Bishops and the GAA

[oilean]

When was the last year a bishop started an All Ireland by throwing the ball in?
Also did a player lead the way in refusing to kiss the bishops ring one year??

[RealSpiritof98]

somebody's at a quiz!!!!!!!!

[oilean]

Not a quiz ... this time - just met someone last week that was looking for the answer!

[customsandrevenue]

Blessed the blue shirts in Dun Laoghaire - C Moore of Kildare.

'Even the Olives were bleeding' - See the 'On The Buses' thread.

Wrong time of knight to ask this as you'll be accused of being a pawn and end up rookied.

[Shamrock Shore]

Some of the older lads may know but certainly there was none of this craic in the 70s.

Also Faith of our Fathers used to be sung as well before the finals.

If I were to hazard a guess I would say it was gone by the early 60s. I never heard of a player refusing to kiss the Bishop's ring (oo'er missus) but fair play to him if he did.

[Hardy]

As someone who's nearly as ould as Bud Wiser, TYP, Lar, Oráisteach, etc. I'd say you're about right, SS. I never saw it in my time.

[mylestheslasher]

I think it was done away with in 50's and then for a while there was a ceremonial throw in that did not start the game. I did see in breffni a few years ago Sean brady was brought on to meet the players like he was the president. Thought it very wrong myself. Even more so now when we know what he did.

[Hardy]

I've narrowed it down. The bish threw in for the 1964 football final. OK it's not clear it's a bishop, but nobody else was throwing in balls at that stage. Note the forwards lined up with the midfielders for the throw-in. Note also that the "Toy Sock" was in attendance.

I can't find anything for 1965 but by 1966, the referee did the throwing, only the midfielders contested the throw and there was no bishop to be seen. Bishop introductions to the captains may have continued post 1964, but they weren't throwing in.

As regards ring-kissing, that would certainly have been part of all bishop introductions. It was the standard form of bishop greeting apart altogether from football well into the seventies and maybe later, as far as I remember.

I'm fairly certain nobody ever refused to kiss the Episcopal hoop – that would have been unforgettable.

[Shamrock Shore]

I've axed the auld lad, whose first AIF would have been the late 40s and he cannot recall exactly.

I'd say Hardy is more or less spot on with somewhere between 64 and 66 (which I spose is 1965).

What in the namajazes did the plummy lad call Lemass? The Toy sock LOL!

[OverThePostsAWide]

When was it last done in an Ulster final? I seem to recall Cardinal O'Fiaich throwing the ball in (and cassock flying) for the 1985 Ulster Final! Or was that just a one-off? I remember me and the oul fella having a laugh at the ridiculousness of it...

[Lar Naparka]

I think it was done away with in 50's and then for a while there was a ceremonial throw in that did not start the game. I did see in breffni a few years ago Sean brady was brought on to meet the players like he was the president. Thought it very wrong myself. Even more so now when we know what he did.

I think you are on the right course, myles.
The habit of having the archbishop of Cashel and Emly throw in the ball to start AI finals was discontinued around the beginning of the 60s. (I can't remember the exact year.)
However, that didn't get rid of the hoors entirely.
For 20 more years or so, the bish of the time would toddle onto the pitch and throw in the ball alright but the ref would blow up almost immediately after this and award a throw-in. With forwards joining in the fun as well as the midfielders, the ref never needed a reason to decide a melee was in progress.
The bishop of Cashel and Emly always did the bizz because he was in direct line of descent from Archbishop Croke.

PS. Bishops were horrid fond of getting people to kiss their rings at every possible opportunity. 
Back in '69, the year I started teaching,Archbishop  McQuaid came to the school to perform the official opening ceremony. The poor principal solemnly told me I was expected to kiss John Charles' ring when I was introduced to him.
I was just as serious when I looked him in the eye and informed him  that JC could go and kiss my ring if he liked but I was bending no knee to anyone.
(Some of us had been nibbling away at the goodies that had been laid on for the reception and I was well and truly 'up for the match' at that stage.)

[Orior]

As someone who's nearly as ould as Bud Wiser, TYP, Lar, Oráisteach, etc. I'd say you're about right, SS. I never saw it in my time.

Yes, but who has a mental age of 12?

[ONeill]

I've narrowed it down. The bish threw in for the 1964 football final. OK it's not clear it's a bishop, but nobody else was throwing in balls at that stage. Note the forwards lined up with the midfielders for the throw-in. Note also that the "Toy Sock" was in attendance.

I can't find anything for 1965 but by 1966, the referee did the throwing, only the midfielders contested the throw and there was no bishop to be seen. Bishop introductions to the captains may have continued post 1964, but they weren't throwing in.

As regards ring-kissing, that would certainly have been part of all bishop introductions. It was the standard form of bishop greeting apart altogether from football well into the seventies and maybe later, as far as I remember.

I'm fairly certain nobody ever refused to kiss the Episcopal hoop – that would have been unforgettable.

Fiddler, I think that was the GAA president throwing the ball in in those days. He definitely did in the 59 final.

[Hardy]

OK - we're gradually piecing things together. Future generations will turn to gaaboard.com as the standard reference.

I didn't know presidents ever did that, but looking around, I find it wasn't just presidents and bishops. I came across this fella throwing in the ball for the 1920 AIF - a repeat of the Bloody Sunday pairing of Dublin-Tipp.

[ONeill]

Here's the '59 final when the president threw her in - Galway v Kerry