Remembering Jack Holligan – Offaly’s first All-Ireland winning captain

Ask a keen GAA supporter to name Offaly heroes such as the first All-Star recipient, the first footballer from the county to lift the Sam Maguire Cup, or the player who received the Liam MacCarthy Cup following the Faithful County’s maiden victory, and the likelihood is the correct answer will arrive straight away.

But what about the first player – in either code – to captain Offaly to All-Ireland glory?

Jack Holligan featured prominently in a famous breakthrough in his native land before subsequently receiving great acclaim for his hurling exploits in New York, yet his name does not run off the tongue like many other local history-makers.

The Kinnitty clubman led his county to glory in the 1923 All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship final against Cork at Croke Park, a significant milestone as the country emerged from the turmoil of the War of Independence and the Civil War.

Due to those conflicts, GAA Championships were inevitably disrupted by cancellations or delays - so much so that the 100^th anniversary of this groundbreaking Offaly triumph did not occur until 12^th October 2024.

Jack set sail for a new life in New York less than six months later but, remarkably, he would twice return to Croke Park as a hurling captain, with USA teams that competed against Ireland in the Tailteann Games in 1928 and 1932.

Ultimately, the loss of Jack and several of his All-Ireland winning team-mates to emigration wiped out Offaly’s chance to achieve further honours in the 1920s, with their absence most acutely felt for the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship finals of 1926 and 1928.

Those men did, however, make an instant impact with the Offaly hurling team in New York, dominating the competitive Senior Championship in the city. Four titles in a row were secured between 1925 and 1928, inclusive, and another seven subsequently before Jack eventually hung up his hurl, having continued to tog out in his 40s when playing numbers dwindled during World War 2.

Records show that Jack and several others from Offaly also contributed enormously to New York teams that challenged reigning All-Ireland champions who travelled to the ‘Big Apple’ in the 1920s and ‘30s. Crowds of up to 30,000 attended games against Tipperary, Kilkenny and Limerick in venues such as the Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium.

Jack was hailed as a hurler of outstanding class who never once lost his poise or temper in the heat of championship battle. The ‘Irish Echo’ in New York described him as “the perfect full-back” who gave “every ounce of his talents to his own position and was always urging his players to the highest effort in search of victory. Those who were privileged to see him play for Offaly and New York can vouch for his extraordinary skills.”

Jack Holligan (christened John) was born into a farming family in ‘The Walk’, Kinnitty in 1895. Together with his parents James and Catherine, he grew up with an older brother Patrick and younger siblings Margaret and Jim.

Coming from a hurling heartland, Jack won his first Offaly Senior Championship medal when Kinnitty defeated Coolderry in the 1920 final. Completing a programme of games proved impossible for the next two years and while the War of Independence was raging, Jack was a member of the 3^rd Battalion, 2^nd Offaly Brigade of the IRA. When GAA action resumed, he won a second medal when captaining Kinnitty to victory over Clara in the 1923 Championship decider, which took place in May of 1924.

Jack lined out with Offaly in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship defeat to Laois in 1923 and, therefore, was ineligible for the Junior team that won the Leinster final later that year, also against Laois. Incidentally, his younger brother Jim won a Junior medal with the Faithful County on that occasion.

Whatever GAA rules existed at the time permitted all the top hurlers in the county to field for the All-Ireland series, presumably because it ran into the summer of 1924. Consequently, a considerably different starting 15 represented Offaly, easily disposing of Galway in the semi-final at Athlone.

Meanwhile, the Irish Government organised a massive sporting and cultural festival in Dublin in August 1924, with the revival of the Tailteann Games attracting over 5,000 competitors from several countries in a range of sports. An international hurling competition was run alongside an inter-provincial tournament. Listed on the Leinster panel which defeated Munster in the ‘national’ final were Jack Holligan, Andy Cordial (Kinnitty), Willie Ryan (Birr) and Stephen Cloonan (Tullamore).

An eventful 1924 on the playing fields was about to become even more memorable for Jack and Offaly.

The All-Ireland Junior title could have been claimed with a walk-over as Cork refused to play the final when fixed due to the continued imprisonment of some leading GAA figures in their county. But it was agreed at a County Board meeting in Kilcormac that Offaly would inform the authorities of their desire to play the game, which was eventually fixed for Croke Park on Sunday, 12^th October.

