As I roved out: Last of the summer wine
Jim Treacy
‘LAST of the Summer Wine’, the old English TV comedy, was, we learned at Jim Treacy’s funeral mass last Thursday, one of his favourite programmes. It featured three old Yorkshire men who never really grew up and stayed young by reminiscing about the days of their youth and attempting feats not common to the elderly.
You could say Oliver Plunkett’s Avenue, Tinnahinch and St Mullins Hurling Club had their very own version of ‘Last of the Summer Wine’. Read the opening paragraph of the report of the 1993 county junior final: “When you get to the age of Frankie, Jim and myself, junior is senior. So stated St Mullins captain Jimmy Kielthy when accepting the Cup at Dr Cullen Park on Sunday. The Southerners ‘third string’ had just overcome Erin’s Own in a rattling good final and stars of the show for St Mullins were veteran trio Frankie McDonald (50), Jimmy Kielthy (45) and Jim Treacy (44). Frankie chipped in with two points, one a wonderful effort from play. Treacy’s facility to lift and strike without handling led to many rousing clearances. Kielthy was as crafty and cunning as ever on the edge of the St Mullins square and was a deserving winner of the man of the match award”. Yes indeed, performing feats not common for the ‘elderly’.
Alas, Jim Treacy, having battled horrible illness in recent years, went to his eternal reward last week and while widely regarded as a great character the warmth with which he was held was made manifest in the huge turn outs at his wake and funeral and the many tributes on RIP.ie.
The Guard of Honour on Thursday morning was a virtual who’s who of St Mullins hurling and as Tommy Murphy stated when calling for a minutes silence for Jim in the County Grounds on Saturday evening, Jim had friends in all clubs. He remained young at heart for as long as possible and got a new lease of life when refereeing and umpiring camogie matches, endearing the jovial Jim to a new generation.
Jim is the proud possessor of two Carlow SHC medals, a rock solid right half back on the St Mullins teams that beat Ballymurphy in the county finals of 1983 and 1984. He captained St Mullins in the famous 1978 final, a four and half hour marathon against Naomh Eoin, the Myshall men prevailing by two points at the fourth attempt. I can still picture Jim’s face after one of the drawn games, shaking his head outside the dressing room, wondering aloud ‘what have we to do’ as a swarm of St Mullins defenders, Jim leading the charge had surrounded Eamonn Quirke and forced him shoot from his less preferred right hand side yet the shot forced a replay. Jim was involved in an unnerving accident en route to the first of those games but still played his usual solid game. He also played on losing SHC finals teams in 1982 and 1985, Myshall again their conquerors. In the Winter of 1975 Jim Treacy played a couple of NHL games with Carlow, one against Down in Dr Cullen Park. the other against Wicklow in Aughrim.
Jim, before marriage to Kay Cullen brought him to Oliver Plunkett Avenue won a Carlow MHC medal with Borris in 1966, a brace of U-21 HC medals with the same club in 1968 and 1969, a year he also won the first of 4 JHC medals, right half back on Borris’ second team. It was wearing his beloved No 5 St Mullins jersey that Jim added three further JHC medals, the first of those in 1978 with the second team, a year the club took a calculated gamble of holding back key players, Jim included, until the second tier competition was concluded. Naomh Moling’s second team won this title again in 1986 after a three-match saga with Kildavin and then in 1993 came that ‘last of the summer wine’ JHC triumph, this with the club’s third team particularly sweet and gave Jim the unique distinction of having won JHC medals in four decades.
Jim’s daughter Ciara revealed at his funeral mass that her father rode his first winner at 35 years of age and was extremely proud of his eight winning races and the fact that himself and son Tommy rode at the same race meeting. The father and son, of course, were deeply involved with the famous Danoli, the people’s champion, Jim as head lad, Tommy as jockey.
“Just back from Jim Treacy’s wake” texted Stephen Bambrick last Tuesday. “Ciara, his daughter reaches in under the coffin and produced Jim’s hurl from the 1984 County final. Jim was about 5ft 5/6 inches at most, the hurl is at least a 37 inch!” My reply was that he was well able to use that hurl, a great man to pull first time, his whipping on ground ball a feature of many a battle. And his already mentioned penchant of lifting and striking without handling saw his strength of wrist allow Jim drift a measured delivery into the path of a forward colleague.
“I had the unenviable experience of being marked by Jim a few times” said Ballinkillen’s Mick Kinsella. “I guarantee you there were no handy balls, God he was dogged and as tough as nails but once the game finished there was no recriminations”.
“Jim was an exceptional referee who brought fairness, integrity, and a touch of kindness to every game he took charge of,” wrote Lynda Bolger on RIP.ie. “Jim had a unique way of encouraging us, especially the younger players, with a cheeky grin that spoke volumes, and sometimes, you’d get a wag of the finger! His support was always felt, no matter which team we were on, and his presence made every match a little brighter”.
“Hey, come here you!” ordered Jim Treacy of your scribe, he standing among the St Mullins supporters on the Dr Cullen Park terrace. Following orders I tipped up the steps to hear what Jim had to say, knowing he was a man to speak his mind! “Listen you,” he begins in that mock-stern manner of his, “I have a photo of you taken below in Kilkenny at the All-Ireland home-coming so you better not write anything bad about our lads or that photo will become public!” It wasn’t that I was at the Kilkenny home-coming that was the problem, it was the ’state’ I was in! ‘Twas 2002 and Kilkenny had beaten Clare the previous day. I had intended going to Ennis for the Banner home-coming but missed my lift. Drowning my sorrows in the company of Vinny Harvey, ‘Dada’ Nolan and Martin Cowman, three great characters, a decision was made to tip down to the Kilkenny homecoming, a pit stop made in Houlihan’s of Leighlinbridge en route.
By the time we reached the Marble City I confess I was on ‘another planet’, one adjacent to Sleepville! Enter centre stage Jim Treacy and Frankie McDonald and their wives. Now I had no recollection of meeting the couples until Jim revealed the existence of a photograph! Anyway, a few years passed and one Sunday evening I was boarding the JJ Kavanagh’s bus in Dublin when who should be the front seat but Mr and Mrs Treacy. A nod of the head, an hello. Jim waited until I was gone down a few seats, then looks around with a grin and says “Remember, I still have that photo!” “JIM’S BEST FRIEND”: Particularly proud to read a Prayer of the Faithful at the funeral mass was Damien Kielthy, Treacy’s next door neighbour, and in his own words, “Jim’s best friend” SYMPATHY: To Jim’s beloved wife Kay (it was touching sight to to see Kay in the passenger seat of the hearse as she accompanied her husband on his final journey), son Tommy, daughter Ciara, brothers Pat, Seán and Martin, sisters Pauline, Mary, Ann and Geraldine, grandchildren James, Lily, Amy, Sadie, Ellie and Tom, daughter-in-law Ciara, son-in-law Tom, Brigid and Joanne, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, extended family, neighbours and friend we extend our deepest sympathy.
‘GRANDAD TREACY WE LOVE YOU’ The final words, though go to Jim’s grandchildren, James, Lily, Amy, Sadie, Ellie and Tom and their heartfelt verse. The poets were Lily (16), Sadie (11) and Tom (7), a poem they wrote for Jim for Father’s Day with Amy and Lily reading the verses alternatively at Jim’s funeral mass in Duiske Abbey, Graiguenamanagh, beautiful verses which you can read in our main illustration
