Jackie Ryan

Jackie Ryan

Ryan as a Kerry All Ireland footballer
Born John Ryan
(1904-08-11)11 August 1904
Ardfert, County Kerry, Ireland
Died 17 February 1954(1954-02-17)
Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland
Resting place Rath, Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland
Spouse(s) Aggie Ryan
Children None
Parent(s) Christopher Ryan, Mary Josephine McDonnell Ryan
Kerry team training on board a transatlantic ship in 1931. Ryan is in the second row.
1930 All Ireland Senior Football Champions. Ryan is the first man on the left in the front row.

Jackie Ryan (11 August 1904 – 17 February 1954 ) was an Irish Gaelic footballer who played mainly as a Half Forward but played also in the Full Forward line for the Kerry senior team between 1924–1934 [1] Ryan won six All-Ireland Senior Football medals with Kerry over his ten year career, and won favourable reviews [1][2]

He lived in Pembroke Street Tralee until his death in1954 Ryan married Agnes Mary (Aggie) Sheehy in Tralee on 25 September 1928. They had one child who died in infancy.

Family

Ryan's parents were Christopher Ryan, a sergeant in the Royal Irish Constabulary, and Mary Josephine McDonnell. Both Christopher and Mary Josephine were from Cork. Ryan's sisters were Babe Ryan who was Postmistress for many years in Killinardrish, Canovee, Co. Cork, and Dolly Ryan O'Connor, who lived in Tralee. He had four brothers : Christy, Hugh, Jim and Pat .

Ryan was born in Ardfert, before moving to Pembroke Street and later Dawson's Terrace, Rock Street, Tralee.

Career

Ryan commenced his career with Kerry backs in 1923. A year later he scored a goal against Mayo in a semi-final. Reports of the 1924 All-Ireland final reads, "Jackie Ryan showed the style of a master craftsman with superb fielding and passing as Kerry defeated Dublin by 1-5 to 1 3". He collected his first County Championship medal in hurling that year with Tralee Parnells. On to 1925 he won the County Championship both in Football and Hurling with Tralee. His second Senior All Ireland medal came in 1926. In the semi-final against Cavan, Jackie struck a pile driver past Kiernan in the Cavan goals and later scored the best point of the game from over 50 yards out. Kerry defeated Kildare after a replay in an epic All-Ireland final. He also won his second Kerry County Championship medal that year with Tralee. In 1927 he won his only Railway Cup medal with Munster. He won his first National League medal in 1928 when Kerry defeated Kildare, the reigning All Ireland Champions in the final. Ryan won his third County Championship medal, this time with Boherbee. He won his second National League medal and his third All-Ireland medal.

In 1932 Kerry was going for their first four in-a-row to equal Wexford's record. The headlines after the game read, "Ryan and Landers switch did the trick". This was Ryan's sixth and final All-Ireland medal.

He collected his third National League medal also in 1932, and won his last Kerry County Championship medal when Rock Street defeated North Kerry by one point in the county final. He won his last two major medals in 1933 and 1934 to bring his total of Munster championship medals to nine. He had played 39 championship games for Kerry between 1923 and 1934.

Internment

Ryan was one of a number of Kerrymen interned at the Curragh 1922-1923.

Mainly a hurler until then, it was there that he honed his Gaelic Football skills. On release the ex-internees played two challenge games in early 1924 against the current Kerry team. They were defeated 5 points to one in the first game but won the second by 4 goals and 4 points to 4 points.

He played for Kerry from 1924 until his retirement in 1932.

In the press

As the 1920s were approaching, football had yet to get a real stranglehold on the county. Along the lanes and streets of Tralee and in the fields of north Kerry, some fine hurlers were emerging,. Jackie Ryan was still a teenager in 1919 when the county board called a special meeting to discuss the state of Gaelic games in Kerry. Din Joe Baily – a man under whose gentle and politically-neutral watch the games in the county prospered – was influential on the board at the time and after this meeting had concluded, Kerry saw a clear road ahead. Importantly; the backbone of the team that would dominate the coming decade – with Jackie Ryan as a vital cog – was also forming.[3]
On the field, Ryan was regarded as a crafty, scientific forward. 'When Mikey Sheehy was growing up, people in Austin Stacks used to say he's going to be another Jackie Ryan,' says Barrett. 'That was the cut of a player he was. Total style. He had this extraordinary talent for chipping the ball when it was rolling away from him,' he says. 'That was his trademark. And we're talking about a time when players wore cumbersome, orthopaedic boots with big steel toe caps.[3]
Tipp came surging back in search of victory but Barrett held his ground and kept them at bay. When Tipperary started to tire John Joe Sheehy took the lead for Kerry with a point from a free and then Jackie Ryan blasted an unstoppable shot into the back of Tipperary's net.
Still the initiative had been very definitely taken from Mayo, and by the end of the third quarter Kerry had gone five points ahead. Three of the points, by Jackie Ryan, came. off frees to Tim Landers, and the other two were scored by Con Brosnan and Miko Doyle. (1932 All Ireland Final)
One ball rules all others in Kerry though and it is the love and respect for that ball which is why they rule. For every hour Tadghie Lyne spent on the hardfloor, he'd spend countless others in his garage, kicking and catching a football suspended by its laces from the rafters, or in Fitzgerald Stadium, attempting points from the corner flag. Jackie Ryan would hone on Rock Street the knack of chipping the rolling ball.

Awards, championships and recognition

4 National League medals.

Kerry team of the Millinium1900-1949.

3 Railway Cup medals. He played every year from 1924 to 1932 for Munster.

He was selected to play for Ireland in the 1932 Tailteann Games[5]

He won numerous Kerry County Football and Hurling Championship Medals with Rock Street. (9 Munster Championships, 3 County Championships - Hurling)

He was selected on the 1900-1949 Kerry Team of the Millennium in 1999.

In 1954 he was selected on the Greatest Football Team of All Time (until then) in the Irish Press.

References

  1. 1 2 "mikeysheehy - rathfarnhamtours". sites.google.com. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  2. ↑ "Terrace Talk :: Kerry Football :: Championship Appearances :: Jackie Ryan". www.terracetalk.com. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  3. 1 2 Muircheartaigh, Joe O. (31 December 2008). Princes of Pigskin: A Century of Kerry Footballers. Cork: Collins Pr. ISBN 9781905172757.
  4. ↑ "Kerry V Mayo 1932 All Ireland Final". Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  5. ↑
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