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Family
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with Paddy Casey
The Legend Of The Caseys
The Casey's of Sneem," The Toughest
Family on Earth"
They
were the greatest sporting family that this county and country have
ever produced. Indeed, one must now pose the question: “Have
any seven brothers anywhere throughout the world achieved so much
on the sporting field?”
The seven Casey brothers were born in the townland of Ballaugh,
a few miles from the village of Sneem.
Seven boys in the family - Steve, Paddy, Jack, Jim, Mick, Tom
and Dan - together with three girls - Margaret, Jose and Kitty.
Their mother was Bridget O Sullivan, the daughter of a local strongman
known as Johnny Mountain, a stonemason from Ballaugh.
Brigid was a champion oarswoman, and every year at the Sneem Regatta,
she and her sister, Hannah Downing, won the women’s two-oar
race. Their father, Mike Casey, was a strong natural athlete and
he emigrated to America at the turn of the 18th Century, where
he worked first in the Montana Mines and later in Boston, while
he also worked as a bareknuckled sparring partner for the legendary
heavyweight boxing champion, John L. O’ Sullivan.
Both Bridget and Mike were at various times in the employment
of the American billionaire family, the Vanderbilts, but amazingly
did not meet until they both returned to Ireland.
This
combined sporting gene of mother and father clearly dictated the
future glory of their seven legendary sons who began their young
lives rowing and swimming the two miles to and from school in
hail, rain, wind and snow.
Of course you may well ask, “Just how great were these seven
Casey brothers from the little village of Sneem in County Kerry?”
Well, the simple answer to that is you should read Jim Hudson’s
superb book, “The Legend Of The Caseys”, the toughest
family on earth. That is, if you can get your hands on one of
these priceless copies.
.
They were unbeaten in their rowing career which saw them compete
against the world’s best in Ireland, England and America,
involving hundreds of races over all distances both as brothers
and as individuals. In 1963, they won the All-England rowing championship,
which qualified them to represent England in the Berlin Olympics.
Four of the brothers were then rowing with the Ace rowing club
in London, while back in Ireland, Jim Dan and Jack Casey were
also in training and were prepared to join their brothers so as
to have Caseys competing in every type of rowing race in those
1936 Berlin Olympics, from the single sculls on up to the sweeps,
and their first cousin, Joe Casey, was training with them as a
coxswain.
However, in the years of 1935-36, Steve and Paddy were members
of the British Amateur Wrestling team, winning all their matches
all over Europe and beyond. Needing the money, they turned to
the professional ranks. This was to prove a life-regretted decision
as, due to the fact that they received money, they were disqualified
and barred from going to the Olympics. And so, the team which
the Ace rowing club had defeated went on to represent. In my interview
with the late Paddy Casey (the last one this wonderful man gave),
he left me in no doubt whatsoever that he and his legendary brothers
firmly believed that had they rowed in those 1936 Games they were
confident in their own minds that they would have won all six
of the rowing events that year. A mind-boggling statement, this
would have been a feat unparalleled in the history of the Olympics.
The seven Casey brothers would have set the sporting world alight
and today, the name Casey, Casey, Casey, Casey would be standing
out in Olympic history, with up to 31 Olympic gold medals going
to this magnificent family. Yes, it reads like the work of a fiction
writer and as I pen these words I wonder if I am in a dream; however
the facts are there and the words of the late Paddy remained embedded
in my mind - “We would have won every single race.”
When Steve, Jim and Tom were in America, the champion sculler
of that country, Richard Codman, tired about hearing about these
famous brothers from Ireland, challenged them to a race on the
Charles River and he boasted that if even one of the brothers
beat him, he would give each of the three $10,000. Close to 40,000
Irish emigrants and Americans lined the banks of the river to
view this historic event. The result was as follows: first Jim
Casey, second Steve, third Tom, with Codman a poor last.
The
list of Casey sporting achievements are far too many to list here;
Paddy was undefeated light and heavyweight wrestling champion
of Ireland and his son, Patrick, was a member of the Vesta Rowing
Club in London and won a medal in 1981 in the Hanley Regatta.
