Dave Creedon

Dave Creedon

Personal information
Irish name	Daithí Ó Críodáin
Sport	Hurling
Position	Goalkeeper
Born	1 September 1919 Blackpool, Cork, Ireland
Died	11 March 2007 (aged 87) Douglas, Cork, Ireland
Occupation	Cooper
Club(s)
Years	Club
	Glen Rovers St. Nicholas' Nemo Rangers
Club titles
	Football	Hurling
Cork titles	3	6
Inter-county(ies)*
Years	County	Apps (scores)
1940-1955 1953	Cork (hurling) Cork (football)	12 (0-00) 1 (0-00)
Inter-county titles
Munster titles	3
All-Irelands	3
NHL	1
*Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 20:50, 6 April 2015.

David "Dave" Creedon (1 August 1919 – 11 March 2007) was an Irish hurler and Gaelic footballer who played as a goalkeeper for the Cork senior teams.^[1][2][3][4]

Born in Blackpool, Cork, Creedon first excelled at hurling during his schooling at the North Monastery. He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of fifteen when he first linked up with the Cork minor team. He joined the senior panel during the 1940 championship. Creedon spent a long period as reserve goalkeeper before going on to win three All-Ireland medals, three Munster medals and one National Hurling League medal.

At club level Creedon was a six-time championship medallist with Glen Rovers, while he also won three championship medals with St. Nicholas'. He finished his club career with Nemo Rangers.

Throughout his career Creedon made a combined total of 13 championship appearances for Cork's senior hurling and football teams. He retired from inter-county hurling following the conclusion of the 1949 championship]]. However, he returned to the team three years later before finally ending his career after the 1955 championship.

In retirement from playing Creedon served as an administrative officer and a selector with Glen Rovers.

Playing career

Club

Dave Creedon played his club hurling with the famous Glen Rovers club in Blackpool. He had much success with the club, beginning in 1933 and 1934 when he won back-to-back Cork county minor hurling titles. He quickly joined the club's senior hurling team with whom he won a total of nine county championship titles from the late 1930s until 1954. He was captain of the side in 1941 when the Glen won a record eighth county title in-a-row. Creedon also played football with St. Nicholas', the sister club of the Glen. As a footballer he won county championship medals in 1938, 1941 and 1954. He retired from club activity in 1951. However, he returned the following year. Creedon finished off his club career playing with the Nemo Rangers junior team in the late 1950s.

Inter-county

Creedon played with the Cork minor hurling team in the mid-1940s. He was a member of the senior panel when Cork won the Munster Championship in 1947, however, he had yet to make his own championship debut. He won his first All-Ireland medal when he was sub goalkeeper in the 1946 final. In 1952 Creedon came out of retirement at the age of 33 to become the first-choice goalkeeper on the Cork senior hurling team. It proved to be an excellent decision as he won his first Munster title that year before later defeating Dublin to claim his first All-Ireland medal. 1953 began well for Creedon when he won his first National Hurling League title. Later that year he won his second consecutive Munster medal as well as a second consecutive All-Ireland medal following an ill-tempered win over Galway. In 1954 Creedon made it a hat-trick of Munster and All-Ireland medals as a defeat of Wexford gave the team its third All-Ireland title in-a-row. In 1955 Cork were defeated by Clare in the first round of the championship. Creedon subsequently retired from inter-county hurling.

References

1. Moynihan, Michael (16 March 2007). "Rebel legend Creedon a mighty servant". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
2. O'Sullivan, Jim (13 March 2007). "Cork hurling mourns death of goalkeeping legend Creedon". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
3. "Cork legend Creedon dies". Hogan Stand. 12 March 2007. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
4. "Cork legend Creedon passes away". RTÉ Sport. 12 March 2007. Retrieved 6 April 2015.