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The 42
18 hours ago
- Sport
- The 42
A New York All-Ireland final and Croke Park championship meetings - Kerry and Cavan's history
WHEN CAVAN ARRIVE in Killarney this Saturday, it will mark the first championship fixtures between the sides since 2013. They don't share a storied rivalry. There's not that much in the archives. Prior to that six-point win for Kerry in the All-Ireland quarter-final, they collided in the 1997 All-Ireland semi-final where the Kingdom also triumphed. And then there's the 1947 All-Ireland final which has become a major part of GAA lore on account of the fact it was held at a baseball field in New York. It was certainly an unusual choice of setting, and it would not be the last time the Big Apple would host a Kerry-Cavan clash. The meetings may have been infrequent, but the ones that have occurred amount to a rich and fascinating history between the counties. **** 1947 All-Ireland Final, Polo Grounds, New York: Cavan 2-11 Kerry 2-7 We begin with the most documented tie of the lot. The motivation for bringing the All-Ireland final to New York was to mark the 100-year anniversary of the Great Famine and honour the Irish diaspora who fled to America as a result. A famous encounter followed, immortalised by the words 'just five minutes more' from legendary broadcaster Micheál O'Heir. There had been technical difficulties involved in organising the radio coverage at the Polo Grounds for people back home in Ireland, and O'Heir made the plea to prevent anyone on the airwaves who might disconnect the line. 📸 Members of the Cavan & Kerry squads raise a toast aboard the RMS Queen Mary as they sail home from NYC after the All-Ireland Football Final of 1947 🚢 🗽 🤝 #GAA #Sportsmanship #Legends 💙🤍 💛💚 — John Joe O'Reilly Memorial Monument (@johnjoememorial) October 1, 2022 Footage of that game has been well preserved. Images have been refined and enhanced. One particular shot captures some of the Kerry and Cavan contingent enjoying a drink together on board the Queen Mary while travelling back to Ireland. A book by Mick Dunne called 'The Star Spangled Final' is one such resource that captures the game and the events around it. Another is 'The Fairytale In New York' by Anglo Celt editor, Paul Fitzpatrick. He explains how Cavan played against Kerry at a tournament in London earlier that year, around the same time that Congress passed a vote to play the All-Ireland final in New York. 'As they were coming off the field, the Cavan and Kerry lads were saying, 'Look we'll see ye in New York in September.' 'Simon Deignan was playing at wing-back for Cavan, and went on to win three All-Irelands. He was also a referee. He refereed the Munster final between Kerry and Cork. Then a couple of months later, he was playing against Kerry in the final,' Fitzpatrick says. Air travel was in its infancy in those days but the teams travelled by plane. It took 29 hours to reach the States, according to Fitzpatrick, and the flight was 'unbelievably hairy.' Members of that Cavan team won two more All-Irelands in 1948 and 1952, but have remarked to Fitzpatrick that the '47 outshone them both. The experience exposed them to another world of living. 'The New York thing was just insane, really. You still had rationing in Ireland as well. The Cavan players all said that they couldn't believe that everywhere was lit up, everywhere had full electricity, the shops were full of food.' Advertisement The baseball grounds were not well received by the players as there was very little grass, making the surface difficult to play on. Another inconvenience was the mound of earth in the field where pitchers throw the ball during baseball games. But Cavan still prevailed by four points to become All-Ireland champions having lost the 1943 and 1945 finals. The team was packed with interesting characters, including Willie Doonan who served for the British Army during the war. 'They came from all walks of life,' Fitzpatrick continues. 'John Joe Reilly at centre-back was a commandant in the Irish Army and was nailed on certain future Chief of Staff in the Army before he died. And then you had John Wilson, who went on to become Táinaiste. 'Mick Higgins was born in New York the day that Michael Collins was shot.' The Fairytale of New York by Paul Fitzpatrick. In 1997, 50 years after the 1947 encounter, Kerry and Cavan returned to New York to play out a National League game in Randall's Island. Kerry won 1-12 to 0-8 with Maurice Fitzgerald accounting for 1-10 of the Kerry tally. A tribute match to mark the anniversary of another tribute match. A huge Cavan crowd travelled to honour a team that had just given them a summer to remember. 1997 All-Ireland semi-final: Kerry 1-17 Cavan 1-10 In 1997, Cavan ended a 28-year famine for an Ulster senior title. Their U21s had won a provincial crown the previous year before going on to contest the All-Ireland final. Interestingly, Kerry were their opponents as Cavan lost out by four points. Martin McHugh, an All-Ireland winner with Donegal in 1992, had just come on board as the new Cavan manager. And after losing the 1995 Ulster final, he helped them conquer the province with a one-point win over a Derry team that had won the 1993 All-Ireland. 