Special trains were organised to bring supporters to Dublin that morning for a double-header, which began with an All-Ireland Junior Football semi-final between Antrim and Carlow.

Cork, like Offaly, fielded many of their best hurlers and therefore entered the game as favourites. After an even opening half, the sides went in for a short break deadlocked at 2-1 apiece. It remained tense and tight in the second half, but after a last quarter which “electrified the spectators”, Offaly held out for a fantastic victory, 3-4 to 3-2.

Ecstatic players celebrated with supporters after shocking the “cock-sure” Cork team. Stephen Cloonan, the county board secretary who was unable to line out, may actually have been captain had he been available. Instead, the privilege fell to Jack Holligan, although none of the reports mentioned if a cup was presented to him afterwards.

A fortnight later, more or less the same Offaly team contested the 1924 Leinster Senior final where they lost out, 4-4 to 3-1, to the eventual All-Ireland champions, Dublin; a team that was boosted by the introduction of members of the Gardai from other counties to their ranks. Sadly, hopes that success at the top level was not far away for Offaly faded when several key players departed for America.

A large crowd of friends waved goodbye to Jack Holligan, Bill Fox (Drumcullen) and the aforementioned Andy Cordial and Willie Ryan at the train station in Birr at the end of March 1925, with the King’s County Chronicle lamenting that “their loss to hurling in the county is very serious”. Jack Horan (Coolderry) went around the same time. (Later in the decade, Pat Fox, a brother of Bill, also departed, as did Andy Cordial’s brother, Mick). Therefore, Offaly’s All-Ireland winning team was decimated, with nearly half of them abroad.

The reasons for their departure from a fractured country is unknown, but the USA hurling team that came over to compete in the 1924 Tailteann Games included players from Offaly, including PJ Grimes. A hugely influential figure in New York GAA and business circles, where he was a prominent hurler and administrator, PJ was a cousin of Jack Holligan and may have encouraged him to emigrate. It is known that for at least some of Jack’s time in New York, he resided with the Grimes family in the Bronx. A document from the 1940s identifies Jack’s occupation as a salesman.

While his absence was a massive loss to his home county, Jack Holligan enjoyed a very fulfilling hurling career in New York, where he quickly earned the respect of colleagues and opponents alike.

The game prospered in the city at the time, featuring many renowned players from different parts of Ireland, including All-Ireland medal winners. This ensured that the standard of competition was high.

Similar to Ireland, New York championships sometimes did not reach their conclusion until the following year, but Offaly were crowned champions in 1925, ’26, ’27 and ’28. As news of these victories reached Ireland, the Offaly Independent stated that their prowess on the hurling field “has done much to uphold the honour of the county at home and abroad”. An automatic starter on the full back line, Jack was described as “never found wanting” after the last of those four-in-a-row triumphs.

In 1926, reigning All-Ireland champions Tipperary travelled over to New York. Their high-profile game against the Offaly team that had won the Championship in the city attracted a huge attendance to the Polo Grounds. Although Tipperary won easily, it was a special occasion for Jack and four of his fellow All-Ireland Junior medal winners, and the massive crowd showed how popular Gaelic games were in America during that era.

Another exceptional honour was bestowed on Jack when he was chosen to captain the USA (effectively New York) hurlers against Ireland in the Tailteann Games at Croke Park on 12^th August 1928. Jack Horan, Andy Cordial and Willie Ryan were also members of the touring party. Ireland won the contest by 5-8 to 4-3.

An additional bonus for the four men was an opportunity to visit their home county a few days later for a challenge game against Offaly in St. Brendan’s Park. The returning heroes were given an incredible welcome on the Tuesday night of their arrival in Birr. A procession, led by the Birr Catholic Young Men’s Society Band and including a large number of clergy and members of Birr Urban Council, accompanied them through the town. Tar barrels blazed along the route and when the players and officials finally reached their hotel, New York President, JJ Duffy addressed the huge crowd and thanked them sincerely for their hospitality.

The USA-based team won by 6-6 to 5-1 in what was undoubtedly an emotional occasion for the Offaly expatriates, who lined out against some of their former team-mates, including Drumcullen stalwart, Peter Lyons.

Back in New York, some silent footage still exists of an Offaly seven a-side team - including Jack Holligan - playing Cork in an exhibition game at Madison Square Gardens in 1929, in aid of the New York Foundling Hospital. 5,000 attended what was believed to be the first-ever indoor hurling match, which the New York Times described as a “combination of baseball and hockey”.

