Dorney, Martin
January 13, 2011Last Friday evening it came as a great shock and sadness to me to read in the front of The Evening Echo that a former team mate of mine to wear the red and black jersey of Mitchelstown Martin Dorney had died earlier that morning. The last time I spoke to Martin was just over a year ago at the launch of Bob Honohan's book, The Mitchelstwon Blackthorns Story held at the Firgrove Hotel. It was only a few weeks later I heard that he was not in the best of health, but news of his death came to me sudden and unexpectedly.
He was originally from the Black Road, Skeheeenarinky as was my late grandmother, Alice Coleman nee Leonard. In his younger days, my late father Paddy spent many summers at his aunts and uncles home in the Black Road and became great friends of Martin's parents, Jim and Kitty Dorney. During the mid to late seventies the family moved to Robert Street in Mitchelstown. Martin was the youngest of a family of four, Mary, Nuala and Seamus. Martin Joined the Mitchelstown football team and in 1977 he played centre back for the minor team that lost the North Cork championship final against Mallow, 1-8 to 1-7. In 1978 he was on the town intermediate team that lost the first round against Midleton, 1-9 to 0-4. In the same year he was on the Avondhu team beaten by Carbery and in 1979 he played corner forward against St. Finbarr's who lost 4-6 to 2-9.
On the Avondhu team of 1981, Martin scored three goals out of 3-11 against Carrigdhoun. With town in the intermediate first round, Martin played centre forward where town had a 1-5 to 0-11 victory against Bandon. This was followed by a victory against Castletownbere, but town were beaten by Nemo Rangers in the next round. In 1982 Martin played at midfield with Davy O'Sullivan in the intermediate championship where 'town had a 1-10 to 1-7 victory against St. Vincent's with Martin scoring the vital goal, but 'town lost round 2 against Bandon. In 1983 Martin played midfield with ken Molan and 'town had a great 2-8 to 0-6 victory over St. Finbarrs but they lost the next round to O'Donovan Rossa.
From 1975 to 1979, Micthelstown u21 teams won five North Cork titles in a row and Martin was in the teams of 1977 to 1979. In 1977 he played midfield with Ken Molan in the county semi final they were defeated by St. Finbarrs.
In 1978, Martin played midfield with Mick Mullins. Town lost the county quarter final against Bantry played in Innishannon. In 1979 Martin was midfield with Ken Molan and in the county semi-final town just by one white flag 1-6 to 1-5 against Nemo Rangers. Performing some outstanding games for Mitchelstown, Martin was selected for the Cork minor team in the late seventies where he won a Munster and All-Ireland U21 medal. If one was to ask me what was my greatest memory of Martin during his playing days with 'town, it has to be the u16 county final against Nemo Rangers in 1976 played in Castlelyons. It was a brutal day, heavy rain and a gale force wind. For the first half Nemo had the advantage of the wind to their backs and were ahead at half time by 2-6 to 0-0 and it looked as if they had one hand on the cup. To be quite honest I, along with a great crowd of the usual town supporters, could not see town getting back into the game even with the strong wind advantage going into the second half as they were four goals down. But, whatever trainer Bob Honohan said to the lads in the dressing room, 'town came out a different team in the second half and proved us supporters wrong as they started the resumption with mighty determination, fully committed and most of all self belief. Going into the last moments of the game, 'town were just two points behind when they won a 14 yard free straight in front of the goals. Nemo lined a mass of players on the goal line. Martin Dorney hit a ferocious shot knocking the raindrops of the back of the net to nest the ball in the top left hand corner for an outstanding goal through a crowded goalmouth, to win town the title on a scoreline of 3-4 to 2-6 and create a piece of history as they were the first team ever from outside the city to win the title.
The team on that day was Mick Griffin, Tom Lonergan, Joe Lee, Tom O'Brien, Gerry O'Gorman, Danny Keohane, Norman Lenihan, Ken Molan (captain), Martin Dorney R.I.P., Pa Nolan, Mick Noonan, Pat Murphy, David Aherne, Tom Keane and Sean Geary. Subs: Tom O'Mahony, Justin Houlihan, Pat Aherne, Eddie Wiley, Jim Burke, Liam Skinner, Mark Hussey, Brendan Cotter, Eddie Sheehan and Ger Shinnick.
The previous Sunday, the town minor team lost the county final 2-5 to 0-5 against St Nicks with Mick Griffin and Ken Molan playing in both finals. Mick Mullins, Ger Mulcahy and Mick Shinnick played with the Cork minors of '76 with Mick Griffin the sub keeper. They lost the All-Ireland to Galway.
So Martin, as a former team mate and every other town player that put on the red and black jersey in the dressing rooms and ran onto the pitch with you (and there was many different age groups and grades), thank you for the memories, RIP
Courtesy of The Avondhu 13/1/11 Tweet
