The Late Joe Deering

I is with deep regret and a profound sense of personal loss that I open the 'Corner' this with a report on the passing of Joe Deering. Joe died very peacefully at his home in Patricks Well, Rathvilly, surrounded by his loving family on Friday morning.

His passing severed the last link, with the team that won Wicklow's first All-Ireland final in 1936. Joe was in his 97th year and from the first dy he toddled down that short boreen to the Lemmonstown road, most likely kicking stones from his path as he travelled, football was the abiding passion of his life. He was a fast developer and by the time he had reached his 16th birthday he was playing senior football for his beloved Hollywood.

He was 17 when he played for Hollywood against the powerful Annacurra side of the day in the SFC Final of 1931 in the Back Bawns in Knockananna. That was one of three county finals that Hollywood lost by a single point. He was still a teenager when he played for Wicklow against Carlow in the Leinster JFC Final of 1933. They lost to a Paddy Shine goal in the dying seconds of that match but Joe's great day was not far away. In 1936 he was part of a great Wicklow team that swept all before them in Leinster before going on to beat Mayo in the All-Ireland JFC final in Croke Park. While Joe always maintained that was not his greatest display, it was good enough to bring a first All-Ireland title to the Garden County.

One of his regrets was that he did not live to see his beloved Hollywood win a Wicklow SFC. However his own family brought his plenty of Joy. His son Joe won four SFC metals with Rathvilly; Ned won an All-Ireland VS medal with Carlow while Martin and Gabriel won Junior and Intermediate Championships with Rathvilly.

Joe and a number of his colleagues are the holders of one very rare medal, also won in 1936. After the All-Ireland final a team was drawn from all the teams that took part in that junior championship and played an 'England' 15 in an international in Croke Park in October. Ireland won the match and there was 11 Wicklow men on the panel and they were presented with a gold medal in the shape of the map of Ireland; one of Joe's proud possessions all the days of his life.

Joe was also well known as the local historian and Memory man. In the days when the late Jim Brophy was writing the 'Man on the Corner' page in the 'Wicklow People,' Joe was one of his regular contributors.

Courtesy of the Western People
8th September 2010 Tweet

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