camán

There's a great range of ages, some promising moustaches and some mature ones. They were no inter -cert classs at any rate. Look at the banding on the hurl of the young lad to the priests left? It is almost a lethal weapon with that metal banding. I had a hurl like that once and it was positively dangerous and a threat to life, it lasted for years but! The writing on the hurl held by the man third from the left in the middle row says "Coolagown" which is a place near Fermoy in Cork and seems to have had strong Waterford connections. See www.castlelyonsgaa.com/clubHistory.php

Best to remember that it was a teacher training college and thus attracted students from all over. Funny though, most people in Waterford never use the word hurl, except when throwing things. Hurley is the preferred description, Perhaps that explains a lot?

A wonderful old photo and taken at my old school. When I went here in the 70's there were boarders from all over the country there.

Paul O'Farrell Ah, a De La Salle boy! And desmondg47 when did it stop being a teacher training college?

I believe it was in 1936 when the Minister for Education Tom Derrig (FF) refused to have it made a constituent college of the NUI.

Is it possible to run in a skirt like that?

La Belle Province Aha! Wondering if anyone else would ponder that, but if you look closely, there's a (buttoned?) seam up the middle of each skirt. I'm assuming that they increased mobility by judicious unbuttoning...

So risque! But they were called hobble skirts for a reason...

Just want you to know how much I enjoy your - what should I call it? - commentary on the photographs. The pictures are a wonderful keepsake, but your wit is what brings me back. Thank you.

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigezbear] You are too kind - but thank you, really appreciate it! :)

I read one time that before that match some of the dignitaries including Collins had a bit of a puck around and that he (Colins) showed great skill at doubling on the ball overhead and seemed to be a proficient hurler. Doubling is the art of striking the ball in mid flight to drive it further on or to potentially score without catching or slowing the ball down and takes great skill and hand to eye coordination! Do you see the Kilkenny player on his mobile phone telling the folks back home that he has met the "Big Fella"?

Swordscookie A good story anyway (about the doubling)! Everyone I've shown this photo to has laughed about the Kilkenny player on "his mobile"... :)

I wonder if he actually played wearing those sock suspenders.

philip ward It is very odd. All of his team mates have proper thick knee length socks. Do you think he got on the train or bus to Dublin without his playing socks and had to wear his normal ones?

Given how difficult it was to travel in those days and the risks that were still there it may be that he was a former player who was pressganged into the role. It would not have been uncommon for less well off people to play in their street clothes and I saw matches in the 50's where guys in shirts, trousers and football boots played full games!