Sean Robbins & Dowling Cups

[Coolestown1562]

With Rory Hannify and Roy Malone ( ) heading off into the sunset again with the respective cups, it got me thinking about the history of the cups. Every year club players come together with the intention of claiming either cup, but most of us are unaware of the men behind the cups. Any 'brains' out there that will fiil us in on the men behind both?

[Plain of the Herbs]

The Dowling Cup was presented to the board in 1954 by the Dowling family, John Dowlings father and two brothers (ie John's uncles).
Sean Robbins was a long serving county board official (secretary, I think, but I need to check). He was also an inter-county referee in his time. He passed away in 1959 and a cup in his memory was first presented to the senior hurling champions the following year. Prior to that there was no cup for the winners. The Leinster Under 21 hurling trophy is also named in his honour.
While we're at it, anyone know anything about James Clarke or Michael Keary, after whom the Intermediate and Junior hurling cups are named? I wonder how the minor hurling cup is known as the FCA Cup?

With Rory Hannify and Roy Malone ( ) heading off into the sunset again with the respective cups, it got me thinking about the history of the cups. Every year club players come together with the intention of claiming either cup, but most of us are unaware of the men behind the cups. Any 'brains' out there that will fiil us in on the men behind both?

[Plain of the Herbs]

Sean Robbins is described in Music of the Ash as a driving force of Offaly GAA in the earlier half of the last century. A Birr native, he served two terms as county chairman and served as Leinster Council chairman between those two terms when he succeeded Bob O'Keeffe. He was also a President of the county board and was also a prominent referee and refereed at All-Ireland level and also Leinster senior hurling finals in 1932, '33, '34 & '35 as well as the Leinster football final second replay in 1934.

He passed away shortly after Offaly won their first Leinster football title in 1960.

[Coolestown1562]

Sean Robbins is described in Music of the Ash as a driving force of Offaly GAA in the earlier half of the last century. A Birr native, he served two terms as county chairman and served as Leinster Council chairman between those two terms when he succeeded Bob O'Keeffe. He was also a President of the county board and was also a prominent referee and refereed at All-Ireland level and also Leinster senior hurling finals in 1932, '33, '34 & '35 as well as the Leinster football final second replay in 1934.

He passed away shortly after Offaly won their first Leinster football title in 1960.

Any mention of his War of Independence and Civil War involvement? I see in Tipperary the county senior hurling cup is called after Dan Breen.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Something tells me you know more about this than I do.
Anyway, the only reference in The Music of the Ash is to a county board meeting held on 2nd December 1923 at which a resolution was passed calling for the release of prisoners including Sean Robbins and several others and that Robbins had been released by the time of the County Board convention in February ’24 at which convention Robbins was renominated as one of the vice-presidents and that the other nominee, a Lar Langton of Kinnitty, was still imprisoned.
There doesn’t appear to be any other references in the book to Robbins’ political involvement around that time

Any mention of his War of Independence and Civil War involvement? I see in Tipperary the county senior hurling cup is called after Dan Breen.

[Coolestown1562]

Something tells me you know more about this than I do.
Anyway, the only reference in The Music of the Ash is to a county board meeting held on 2nd December 1923 at which a resolution was passed calling for the release of prisoners including Sean Robbins and several others and that Robbins had been released by the time of the County Board convention in February ’24 at which convention Robbins was renominated as one of the vice-presidents and that the other nominee, a Lar Langton of Kinnitty, was still imprisoned.



Cheers POTH,

i wouldnt say no more about it than you do. Thanks for the extract from the Music of the Ash. a friend told me recently that he was involved with the local IRA during the WOI and Civil War. Just wondered was there any 'skeletons ' in the closet.

While we're at it, anyone know anything about James Clarke or Michael Keary, after whom the Intermediate and Junior hurling cups are named? I wonder how the minor hurling cup is known as the FCA Cup?

It's hard to believe that someone doesnt know about the origins of these cups, especially down south. We wouldnt be used to seeing them up our end

[Plain of the Herbs]

I managed to get a look at the inscription on the Junior hurling cup at O’Connor Park yesterday. Translated, it reads (I’m paraphrasing) James Clarke Cup, presented by Tullamore GAA club to Offaly county board for Junior hurling. It was first presented in 1967 and Killeigh were the first winners.

Clarke was presumably a Tullamore man so. I don’t have John Clarke’s Tullamore GAA history but someone here who has might be able to have a look and see what references to him there are in the book.

[Plain of the Herbs]

I found this piece in an old county final programme:-

The Robbins trophy which goes to the winners of today’s senior final commemorates one of the outstanding figures of Offaly gaeldom in this century – Sean Robbins.
Sean, a native of Clara, was in his youth involved in the struggle for independence, and when these turbulent days were over he threw himself wholeheartedly into gaelic games in his adopted Birr.
A first-class hurler and footballer, he just missed playing a part in Offaly’s first All-Ireland win in 1923, but he did captain Offaly to win the Leinster junior hurling title in 1924 and almost immediately he was promoted to the senior side. His ability as a footballer soon brought him to the notice of the county selectors and for a number of years he was automatic choice for both couty teams, and he was a member of the team that played Kildare in the Leinster football final (Offaly were graded junior at that time.
In 1928 he played on the team that contested the Leinster senior hurling final against Dublin and he was also a member of the Birr team that played Drumcullen in that year’s county final.
A gifted administrator, he was elected Chairman of the County Board while still a playing member of club and county teams, and he extended his activities in the association by taking up refereeing at which he was spectacularly successful – being given charge of the 1929 Galway – Cork final as well as the first and second Cork-Kilkenny games in 1931.
Elected Chairman of the Leinster council in 1935 – the first Offaly man to hold the position – he served with distinction in that body, and when his term expiredhe resumed his service to the association within the county which lasted until his death in 1960.
Shortly after his death it was decided to perpetuate his memory in a practical and dignified manner in the form of a trophy for the senior hurling championship, which was first presented to Paddy Molloy as captain of the winning Drumcullen team in 1960.