By Tom Hunt

The death of Gerry McCarthy in Dublin on Thursday severed one of the last remaining links with what was one of the great days in the history of Waterford football.

On 2 June 1957, Waterford defeated Kerry in the Munster Football semi-final 2-5 to 0-10 in the Gaelic Field in Waterford (it had yet to be named Walsh Park). Gerry McCarthy was the Waterford goalkeeper on that historic day and it is appropriate to remember Gerry by recalling the story of the day that Waterford ‘sprang one of the greatest surprised in the history of the GAA’ according to the Irish Press. For the Irish Independent, it was the shock of the decade. 

As a journalist, with the Irish Press and the Sporting Press, Gerry McCarthy was a story teller supreme.  Gerry’s column in the Irish Press was essential reading as he recounted his exploits in the world of the East Waterford GAA during his playing days with Ballyduff Lower where he was a teammate of the legendary Tom Cheasty. The Sporting Press readers were educated and entertained by Gerry’s encyclopaedic knowledge of matters coursing and greyhound racing, and in his ‘Tom Kelly’ column they got a bonus in the same publication. As a GAA reporter, he ranked with the best of his day when reports were filled with match details.

Kerry led by 0-6 to 0-2 at the interval and by  0-8 to 0-2 when the Kenmare native George White’s free-kick from close to the sideline was finished to the net by Noel Power for Waterford’s first goal in the 44th minute. The goal unsettled Kerry and energised Waterford and in the 56th minute John Timmons goaled from a goalmouth scramble in which man (Kerry’s debutant goalkeeper Tim Barrett) and ball were buried in the back of the net by the Kilrossanty man.  ‘White jerseys swarmed all over the field and the Waterford men became dangerous as the Kerry defence panicked’, The Kerryman reported.  Minutes from the end, Tom Cunningham who performed heroics at centre-back on the day drove forward and kicked the winning point.   A Paudie Sheehy missed free (‘from a position  from which he has often scored’ – the Cork Examiner) was followed by the final whistle. 

After the whistle, ‘the crowd wild with excitement carried Tom Cunningham shoulder high to the dressing rooms amongst the most animated scenes of jubilation ever seen at a sports fixture in Waterford’.  As the Waterford followers and players celebrated, a Kerry official informed the Irish Press reporter ‘We’ll have to wait till they are all gone to bed before we enter Tralee’. ‘We’re too excited at the moment to think about anything’, Pat Fanning explained.

Gerry McCarthy guarded the net (‘Tall Jerry McCarthy had a very good game in goal’, the Cork Examiner reported)  and was fronted by a full-back line of Mick Prendergast, Mattie Lonergan and Con Crowley; The half-back line of Michael O’Connor, Tom Cunningham and Jimineen Power supported a midfield of Sean Forde and Mount Sion’s Seamus Power. The architect of the victory Billy Kirwan, Noel Power and the Kerryman George White formed an impressive half-forward line and Jim Timmons, Jimmy White and Tom Power of Ardmore completed the Waterford fifteen. The switch of Jimmy White to midfield at the interval was instrumental in the sensational victory. Willie Daniels replaced Forde at the break and he in turn was replaced by S. Roche. It was a special day in the history of the Kilrossanty club as the team included six members of the club.  Billy Kirwan Jimineen Power and Mick Prendergast were winners of Waterford Senior Hurling medals with Clonea in 1952. 

Con Crowley captained Waterford on this occasion, his daughter Carrie is now one of Ireland’s leading actors. Ned Fitzgerald captained Kerry and his son Maurice is one of the all-time greats of Kerry football. Mick O’ Dwyer made an unimpressive debut for Kerry on the day but did go on to have a career of some significance with Kerry in the decades that followed. 

Three months later, Seamus Power, Michael O’Connor and Tom Cunningham were members of the Waterford Senior hurling team that lost by a point to Kilkenny in the All-Ireland senior hurling final (4-10 to 3-12) but the three dual players won their All-Ireland medals when Kilkenny were defeated in the replayed 1959 final. 

The victory in 1957 was only the second occasion Waterford defeated Kerry in the Munster Senior football championship. In Mallow on 27August 1911, a team powered by Rathgormack men defeated Kerry 1-1 to 1-0 in the Munster semi-final. 

Gerry McCarthy’s funeral mass takes place today (Tuesday, February 17th) in Our Lady of Dolours Church, Glasnevin at  10am, followed by burial in  Glasnevin Cemetery. 

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