'Cavan had lost the first round in Ulster seven years in a row, and then McHugh came in,' Fitzpatrick explains. 'The buzz in the county was insane. 'It probably inspired a full generation. In 2020 [when Cavan won the Ulster final], they didn't get that, because obviously it was the height of Covid so kids didn't get to go to the games. They didn't have a proper homecoming or anything.' Kerry were experiencing a drought of their own in those times. They were into their 11th year without a visit from Sam Maguire. That's a lifetime in their world. And when Fintan Cahill crashed home a goal just before half-time, Cavan were 1-7 to 0-9 in front. They could have been even further in front had Peter Reilly's shot not been saved by Declan O'Keeffe. However, Kerry survived the scare and a Mike Frank Russell goal shortly after his introduction from the bench propelled the Kingdom to a 1-17 to 1-10 victory. 'Cavan lost by seven points, but really that flattered Kerry,' says Fitzpatrick. 'They added on a few scores at the very end of the game. It was Maurice Fitzgerald who beat Cavan that day. A couple mark their wedding day by attending the 1997 All-Ireland semi-final between Kerry and Cavan. 'It was seen as a disappointment, because I think even at the time, people knew it was an unbelievable opportunity. Kerry were nervy enough, hadn't won in 11 years. At that stage, Cavan still had an insane support. Related Reads 'You couldn't be happy with Saturday' - Paul Geaney gets ready for charge at Sam Maguire New kickout mark penalty to apply in this weekend's inter-county senior games How will eliminated teams reflect on 2025 Sam Maguire exit? 'There was a couple who got married that day, and they got Seán Quinn's helicopter up to Croke Park and went to the game in their wedding clothes. It's unbelievable. The place went bonkers that time.' 2013 All-Ireland Quarter-Final: Kerry 0-15 Cavan 0-9 In the aftermath of 1997, Fitzpatrick felt that the prevailing sense in the county was that Cavan had arrived. Or, to put it another way, they had returned. Cavan were a dominant force in Ulster during the early 20th century, and 1997 inspired belief that more success would follow. But aside from contesting the 2001 Ulster final, Cavan drifted. Fitzpatrick points to the years between 2009 and 2012 as being particularly grim. 'A bad culture' developed as the county became Division 3 strugglers. But then a shift occurred in 2011. A first Ulster minor title in 37 years was followed by an Ulster U21 four-in-a-row between 2011 and 2014. Some of those emerging stars lined out for Cavan when they arrived in Croke Park to take on Kerry. Among them was Killian Clarke who was named at corner-back while Dara McVeety was added as a late change. Many predicted the breakthrough would be further down the line, but Fitzpatrick disagreed. '2013 was probably as good a chance as any because Monaghan beat them by a point in the Ulster semi-final and [Monaghan] beat Donegal in the final. We're all looking ahead to the years to come and, in actual fact, that was a big opportunity.' After being diverted down the old qualifier route that season, Cavan picked up wins against Fermanagh, Derry (after extra-time) and London. They also defeated Armagh in the Ulster championship earlier in the summer. But by half-time against Kerry, they were 0-11 0-2 down. Cavan's Killian Clarke tackling Kerry forward Darran O'Sullivan in the 2013 All-Ireland quarter-final. Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO They added seven points in the second half with a more spirited display but were wasteful in front of the posts. Kerry always had them at arm's length. Terry Hyland was the Cavan manager at the time, and his defensive style of football didn't suit some of the Cavan purists. 'It made sense because a bit like the current team, they were leaking so many scores,' says Fitzpatrick. 'The problem Terry had was trying to improve that style as the years went on. He went too far the other way. The supporters were getting a bit pissed off in 2013. 'A friend of mine was in the front row of the Hogan stand [for the Kerry game]. Ronan Flanagan went to take a sideline ball and he kicked it back to [Alan] O'Mara in goals, which obviously would be common enough. This ould fella in front of him, leaned across the barrier and threw his program at Flanagan. This was like a Cavan old timer who was still in the catch and kick mode.' Despite the optimism around their successful youths, the titles didn't pour in. They would have to wait until that famous Covid Ulster final in 2020. Players like Pádraig Falkner, Gerard Smith and Ciarán Brady featured along with Clarke and McVeety. A reward at last. There is some disappointment around what those players didn't win, but there is plenty of gratitude for what they did deliver for the county. 'There's huge respect for those fellas at the same time. They brought us from the bottom to Division 1. We're still reliant on probably eight lads that have 100 caps on the senior team at the minute.' Another meeting with Kerry awaits this weekend. Another instalment in the archives.