Paddy also won many long distance cycling races in Ireland. Dan
was a contractor, champion oarsman, and tug-o-war champion. Tom
became British heavyweight boxing champion in 1937 after only
nine days training. Jim won the Canadian and South American wrestking
titles. Mick, in a career that lasted over 20 years, had 200 wrestling
bouts. The brothers were also unbeatable in tug-o-war, winning
many titles. This amazing story of the Casey brothers is surely
one of the most remarkable and inspiring of all. They left their
native village, went fforth and match their prowess against the
greatest sportsmen throughout the world. They have earned undying
fame and it can be said without fear of contradiction that this
family of seven boys was without a doubt, “the greatest
of all”.
The Toughest Family On Earth (The Daily Mirror, 1937)
Go to Dublin. Ask for Kingsbridge Station. Buy a ticket to Killarney
and catch the 10.15 AM. At a quarter to three, you should be there.
Walk out of the station, take no notice of drivers of jaunting
cars who will beseech you to go with them to “the meeting
of the waters”, and find the nearest garage. Ask ‘em
how much to hire a car to Sneem.Knock ‘em down ten bob.
Jump in and drive thirty-one miles over the mountains to Sneem.
When you get there, find Mr. JJ Sheehan - he keeps the local shop.
Ask Mr. Sheehan whether he can someone to row you three miles
down the lough. Mr. Sheehan, being both friendly and helpful,
will oblige - that is, if the tide is in. Off you go. And there
among the heather and rocks of wild remote Kerry, you will see
a little white cottage, the home of Michael, Bridget, Stephen,
Paddy, Jack, Jim, Micky, Tom, Margaret, Dan, Jose and Kitty Casey;
the Fighting Caseys - the toughest family on earth. Michael and
Bridget are the parents. Steve is the oldest son. A few months
ago Steve, tired of helping his father fish for salmon, came to
London. He got a job at a hotel in the Tottenham Court Road, as
a porter.
Sometimes on Saturday nights, a few of the customers, well slewed
with liquor, would start raising Cain. Steve was called in - all
seventeen stone of him. He gently took to the drunks and threw
them in the air. It was beautiful to see. There was no effort.
Like aerial torpedoes they zoomed through the swing doors, looped
gracefully over the pavement, and pancaked on to the hard and
impersonal Tottenham Court Road.
There was neither fuss nor malice about it. It was an operation
- efficient, effective and neat. Someone saw Steve do it and took
him one night to an all-in wrestling match. The usual challenge
for any member of the audience who fancied himself to come up
and take a licking was issued. Steve ambled up. He instantly threw
the man out of the ring. When the deposed one clambered back,
Steve threw him out again, just to show there was no deception.
The referee mumbled a faint protest so Steve launched him into
the air like a bird on the wing. That was a few months ago. Stephen
Casey is now in America.
In two months time he meets Dean Detton for the worlds championship
of all-in wrestling. Praise be to merciful Allah that I am not
Mr. Dean Detton. The Caseys are a terrifying and remarkable family.
In physique there is no doubt they are unequalled by any other
family in Great Britain and Ireland. All of ‘em, with the
exception of the women, have discovered they can fight; a little
army of gigantic men training themselves in the wild distant mountains
of County Kerry.
I suggested to Mr Flannagan, who manages them, that if any body
got into a roughhouse with the Caseys, they would indeed be in
a tough spot. Mr Flannagan charmingly remarked - “Sure they
wouldn’t touch a hair on your head unless the crossness
was on them!” I think that’s grand - “the crossness.”
A masterpiece of Irish understatement.
The fighting section of the Casey family - seven men in all -
weighs just on three-quarters of a ton. One-seventh of it, Tom
Casey, fought Jack Pettifer a few days ago. For your reference
file, Mr Pettifer is 6ft 8in and weighs 17 stone. But neither
the height of him nor the weight of him could save him. Tom, who
is only twenty, knocked him out. The other day there was a regatta
near Killarney. Crack college oarsmen came down from the north
prepared to row everything and everybody out of the water. There
was Paddy and Jim and Jack and Tom and Dan. Tom was stroke, Dan
was cox. The Caseys wiped everybody up and then went quietly back
to the wilds.
