Unerring eye for the flying ball
Paddy Mullins (1980)
As his niece Leah Mullins recited ‘A Hurlers Prayer’ at the end of the funeral mass for Paddy Mullins in Askea Church on Monday, one line stood out: “unerring eye for the flying ball.” Yes, he had strength of arm, speed of limb; yes, his aim was steady, his stroke was true; but in a lifetime of hurling as a guardian of the net his unerring eye for the flying ball was Paddy Mullins’ greatest attribute.
As we stood outside the church reminiscing of times past and battles of yesteryear, it was mentioned that Paddy won three County Senior Hurling Championship medals with Carlow Town. “We wouldn’t have won the first one in ’77 without him,” said John Delaney, a team colleague in those triumphs of 1977, 1979 and 1980. “I was talking to Jimmy Farrell of Ballinkillen,” says Paddy’s brother Willie, “and he was telling me about a save Paddy made in a county final.”
Memories can play tricks, they say. That’s why the historian in me would always be inclined to go with the written word of the report the week after the game rather than the possibly romanticised memory of an event nigh on a half a century distant. However in these two instances the memories and the match reports are in perfect harmony.
A Carlow Town team comprised of a combination of wily veterans (of which Paddy Mullins was the oldest) and graduates of championship winning U-16/Minor/U-21 squads were surprise County senior finalists, opponents St Fintan’s of Ballinabranna red-hot favourites.
Coached and cajoled by Cork man Dan Harnedy the unfancied ‘Town’ inched their way to a 2-7 to 1-7 victory. Charlie Keegan’s match report records “the two outstanding figures in this win were Paddy Mullins and Tom Walsh.” Tom Walsh, a Wexford man, operating from full-forward scored 2-4, “which speaks for itself.”
What of the goalkeeper? “Paddy Mullins at games end made three or four confident saves that conspired to keep Carlow in front,” stated Charlie, his report confirming John Delaney’s assertion “we wouldn’t have won the first one without Paddy.” The fact that Paddy Mullins had been playing adult hurling 17 years at that juncture and this was his first senior medal made the win very special and making it all the sweeter was the fact his brother Ollie as captain held the cup aloft.
Imagine you are the captain and the goalkeeper in a County final. The best-case scenario is you win the game, lift the Cup and also go home with the satisfaction of having kept a clean sheet. Well Paddy Mullins actually lived that sweet double when captaining Carlow Town to a 0-13 to 0-11 victory over Ballinkillen in the 1979 County final. Now it would be real ‘Roy of the Rovers’ stuff to suggest that not only did the winning captain keep a clean sheet, he made a crucial, crucial save at the death. But that is exactly what happened.
Carlow are defending a two-point lead and Ballinkillen are running short of time when Cyril Hughes led a final assault which, Charlie Keegan’s match report says, “saw Paddy Mulllins go full length to direct the ball out for a ‘65’” Charlie Curran lobbed the ‘65’ into a crowded goalmouth, the Carlow defence cleared and the final whistle sounded. Skipper Paddy had his dream day added to by the fact that he had brothers Ollie and Fran as colleagues. That same day down the other end Brendan Canavan made a series of brilliant saves between the Ballinkillen sticks, Brendan too, sadly, passing away last year.
While Jimmy Farrell wasn’t mentioned by name in the match report your scribe here, who was togged out as a sub for Carlow Town that day, had a suspicion that the save Willie Mullins spoke about was that ’79 save. Who better to ask than Mick Kinsella, a man with great recall, a man who hurled himself that day.
“From memory we were attacking the Deerpark {now Blues) end and Cyril {Hughes} burst through inside the 21 coming right in on goal, he passed in to Jimmy {Farrell} who was very close to goal and attempted to finish the ball home but Paddy {Mullins} got his body in the way to prevent what would have been the winning goal. It was top class keeping He kinda smothered the attempt, Paddy and Jimmy ended up half entangled and the sliotar deflected outside the post. Paddy's anticipation and reading was uncanny and very brave too. I was within a couple of yards and was sure it had to be a goal.”
Yes indeed, “Unerring eye for the flying ball, And courage to match them whate'er befall.”
Paddy won his third SHC medal in 1980, Carlow Town beating Ballymurphy 2-10 to 1-8, Paddy being the oldest on the 17 who saw action that day while I was the youngest and oh so proud to have won a SHC medal on the field of play. But, again, but for Paddy it wouldn’t have happened as it is extremely doubtful without Paddy’s heroics in ’77 and ’79 that that ’80 title would have been annexed.
While Paul Donaghy’s 1980 match report makes no specific mention of a Paddy Mullins save, he was his usual solid self, his cleverly flighted puck-outs, as ever, a huge asset. We beat Naomh Eoin in the semi-final that year, coming from behind to forge ahead before withstanding a late Myshall rally, the match report, penned by a doubling-jobbing second half substitute, revealing “Paddy Mullins played a most competent game between the posts, emerging in the second half to clear a few spectacular balls.”
With strength of arm and speed of limb.”. Paddy’s speed often demonstrated in his distinctive short stride when coming off his line to beat a raider to the ball.
Paddy began his hurling life with St Matthew’s, a Carlow town club who had their base on the green at Talbot Terrace, a club, who led by hurling stalwarts Vesty McGrath and Charlie Timmons, enjoyed a colourful existence in the early 1960s, winning the Junior Hurling League in 1963, Paddy a star in goal, his late brother Mick, who emigrated to England, to the fore at mid-field. Matthews lost the championship final the same year.
Paddy Mullins, as Mick Morrin stated on RIP.ie, was among the early leaders of the Hurling Club in Pal and he won a Junior Hurling Championship medal with them in 1965 as, surprise, surprise, a goalkeeper and also captain.
Palatine’s second team won the Junior Football Championship that same year, Paddy at wing back. He returned to Palatine in 1983, winning a second JHC medal 18 years after his first.
Paddy made 11 appearances with Carlow’s flagship hurlers, the first as a sub goalkeeper for Tommy ‘Pecker’ Murphy, against Waterford in Dr Cullen Park in the 1964-’65 NHL.
His 10 starts came in the 1967-’68, 1968-’69 seasons, guarding the net for Carlow in the 1968 Leinster Intermediate final in Athy, beaten narrowly by Dublin, when among Paddy’s colleagues were such household hurling names as ‘Red’ Liamy Walsh, Moling Morrisey, Pat Somers, Peter McGovern and Mick O’Brien.
When old Dan Mullins moved from Coolnasnaughta on Mount Leinster to farm land at Chapelstown on the outskirts of Carlow Town it was the first step in the formation of a new football club as when the Mullins family grew from boys to men they began to enjoy a kick around in the Glen where one goalpost was erected.
Soon they were joined by the neighbours, the Kavanagh’s, the O’Neill’s, the Cranny’s and so began Glen Rovers, later Askea Rovers, now Askea. Paddy was again an early leader, wing back when the Carlow Junior B Football Championship was won in 1983, on the winning Intermediate panel of 1984 and back on the team again in 1985 when at 42 years of age he played in the Senior Football Championship.
Now that Paddy has joined the ranks of men hurling on the level lawns of God, the after-match sing-songs will be enlivened by the latest arrival performing his party piece with passionate joy while holding a pretend microphone!
Rest in Peace Paddy, “you hurled like a man, you played the game.”