Telegraph
5 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Summer potato recipes from salads to creamy cheese croquettes
Ah, the humble potato. It's easy to take for granted, but it has a rich and fascinating history – especially in Ireland. Between 1845 and 1852, the Great Famine struck, when disease wiped out the country's main food source, leading to mass starvation. Amid this tragedy, a French chef named Alexis Soyer, who was something of a celebrity in London for cooking for the upper classes, travelled to Dublin and set up a soup kitchen that fed 100 people an hour. He also published affordable cookbooks filled with budget-friendly recipes. I'm lucky enough to have a couple of early editions in my cookbook library, sitting proudly alongside the works of Eliza Acton, Hannah Glasse and other culinary legends. Potatoes truly deserve a starring role on our plates. There are so many incredible varieties available, each with its own flavour, texture and charm – not to mention some fantastic names. French varieties such as Ratte and pink fir apple made their way to Britain in the late 1800s. The knobbly pink fir apple, with its waxy texture and nutty flavour, is a standout. You don't even need to peel it – just give it a good scrub, or boil and then scrape off the skin if you prefer a smoother finish. And then there's the legendary Jersey Royal, which has its own origin story. Hugh de La Haye bought two enormous potatoes with 16 eyes, chopped them up, and shared them with his friends to plant. The following year, on a steep slope by the sea, little kidney-shaped spuds emerged. The Jersey Royal – once nicknamed the Jersey Fluke – was born. I've been lucky enough to see them growing on those steep hills, known as cottles, covered in seaweed that gives them their signature flavour. That waxy, earthy taste makes them ideal for a salad – like my one with creamy cuttlefish and salty samphire. Simple, elegant and bursting with freshness. There are floury potatoes such as Maris Piper, Desiree and King Edward. These fluff up beautifully when cooked, making them perfect for chips, roasties or anything that needs a bit of crispiness. They're great all-rounders too, which makes them spot-on for a rösti. Speaking of which, rösti is one of those underrated potato dishes that deserves more love in UK kitchens. Originating in 16th-century Switzerland as a breakfast dish for farmers, it's traditionally made from grated cooked potatoes. Golden, crispy and comforting – it's a real winner. So next time you reach for a potato, remember – there's a whole lot of history and flavour packed into that little tuber.
Budapest Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Budapest Times
Victim emerges from the shadows cast by her killer
The wives of the book's subtitle are Corrine "Cora" Turner, otherwise known as music-hall performer Belle Elmore, who Hawley Harvey Crippen killed in 1910, and before her, Charlotte Bell, who died in highly suspicious but unprovable circumstances. The mistress is Ethel Le Neve, Crippen's secretary whose affair with him led to the burying of Cora in the cellar. It's meaningful that it is Cora who adorns the book cover, flamboyantly dressed as Belle, when the many stories about the case over the years have usually been illustrated with Crippen's widely recognisable image of trademark thick glasses and droopy moustache. And that subtitle relegates him to final place – 'The Wives, the Mistress and Doctor Crippen'. This is non-fiction, and the choices of presentation reflect that it is the story of a murder, not a murderer, writes Hallie Rubenhold. To the author, the difference is that after Cora was slain it was Crippen and other men who controlled the aspects of her tale, her experiences and opinions, and it would be Crippen's version, his assertions about her, that would endure. In the century-plus since, there have been voices protesting Crippen's innocence, that the human remains were not Belle's, and if they were she was a wanton woman who deserved to die anyway. Rubenhold touches on this side of the case, for balance, but says it is not so. The author is known as a social historian and she might be said to be something of a specialist in the violent demise of women, having published 'The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper' in 2019. This new book, she pledges, will remove the killer Crippen as the star and fully restore the predominent but peripheral women into focus. Charlotte Jane Bell it is, then, who is first introduced. She was born on April 20, 1858 in Ireland. The family was Protestant, farmers but tenants in debt on land that barely yielded enough to live on. During the Great Famine of 1845 to 1851 some one million Irish emigrated. Charlotte's father Arthur died of typhoid in August 1868 and the daughter, aged 19, began teaching in Northamptonshire in 1877. Her mother Susan and sister Selina left for New York in 1882 with Charlotte either accompanying them or following soon after. Charlotte trained as a nurse, almost certainly at the Deaconess Institute of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a homeopathic hospital, and it was there she met Doctor Crippen, leading to their marriage on December 13, 1887. Crippen had been born illegitimate in Coldwater, Michigan, in 1862, either in July or September 