It was Tom who rowed me back down the lough to Sneem. The tide
was going out. The water was shallow and our boat began to go
aground. It was well-loaded - five of us in all. Ever been in
a boat that’s beginning to drag on the bottom? There’s
nothing harder to shift. Tom got going. I can see those oars flashing
now - Tom’s great arms pulling with a terrific rhythm force
that nearly split the oars in their row locks. Said Tom with a
grin: “It’s not us that’ll be afther wadin.”
I wish I could tell you about the day the Caseys went to fight,
walloped everybody they met, challenged the whole audience at
once, and sorted out a large squad of policemen.
But that’s another story…
Mother Bridget
Steve Casey’s mother, Bridget O Sullivan (Mountain),
was the daughter of a local strongman named Johnny Mountain, a
stone mason from Ballaugh. She was a strapping big-boned woman
who was also a champion oarswoman. Every year at the Sneem Regatta,
she and her sister Hannah Downing won the women’s senior
two-oar race. Both she and Mike Casey were at various times in
the employment of the Vanderbilts of Newport but they didn’t
meet until they both returned to Ireland.
The Vanderbilt connection and The Commodore Mountain
“The Vanderbilts have asked us out to tea,” sang Judy
Garland in the film Easter Parade. But they gave tea to the Caseys
and the Mountains first! Bridget’s brother Patsy was also
a famous oarsman. He eventually was placed in charge of navigation
for the extensive fleet of yachts owned by the billionaire Vanderbilt
family.
The Vanderbilts were ambitious boat owners who entered the Newport
regatta which went on for about 6 weeks of the Summer each year.
Patsy Mountain guaranteed to provide them a winning team if he
could be provided with travel and substinence costs. Patsy brought
Mike Casey up from Boston and sent to Sneem for Mike Brennan and
his brother, two Burns brothers and another O’ Sullivan.
“The Hibernians”, lead by the Commodore Mountain with
Mike Casey and other Sneem Men on board beat all round them for
three successive years.
Dan “Graffer” Mountain
The Graffer probably got his title because of his feet. Though
a famous strongman and rower, he was not too nimble with his footwork.
His feet were webbed and, though poor on land, he was brilliant
on the water. His exceptional srength was in the upper body, and,
on one occasion, he pulled apart the iron bars to escape his cell
in the RIC barracks near the church (where Egans’ house
now stands). The RIC men were in pursuit and gaining on him as
he made for the Quay road but he jumped from the pier and was
safely back in Ballaugh in no time at all.
On one occasion, the British Navy anchored close to the Oyster
Bed and two boatloads of Irish sailors were sent ashore to get
provisions. They started by rounding up any fowl they saw in the
Ballaugh area. The Graffer did not believe their story that they
would pay and he flew at them in a mighty rage. Six of the sailors
were flattened and unconscious and the other 12 were only spared
by the intervention of his father, Johnny Mountain!
The Admiral of the fleet came ashore the next day, not to apologise
but to see “the Mountain man who shipped the British Navy.”
No wonder a Casey would be strong.
The Mountain - Casey Inheritance
“It wasn’t from the hills or the mountains they brought
it,” was a saying always used by Gerald Fitz, the teacher,
when he was referring to the duchas of a particular family. This
was half-true in the case of the legendary athletic family. In
fact, it was from the Caseys and the Mountains they brought it.
Steve’s father, Mike, originally from from Loughane, was
a famous oarsman and fighter and his mother, Bridget O’
Sullivan (Mountain), was herself a strong oarswoman from Ballaugh,
where Steve and the other children were born. The Mountains were
also renowed for rowing and fighting. The gene pool of muscular
strength came from both sides.
Old Mike Casey
Steve’s father, Mike, was a strong natural athlete. He went
to America at the turn of the last century and worked first in
the Montana mines and later in the Fall Shipping Company in Boston.
He worked as a bareknuckle sparring partner for the legendary
World Heavyweight boxing champion John L. O’ Sullivan and
later with the World Wrestling Champion “Farmer” Burns.
When asked to describe the great John L, Mike said that “Fon
Jaysus anyway he was a holy terror.” Mike was also a noted
oarsman not only in Ireland but in Boston and Newport, Rhode Island.
