Killyon’s hat-trick of Jubilee Cups achieved 40 years ago

On a golden Autumn day in 2005 Killyon won their seventh and, so far, last SHC crown when they comfortably overcame Kildalkey in a one-sided final at Trim.

Back then Kit Mitchell was the club chairman (as indeed he still is) and he remembers that day with great fondness.

However, 24 years before that, in 1981, Killyon did something really special - and relatively rare.

They won the SHC for the third successive year, the first and only time they have achieved that in their long history.

There was a lot to preoccupy the people of Meath in the autumn of 1981 - a strike in Tara Mines and high unemployment among the burning issues of the day.

When it came to hurling there was nobody to match Killyon, the kings of the county.

They had established their credentials with triumphs in 1979 and '80 before closing out the deal a year later and completing the three-in-a-row.

One of the chief driving forces behind that formidable feat 40 years ago was Kit Mitchell, someone who has given a huge chunk of his life to hurling in Killyon - and no doubt will continue to do so for years to come.

When he looks back to those three years and reflects on how Killyon did the three-in-row he emphasises that it was far from a one-man show.

He was team manager and club chairman during those years, but many people, he points out, contributed to carving out an achievement that brought great joy to parish - supporters, officials, people who did essential tasks.

Then, of course, there were the players who did the business on the field of play and and selectors - PJ Kelly, Michael Ayers, Tom Fitzsimons, JJ Carney and Richard Tyrrell.

"I suppose I didn't appreciate it at the time because I was so immersed in the whole thing, but as the games went by we just got better," Mitchell recalled.

"We had a tremendous batch of players and they were all our own players who had come through the under-age set-up, who grew up in Killyon and went to school in Killyon.

"They all put in a tremendous effort and there was great backing from the parish and the people in the club, everybody."

A sign of just how healthy hurling was in Killyon can be gleaned from the fact that between 1972 and 1980 the club won an astonishing 31 titles between u-13 and senior grade.

Seven years ago Kit Mitchell (who won JHC and IHC medals in his playing days with his beloved club) was diagnosed with cancer.

It was a hammerblow to receive the news, but he's still here ("still annoying people" as he puts it with a laugh) and he attributes that fact to a couple of factors.

One is that he is a fighter - "I never give up. I never gave up on the hurling field because if you do you are going to be beaten, that's certain."

There is something else that has really stood to him.

"Hurling kept me going, I believe that, no doubt, it saved my life.

"If I gave up the hurling at that time I wouldn't be around today.

"I battled on, there were times when I wasn't able, but I did it. I maintain that if you are a fighter you will keep going.

"The hurling community really supported me, people wrote letters, cards to me, hard to believe - and I was very grateful for all that support."

Mitchell, who is a builder, farmer and 110 per cent hurling man, has many memories from his years involved with Killyon.

Some good, some not-so-good. Then there are others that are better than 'good.' They are the special ones, the memories that glisten like a golden nugget.

Like that October day in '81 - can it be 40 years ago now? - when Killyon reached the top of a very high mountain and achieved something few clubs ever do - a cherished three-a-row.

The passing years have also brought a certain poignancy to that achievement.

"Four of the players, Patsy Molloy, Paddy Ayers, Billy Dixon and Jimmy Duignan and three selectors PJ Kelly, Michael Ayers and Richard Tyrrell have gone to the eternal rewards. All great men who did so much for he club," added Mitchell.

ORIGINS

When he reflects on the origins of that three-in-a-row Kit Mitchell points back to the mid-1960s when the foundations of a proper under-age structure were put in place in Killyon.

As chairman of the club (he was first elected in 1966) Mitchell got the ball rolling, encouraged by another great hurling man, the late Peadar O Liathain.

There were others, Mitchell points out, such as the "brilliant" PJ Kelly who did a great deal, but it was essentially a community effort.

Gradually the work with the juveniles began to pay rich dividends, although it took some time.

In the context of Meath hurling Killyon were well down the pecking order.

They had won the 1918 SHC crown, but slipped back into relative and lengthy obscurity.

Then in 1968 the first green shoots of a new era emerged when they won a JHC.

They went up to intermediate and lost a few finals, painful lessons on what was often a rocky road.

As the team manager (or trainer as he was then called) Mitchell learned from the setbacks and stored away the lessons.

Eventually a breakthrough came when in 1977 Killyon claimed the IHC.

The following year they lost to Kilmessan in the last four of the SHC. They were edging closer, ever closer.

The defeats, the setbacks, as well as the victories, helped Mitchell forge a philosophy that could be applied to any team, in any sport, in the quest for success; whether that's Killyon, Kilkenny, Kerry or the Tampa Bay Bucceners.

"Hard work and dedication, I drilled that into the players and they were willing to do it for me because I had been with them since they were juveniles.

"Before every training session we did four laps, we had games among ourselves, that I refereed, hard games, full-on. We did three sessions a week usually.

"The effort put in by the players was unbelievable, all the players wanted to work hard and that's what they did," he recalled

"At that time there were a lot of tournaments and we entered every tournament we could.

"We played in a lot of tournaments in Westmeath, in Castlepollard, Collinstown, Clonkill, Raharney and in Kildare, in places like Broadford.

"Our players might often play three games over a weekend.

"They played football with Ballivor on a Sunday afternoon, hurling for Killyon that evening and the following evening there would often be a tournament somewhere.

"The players were very fit and that's what we needed to stay strong in the closing stages of games."

Mitchell also encouraged his players to play direct hurling. No fancy stuff.

