On Sunday last in the west Cork Gaeltacht village of Cill na Martra, the senior footballers of Cork and Dublin played a tournament in memory of Sean O Siocháin, former Director General of The G.A.A.
Seán who was a National School Teacher, who was born in Cill na Martra and went on to hold the highest office in the G.A.A. He was widely respected and revered throughout the G.A.A. Seán was also a wonderful singer and was part of numerous Raidió Éireann programmes in the 1940’s and 1950. One of his most popular programmes was “The Ballad singers on Saturday night”. Few singers could render ‘The boys from Barr na Sraide’ like Seán.
He was a noted footballer and played Senior with Cork and Dublin. He was a member of the Cork Senior Football team of 1935 when they played Tipperary in the Munster Final. Accompanying Seán on that team a corner back was one of Shamrock’s greatest footballers the late George Andrews from Ringaskiddy. George came from one of the greatest ever Shamrock families where generations distinguished themselves in the green and white.
His great grand nephew Andrew O’ Grady is surely carrying on that tradition today at Minor and Junior levels. Andrew’s point scoring over the weekend at Minor and Junior grades was a pleasure to experience.
We should always behold and treasure the players and riches of our historic old Club.
