Postal Workersput their stamp on fifty years of football at work!
?? Finbarr Buckley
? Postal Workers (Shield Winners 1997/98):
L to R (Back): Mark Coughlan, Cormac Sheehan, Matthew Burke, Tom O’Donoghue, Stephen Tobin, Dave Keating, James ‘Stag’ McSweeney, Barry Twomey
L to R (Front): Sean Guitheen, Gary Connolly (capt.), Tony ‘Bo’ Madden, Thomas Lynch (RIP), Anthony Huff, Brian Newman. Mascot: Brendan Lester.
WHEN one thinks of the great teams who have amassed trophies with consistent regularity, one immediately thinks of the successful Liverpool teams of the eighties under Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish, Manchester United of the nineties under Alex Ferguson & the all-conquering Shamrock Rovers FAI Cup-winning team of the sixties, writes Finbarr Buckley.
Add to that illustrious list the name of former Cork Business League team, Postal Workers, who have in a little over fifty years chalked up 14 Premier championships, 8 Mick Mooney Challenge Cups, 9 Shield & 6 Premier Cups, a record that would rank with the best that junior football would have to offer in any country. It’s incredible to think that in the club’s golden era of the eighties, 21 trophies were won in a frightening display of dominance.
Founded in 1948, the Workers entered the then known Cork & District Shipping League at the commencement of the 1955/56 season and captured its first championship the following year. Although the sixties proved a lean period in terms of trophy success the title win of 1972/73 turned the tide and was followed by successive cup triumphs in 1975 & 1976. What proceeded can only be described as the golden era in which 11 championships were won in 13 seasons, Youghal Yarns in 1978 and Aer Lingus in 1985 being the only two teams to wrestle the title away from the former Little Island outfit.
In 1887/88 Postal became only the second team in the league’s history to win the domestic treble of league, cup and shield. Only CIE Athletic in 1968/69 had captured the elusive feat, incidentally going on to win two successive cups and a total of four in all in-a-row. Although Cork Examiner matched the feat in 1990/91 and Marlboro Trust in 2009/10, Youghal Yarns went one better in 1992/93 by winning all four domestic competitions. Postal’s success came at the height of the league’s popularity when a record thirty-four teams competed in three divisions when the standard of football was undoubtedly at it’s highest. The club continued in football following their departure from the Business League by competing in the AUL as Postal Celtic and proceeded to win two successive promotions in as many seasons.
The name of Postal Workers is forever linked with that of Mick Mooney who played with the club from the mid-fifties through to the late sixties before going on to manage the team to many of its greatest successes.
Postal Workers (who defeated Fords 4-2 in their FAI Junior Cup second round tie at Marina Pk. on Sunday, October 11th 1969): L to R (Back) : Jim O’Mahony, Tom ‘The Guard’ Holland, John Carroll, Paddy O’Leary, Willie ‘The Scourge’ Goggin (RIP), Pat Walsh, Michael Walsh. L to R (Front): Brian Looney, Jim McKeon, Dan Kenneally (capt.), Tony ‘Dada’ Daly, Denis Kiely. , (pic: Finbarr Buckley)
Postal Workers (who defeated Ford ‘A’ 3-1 in their shield group B encounter at The Showgrounds on Sunday, September 23rd 1979) : L to R (Back): John Warren, Tom Archer, Billy Keogh, John Reid, Derry Hartnett, Pat Lester, Ger Frahill, Paddy O’Connor, A N Other. L to R (Front): Peter Welsh, Phil Clifford, John McGrath, Jerry Browne, Pat Hurley (capt.), Derry Coughlan, Andy Maher. (pic: Finbarr Buckley)
The Postal Workers squad who defeated Naval Services 3-1 in the Mooney Cup Quarter-Final in March 2003. L to R ( Back ): Mick Mooney (president), Damien Nagle (assist. manager), Michael Monahan, Adrian Coleman, Alan Collins, Dan Kenneally (capt.), Michael O’Donovan, Tony Madden, Paul Madden, James McSweeney, Gavin Buckley, Brian Murphy. L to R ( Front ):John Reid (treasurer), Martin Burke, Brian Newman, Declan Dennehy, Michael Burke, Pat Daly, Derek Walsh, Jonathan Newman, Andy Maher (manager).
( pic : Finbarr Buckley )
Postal Workers who defeated Cork Examiner 3-1 to win the AIB Cup at Turner’s Cross on Sunday, May 8th 1988 and complete the treble for the first time :L to R (Back) : John Browne, John Brackett, Tony Guest, Tom Archer, John Roche, Timmy O’Donovan, John Reid, Harry Harte. L to R (Front) : Jerry Browne, Pat Lester, Sean O’Donovan (capt.), Tom Barry, Timmy McCarthy, John McGrath..
Postal Workers (League Runners-up 1963/64) : L to R (Back) : Denis Kiely, Bernie McKeown, Mick Mooney, John ‘Pa’ Guest, Mick Downey, Liam Cantwell. L to R (Front) :Redmond Cummins, Tommy O’Rourke, Liam ‘Pepper’ Hurley (capt.), Noel Burke, Timmy Hickey.,
John Keane (Postal Workers),right, in a race for possession with Kieran Falvey (Cork Examiner) during the 1986 A.I.B. Cup Final at Turner’s Cross. Also pictured are, from left, Derry Barrett (referee) and Keith Anthony (Cork Examiner).
Postal Workers (League Champions 1972/73) : L to R (Back) : Liam ‘Pepper’ Hurley (manager),(inset), Derry Hartnett, John ‘Doc’ Carroll, Phil O’Leary, Peter Walsh, Tom Holland. L to R (Front) : John McGrath, Tony ‘Dada’ Daly, Jerry Browne (capt.), Paddy Hurley, Andy Maher, Terry Ryan.
Postal Workers who drew 1-1 with Cork Shoe Co. at Blackpool Pk. on Sunday, October 19th 1969 : L to R (Back): John ‘Doc’ Carroll, Joe ‘Loco’ O’Mahony (RIP), Tom ‘The Guard’ Holland, Redmond Cummins (RIP), Tony ‘Dada’ Daly, Dan ‘Dino’ Kenneally. L to R (Front) : Willie ‘The Scourge’ Goggin (RIP), Denis O’Donovan, Denis Kiely (capt.), Peter Walsh, Liam ‘Pepper’ Hurley (RIP).
Postal Workers (Shield Winners 1997/98) : L to R (Back): Mark Coughlan, Cormac Sheehan, Matthew Burke, Tom O’Donoghue, Stephen Tobin, Dave Keating, James ‘Stag’ McSweeney, Barry Twomey. L to R (Front) : Sean Guitheen, Gary Connolly (capt.), Tony ‘Bo’ Madden, Thomas Lynch (RIP), Anthony Huff, Brian Newman. Mascot : Brendan Lester.
Postal Workers (League, Cup and Shield Winners 1987/88): L to R (Back): Tom Barry, Connie O’Callaghan, John McGrath (capt.), Sean O’Donovan, Pat Lester, Tom Archer, John Reid, Denis O’Leary, John Browne. L to R (Front) : Paddy Hurley (committee), Tim McCarthy, John Roche, Tony ‘Dada’ Daly (manager), Tony Guest, Jerry Browne, Timmy O’Donovan, Harry Harte (assist. manager), Mick Mooney (chairman).