"I always maintained, when the ball is in the opposition half they were in trouble, when it was in our half, we were in trouble."

SUCCESS

Winning the 1979 SHC crown was special for Killyon as they hadn't reached the promised land since claiming the 1918 title.

Fit and finely tuned, they comfortably defeated Boardsmill. The following year Kildalkey were vanquished.

Mitchell's Men made it to the 1981 final once again, although not without some blips along the way.

That year they had lost to Boardsmill during their campaign before regaining momentum to make it to the semis where they were drawn against Kiltale.

That turned out to be classic encounter, full of fast-flowing hurling - but there was lots of controversy too as matters got out of hand.

Killyon won the game, 3-8 to 2-8, but as the referee, Michael Reilly, walked off the pitch at the end he was struck in the face by a spectator.

"It was a shame that this disgraceful incident and a second-half melee involving several players should spoil what was probably the best game of hurling seen in the county for a long time," wrote Paul Clarke in the Meath Chronicle.

It was onto the final at Trim against Athboy.

Dominant at one stage Killyon lost their way and Athboy came storming back and missed a couple of late chances.

Killyon survived to win, just about, to make it to the top of the mountain.

They had achieved something really special, the coveted three-in-a-row.

Despite the passing years Mitchell rightly looks back on that triumph as a truly special feat. Treasured.

It was, he says, an "unbelievable" triumph, not just for him, but for the Killyon community.

All those people who, in one way or another, played a part in turning the dream into a reality.

A TALE OF THREE FINALS

The three-in-a-row was achieved in 1979, 1980 and 1981, the brief details are listed.

1979: Killyon 4-7, Boardsmill 0-4

Regarded as underdogs going into the 1979 SHC final, Killyon produced a storming performance to get the better of a fancied Boardsmill side on a late September day in Trim.

"While the size of Killyon's winning margin may raise quite a few eyebrows there can be no doubting the merit of the triumph," wrote Meath Chronicle reporter Eddie Longworth. Killyon made a blistering start and led 2-2 to 0-0 after just 12 minutes.

They still led 2-2 to 0-2 at the interval before switching on the after-burners and racing away to take the title in convincing fashion. Jimmy Mitchell helped himself to a hat-trick of goals over the hour (his second hat-trick of the campaign). Jimmy Connolly also found the net for the winners whose fitness, strength and fierce determination was simply too much for the beseiged Boardsmill.

There were outstanding displays all over the field from Killyon players with Martin Dempsey and Sean Ryan particularly influential at midfield. It finished 4-7 to 0-4.

Killyon - Vincent Duignan; Jimmy Duignan, Billy Dixon, Paul Doyle; Ollie Carney, Patsy Molloy, Eamonn Stenson (0-1); Martin Dempsey, Sean Ryan (0-1); Lar Tyrrell (0-2), Ambrose Connolly (0-1), Tom Massey (0-1); Jimmy Connolly (1-0), Jimmy Mitchell (3-0), Dermot Dempsey (0-1). Sub - Noel Lacey for A Connolly.

1980: Killyon 4-8, Kildalkey 2-7.

Despite having to carry the burden of favourites Killyon once more produced a dominant display, just as they did the previous year, to get the better of Kildalkey in the 1980 SHC final and keep the dream of a three-in-a-row alive with Oliver Carney producing a powerhouse performance.

"Because of Carney's dominance in midfield Kildalkey could never dictate the trend of the game," wrote Longworth in his Meath Chronicle report.

John Connor set Killyon on the road to victory with a first-minute goal and at the interval Kit Mitchell's side led 1-5 to 0-3.

Killyon continued to be the more dominant side in the second-half and with Connor, Lar Tyrrell and PJ McKeown all going on to bag more goals they were assured of victory well before the end with Tom Massey, Jimmy Connolly and Jimmy Mitchell others to contribute scores.

Kildalkey had a potential man-of-the-match in the immense performance of Pat Priest, but even this great player couldn't halt Killyon's march to victory.

Killyon - Paddy Quinn; Vincent Duignan, Billy Dixon, Jimmy Duignan; Camillus Burke, Eamonn Stenson, Paddy Ayres; Sean Ryan, Ollie Carney; Tom Massey (0-2), Jimmy Connolly (0-1), PJ McKeown (1-3); Lar Tyrrell (1-1), Jimmy Mitchell (0-1), John Connor (2-0). No subs used.

1981: Killyon 0-8, Athboy 1-4.

An formidable Athboy side, that had a potent mix of youth and experience, provided the opposition for Killyon in the 1981 SHC final at Trim and what a topsy turvy affair it turned out to be for the reigning champions.

They just couldn't get a grip on the game and then with the winning post in sight they almost did a 'Devon Loch'. They were almost caught with glory within sight.

At half-time in a dour contest Killyon led 0-6 to 0-1.

With 14 minutes remaining Killyon still led by five points.

It looked a very decent lead in a slow-burning game.

Then Athboy took control, but spurned a couple of good chances.

Brian Connor found the net late on for Athboy, but Killyon held on - and created their own piece of history with their first three-in-a-row.

Killyon - Paddy Quinn; Vincent Duignan, Billy Dixon (0-1), Paddy Ayres; Lar Tyrrell, Camillus Burke, PJ McKeown (0-2); Eamonn Stenson, Martin Massey; Martin Dempsey (0-1), Jimmy Connolly, Tom Massey (0-3); John Connor, Jimmy Mitchell (0-1), Joe Cunningham.