Genealogy and GAA

[RootJJ]

I wonder if any of you fellow board members might be able to point me in the right direction...?

I'm researching my family tree and, whilst chatting to a cousin, they said their father played Gaelic Football for his county when he was young - to a degree where he won several medals!

I've tried the obvious Google/Yahoo websearches but not turned up anything useful except past All-Ireland results.  What I'm really looking for is a list of past team members so I can check if my Great-Uncle managed to make it to a final itself.

All the information I've got to go on is that he was called John Curran and was born in Cavan in 1907.   I suppose I'm looking around the 1925 - 1940 era.  Anyone have any useful websites I could search?

Thanks for any advice!

[stew]

The mormons are deadly for digging up family trees and history, they are the worlds leading authority on the matter and I bet if you contact them they will be able to help you. They can root out old newspaper articles etc and they are brilliant altogether.

I used them for our crowd, turns out I am more prod than fenian no matter my leanings but I wa in awe at what they found out, it is absolutely fascinating what you find out about where you came from historically speaking.

[Orior]

Stick a message on the Cavan board of this genology website and you're sure to get some geek who will reply.

http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.britisles.ireland.cav.general/mb.ashx

[GalwaySham]

If you post the name of the guy who played for Cavan on this board, you might get somebody who has read something about him etc.

[Hardy]

I have a book that lists all the teams in Senior All-Ireland Finals. Cavan contested the finals of 1928, 33, 35, 37, 43, 45, 47 and more, but I'll stop there. There is no Curran listed in any of those teams. The lists include the starting fifteens and any subs who played.

So to answer your specific question, he never played for Cavan in a senior All-Ireland Final. Of course, he could have won medals at minor or junior, or Senior Ulster Championship or League medals.

[Shamrock Shore]

My Mother in Law has a hardback 'The History of Cavan GAA - 1884 to 1969ish' somewhere.

Next time I'm in the house I'll look up the relative.

[AZOffaly]

He could also have been an unused sub?

[Orior]

My Mother in Law has a hardback

Try a new mattress.

[bcarrier]

Cavan gaa site is all over shop but this is cached:


Match Reports


THE FIRST ALL IRELAND TITLE (1933)
1933 All Ireland Final Cavan 2-5 Galway 1-4

After their famous victory in Breffni Park over Kerry in the 1933 All Ireland Semi-Final, Cavan entered the final against Galway as favourites. Despite the poor transport facilities and the hardships of the Economic War, a record crowd of 45,188 turned up in Croke Park.



1933 All Ireland Winning Team
Back row: (l to r).
J. Gilheaney (President), W. Young, J. Smallhorne, D. Morgan, V. Mc Govern, M. Dinneny, J. J. Clarke, (Secretary)
Middle:
Captain J.P. Murphy (Manager), P. Mc Namee, P. Brady, T. O' Reilly, W. Connolly, T. O' Reilly (Cornafean), P. Devlin, H. O' Reilly, J. Rahill, M. O' Reilly (trainer)

Front:
T. Crowe, L. Blessing, P. Phair, J. Smith (Captain), P. Lynch, T. Coyle, M. J. Magee

A downpour of rain spoiled the game. Scores were hard to come by and the teams were level at 0-2 each after 20 minutes. Cavan got a lucky break when captain Jim Smith sent a '50' direct to the Galway net. Another goal, this time from M.J. (Sonny) Magee, put Cavan in the driving seat at the interval, on a scoreline of 2-3 to 0-2. Galway battled bravely in the second half but Cavan's victory was assured long before the final whistle. There were great scenes of jubilation when Jim Smith became the first Cavan and Ulster man to collect the Sam Maguire Cup.

Cavan Willie Young, Willie Connolly, Patsy Lynch, Mick Dinneny Terry Coyle Jim Smith (capt.) Packie Phair Hughie O'Reilly, Tom O'Reilly (Cornafean), Donal Morgan, Packie Devlin, Jack Smallhorne, Vincent McGovern, Louis Blessing, M.J. (Sonny) Magee



Cavan parade to victory over Kerry in Breffni Park in 1933

CAVAN'S SECOND SAM MAGUIRE WIN
1935 All Ireland Final Cavan 3-6 Kildare 2-5
Cavan claimed their second All-Ireland title at senior level when they had four points to spare over pre-match favourites Kildare in the 1935 final. With a great first-half display of fast, bustling football, Cavan surprised the Leinster champions. The Cavan midfield of Hughie Reilly and Tom Reilly (Mullahoran) dominated proceedings and the famous Kildare forwards were never able to play to their potential.

The decisive Cavan scores were a pair of first-half goals from corner forward Packie Boylan. After the break, a third goal, from Tom Reilly (Mullahoran), put Cavan nine points clear and a late Kildare rally only put some respectability on the scoreline. The large Cavan support among the record crowd of 50,380 were wild with delight after the final whistle, and the captain, Hughie Reilly, was chaired to the stand to receive the Sam Maguire Cup.


1935 All Ireland Winning Team
Back row: (l to r).
P. Mc Namee, J. Molloy, E. Finegan, T. Dolan, M. Dinneny, J. White, W. Connolly, N. O' Reilly, J. Smallhorne, T. O' Reilly, W. Young, V. Mc Govern, J. Mitchell.

Front
P. Boylan, D. Morgan, T. O' Reilly (Mullahoran), J. Smith, H. O' Reilly (Capt.) P. Devlin, L. Blessing, M.J. Magee, P. Phair



Cavan team on their return voyage from America in 1936

[bcarrier]

Here's a photograph of 1932 Cavan county champions cornafean. J Curran is in front row.


http://www.cornafean.com/GAA%20history.htm

[RootJJ]

That's him!  Yep, my Great Uncle John is *definitely* the 'J Curran' on the front row!