Steve “Crusher” Casey
Steve was born in Sneem in 1909. In 1938, he was crowned Heavyweight
Champion of the World and retained that title for nine years until
he retired in 1947, undefeated. Steve is the only Irish man to
retain a world a world title in any discipline for nine years
or longer. During his career, he defeated among others, the French
Angel, Bronco Naqurski, Charlie Stack, Rube Wright, K O’
Koverly, The Dusek Brothers, The Omaha Terrors, Bibber McCoy,
Clark from Dundee, Dan O’ Mahony from Ballydehob and Louis
Thezs.
As well as wrestling, he was a boxer and defeated the then Heavyweight
Champion of the US, Tiger Warrentown, and challenged Joe Louis,
the reigning World Champion. Louis turned down the challenge.
As an oarsman along with his brothers Paddy, Mick and Jim, they
became the All-England Rowing Champions in 1936 and qualified
to represent England in the Olympics in Berlin that year, but
were not allowed to participate as they were regarded as professional
sportsmen, being wrestlers.
Steve, in 1940, accepted a challenge to race on the Charles River
in Boston against World sculling champion, Richard Codman. Both
sides of the river were lined with thousands of Irish from the
East Coast of America, to watch the event. Again Casey was victorious.
A cup for the event was presented by Governor of Mass, Governor
Saltonstall, known as the “Governor’s Cup.”
In 1932, Steve was a member of the Sneem team that won the Munster
Tug-O-War Championship. In 1982, he was awarded the Irish Hall
Of Fame award, presented by Ronnie Delaney.
Steve’s Main Achievements
Steve achieved honours in many sporting pursuits. The most important
ones are listed here.
STEVE CASEY: UNDEFEATED HEAVYWEIGHT WRESTLING CHAMPION OF THE
WORLD 1938 TO 1947
Rowing (as a member of the Casey crew)
1923
Aged 15, he rowed in the Sneem senior crew with his father and
the O’ Connor (Shine) brothers.
1930-33
Salter Challenge Cup, Killarney
1936
All-England Rowing Champions with the Ace Rowing Club.
They qualified for the 1936 Berlin Olympics but were disqualified
for having wrestled professionally.
1940
Governor’s Cup, Cambridge, Mass, USA
Tug-O-War 1932
Munster Champions (Sneem/Casey Team)
Boxing 1940
Defeated US Heavyweight Tiger Warrentown
1940
Challenged Joe Louis for the World Heavyweight Championship, this
challenge was not accepted.
Lifetime Achievements
1982
Irish Hall Of Fame Award, presented by Olympic gold medallist
Ronnie Delaney.
The following was the address of welcome composed by Fionan O
Shea and the late Frank Fitzgerald - both National Teachers, for
Steve’s return to Sneem on the 16th of August 1938 as the
newly crowned wrestling champion of the champion of the world.
The address was delivered by Frank Fitzgerald.
Address Of Welcome To Steve Casey
On behalf of the people of Sneem I have great pleasure in welcoming
home our illustrious athlete Steve Casey, heavyweight wrestling
champion of the world. It is but two years since you left us,
a comparatively unknown figure in the wrestling world but in that
short space your fame has reached the uttermost limits of the
earth.
You have upheld the sporting traditions of your native village,
ever famous in the athletic world in no uncertain manner and you
more than any other of its famous sons have done more to make
it universally renowned as the cradle of a virile race. We have
followed with admiration the glowing course of your victorious
career and our heart strings thrilled when we read the accounts
of your feats and your unbroken sequence of victories in the Greater
Ireland beyond the seas.
Your fame was achieved not in one state but in every state but
in every state from the Gulf Of Mexico to the St. Lawrence and
even further throughout Canada and from the Pacific to the Atlantic.
We are not alone in our admiration of you. All Irishmen are proud
that their country has produced such a worthy son who went forth
and matched his prowess against the ablest wrestlers in the world
and returned to Eire with an unblemished record. This is surely
a unique achievement in the annals of wrestling. You have earned
undying fame and down through the years and even centuries to
come your name will be remembered and will be spoken of among
the people as one of the brightest stars ever to appear in the
athletic firmament.
Your long and tedious journey must have wearied you and we will
not detain you further. Son of Sneem, Son of Kerry and Son of
Eire, we all join in wishing you a hearty Cead Mile Failte to
your own land of Welcome.
