Jameson, Jack
June 06, 1993
Jack Jameson was one of Wicklow's Greats - The Rathnew Defender gave great service but good Wicklow teams found the breakthrough elusive
They've always had their heroes in the enthusiastic world of Wicklow football. Gerry O'Reilly, Jim Rogers, Moses Coffey, Kevin O'Brien, Pat O'Byrne … the list goes on. In the late forties and early fifties Jack Jameson was also a hero, both in the red and green of Rathnew and in the blue and gold of the Garden County. And you don't become a hero too easily in Wicklow. Jack was a sterling defender, both at centre half back and corner back on a county team that came close, on a number of occasions, to winning a first Leinster title. "No matter how good a team is, it needs a fortuitous bounce of the ball, a favourable refereeing decision or even a bad mistake by the opposition to help on it's way. We were never the recipients of any stroke of good fortune but sure we knocked great enjoyment out of it anyway".
There are many ways of getting from the picturesque village of Rathnew to the town of Arklow. All four are equally scenic and interesting. One takes you through the village of Rathdrum, another, more direct, leaves Kilbride and the third takes you down along the coast from Wicklow town and provides panoramic views of Bittas Bay. Jack Jameson's football route took in football pitches (fields) across the country and in England. It took in the Wexford village of Courtown before arriving at the Clogga Bay Hotel just outside Arklow. It is here that Jack and his family have settled in recent times, they have completely refurbished the beautifully situated premises. It is a family concern with sons Paul and Fred very much involved in it's administration but Jack is the amiable host who will welcome the guests throughout the summer. And if it's a chat about football that you're looking for, then the Clogga Bay is the place to go. Not that the proprietor will impose himself on the visitor. No way. He will not initiate the football debate, but once he gets going, he will share a host of memories with the customer and the humour and enthusiasm will make the visit all the more enjoyable. Enthusiasm has for long been the hallmark of Wicklow's football folk and Jack is a typical example. The former Garden County star has seen it all and heard it all but his passion for the game is as intense as it was when he first pulled on Rathnew's green and red jersey more than half a century ago. He has, of course, experienced the many defeats, the close calls and the all-too-seldom elation that a Championship win brings. So why can't Wicklow, with it's seemingly boundless enthusiasm, make the Leinster breakthrough? "I wish I knew the answer. I still say that Lady Luck never smiled on us. Perhaps our mountains and our scenery was Nature's gift to Wicklow rather than football success. Mind you, those mountains are not a great deal of help when it comes to football. They form a natural division right up trough the county and although Rathnew and Wicklow town have always fielded strong teams; football is not as strong east of the mountains".
Yes, Rathnew have always fielded strong teams and have produced some of the county's best. Including Moses Coffey, Bobby Dignam… and Jack Jameson too. Although he was born on the Wicklow side of the village, Jack's home was in the parish of Ashford. The Jamesons went to school in Rathnew and subsequently played with the green and reds. The headmaster in Rathnew in the late thirties was Tadhg Sullivan, a man who encouraged the boys in the skills of football and then there was Joe "The Dan" Byrne who looked after the juveniles. "He was an outstanding Gael and his enthusiasm rubbed off on the young lads around Rathnew. While still in his early teens, in 1943, Jack was a substitute on the team that beat Donard in the County Final, (his brother Fred was on the 40 and scored the winning goal) and he went on to give sterling service to the club for the best part of two decades. Although he made his name as a defender, his early appearances in the county jersey were as a forward and in 1947 he lined out at corner forward for Wicklow's first ever Championship meeting with Meath. Newbridge was the venue and despite some great defending by Gerry O'Reilly and full back Paddy O'Neill. Wicklow were eleven points in arrears at the interval. A great second half rally narrowly failed and Meath went to win the Leinster title and most of the Royal County players later collected All-Ireland and National League honours. Buts it's the games against Dublin that the Rathnew man remembers most fondly. "Yes, we had many's the great tussle with Dublin in those days. In fact, we couldn't avoid them. And although we often ran them close we couldn't beat them either. They had some great players during my time. I always thought that Johnny Boyle was the most underrated player on the team. He was a top class forward. Of course, they also had Kevin Heffernan, the Freaneys, Cathal O'Leary, Jim Crowley, Norman Allen and Jack Haughey. But Johnny Boyle never got the recognition that he deserved". Jack also remembers that on one occasion, a National League play-off in Croke Park in the early fifties, that Wicklow were leading the Dubs by two points when they snatched victory with a last minute goal. "There was a crowd of almost 50,000 at that game and we were most unlucky not to hold out".
"We had a powerful half back line with Joe Carrol, Joe Fitzpatrick and Gerry O'Reilly. And Andy Phillips was an outstanding goalkeeper. But somehow we just couldn't make the breakthrough". Like many of his former schoolmates in Rathnew, Jack headed for England in the early fifties and won two Championship medals with the London Club Cuchullains. On a couple of occasions he came home to play for Wicklow which was not a frequent occurrance at the time. Apart from the highly rated half back line mentioned previously, Jack had some great admiration for other Wicklow colleagues Jim Rogers and the Timmons brothers. But despite the fine array of individual talent the team never succeeded in even making it to a Leinster Final. In 1954, Wicklow again met Meath in the first round of the Leinster Championship. Jim Rogers turned in a superb display at centre field. Wicklow were leading by a point well into injury time but Meath forced an equaliser and went on to score the winning point in the NINTH minute of injury time. Controversy followed but Meath went on to win the Sam Maguire Cup. There's more than a grain of truth in the Garden County's hard luck stories.
Despite such soul-destroying defeats, (and there are several others), the inherent enthusiasm of Wicklow's supporters had never waned and the fact that they have only ever seen their team play Championship fare at Wicklow venus on EIGHT occasions throughout the Association's history has not dampened their optimism. On Sunday, they will arrive at Croke Park for a first round meeting with Kildare. Twelve months ago they suffered a humiliating fourteen point defeat by their neighbours. The performance, rather than the defeat, was a bitter pill to swallow but it won't have any effect on the number of supporters at Croke Park. Jack Jameson's optimism is typical: "Niall Rennick is doing a fine job. The forwards might be a bit small, but there's every chance of an upset. They froze against the same opposition last year but I can't see the same thing happening this year". Even the most ardent Kildare supporters can't see the same thing happening this year. Wicklow who promised so much in 1991, delivered so little in 1992. "Still the winning of the 'B' Championship was a fine achievement while Baltinglass have already proved the strength of club football in the county. There's every reason to be optimistic".
And does he expect to see a thriller? "I don't see why not. There won't be an awful lot of catch-kick in it which is a pity from my point of view, but that doesn't mean that it won't be a good game. These days it's a running game and a very high level of fitness is required. And the crowds are flocking to see it in greater numbers than ever before. The Meath-Dublin games of a couple of years ago were terrific and I think that they helped to swell the attendances".
Jack and his wife Ann, who is a native of Wexford and who "really does all the work around here" are now settled in Clogga Bay. Having spent several years in Courtown in Wexford. Jack has a great affinity with the Model County. The teams won't be meeting in the year's Championship so his loyalties will not be called into question but there's little doubt that he'll be anticipating a Wicklow success in Leinster's Football Championship and a similar triumph for the Wexford hurlers. By coincidence, both teams will be in action in Croke Park on Sunday. If the results go the right way, Clogga Bay, beside the Wexford border will be the place to be on Sunday night and Jack Jameson will be the man to be talking to
Written by Hogan Stand Magazine
06/06/93
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