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Previous Crews: 1950-59
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Men’s Crew 1959: From left, John Lillis, Michael Costello, Denis Reidy, Dermot Stewart, Michael O'Dwyer, Leo Wall, Nicky Hardiman, John McNally, Robert Molloy (cox).
The crew won the Junior and Intermediate eights. The large cup in the centre of the table is the Grey Challenge Trophy. As Leo Wall described it recently, "the big yoke with the spread eagles wings."
1959: Schools Eights Anderson Cup heats in Galway that Jes won against Crescent College, Limerick by half a canvas. The Jes crew, furthest from the camera, is, from left, D. Stewart, J. McNally, J. Lillis, M. O’Dwyer, M. Costello, L. Wall, N. Hardiman, D. Reidy and B. Molloy. St. Anthony's Newcastle, Galway is in the background. It is now part of NUIG.
1959: The Jes Junior/Intermediate 8 at An Tóstal Regatta on the lower Liffey. The Jes crew beat Neptune by 3 lengths. The Jes crew were D. Stewart (bow), J. McNally, S. Lillis, M. O'Dwyer, M. Costello (captain), L. Wall, N. Hardiman, D. Reidy (stk) and R. Molloy (cox).
1958: Men's Maiden Eights Champions of Ireland. Crossing the finishing line in Cork and winning the pot. Bow, Nicky Hardiman, 2 Leo Wall, 3 Colm O'Carra, 4 Michael O'Dwyer, 5 Maeliosa Costello, 6 Peter O'Flynn, 7 Piaras Connolly, Christy Tierney (stroke) and Paddy Dolan (cox).
The 1958 Jes crew (unbeaten during the year) were the first crew from a Galway school to win this coveted pot.
1958: Men's Maiden Eights Champions of Ireland. From left, Paddy Dolan (cox), Leo Wall, Piaras Connolly, Nicky Hardiman, Christy Tierney, Michael O'Dwyer, Maeliosa Costello, Colm O'Carra and John Bradley (coach). Insert, Peter O'Flynn. Leo Wall was only fifteen years old.
The achievement of the 1958 Coláiste Iognáid eight in winning the Maidens Championship should not be underestimated. It was a momentous occasion in the history of CIRC rowing -- an occasion that is clearly (sic) reflected in this 1958 newspaper article, which we hope you can read.
The achievment of this crew is enahaced by the young age of the rowers, two of which were only fifteen years of age -- see the second half of the article.
Leo Wall and Tom D'Arcy with the Anderson Cup, won in 1958. (The Anderson Cup is for the fastest Junior 8 at the Galway Regatta). Photo is courtesy of MaryAnn McCarra-Fitzpatrick, whose father, Michael McCarra, rowed for the Jes in the early to mid-1950’s -- see several photos below. MaryAnn kindly sent us the photo from the United States.
1957: The Jes Senior eight. From left, Christy Tierney, Pierce Connolly, Peter O'Flynn, Andrew (Andy) Healy, Leo Wall, Maoiliosa Costello, Colm O'Carra. In front is cox Paddy Dolan. Brian O'Dwyer is missing from the photo. He was the 7, and was also in Walter Macken's crew in 1956.
1956: The Jes senior rowers who won the School’ Fours and Eights at the Metropolitan Regatta on 14 July. From left, Brian O'Dwyer, Ray O'Sullivan, Liam O'Carra, Donal Griffin, Paddy Dolan (cox), Tom Hynes, Andy Healy, Liam Geraghty and Walter Macken.
NB. There were three O'Carra brothers who rowed for the Jes; Padraig, Liam and Colm.
1956: The same crew were the Anderson Cup winners. From left, bow Brian Dwyer, 2 Ray O'Sullivan, 5 Tom Hynes, 4 Donal Griffin, Wally Macken (stroke), 6 Andy Healy, 3 Liam O'Carra, 7 Liam Geraghty, and in front Paddy Dolan (cox). The four stern rowers also helped win the Anderson in 1955.
1955: The main prize at the Galway Regatta, held on the Corrib River each year, is the coveted Anderson Cup -- or more simply "the Anderson". The Jes Eight were outsiders in 1955, but went on to beat the hot favourites Limerick CBS in the final of the Schoolboys Eight to win the Anderson.
For those who know Galway, the photo is of some interest. The land behind the boats is now fully built up as part of the NUI Galway campus. In the background you can see some of the houses along the main Galway Moycullen road in Newcastle. Corrib Village, part of NUIG, now occupies the area between the river and these houses. One can see the city resevoir on the brow of the hill in the distance on the right.
1955: The Jes senior eight with the Anderson and others. Back row from left, Paddy Doyle, Charlie Garavan, Walter Macken, Tommy Grealy, Andy Healy and Tommy Hynes. Front row, Liam Geraghty, Billy Rooney(cox) and Padraic O'Carra.
