The Late Tommie Small TÁ Tommie Small imithe le déana ar shl na firinne. A good man is gone to his eternal reward. Tommie had a rewarding life which was greatly enlightened and uplifted by his love for Gaelic games. It would not, I think, be presumptuous to say that they were the central passion of his long life. Particularly strong in his devotion to our national game of hurling, he gave long and unstinted service on the playing field to his beloved Parteen. In those days of the early 30s, he began his hurling career with Ardnacrusha, as the local team was then known. He was quickly followed into the ranks by his younger brothers, Martin and Eugene. All three were no mean wielders of the camán. Tommie prowess was recognised and he fielded regularly with the Clare junior team. As a player, Eugene won even more honours as he gave outstanding service as goalkeeper for the Clare senior squad in the late forties. All three brothers were to the fore in leading Ardnacrusha into the golden age of its hurling achievements when the club attained senior status. The Smalls, along with such fine hurlers as Flor O'Brien and Mick O'Halloran, made them a force to be reckoned with and Ardnacrusha achieved senior status. Tommie Small, a man renowned for the staunch and loyal service he gave his beloved game of hurling, was early into the breach. Still only a teenager, he was appointed as his club delegate in 1933. Some time ago, he recalled his practice of purchasing a train ticket for the monthly meeting at Long Pavement for 1 shilling and six pence and in those days going to the Scout Hall in Enns for 2.30pm where Fr Michael Hamilton, always punctual, presided. Fixtures, venues, regardings and referees embodied the major part of the business agenda. Tom remembered all the delegates with affection and particularly Micko ( Gunner) McMahon, Pat Crowe (Clonlara) and Martin Marsh (Broadford). A lot of the business, done today by committees, was then done at board meetings, even objections and there were quite a few. "Occasionally you would fix issues eg venues, times (important for farmers to be home for milking) before the meeting started", said Tommie. "So you had to keep your eye on the fixtures committee and make sure you had a friend or two there." After that nineteen year stint at the board, Tommie was elected a county selector with the well-known former Limerick and Tipperary hurler, Garrett Howard and Kevin Keogh of Newmarket. "You had a lot of pressure from clubs not to forget their man and, of course, the selectors would be blamed for every game lost," recalled Tommie in later years. "There would be a lot of slagging as for example when Clare lost the 1955 Munster final to Limerick. Garret Howard was unfairly criticised as, 'picking for Clare and playing for Limerick'. Sometime things don't change! Tommie Small was not a man who spared his service to Gaelic games. So around 1952, while still a selector for the county team, he also took up refereeing. "It helped to keep the game going,"was his simple comment. He was good at it too, as he refereed an intermediate final at Thurles in 1960 between Cork and Tipperary. Tommie was also in charge of two Munster minor finals, one in 1958 and the other in 1962 as well as lots of tournaments. "Hurling was different then as players concentrated on the ball and didn't have time to fight," said Tommie. "The only danger was that people get in over the sideline after you." In '59, Tommie took on an additional responsibility when he became Vice Chairman of the County Board when Rev John Corry, John Jones, Jack Daly and John Hanly were Chairmen. His lengthy service in that position was a period he thoroughly enjoyed and, always ready to serve, he became secretary of Bord na nÓg for three years from 1970 til '73. A fine record of service at County Board level from 1933 till 1973 - all of 40 years. Tommie Small's love affair with the GAA never flagged but continued into ripe old age. He played hurling until 1956 when he quit on a high note as Parteen that year won the intermediate title (they had changed the name from Ardnacrusha two years earlier). He believed very strongly in the community ethos of the Association and expressed in later years some fears that it was being lost - very relevant, indeed, in today's world. Tommie dedication to his beloved Parteen and Clare was, by any standards, phenomenal. He was the archtypal devotee and worker for Gaelic games, Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dilis. Courtesy of the Clare Champion. January 2003 Tweet

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