by Maria
By David Kissane, Lacca and Ardfert
(Painting of Paddy Bawn Enright)
This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Ballydonoghue’s most famous son, Maurice Walsh (1879-1964). Despite the fact that Maurice was the author of fourteen novels along with collections of stories and other works, he is best remembered as the author of “The Quiet Man”, which was the foundation for the iconic 1952 John Ford film with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara.
But “The Quiet Man” began life as a mere short story in The Saturday Evening Post in the USA on February 11th, 1933 with Shawn Kelvin as the main character. (That was when John Ford first saw it.) Two years later, the story appeared in a collection of stories called “The Green Rushes” and Walsh by then had changed the main character’s name to Paddy Bawn Enright, a real man who worked on the Walsh farm in Ballydonoghue. When the film was released, the name was changed again to Seán Thornton, played by John Wayne.
But Ballydonoghue can feel a little hard done by in the saga of the history of the film. Tourists throng to Cong in Mayo where the film was made, but very few come to Ballydonoghue where Maurice Walsh’s house still stands with a plaque to commemorate the prolific author. Cong initiated a “Quiet Man Festival” some years ago, but our parish has never had such a festival. The local inspiration for the film seems to have been an event at Listowel fair, where a bully refused to pay his sister’s fortune, and where a fight took place between a local farmer, Quiet Jack McElligott and a jobber who tried to cheat him. These events are hardly ever connected with the “Quiet Man”. And what about Paddy Bawn Enright, the real Quiet Man? Shouldn’t tourists be directed to his home townland, to the “small farm on the first warm shoulder of Knockanore Hill” as Walsh described it in the original story! Add to this the fact that the bulk of Walsh’s work is now out of print and that characters like Thomasheen James O’Doran (based on World War 1 veteran Tom O’Gorman from Asdee who worked for the Walsh family) are likely to vanish from the community memory, it looks like a massive Ballydonoghue contribution to literature and to cinematography could vanish forever!
It has to be said that The Maurice Walsh Memorial Committee did excellent work over the years to highlight the career of Maurice Walsh and was responsible in conjunction with Listowel Writers’ Week for the erection of a monument at Lisselton Cross, but references to this monument are scanty on any website devoted to our Maurice.
(Quiet Man book)
The Original Story
To help bring the original story back home to where it belonged, the following are the opening paragraphs of “The Quiet Man” as it first appeared in The Saturday Evening Post in the USA in 1933:
‘Shawn Kelvin, a blight young man of twenty, went to the States to seek his fortune. And fifteen years later he returned to his native Kerry, his blithness sobered and his youth dried to the core. And whether he had made his fortune or whether he had not nobody could be knowing for certain. For he was a quiet man, not given to talking about himself and the things he had done. A quiet man, under middle size, with strong shoulders and deep-set blue eyes, below brows darker than his dark hair – that was Shawn Kelvin. One shoulder had a habit of hunching slightly higher than the other, and some folks said it came from a habit he had of shielding his eyes in the glare of an open-hearth furnace in a place called Pittsburgh, while others said it used to be a way he had of guarding his chin that time he was a sort of sparring-partner punching bag at a boxing camp.
Shawn Kelvin came home and found he was the last of the Kelvins and that the farm of his forefathers had added its few acres to the ranch of Big Liam O’Grady of
Moyvalla. Shawn took no action to recover his land, though O’Grady had got it meanly. He had had enough of fighting, and all he wanted now was peace. He quietly went among the old and kindly friends and quietly looked about him for the place and peace he wanted, and when the time came quietly produced the money for a neat, handy small farm on the first warm shoulder of Knockanore Hill below the rolling curves of heather. It was not a big place, but it was in good heart and it got all the sun that was going. And best of all, it suited Shawn to the top notch of contentment, for it held the peace that tuned to his quietness, and it commanded the widest view in all Ireland, vale and mountain and the lifting green plain of the Atlantic Sea…’
(The Magazine asks that readers submit their favourite Maurice Walsh story for the 2017 edition to help keep the work of our famous writer alive.)
(Green Rushes front cover)
by Maria
By Mossie Walsh, Guhard
(BPM 2014) 
While I’m sure funny things happened at Hegarty’s Hall, I recall two funny incidents, which as Eamon Kelly would say are “pure true”. One night when there was a big crowd there, Seán Downes arrived at the hall in good form. He crossed the floor to where the girls were sitting on the Ballybunion side. He started at the top near the bandstand and proceeded to ask each one down along, and despite being a good dancer he did not succeed in getting a partner.
