Next Saturday sees our senior hurlers take on Lismore in the annual Tony Walsh Memorial Game at 3pm in the main pitch.
This fixture has always served up fine games of hurling, with South Liberties of Limerick claiming the cup in 2024 after a narrow win.
We will welcome the Walsh family to the field to present the cup following the game on Saturday, and it is great to see the next generation of Tony's family and their cousins tog out in green, white and gold for our underage teams.
See below a tribute to Tony, as well as images from the fixture in 2023 and 2024
This fixture has always served up fine games of hurling, with South Liberties of Limerick claiming the cup in 2024 after a narrow win.
We will welcome the Walsh family to the field to present the cup following the game on Saturday, and it is great to see the next generation of Tony's family and their cousins tog out in green, white and gold for our underage teams.
See below a tribute to Tony, as well as images from the fixture in 2023 and 2024
It is indeed fitting that next Saturday two Senior Club Hurling teams - Bride Rovers and Lismore - should take to the pitch in Rathcormac to compete for the Tony Walsh Perpetual Cup.
In the early days of the GAA back in the 1880’s Tournaments were hugely important. In many cases there was more prestige in winning a Cup in a local Tournament than in winning an ‘official’ competition. The popularity of tournaments ebbed and flowed over the years. In the 1960’s and 70’s when carnivals and Festivals were very popular so too were hurling tournaments. It was in the 1960’s that Tony Walsh first got involved with the Bride Rovers Club- an involvement that lasted for a lifetime. The Club was inactive in the1962/3 period but in December 1964 the Bride Rovers Club was reorganised once more. At the first meeting in Bartlemy Hall an interim five man Club Committee was formed to assist the new Officers. The Committee members were Dave Ryan, Tony Walsh, Tom Heskin, Willie Cotter and Tony O Brien. Donal Lehane NT was elected Secretary for 1965. During the School holidays in early summer Donal went home to West Cork and Tony took over as Club Secretary. The club started off with a Junior B hurling team and Tony soon slotted in as corner back - a position where he won three East Cork medals, B grade in 1966, A grade in 1968 and 1969.
In 1966 when the Rovers made the East Cork breakthrough Tony was secretary and player and Club Chairman Michael Murphy was also on the team. Just fifty years
ago, in August 1966 Tony and all his team mates were training hard for the East Cork Junior B Hurling semi-final against St. Catherines. Tony played for the Club until the early 1980’s -lining out at corner back but wearing the number 13 jersey for a few seasons in the 1970’s. He was the traditional corner back, safe, reliable and ever present. He knew his role and his place on the field of play. He played that game as sportsmen did play it, he was manly straightforward and clean on the field. In a long playing career he was never sent off. He was never a man to retaliate or strike a foul blow - that wasn’t his style. His dual role as player and officer rested lightly on his shoulders - out of the first one hundred games the Rovers played in the 1965 -1967 period Tony lined out in 98 of them!
As a club officer he served as Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Registrar and Juvenile Secretary - for a total of twenty seven years. When his own playing career finished he became a selector and was involved with the JHL winning teams of 1981 /82, the Minor Co League winning team of 1992 and the East cork JBHC winning team of 1993.
When the Club pitch was purchased Tony was very involved in fund raising and in 1983 was on the sub-committee in charge of enclosing the pitch and erecting the wire, stakes and gates. In Centenary year of 1984 the Club decided to borrow £21,000 to build dressing rooms, Tony was one of the first to go Guarantor for the Club. When club funds were very low in 1974 Tony was one of the Club Members who went and cut ash roots and got hurleys made by McCarthys of Killeagh.
Tony was immensely proud to see his sons Matt and Michael wear the green, white and gold of his beloved Bride Rovers. He took a deep interest and pride in all club teams from under age upwards and was always a source of great encouragement even in times of defeat. There was no prouder man than Tony when various Bride Rovers players donned the Red and White of Cork over the last decade. It was beyond Tony’s wildest dreams to see Bride Rovers Contest County Junior, Intermediate and Senior Finals. He was one of our most passionate and dedicated supporters. He never forgot the time when we started off, before Christmas in 1964 and he was so proud and happy to see the growth of the Club. Any Development undertaken in recent years was seen by Tony as further progress and he was always the first to help when financial help was needed. He always encouraged Club Officers to keep improving our playing facilities for the playing of hurling and football. His death in 2012 came as a tragedy for our club but more particularly for Tony’s devoted family. Tony Walsh epitomised all that is good in the GAA. He loved the games, the Cork teams - but above all he loved the Bride Rovers Club. We can never repay the debt which Tony and people like him have paid to make our Club one of the best in Cork.
