Kilconieron

Ice Creams, Hurleys, Dances & Caning

Mon, 24 May 2010 22:32:21 +0100

Lenny Connaughton from Clostoken hurled for Clostoken, Kilconieron and Loughrea during the early 1960s .
His family shop was the hub of the parish. Sunday hurling in an adjacent field was followed by players & spectators descending on the shop for ice cream and soft drinks. The premise was also renowned for card games and dances with Lenny's musically-minded mother happily serving as the local DJ with her wide collection of gramophone records. Lenny also provides Michael Fahy with many examples of the harsh regime that held sway in the local school when he was a pupil there

Memories of a Clostoken Teenager

Mon, 24 May 2010 22:20:35 +0100

In the second part of his interview with Michael Fahy, Lenny Connaughton expresses his sadness at the lost sporting opportunities denied to the players of his youth by the harsh realities of emigration and by the decision of the powers-that-be to split the Kilconieron parish into two competing teams. He also provides a wonderful insight into the social life of a teenage in rural Galway during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Always Look on the Bright Side!

Mon, 24 May 2010 21:45:10 +0100

In the final part of his interview with Michael Fahy, Lenny Connaughton waxes eloquently on the values that he has endeavoured to live by and that he feels is best summarised in the old Irish 'seanfhocail' of "Mol an Óige agus Tiocfaidh siad" ("Praise the youth and they will come").

Breaking the “Widow’s Curse”

Mon, 24 May 2010 21:41:01 +0100

Fr. Vincent Lawless played hurling for Kilconieron Junior's during the 1950's. Unusual for the time, no person from the parish had become a priest for 100 years until his ordination in 1957, which local tradition believed broke a "widow's curse" as he recounts in this interview with Michael Fahy. Vincent talks of his clerical studies at Ballinafad & Cloughballymore in county Galway and on how both estates had both been donated by a Catholic landlord to the Society of African Missions partly as a result of another widow's curse.

Two Finalists from the Same Parish!

Mon, 24 May 2010 21:28:47 +0100

In the second part of his conversation with Michael Fahy, Father Vincent Lawless talks of the great Kilconieron team that won the memorable 1957 Galway East Board Junior final against a team from its own parish. Vincent tells how a few weeks later, he left Ireland to join the Catholic missions in Nigeria where he worked for 33 years. He talks of how he had his first encounter with ‘blaggards’ on the sea journey to Africa,

A Hurler’s Missionary Life in Nigeria

Mon, 24 May 2010 21:25:27 +0100

In this episode, Fr. Vincent Lawless talks about his 33 years working in Nigeria where his fondest memories where of building churches, establishing new Catholic communities, training lay leaders and providing carpentry and tailor skills to local people

“...Connacht Tribune Is Like A Letter, Only More So...”

Mon, 24 May 2010 21:18:36 +0100

In the final part of his interview, Fr Vincent Lawless tells Michael Fahy how he stayed in touch whilst in Nigeria with life in Kilconieron particularly the hurling by reading the Connacht Tribune. He feels that he is responsible for the famous quote that the paper used for years to demonstrate its importance to the Irish Diaspora, namely "The Connacht Tribune, is like a letter only more so". For the All-Ireland finals, the local Irish use to hook up a home-made aerial to the tallest tree in the locality to listen to Irish radio.
His first appointment on his return to Ireland after 33 years in NIgeria was as parish priest of Kilornan where he re-established his love of Gaelic sports by becoming chairperson of the loca Camogie club

A Miller’s Son

Mon, 24 May 2010 21:15:27 +0100

Denis Keary is a farmer, local GAA club member, and member of the Kilconieron Parish GAA Development Fund Committee. Denis's brother Pat hurled for Clostoken during the 1950's and later helped establish the Galway Association and promote hurling in New York. In his conversation with Michael Fahy, Denis reflects on his father's life as the local miller and on how rural electrification led to the demise of the water-powered mill which was once a mainstay of integral part of Irish country parishes

Farm, School & Club

Mon, 24 May 2010 21:12:20 +0100

Jimmy Spellman is a former hurler, long serving committee member of Kilconieron GAA Club and Galway County Board official. Jimmy talks to Michael Fahy about life on the family farm in Clostoken, the tough regime at the local school and on how emigration robbed so many clubs of their players in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Happy Memories of a GAA Committee Member!

Mon, 24 May 2010 21:06:34 +0100

In the second part of his interview with Michael Fahy, Jimmy Spellman talks of his experiences serving on GAA committees and provides a fascinating insight into the behind-the-scenes lobbying and negotiations that a parish club faces in securing land for a playing pitch.

Hurling: a proud family tradition

Mon, 24 May 2010 21:02:44 +0100

Jimmy Keogh, Honourary President of Kilconieron Club, has a strong family hurling background with his uncle Mick Keogh winning an All-Ireland Medal for Galway in 1923. Mick is in fact the only man in the parish to win a Senior All-Ireland Medal. Mick's cousin, Jack Keogh, also played in the All-Ireland Final in 1924.

Hurling: From Clostoken to London & Back Again

Mon, 24 May 2010 20:51:38 +0100

Mickey Connaughton, former Clostoken and Galway hurler, was a member of the 1962 Galway Intermediate team that won the Munster Intermediate Championship.
In this episode Mickey discusses the circumstances of the eye injury that forced him to prematurely end his playing career. He talks too of his hurling as a youth with Kilchreest, Kilconieron, Closteken, Loughrea and with Cashen Rovers in London where he, as with many of his generation, emigrated to in the hope of finding work.

The interview was conducted by Michael Fahy

Turning Referee

Mon, 24 May 2010 20:48:14 +0100

Mickey Connaughton, former Clostoken and Galway hurler, continues his chat with Michael Fahy, discussing his days with the Galway team that played in the Munster Championship in the early 1960s.
He reflects too on the incident in the 1968 Galway senior county semi-final that he refereed when the Turloughmore goalkeeper staged a sit-down protest over an umpire's decision.