Bishops and the GAA

[ONeill]

This article claims

Then you remember the backs go back but the forwards remained for the throw-in, so there was quite a crowd present around the referee for the start of the game. And the game used to be started by the Archbishop of Cashel. I have been trying to find out when this practice stopped. It appears to have been the mid-seventies. John Moloney recalls the Archbishop throwing in the ball in the 1974 All-Ireland. He also refereed the 1975 Munster football final and Bishop Casey threw in the ball. John recalls the Bishop saying to him 'If I throw it to a Kerry man, is it a foul?' followed by a loud guffaw. Am I right in remembering the Bishop or Archbishop in danger as he scurried back to the safety of the stand? And, wasn't there a time when there was a mock throw-in and then the real one after the Archbishop was back in his seat?

but the video footage suggests different. Half way through this you'll see the ref throwing it in.

[Shamrock Shore]

Had there been a bishop pegging around things on All Ireland Final day in the 70s (esp 1974) I would have recalled it so yon John Moloney lad is wrong.

[Hardy]

Definitely.

Devlin the referee - I'd totally forgotten him - a comical figure with huge, dramatic expansive gestures, delivered after sprinting to the point of issue.

Some very interesting aspects to that footage of the '59 final. It's the only footage I've ever seen of the legendary Purcell and Stockwell. I didn't know any existed. Interesting to see Mick Garrett playing for Galway. He was a member of our club at the time - stationed with the army in Gormanston. The distance they're getting in their kicks is remarkable, given the ball and boot technololgy of the time. And John Dowling looked a hell of a full forward.

[ONeill]

Well, if the president threw it in in 1959, in 1958 the bishop did, badly. This interview (look for Jim McKeever - 3rd one down) is extremely interesting.

[ONeill]

Look at this - 1975 Munster final - Bishop (dr) Eamon Casey - http://youtu.be/lCUxudWLwtk

[Hardy]

So it seems it wasn't a policy decision, "no more bishops" - more a gradual dying out of the custom, at least in the country as a whole, whatever about Croke Park occasions.

Interesting to hear McKeever say, "Kevin Heffernan, who was left corner forward and THEREFORE at the front of the row..." I hadn't realised there was set format to the line out.