Tony was proud to wear the green, white and gold jersey with distinction. In playing this Tournament we hope to ensure that wherever and whenever Bride Rovers are mentioned the name of Tony Walsh will never be forgotten.
In the early days of the GAA back in the 1880’s Tournaments were hugely important. In many cases there was more prestige in winning a Cup in a local Tournament than in winning an ‘official’ competition. The popularity of tournaments ebbed and flowed over the years. In the 1960’s and 70’s when carnivals and Festivals were very popular so too were hurling tournaments. It was in the 1960’s that Tony Walsh first got involved with the Bride Rovers Club- an involvement that lasted for a lifetime. The Club was inactive in the1962/3 period but in December 1964 the Bride Rovers Club was reorganised once more. At the first meeting in Bartlemy Hall an interim five man Club Committee was formed to assist the new Officers. The Committee members were Dave Ryan, Tony Walsh, Tom Heskin, Willie Cotter and Tony O Brien. Donal Lehane NT was elected Secretary for 1965. During the School holidays in early summer Donal went home to West Cork and Tony took over as Club Secretary. The club started off with a Junior B hurling team and Tony soon slotted in as corner back - a position where he won three East Cork medals, B grade in 1966, A grade in 1968 and 1969.
In 1966 when the Rovers made the East Cork breakthrough Tony was secretary and player and Club Chairman Michael Murphy was also on the team. Just fifty years
ago, in August 1966 Tony and all his team mates were training hard for the East Cork Junior B Hurling semi-final against St. Catherines. Tony played for the Club until the early 1980’s -lining out at corner back but wearing the number 13 jersey for a few seasons in the 1970’s. He was the traditional corner back, safe, reliable and ever present. He knew his role and his place on the field of play. He played that game as sportsmen did play it, he was manly straightforward and clean on the field. In a long playing career he was never sent off. He was never a man to retaliate or strike a foul blow - that wasn’t his style. His dual role as player and officer rested lightly on his shoulders - out of the first one hundred games the Rovers played in the 1965 -1967 period Tony lined out in 98 of them!
As a club officer he served as Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Registrar and Juvenile Secretary - for a total of twenty seven years. When his own playing career finished he became a selector and was involved with the JHL winning teams of 1981 /82, the Minor Co League winning team of 1992 and the East cork JBHC winning team of 1993.
When the Club pitch was purchased Tony was very involved in fund raising and in 1983 was on the sub-committee in charge of enclosing the pitch and erecting the wire, stakes and gates. In Centenary year of 1984 the Club decided to borrow £21,000 to build dressing rooms, Tony was one of the first to go Guarantor for the Club. When club funds were very low in 1974 Tony was one of the Club Members who went and cut ash roots and got hurleys made by McCarthys of Killeagh.
Tony was immensely proud to see his sons Matt and Michael wear the green, white and gold of his beloved Bride Rovers. He took a deep interest and pride in all club teams from under age upwards and was always a source of great encouragement even in times of defeat. There was no prouder man than Tony when various Bride Rovers players donned the Red and White of Cork over the last decade. It was beyond Tony’s wildest dreams to see Bride Rovers Contest County Junior, Intermediate and Senior Finals. He was one of our most passionate and dedicated supporters. He never forgot the time when we started off, before Christmas in 1964 and he was so proud and happy to see the growth of the Club. Any Development undertaken in recent years was seen by Tony as further progress and he was always the first to help when financial help was needed. He always encouraged Club Officers to keep improving our playing facilities for the playing of hurling and football. His death in 2012 came as a tragedy for our club but more particularly for Tony’s devoted family. Tony Walsh epitomised all that is good in the GAA. He loved the games, the Cork teams - but above all he loved the Bride Rovers Club. We can never repay the debt which Tony and people like him have paid to make our Club one of the best in Cork.
Tony was proud to wear the green, white and gold jersey with distinction. In playing this Tournament we hope to ensure that wherever and whenever Bride Rovers are mentioned the name of Tony Walsh will never be forgotten.
