1953 revisited: Seán Moran looks at the last meeting of Armagh and Kerry in a final through the eyes of Kerry's Tom Ashe and newspaper reports
Few expected the All-Ireland football final of 1953 to attract the sort of crowd that arrived on September 27th at Croke Park. In fact a record crowd of 86,155 turned up.
This remains the fifth highest attendance at Croke Park, surpassed only by the three crowds of more than 87,000 - Dublin-Kerry (1955), Down-Kerry (1960) and Dublin-Galway (1963) - and the enduring record of 90,556 that attended the 1961 final between Down and Offaly.
PD Mehigan, better know as Carbery and who under the name Pato was Gaelic Games correspondent of this newspaper, wrote about the atmosphere in the city.
"I do not think I ever saw so many motor cars in Dublin - not even in Eucharistic Congress year. When I crossed the city on Sunday after Mass the lanes of cars crowded both sides far out into the suburbs.
"All Ulster seemed to be here; saffron and white favours still dominated. The Gaels from the hotbed of bitterness - Portadown - had an outstanding banner and the groups of young men carrying raucous rattles were the highest spirited of the early arrivals at Croke Park where the gates were opened at 10.30."
Armagh had won the Ulster title three years previously but lost heavily to Mayo in the semi-final. This time around they recorded a narrow victory over Roscommon, 0-8 to 0-7, to reach their first All-Ireland final. It was estimated on the day that the Armagh supporters outnumbered Kerry's by as much as five to one.
Kerry were at the end of one of the county's seven-year itches - 1946 was their most recent title.
The 1953 Munster final in Killarney saw Kerry depose champions Cork. One man who made an impact that day was Dingle's Tom Ashe. He came in as a substitute, scored the decisive goal and got sent off. In an interview with Weeshie Fogarty on Radio Kerry, Ashe later recalled the incident.
"Neilly Duggan was in the middle of the field. He was giving Tadhgie Lyne a hard time even though he was more a half forward. The next thing they put me out on Neilly Duggan, thinking I'd stick him better than Tadhgie. We were running for a ball and Neilly thinking it was Tadhgie, let fly and hit me across the mouth and put my teeth bleeding.
"I ran after him and hit him two right good ones and the next thing the ref comes up and says, 'I warned you before three weeks ago in Tralee (a league match against Mayo). You're going off.'
"I walked over and passed Bishop Moynihan (of Kerry) sitting in the side. And he says to me, 'You were right, Tom'. I says I'm after getting a blessing - I can't be suspended. But I got a month."
Back in time for the All-Ireland semi-final, Ashe played a crucial role for Kerry in the defeat of Louth who had defeated them at the same stage three years previously.
"Tadhgie Lyne had a great looping kick," recalled Ashe, "and I could tell to within a couple of yards where it would drop."
Armed with this knowledge the Kerry corner forward was on hand to convert two slips by Louth full back Tom Conlon into two goals for a total of 2-1.
The final was a tense, evenly contested affair with Kerry always looking to have a little bit in hand. Referee Peter McDermott would make his own bit of history. A year later he returned this time to captain Meath to the All-Ireland. But in 1953 he became a central figure in the final.
PD Mehigan described the lead-up to one of the great turning points in All-Ireland history, deep into the second half.
"Tadhg Lyne had three points in a row and Kerry were again on top but Armagh were still there with a battling chance. They forced their way upfield and McEvoy sent a deceptive ball to the Kerry goal. Foley made his first mistake of the hour - nearly a fatal one. He fumbled with the dropping ball and had to back almost over his own goal line.
"As he swerved to avoid the Armagh charge he dropped the ball to the ground, gathered it and managed to clear. There was an Armagh protest to the goal umpire. Referee Peter McDermott consulted both umpires and promptly awarded a penalty kick - "all out but Foley.
"McCorry was entrusted with the shot which would have put the Ulster champions in front. Groans arose from the Armagh crowds around me as the ball flashed a yard wide. Armagh's glorious chance was gone, and time was now short."
Ashe is able to shed more light on the incident. "In those days the whole team would line across the field before a penalty. This was as much to confuse the goalkeeper as anything. As they ran forward a Kerry player ran up behind Bill McCorry and gave his jersey a little tug and it went just that much wide."
Bill McCorry has since passed away but in that instant he became synonomous with Armagh's tantalising defeat. Former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon, who would himself play for Armagh, has recounted the memory of his father, tears running down his cheeks, stamping on his hat when the match was over.
But not everyone was convinced that the penalty miss had distorted the match. John D Hickey, in the Irish Independent had this to say.
"In the light of the fact that Armagh failed to score from a penalty and that subsequently they squandered many golden chances of points, it may seem ungracious to say so but, everything considered, I have no hesitation in putting on record that Kerry deserved their triumph."
