The Kerryman Who Played With Cork
Jim Cronin
On the field of play no one could ever doubt the personal courage,
lethalness and indispensability of Jim Cronin, the Kerry-born
player who won many honours with his adopted Cork.
Goodness knows how many goals and points he scored from the number
14 spot between 1940 and 1952 when he retired after Cork’s
trip to America in October of that
year. Jim was a well-seasoned campaigner at that period having
collected four Munster Championships, one all-Ireland and one
league award while simultaneously accumulating three Railway Cup
souvenirs with Munster.
His field of interest in Younger days was mainly concentrated
around the great Kerry Teams of the early thirties and the likes
of Johnny Riordan, Joe Barrett, Paul Russell, Jackie Walsh, Con
Geaney and many more gave him an interest in the sport in the
years ahead. “The famous four-in-a-row team of 1929/32 were
all my idols but in particular John Joe Sheehy, Danno O’Keeffe,
“Purty”and “Roundy” Landers were my favourites”,
he said.
“The first time I saw Kerry in action was against New York
at Tralee in 1933. I remember the exiles had Johnny McGoldrick
and a Joe Stynes who could kick points from 40 and
50 yards with the result they beat Kerry. Also I saw Dublin beat
Kerry at the same venue
in the 1934 All-Ireland semi-final and it was the end of most
of that great Kerry side. A strange point about that game is that
Murt Kelly, was playing with Dublin where he was training to be
a teacher there. As you know he played with Kerry afterwards and
I played with him in the Munster team in 1944.”
Jim’s first visit to Croke Park for an All-Ireland final
was 1937 when Kerry drew with
Cavan before winning the replay 4 - 4 to 1 - 7. “The drawn
game was a thriller but there was a mix-up over the score at the
finish as a Cavan player had thrown the ball over the bar in the
last minute but it was not allowed. A lot of people left thinking
Cavan had won,” he continued.
At that period when Jim was in his early teens Cork played second
fiddle to Kerry at
all levels and very often suffered unfashionable defeats especially
in the Championship of 1937 and ’38. Then playing with assurance
and confidence Cork had a great run in the 1940/’41 league,
running their neighbours to one point in a hectic tie at Kenmare,
but though ambitious they were, victory over the Kingdom didn’t
arrive until the 1943 championship.
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Jim Cronin