11. As Rubenhold says, his life was riddled with such mysteries and gaps, and this was just the first. It's not the only time her meticulous research hits stumbling blocks, but they are fairly minor and she works around them. In September 1882 Crippen took his first steps to a career in medicine, at the University of Michigan Homeopathic Medical College in Ann Arbor. He dedicated himself to studying the reproductive organs of women, exploring the link between mental illness and gynaecological 'irregularities', believing the former to be caused by the female reproductive systems. Rubenhold says his 'scientific' conclusions make for profoundly disturbing reading. Crippen was less a bona fide doctor than a quack, a con man and pedlar of fake nostrums. Thus he was edgy too, and after the couple married in Denver they went immediately to start their life in San Diego, California. The city, still a lawless 'western' place, didn't work out for them and they returned to New York in 1890. Next, Crippen dictated another abrupt switch, to Salt Lake City, Utah, most likely, the author asserts, to flee debtors. A suspicion arose that Charlotte was being mistreated by her husband, and on January 24, 1892, she died, her death attributed to 'apoplexy' (a stroke). 'How an otherwise healthy 33-year-old woman came to suddenly suffer a stroke is a mystery,' Rubenhold proclaims. Neighbours had seen him throw a book at her, striking her in the back of the neck, and the next day a neighbour called but found Charlotte dead. Nothing could be proved. She had sent letters to her brother complaining that Crippin was making her undergo abortions. Crippen's first wife had been in her grave for hardly more than six months when he met Corrine Turner. 'Cora' was born on September 3, 1873, in the poverty of Brooklyn. From an early age she displayed a talent for performing, imitating animals and singing. She became a maid, her employer making her pregnant. Enter Crippen, recently arrived from Salt Lake City and now an assistant to a homeopathic physician with a specialism in gynaecology and obstetrics – and discreet abortions, which were a felony. They married in 1894. Rubenhold: 'How the relationship between a doctor and a vulnerable patient who had just endured a harrowing, illegal procedure then grew into a romantic affair begs many questions.' Somehow, Crippen's young and fertile wife was persuaded to have her ovaries removed in winter 1894-5, but while the operation erased Crippen's concerns about parental liability, it was to have a traumatic and devastating effect on Cora's life, the scars of her ordeal proving both physical and emotional. It was like entering menopause but in her 20s. Still, if Cora could not have children, she would sing. She went to New York for voice training and her husband was sent to Toronto for six months to set up a company. Acquaintances noticed a growing fissure in the relationship, though back in London the couple continued to present as happy. They kept up a respectable and amiable front, for in Edwardian Britain divorce would not be possible. Crippen would be unable, certainly not when his wife's physical impediments meant she could not have committed adultery. And there were his own misdemeanours with a mistress 21 years younger than himself. The next major player in the impending tragedy was Ethel Le Neve, born in a two-room cottage in rural Norfolk, UK, on January 22, 1883. As an adolescent, she seized on growing work opportunities for women by joining Pitman's Metropolitan School in London to learn shorthand and typing. She joined Crippen's office in about 1902 and they became lovers. Ethel wanted to marry her employer, a glamorous American doctor, a man who attended parties of celebrated performers, entertained her in expensive restaurants, made love to her in hotels, bought her jewellery and took her to France. But he strung her along and she endured a 'miscarriage'. To Ethel, the ungrateful Cora had everything she rightly deserved. In January 1910 Crippen bought hyocine hydrobromide at a chemist and poisoned Cora, mutilating her and burying the headless and boneless remains in the cellar. Now Rubenhold brings more of her peripheral women into the story. Cora was treasurer of the Music Hall Ladies' Guild, a charitable organisation that also gave women a unified voice to agitate for social change, labour rights and the vote. When the guild received Cora's resignation saying she had to suddenly go abroad, suspicions were aroused. Crippen had forged the notes. The ladies contacted Scotland Yard, Cora/Belle's buried torso was found and Crippen and Ethel fled by sea in disguise. They were recognised aboard and arrested on arrival in Canada. Crippen was found guilty at the Old Bailey in London and hanged. Ethel was acquitted. Rubenhold's historical detection goes behind the prevailing myths to present a fascinating retelling of a true crime that has already been much told. The book quickly grips, taking the reader on a riveting ride to the end. Fortunately fact rules over supposition as the author draws on achival documents and accounts, though we might question colourful detail such as, 'The jury leaned forward to stare at him. The wooden benches and tip-seats of the Old Bailey creaked amid the expectant hush of the room.' Nice detail, but really?
