By Liam Burke
It is difficult to believe that forty years has passed since the great Paddy Grace, who was Kilkenny’s longest serving County GAA Secretary passed to his eternal reward.
An inspirational figure, who was known the length and breadth of Ireland and further afield, Paddy was elected Secretary for the first time in 1948 and served with distinction until July 2nd 1984.
During his term of office, Kilkenny won 26 All-Ireland finals, including ten senior, nine minor, three junior and under 21, and one Intermediate.
It is worth remembering also, that just one month after Paddy died, Kilkenny beat Tipperary for the first time in an All Ireland Under 21 final and although he was very ill at the time, he travelled to see Kilkenny play and win the Leinster final in Carlow two weeks previously.
He was born in the towns land of Palmerstown on the Tullaroan road just north of the Dicksboro GAA grounds on August 3rd 1917, and from an early age it had been said that he had a tremendous interest in all things GAA.
He practiced hurling as much as possible and threw in his lot with Eire Óg GAA club in Kilkenny, winning a minor championship in 1932.
Paddy won two more Minor championships in 1934 and ‘35 with the club that had been formed in 1931, and he also like to recall that he won a Leinster Junior hurling medal with with Kilkenny CBS in 1934.
DISTINCTION
Paddy Grace, had the distinction of winning County Championships in six different grades-senior, minor, junior, and intermediate in hurling , as well as junior and senior football.
While playing at centre half back, Paddy captained Kilkenny to an All Ireland minor win against Tipperary in 1935.
This was indeed a great September day for Kilkenny hurling as the senior team defeated Limerick by a single point on the same day to win the All Ireland with a 36 year old Lory Meagher as captain
Recognised as a well above average hurler , it was just a matter of time before Paddy would get the call up to play senior.
He made his debut against Limerick in the National League in 1938 and the following year, he played at corner back with Kilkenny defeating Cork in the famous ‘thunder and lighting’ All- Ireland senior final.
Jack Lynch, who later became Taoiseach, and won a record six senior All-Ireland medals in a row, played his first All-Ireland final that day in 1939. Himself and Paddy Grace became great friends over the years and whenever he visited Kilkenny, he always made it his business to call on the Kilkenny GAA County secretary.
Following the 1939 final victory, Kilkenny, including Paddy Grace, suffered three All-Ireland defeats in 1940, 1945, and 1946, before they won their thirteenth title in 1947.
They had been unlucky in 1941 as they were not allowed to play in the Championship due to severe ‘Foot and Mouth’ outbreak in both Kilkenny and Tipperary.
They were at a low ebb in 1942 and then in 1943 they suffered a surprise defeat by Antrim in the All-Ireland semi- final which was played in Corrigan park, Belfast.
Kilkenny were also very poor in 1944 and were defeated by Tipperary in the All-Ireland final of 1945.
Cork emerged victorious the following year with Kilkenny finally emerging victorious in the final of 1947, by a single Terry Leahy point. It has been recorded that Paddy Grace made a dramatic clearance from corner back which led to that winning point.
FOUR IN A ROW
During those years, Paddy Grace enjoyed great success, and was part of the Carrickshock four-in-a-row senior hurling championship victories of 1940,’41.’42 and ‘43.
When Paddy Grace was hoping to be elected as Kilkenny County GAA Secretary in 1948 , he said that his priority was to look after the welfare of the players to the best of his ability.
And this he did over the years with practically every player having great time for him.
Following Paddy’s marriage to Maureen Murphy , they moved to Newpark in Kilkenny city where they had a family of nine children.
One daughter, Angela, was married to former great Thomastown hurler Tom Walsh, while another daughter Frances( Frankie) is the mother of Martin, Tommy, Padraig, Shane and Grace Walsh of Tullaroan.
The Grace house in Newpark was the centre of the GAA in Kilkenny for many years and there was often a crowd of a hundred people outside the house looking for tickets before an All-Ireland.
Paddy and Maureen always prided themselves in the fact that everyone who deserved a ticket got one.
Shortly after he became County Secretary, Paddy set about upgrading Nowlan Park, and he organised rubble from the old Kilkenny gaol which was being demolished in 1948 to be deliverd to help build up the bank where the Grace stand is now situated.
FUNERAL
Hundreds travelled from all over Ireland and abroad for Paddy Grace’s massive funeral in July 1984.
Former Kilkenny hurler Paddy Buggy, who was President of the GAA at the time , described Paddy as ‘one of the greatest GAA men of all time’, and that he was friends with everyone. He also said that Grace was the centre of the GAA in Kilkenny.
Flags flew at half mast throughout the county and there was a minutes silence before the Leinster football final that year.
The Wolfe Tones singing group, while performing at ‘Cois ne Laois’ dedicated ‘The Rose of Mooncoin’ to the deceased County Secretary , which was very apt, as it was this song which inspired Paddy as a young boy to dedicate his time to the GAA over the years.
The Kilkenny Observer wish to thank the following for use of photos: The Stripy Men GAA book, The Walsh Family Tullaroan, Sportsfile. and Tullaroan camogie club.