1955: The Winning Anderson Cup crew. From left Tommy Hynes (5), Andy Healy (7), Tommy Grealy (6), Paddy Doyle (3), Walter Macken (stroke), Charlie Garavan (4), Padraic O'Carra (2) and Liam Geraghty (bow). The cox, Billy Rooney, is seated in front. The photograph as it appeared in Tom Kenny’s Old Galway, Galway Advertiser, 16th June 2005.
1955: Four of the surviving members of the 1955 Winning Anderson Cup crew taken in 2005. From left, L. Geraghty (solicitor), Fr. W. Macken, T. Grealy and Paddy Doyle.
1955: Metropolitan Regatta at Islandbridge 8-9 July. The Jes Eight racing in the final of the Schoolboy Eights (being beaten by Methodist College, Belfast, not in picture). Bow L. Geraghty, 2 P. O'Carra, 3 P. Doyle, 4 C. Garavan, 5 T. Hynes, 6 T. Grealy, 7 A. Healy, W. Macken (stk.) and B. Rooney(cox). This is the same crew that won the Anderson Trophy in 1955.
1954: A senior Jes eight on the Corrib near the old railway bridge. Dan Griffin (bow), J. J. Bradley, Liam Geraghty, Walter Macken, Noel Carr, Tom Conboy, Brendan Sweeney, Tom Colleran (stk.) and R. Molloy (cox).
1954: Part of the senior CIRC crew for that year. Back row from left, N. Carr, B. Sweeney, B. Kelly, L. Geraghty, T. Conboy, D. Griffin, W. Macken, W. Rooney ( 2nd cox). Not included in photo J. Bradley, R. Molloy (1st cox) and J. Colleran. The photo was taken outside the Corrib Rowing and Yachting Club (CRYC) which the Club used as an unoffical clubhouse from time to time.
1954: The CIRC crew (nearest the camera ) winning the very first Junior Four IARU Championship of Ireland by a half a length from Limerick. The race was held in Galway.
The very first Junior Four IARU Championship of Ireland. Bobby Molloy(cox), Tom Colleran (stroke), Brendan Sweeney,Tom Conboy and Danny Griffin (bow). Photo from a clipping of an unidentified newspaper.
The Connacht Tribune reported: "Two days later they captured the Dublin Metropolitan Cup for Schools Fours at Islandbridge and so must be rated Ireland’s Greatest Schoolboy Four." The Tribune also reported that, at the Metropolitian Regatta at Islandbridge, the St. Ignatius College four beat "Methodist College, Belfast by two and half lengths ... The Galway boys hit a high rate coming into the home stretch and the Belfast lads could do nothing about it."
1953: A Jes Senior Eight. From left, Tom Colleran, "Gabby" Quigley, Brendan Sweeney, Danny Griffin, Niall O'Flynn, Liam Clerkin, Tom Conboy, Mick McCarra, and R. Molloy (Cox). Photo, taken by R F Bannister, is courtesy of Larry Hynes.
1953: Galway Regatta. From left, Bobbie Molloy (cox), Tom Colleran (stk), Billy Kelly, Tom Conboy, Brendan Sweeney, Jimmy Joyce, Noel Carr, Mick McCarra and Dan Griffin.
During the Regatta, in the Eights race for the Kavanagh Challenge Cup the Bish beat St. Nessan's by two lengths and Jes beat CBS by length. The final was decided when the Jes won against Bish by a half a length.
In 1953 the Jes Four were unbeaten. Crew members included Larry Hynes, Niall O’Flynn, Danny Griffin, Mick McCarra and Tom Colleran.
All of these five champion rowers are included in the 1952 photo below of the Athlone Schools Eights, with Niall O'Flynn holding the Cup.
Does anyone have a photo of the 1953 Four?
1952: Athlone Schools Eights. Back row from the left, Brian Quigley, Billy Clerkin, Niall O'Flynn (stk), Dan Griffin, Tom Conboy and Mick McCarra. Front row from the left, Tom Colleran, Larry Hynes and Brendan Sweeney.
1952: The Jes Senior Crew: Back row from left, Brian Quigley, Tom Conboy, Mick McCarra, Bill Clerkin, Niall O'Flynn, Dan Griffin, Fr. E. Diffley SJ. Front row, Brendan Sweeney, Bobby Molloy, Larry Hynes, Tom Colleran. Photo courtesy of Dan Griffin.
Judging from the collection of cups, it certainly was an excellent crew.
1952: Another photo of the Jes eight. From left, Brendan Sweeney, Billy Clerkin, Brian Quigley, Dan Griffin, Niall O'Flynn (Stroke),Tom Conboy, Mick Mc Carra,Tom Colleran and, in front, Larry Hynes (Cox). We thank Dan Griffin for the information.
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