All of a sudden he dropped down on the floor near where the girls were. They surrounded him as he lay stretched out. One of them, being a nurse was very concerned in case it was a heart attack, knelt down beside him and gave him the “kiss of life”, which seemed to go on for a good while. By this time a big crowd had gathered, suddenly Seán sat up, amazing everybody and said “carry on, that’s lovely, I hadn’t it as good in years”. His acting over, he got a round of applause. He wasn’t short of dancing partners for the rest of the night! They were relieved and delighted because like Lazarus, he had come back from the dead.
At another dance, again a very funny thing happened. Jerdie O’Connor, Bud O’Connor and myself were chatting when the late Eamie Kissane came in and joined in the conversation. The band was playing a lovely waltz but the dancers were shy on taking to the floor. Eamie was merry and being the character he was, Jerdie and Bud were betting with him that he wouldn’t cross the floor and ask a girl to dance.
“No problem” says Eamie “if you will come with me Mossie”. There were two newcomers present that night and Eamie said we would ask those two “clients”, which was Eamie’s word. They both agreed to dance and we had the floor to ourselves for a while. Eamie appeared to be getting into difficulty with his woman, as they didn’t seem to be compatible. Next thing Eamie was abandoned and he came back to the boys.
When that dance was over I asked Eamie what had happened?
Eamie, not to be outdone, says very seriously “you didn’t see at all what happened to me and my client”. “Turning at the top near the bandstand , what did she do but put her high heel shoe into the fold of my trouser leg and stayed that way all around the floor. She nearly had the trouser brought off of me, I told her to sit down and I went back to the boys”.
That was the story he told us, which caused a lot of laughter. A crowd gathered around as he retold it several times and added “I’d say ‘twas her first time at a dance and she hasn’t a clue” and of course Eamie couldn’t be wrong!
Recalling the bands who played at Hegarty’s Hall, in my opinion The Vanguard Six was the best. I enjoyed many a good night there.
by Virtual Gathering
1940 : Mick Finucane : Munster final, Kerry 1-3 Clare 1-2 but beaten in All Ireland semi-final
1941: Eddie Dowling : first round Munster chp, Kerry beat Cork. Munster final – Kerry 7-5 Waterford 2-1. All Ireland semi-final, Kerry beaten by Roscommon
1949 : Tom Keane : first round Munster chp, Kerry 1-10 Clare 1-6. Munster final, Kerry 0-7 Cork 0-5
1957 : Jer D O’Connor : first round Munster chp, Kerry 3-8 Tipperary 1-11. Munster final, Kerry 1-5 Cork 0-5. All Ireland semi-final, beaten.
1958 : Jer D O’Connor : first round Munster chp, Kerry 3-5 Clare 2-3. Munster semi-final, Kerry 3-6 Cork 1-6. Munster final, Kerry 3-11 Waterford 0-4
1963 : Billy Nolan : first round Munster chp, Kerry 4-20 Limerick 1-0. Munster final, Kerry 0-8 Cork 0-8. Replay, Kerry 0-11 Cork 0-9. All Ireland semi final, ……………………………………………………………………………………….All Ireland final, Kerry 1-10 Westmeath 0-2 (Captain, Tommy O’Hanlon, Tarbert)
1965: Tony Flavin : first round Munster chp, Kerry 1-15 Tipperary 0-4. Munster final, Kerry 3-11 Cork 1-15. All Ireland final, Derry 2-8 Kerry 2-4
1967 : Eamon Kissane and Johnny Bunyan : First round Munster chp, Kerry 4-10 Tipperary 3-11. Munster final, Cork 2-8 Kerry 0-2
1969 : Tom Barry: first round Munster chp, Kerry 3-14 Tipperary 0-3. Munster final, Cork 3-11 Kerry 1-11
1970: Jer Browne : first round Munster chp, Kerry 2-12 Waterford 0-5. Munster final, Kerry 4-9 Cork 1-11. All Ireland semi-final, Kerry won. All Ireland final, Kerry 2-5 Galway 1-8. Replay, Kerry 1-10 Galway 1-11
1973 : Stephen O’Carroll (Causeway) : Munster semi-final, Kerry 0 – 13 Tipperary 2 – 7. Replay, Kerry 0 – 14 Tipperary 0 – 5. Munster final, Kerry 3 – 5 Cork 1 – 13.
1974 : Stephen O’Carroll : Munster semi-final, Kerry 4 – 18 Waterford 0 – 0.
