | ||
| Pat Coughlan | 1880s-1890s | 1887, 1889, 1891, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1897, 1898 | ||
| Alan Cummins | 1990s-2000s | 1999, 2001, 2002 | ||
| Brendan Cummins | 1970s-1980s | 1972, 1974 | 1971, 1973 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1985 |
| Frank Cummins | 1970s-1980s | 1972, 1974, 1979 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1985 |
| Ray Cummins | 1960s-1980s | 1972, 1974, 1979 | 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1985 |
| Paddy Delea | 1920s-1930s | 1924, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931 | ||
| Stephen Hayes | 1880s-1890s | 1887, 1889, 1891, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1897, 1898 | ||
| John Horgan | 1970s-1980s | 1972, 1974 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979 |
| Jim Hurley | 1970s-1980s | 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930 | ||
| Dermot Mac Curtain | 1970s-1980s | 1979 | 1975, 1978, 1979 | 1975, 1978, 1979, 1985 |
| Billy Mackessy | 1900s-1910s | 1903, 1908, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913 | ||
| Pat Moylan | 1970s-1980s | 1972, 1974, 1979 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979 |
| John 'Curtis' Murphy | 1880s-1890s | 1887, 1889, 1891, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1897, 1898 | ||
| Seán Óg Murphy | 1910s-1920s | 1913, 1920, 1924, 1925 and 1927 | ||
| Frank Norberg | 1960s-1970s | 1972, 1974 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1979 | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979 |
| Edward 'Marie' O'Connell | 1920s-1930s | 1924, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931 | ||
| Éamonn O'Donoghue | 1970s-1980s | 1974, 1979 | 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979 | 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1985 |
| Peter 'Hawker' O'Grady | 1920s-1930s | 1924, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931 | ||
| John O'Halloran | 1960s-1970s | 1974 | 1973 | 1971, 1973 |
| Johnny Quirke | 1920s-1930s | 1929, 1930, 1931 | ||
| Fergal Ryan | 1990s-2000s | 1999, 2001, 2002 | ||
| Mick Ryan | 1950s | |||
| Wayne Sherlock | 1990s-2000s | 1999, 2001, 2002 | ||
Famous Teams
| Year | Competition | Team A | Score | Team B | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship Final | Blackrock | 5-13 | Rathnure | 6-9 | Bernard Hurley; Pat Casey, Paddy Geary, John Horgan (Capt.); Simon Murphy, Frank Cummins, Frank Norberg; Michael Murphy, Pat Kavanagh; Donie Collins, Ray Cummins, Pat Moylan; Brendan Cummins, John Rothwell, Dave Prendergast. |
| 1974 | All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship Final | Blackrock | (2-14) 3-8 |
Rathnure | (3-11) 1-9 |
Tim Murphy; John Rothwell, Paddy Geary, John Horgan (Capt.); Frank Cummins, C. O’Brien, Frank Norberg; Jack Russell, Pat Moylan; Pat Kavanagh, John O’Halloran, Donie Collins; Dave Prendergast, Ray Cummins, Éamonn O’Donoghue. Subs: S. Kearney, D. Buckley. (Note: Brendan Cummins played in the drawn game.) |
| 1979 | All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship Final | Blackrock | 5-7 | Ballyhale Shamrock | 5-5 | Tim Murphy; Frank Nornerg, C. O’Brien, John Horgan (Capt.); Dermot Mca Curtain, Frank Cummins, Andy Creagh; Tom Cashman, J. O’Grady; Pat Moylan, Tom Lyons, Donie Collins; Éamonn O’Sullivan, Ray Cummins, Éamonn O’Donoghue. Subs: D. Buckley. |
Club Ballads
The club has two ballads written in its honour. "We'll Bring Glory Home" was written by Kenny O'Connell in 1998 and is written about Blackrock Hurling Club and its sister club St. Michael's GAA Football Club. "The Boys of Blackrock" is a much older ballad.
"We'll Bring Glory Home"
Where the south of Cork City meets up with the Lee
And the flags they fly proudly of Golden and Green
You can walk by the castle where the sand meets the foam
And the boys from Blackrock, they'll bring glory home
We'll Bring Glory Home
We'll Bring Glory Home
We're the boys from Blackrock
And we'll Bring Glory Home
We are proud of our heroes who have worn gold and green
With a football or a hurley - they're the best that you've seen
We take pride in our colours and wherever we roam
With Blackrock or St.Michaels, we'll bring glory home
We'll Bring Glory Home
We'll Bring Glory Home
We're the boys from Blackrock
And we'll Bring Glory Home
So wherever you wander - playing fields far and wide
We're The Dazzlers and The Rockies and remember with pride
All those men gone before - those whose legends have grown
We will die for the jersey and we'll bring glory home
We'll Bring Glory Home
We'll Bring Glory Home
We're the boys from Blackrock
And we'll Bring Glory Home
"The Boys of Blackrock"
I met an old hurler now sixty and six,
Who played centre forward and under the sticks,
He played with the Islands, the Redmonds and Barrs,
He had medals to prove it with old battle scars,
He could play don't forget although an old crock,
But the best men he met were the boys of Blackrock.
I asked his opinion what he had to say,
Of the men of the past and the boys of today,
He answered me with a gleam in his eye,
Can you equal the men of the days that's gone by
For the men of today are just chips off the block,
Of the men who won credit for Cork and Blackrock.
If you wanted a hurler you'd find him for sure,
Ballinlough, Ballintemple and around Ballinure,
I don't care what you say but give me the old stock,
And stand up and hurl with the boys of Blackrock.
Can you equal the Coughlans, the Ahernes, the Sheas,
Scannell, Cremin, Curtis and match Stephen Hayes,
I can mention their names from the round of the clock,
The men that won credit for Cork and Blackrock....
'Twas the Rockies taught Ireland what hurling was then,
With science and skill they proved they were men,
Against prejudice they stood many a hard knock
The boys that won credit for Cork and Blackrock
Now all you young hurlers take pattern by me,
And don't waste your time by the banks of the Lee,
Just come down to Beaumont and meet the old stock,
And we'll learn to hurl with the boys of Blackrock.
Bibliography
- East to Mahon, The Story of Blackrock, Ballintemple, Ballinlough, Ballinure and Mahon, Richard Henchion, Dahadore Publications, 15 Wilton Lawn, Cork, 2005. ISBN 0-9541293-2-6
See also
References
- ^ "Ryan goals keep resurgent Rockies on roll". Irish Examiner. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
- ^ O'Callaghan, Theresa (14 November 2015). "Brilliant Blackrock sweep aside anxious Duhallow". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
- ^ "Four-goal Rockies retain crown". Irish Examiner. 2 October 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
- ^ "Rockies rule thanks to Cormack's fine finish". Irish Examiner. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.