Faugh-a-Ballagh Cup
The Faugh-a-Ballagh Challenge Cup
The Faugh-a-Ballagh Cup is contested by club runners from the men's section of Donore Harriers annually over 6 Miles traditionally in the Phoenix Park, Dublin. It is the Donore Harriers Club Cross Country Championships Cup. Donore women compete on the same day for the Jim McNamara Cup.
History
The Faugh-a-Ballagh Cup, which was first awarded in 1907 to the senior men's winner, is one of the oldest trophies in Donore Harriers and club trophies in Ireland. It was presented by the 87th Royal Irish Fusiliers in 1907 as a perpetual trophy for the men's club cross country championship over 6 miles.
The first running of the cup took place in Meadowbrook, Dundrum. A report from the time stated that there was "a big gathering of spectators, including many old associates of the club foregathered to witness what turned out to be a very interesting event..." It goes on at length to give details of the race, including that, '"V.P. McDonagh, Hon. Secretary sent the 13 competitors on their journey to a capital start."
Previous winners of the cup include well known Irish International and Donore Harriers Athletes: Bertie Messitt, Tom O’Riordan and Jim McNamara.
L. Kelly was the first winner of the cup. Since then there have been three '4 time' winners of the cup:
- Paddy Byrne 'the Byrne from the Waterhouse Byrne Baird Shield' - 1916/1917/1919/1920
- Kevin Maguire - 1948/1949/1950/1951
- Eddie Spillane - 1970/1971/1973/1974
However, the most prolific winner was Bertie Messitt with six wins in 1953, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961 and 1964.
Other notable winners of the cup were :
- Tom O'Riordan (3) - 1967/1968/1969 (Olympian - 1964, Tokyo / 9 times Irish Cross Country International)
- Jim McNamara (2) - 1965/1966 (Olympian - 1976, Montreal)
- Tony Brien (3) - 1975/1978/1979 (4 time Irish Cross Country International)
Other Donore Harriers Internationals to win the Cup were:
- Tommy Dunne (2)
- Mick Neville (2)
- Jack Dougan (2)
- Tony Murphy
- John Phelan
Donore Connection with the Royal Dublin Fusiliers
The club along with many members of Donore Harriers has a strong connection with the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Davie Baird joined the 10th Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and was badly wounded at the Battle of Ancre in 1916. He made a full recovery and went on to win, most famously the Waterhouse Byrne Shield on three occasions to add his name to that trophy.
There is also an amazing connection and coincidence between 6-time winner of the cup Bertie Messitt and the Fusiliers and the Faugh-a-Ballagh Cup. Years before he joined Donore Harriers, due to lack of work he joined the British Army in 1946, aged 18. His regiment, the Royal Irish Fusiliers were known worldwide as the 'Faughs'. Bertie wrote poetry, and he wrote this short poem about his time in the Regiment:
'FAUGH-A-BALLAGH'
I wore a hackle in my hat,
and marched behind a band.
Carried a Lee Enfield rifle,
and served in foreign lands.
They were the best days of my life,
I cherish those golden years.
When I was a proud member of
the Irish Fusiliers.
Course
The course traditionally takes in the horse gallop trail, which runs adjacent to Chesterfield Avenue in the Phoenix Park. It turns close to the stone wall, which is in the clearing at the end of the gallop & with the Pope's Cross in view. It turns back entering the inside part of the trees at the top of the Kyber before emerging through the open ground with its numerous dips, heading in the direction of the Civil Service Pavilion; where loops around again to the Horse Gallop.