The same year, Jack was voted the most popular hurler in New York in a poll conducted by the Irish Echo newspaper.

When Offaly regained the New York SHC title in 1930, Jack had established himself as the team captain and was also captain when New York hosted Tipperary, again the All-Ireland champions, in a three game series in 1931. Upwards of 25,000 attended the contests, all of which were won by the visitors.

The third and final staging of the Tailteann Games went ahead in Dublin in 1932, though it was far less successful than the previous two festivals. Nevertheless, a photo shows Jack proudly leading the USA team during the opening ceremony, with ‘CAPT’ written on the front of his jersey, and there is a video clip still available of him at the head of the pre-match parade. With Jack togging out alongside Bill Fox and Jack Horan, his team-mates from the All-Ireland Junior Hurling Final, the USA took on a formidable Irish selection and lost by 9-7 to 3-6. (Brendan Dooley was the fourth Offaly player playing on that occasion).

Jack, therefore, achieved the admirable distinction of involvement in the Tailteann Games of 1924, 1928 and 1932.

A series of challenge games followed in ’32 around the country, including against Cork, Clare, Waterford, Offaly and Tipperary, with the USA team defeating Offaly in Birr by 3-4 to 2-4.

There was even speculation in a local paper that Jack would line out for Kinnitty in the Offaly Senior Hurling Championship semi-final against Coolderry, but this does not appear to have occurred.

Though he was now entering the twilight of his career, Jack won several more New York Senior Hurling Championships with Offaly, ending with a total of 11 to his name before eventually retiring in his late 40s in 1945.

He was also on the New York panel which created shockwaves by beating All-Ireland Champions Kilkenny in one of their three matches stateside in 1934. And when Limerick ventured over in 1936, the stalwart defender was still on the New York squad that faced the might of Mick Mackey and company.

Jack never lost interest in his favourite pastime, regularly attending GAA matches in Gaelic Park and contributing to the Offaly Clubs in New York in various capacities.

He also remained loyal to his home county and when Offaly reached the All-Ireland Senior Football Final for the first time in 1961, he was one of many New York based exiles who sent home money to assist with the team’s preparations.

Fittingly, Jack’s contribution to the GAA, both on and off the field, was again remembered when the Offaly Football and Hurling Clubs in New York named him as the special guest for their annual St Patrick’s Day Ball in March 1966. Ahead of the gala event, Club PRO Eddie Burke informed the Midland Tribune: “This well-deserved and long overdue tribute is tendered to Jack in recognition of his outstanding contributions and many years of faithful service to the county, both in New York and Offaly”.

Sadly, a year and a half later, Jack Holligan passed away in St Joseph’s Hospital, Yonkers, following a short illness. He had never married, but was mourned by his brother and sister in Kinnitty, other relatives and a loyal group of friends.

Many members of the various hurling and footballs clubs in New York attended the wake and funeral. Former comrades, led by Bill Fox, draped his casket with the Tricolour in tribute to his service to Ireland.

Following Requiem Mass at St. Margaret’s Catholic Church, Riverdale, N.Y., celebrated by Very Rev. Monsignor James Richardson, interment took place at St. Raymond’s Cemetery, Bronx.

The timing of his passing was particularly unfortunate as excitement was building in Kinnitty ahead of their long-awaited return to an Offaly Senior Hurling final.

Arrangements were made for players to wear black armbands for the game in St. Brendan’s Park, where flags were flown at half-mast and a minute’s silence was observed before throw-in.

These tributes proved that although Jack Holligan had spent most of his adult life on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, he was still a revered figure in his homestead at the foot of the Slieve Blooms.

Perhaps tales of his magnificent feats provided some extra motivation to a new generation of Kinnitty heroes, who defeated Coolderry by five points.

Since then, Jack Holligan’s name has gradually faded from memory. But in the centenary year of Faithful County’s historic All-Ireland Junior triumph, it is appropriate to pay tribute to someone who holds a special place in the annals of Offaly GAA.

SOURCES

Books:

Hannah, F. ‘The History of the GAA in New York’. (Belfast, 2014)

Rouse, P. Sport & Ireland, A History (Oxford, 2015)

Newspaper Archives:

Midland Tribune; Offaly Independent; King’s County Chronicle; Freeman’s Journal; Irish Independent; Leinster Express; Munster Express; Cork Examiner; Irish Echo, New York.