Belfast Telegraph
7 days ago
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
Restaurant review: You can't lose at this Co Down gastropub where quantity and quality go hand in hand
The quality of a restaurant in Ulster used to be measured by the weight on the plate. In some more remote parts and in some towns where they should know better, this is still the case. Foreign visitors, particularly Italians, would report back in surveys how much they enjoyed their visit to Ireland but — mama mia! — those lunches and dinners, were these meant for wrestlers, heavyweight boxers and weight lifters? The sheer volumes of spuds, meat, vegetables and gravy — piled in a rough pyramid — provoked anxiety and depression in many of them because the thought of having to eat their way through all this was just too much. And yet, this pile-it-high approach was always intended as an expression of generosity and hospitality — a desire not to let your guests go hungry. I'm convinced it is a throwback to the Great Famine and the profound traumas caused by seeing so many die of starvation, which developed a fear in us of not having enough food and became a generational memory passed on to the present day. Irish mammies would put a priority on volume.
Daily Record
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
The Crown fans love 'simply wonderful' period drama you can now stream on Netflix
The TV drama sees Jenna Coleman star as Queen Victoria during the early years of her reign as Queen of England For those enchanted by the allure of royalty or simply fans of being whisked away into the sagas of yesteryears, there's a series currently captivating audiences. Victoria is a British television drama where Jenna Coleman shines as a young Queen Victoria during the initial stages of her rule over England. Since its premiere in 2016, the stirring series encompasses three seasons, with enthusiasts drawing parallels to Netflix 's widely successful The Crown. An enthusiastic reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes remarked: "Just like The Crown covers Queen Elizabeth II's life throughout her reign, this series covers Queen Victoria's. "It almost looks like they are twin series full of drama, romance, politics and good historical accuracy." In the inaugural season, viewers are granted a dramatised window into the queen's ascension to the throne at the tender age of 18, her early infatuation with Lord Melbourne, her marriage to Prince Albert, and not least, the birth of her firstborn and successor, Princess Victoria. Progressing through the series, we see Victoria evolve into the formidable monarch she is remembered as while she wrestles with her domestic role as wife and mother. The series also delves into pivotal historical moments such as the turmoil of the Anglo-Afghan War and the Great Famine in Ireland, reports Surrey Live. A viewer enthused: "This show is so beautiful! The costumes and sets are designed with no detail left untouched. The episode where they visit France was my favourite. "All the actors are well suited for this show, and I like the balance between the royals and the staff." Amidst the potential controversy that typically accompanies actors taking on the roles of past political and historical figures, it appears there is a consensus that Jenna Coleman excelled in their depiction of the 19th-century monarch. Tom Hughes portrays Prince Albert, enhancing his professional reputation through the series while also being recognised for performances in Cemetery Junction, Red Joan and The English. A critic noted: "Jenna Coleman is delightful as Queen Victoria, giving her a strong and decided personality, with endearing moments of self-doubt and vulnerability," adding, "The story progresses at an adequate pace; it never feels slow or that it's keeping pace, as period dramas sometimes do. "The supporting cast is wonderful, and Albert was perfectly cast, as the actor beautifully conveys the chemistry and respect he feels for Victoria." Following three acclaimed seasons, the popular drama concluded in 2019, with the final episode airing in May, leaving fans eager to binge-watch on Netflix. ITV remarked at the time: "There are no plans presently to film Victoria, but that's not to say we won't revisit the series with the production team at a later date."