Strahan-Cahill Cup
The Strahan Cahill Cup is a Donore Harriers Club Cross-Country Handicap race run over 6 Miles traditionally in the Phoenix Park alongside the Faugh-a-Ballagh Cup.[1]
Previous Winners
- 1907 - L. Byrne
- 1908 -
- 1909 -
- 1910 -
- 1911 -
- 1912 -
- 1913 -
- 1914 -
- 1915 -
- 1916 - Paddy Byrne
- 1917 - Paddy Byrne
- 1919 - Paddy Byrne
- 1920 - Paddy Byrne
- 1921 -
- 1922 -
- 1923 -
- 1924 -
- 1925 -
- 1926 -
- 1927 -
- 1928 -
- 1929 -
- 1930 -
- 1931 -
- 1932 -
- 1933 -
- 1934 -
- 1935 -
- 1936 -
- 1937 -
- 1938 -
- 1939 -
- 1940 -
- 1941 -
- 1942 -
- 1943 -
- 1944 -
- 1945 -
- 1946 -
- 1947 - Pat Haughey
- 1948 - Kevin Maguire
- 1949 - Kevin Maguire
- 1950 - Kevin Maguire
- 1951 - Kevin Maguire
- 1952 -
- 1953 - Bertie Messitt
- 1954 -
- 1955 -
- 1956 -
- 1957 -
- 1958 - Bertie Messitt
- 1959 - Bertie Messitt
- 1959 - Bertie Messitt
- 1960 - Bertie Messitt
- 1961 - Bertie Messitt
- 1962 - Mick Neville
- 1963 - Mick Neville (29:27) / 2nd: M. Connolly (29:55) / 3rd: B. Dunne (30:30)[2]
- 1964 - Bertie Messitt
- 1965 - Jim McNamara
- 1966 - Jim McNamara (33:30) / 2nd: T. Hopkins (35:10) / 3rd: W. Dunne (35:33)
- 1967 - Tom O'Riordan
- 1968 - Tom O'Riordan
- 1969 - Tom O'Riordan (31:03) / 2nd: J. Sheridan (31:33) / 3rd: T. Redican (32:44)[3]
- 1970 - Eddie Spillane (31:07) / 2nd: J. McNamara (31:10) / 3rd: T. Redican (31:31)[4]
- 1971 - Eddie Spillane (31:07) / 2nd: T. Redican (31:08) / 3rd: J. McNamara (31:32)[5], [6]
- 1972 -
- 1973 - Eddie Spillane
- 1974 - Eddie Spillane
- 1975 - Tony Brien
- 1976 -
- 1977 -
- 1978 - Tony Brien
- 1979 - Tony Brien
- 1980 -
- 1981 -
- 1982 -
- 1983 -
- 1984 -
- 1985 -
- 1986 -
- 1987 -
- 1988 -
- 1989 -
- 1990 -
- 1991 -
- 1992 -
- 1993 -
- 1994 -
- 1995 -
- 1996 -
- 1997 -
- 1998 -
- 1999 -
- 2000 -
- 2001 -
- 2002 -
- 2003 -
- 2004 -
- 2005 -
- 2006 -
- 2007 -
- 2008 -
- 2009 -
- 2010 -
- 2011 -
- 2012 -
- 2013 -
- 2014 -
- 2015 -
- 2016 -
- 2017 - Fergal Swaine
- 2018 - Alan Farrell
- 2019 - Des Tremble
References
- www
.greatwar .ie /wp-content /uploads /2016 /03 /The-Blue-Cap-8 .pdf The Blue Cap - 'Faugh-a-Ballagh' poem by B. Messitt, 1947
- Faugh-a-Ballagh race report, 1907, Donore Harriers Archives
- 10 March 1969, Irish Independent, Athletics Article titled: 'O'Riordan - easily', http://www.independent.ie
- 17 February 1963, Sunday Independent, Athletics Article titled: 'Neville keeps his title'
- 20 February 1966, Sunday Independent, Athletics Article titled: 'McNamara Field Day'
- 8 March 1970, Sunday Independent, Athletics Article titled: 'Donore Race for Spillane'
- 29 March 1971, Irish Independent, Athletics Article titled: 'Eddie Spillane retains title', http://www.independent.ie
- 29 March 1971, The Irish Times, Cross Country Athletics Article titled: 'Eddie Spillane is Champion', http://www.irishtimes.com
External links
- Official website of Donore Harriers
Sunday Independent, Irish Independent & Irish Times References added
This article "Faugh-a-Ballagh Cup" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Faugh-a-Ballagh Cup. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
- ↑ 20 February 1966, Sunday Independent, Athletics Article titled: 'McNamara Field Day'
- ↑ 17 February 1963, Sunday Independent, Athletics Article titled: 'Neville keeps his title'
- ↑ 10 March 1969, Irish Independent, Athletics Article titled: 'O'Riordan - easily', http://www.independent.ie
- ↑ 8 March 1970, Sunday Independent, Athletics Article titled: 'Donore Race for Spillane'
- ↑ 29 March 1971, Irish Independent, Athletics Article titled: 'Eddie Spillane retains title'
- ↑ 29 March 1971, The Irish Times, Cross Country Athletics Article titled: 'Eddie Spillane is Champion', http://www.irishtimes.com