Munster final, Kerry 1 – 6 Cork 0 – 13
1975 : Robert Bunyan (captain) and PJ Houlihan
Munster semi-final, Kerry 6-23 Tipperary 0-5. Munster final, Kerry 3-7 Cork 1-11. All Ireland final, Kerry 1-10 Tyrone 0-4
1976 : Robert Bunyan and PJ Houlihan : first round Munster chp, Kerry 4-18 New York 1-3. Munster semi-final, Kerry 3-10 Waterford 3-7. Munster final, Cork 0-10 Kerry 1-5
1977 : Nix Riordan : Munster semi-final, Kerry 2-8 Limerick 2-7. Munster final, Cork 1-7 Kerry 1-3 1978 : Nix Riordan : Munster semi-final, Kerry 1-13 Tipperary 1-7. Munster final, Kerry 1-4 Cork 0-6. All Ireland semi-final, beaten……………………………………………….
1979 : Pa Foley (Tarbert) : Munster semi-final, Kerry 1 – 11 Clare 0 – 7. Munster final, Kerry 3 – 6 Cork 2 – 9. Replay, Kerry 1 – 11 Cork 1 – 5. All Ireland semi-final, won. All Ireland final, Dublin 0 – 10 Kerry 1 – 6
1980 : Micheál Kissane and Dinno Dowling : first round Munster chp, Kerry 5-15 Waterford 0-3. Munster semi-final, Kerry 4-8 Tipperary 3-9. Munster final, Kerry 1-12 Cork 1-10. Beat Meath in All Ireland semi final. All Ireland final, Kerry 3-12 Derry 0-11
1981 : Kieran Walsh and Micheál Kissane : first round Munster chp, Kerry 1-10 Clare 0-3. Semi-final, Kerry 3-15 Limerick 3-4. Munster final, Kerry 1-5 Cork 0-9
1982 : Jim O’Donnell : Munster final, Kerry 1-11 Cork 0-5. All Ireland semi-final, won.
All Ireland final, Kerry 1-5 Dublin 1-11
1985 : John Mulvihill : first round Munster chp, Kerry 3-6 Clare 1-5. Semi-final, Kerry 3-15 Limerick 3-4. Munster final, Cork 1-8 Kerry 0-4. Special league medal when Kerry beat Tipperary 1-8 to 0-2
1988 : Liam O’Flaherty : first round Munster chp, Kerry 1-15 Limerick 1-1. Munster semi-final, Kerry 2-16 Waterford 1-3. Munster final, Kerry 1-8 Cork 0-10. All Ireland final, Kerry 2-5 Dublin 0-5
1989 : William O’Donnell : first round Munster chp, Kerry 2-11 Waterford 0-6. Munster final, Kerry 2-10 Cork 2-9. All Ireland semi-final, beaten
1990 : first round Munster chp, Kerry 2-13 Tipperary 2-5. Munster semi-final, Kerry 6-11 Clare 0-9. Munster final, Kerry 2-11 Cork 0-3. All Ireland final, Meath 2-11 Kerry 2-9
2003 : Martin O’Mahony : first round Munster chp, Kerry 2-13 Tipperary 1-7. Second round, Kerry 3-10 Limerick 2-5. Third round, Kerry 0-21 Waterford 1-9. Fourth round, Kerry 1-11 Cork 2-12. Fifth round, Kerry 1-10 Clare 0-4. Munster final, Kerry 1-14 Cork 0-10. All Ireland semi-final, Kerry 2-10 Laois 2-15
2004 : Colin O’Mahony : first round Munster chp, Kerry 1-10 Clare 0-4. Munster semi-final, Kerry 1-13 Tipperary 1-5. Munster final, Kerry 0-9 Cork 0-9. Replay, Kerry 0-13 Cork 1-7. All Ireland semi-final, Kerry 1-10 Limerick 1-8. All Ireland final, Kerry 0-10 Tipperary 0-12
2005 : Colin O’Mahony : first round Munster chp, Kerry 2-16 Limerick 1-7. Munster semi-final, Kerry 1-17 Clare 2-6. Munster final, Cork 3-8 Kerry 1-11. All Ireland qtr final, Kerry 0-14 Laois 1-4. All Ireland semi-final, Kerry 0-14 Mayo 1-12.
2011 : Diarmuid Behan : Munster quarter-final, Kerry 4-16 Waterford 0-6. Semi-final, Kerry 3-8 Tipperary 2-12
2013 : Darragh O’Shea : first round Munster chp, Kerry 2-10 Cork 2-10. Replay , Kerry 0-10 Cork 3-6. Munster qtr final , Kerry 0-15 Clare 0-9. Munster semi, Kerry 1-15 Waterford 1-6. Munster final, Kerry 0-15 Tipperary 0-10. All Ireland qtr-final, Kerry 1-12, Tyrone 0-17 (after extra time)
(If any reader has any comments or memories of Ballydonoghue’s minor stars, please contact the Magazine.)
My father was an extraordinary man. He led an extraordinary life and had extraordinary ways. He will be missed in a way greater than any words can explain. Since his death on July 6th, our lives have been met with unintelligible loss.
Shank’s mare – On foot