1947 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final
The 1947 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final was the sixtieth All-Ireland Final and the deciding match of the 1947 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, an inter-county Gaelic football tournament for the top teams in Ireland. Cavan were captained by John Joe O'Reilly.
Pre-game
For the first and only time, the final was played outside Ireland, at Polo Grounds in New York City, to cater for the large [Irish Americans in New York county football team|New York City|Irish-American community there]. The New York final was also intended to observe the centenary of the Great Famine, which caused mass Irish emigration to the U.S. and other countries.It was decided that New York would host this match as a commemoration of the 1847 Great Famine, which forced a large number of Irish people to emigrate to North America. This novel location for the game was chosen for the benefit of New York's large Irish immigrant population. It was the only time for the final to have been played outside Ireland.
Around 30,000 people were in the ground for the final. Cavan travelled by air and Kerry by sea; the Cavan team credited their victory partially to their shorter time spent travelling. The Cavan team flew via the Azores, taking 30 hours. Kerry's trip by Ocean Liner took far longer. The last Gaelic game held at Polo Grounds was on 1 June 1958, when Cavan played New York.
Mick Higgins, a key member of the Cavan team that day, recalled in later life: "There was no huge send-off for us in Cavan, but both teams got a good reception in New York when we arrived. I remember the team stayed in the Commodore Hotel, but I stayed with my relatives." He also remembered there was "oppressive heat" during the game itself.
The Artane Boys' Band travelled to New York to play before the match, as they do traditionally at all All-Ireland finals.
Match
This year's final was played on 14 September.Summary
After a slow start, Cavan fought back to lead 2–5 to 2–4 at the break, and went on to win by four points. Peter Donohoe scored eight points from frees, and the New York press called him "the Babe Ruth of Gaelic football". Michael O'Hehir broadcast radio commentary back across the Atlantic Ocean.O'Hehir noticed that broadcasting delays would bring the radio link down five minutes before the final had ended. O'Hehir later recalled his plea:'"If there's anybody along the way there listening in, just give us five minutes more, and I kept begging for five minutes more". The link stayed open.
Details
Cavan team
1 Val Gannon2 Willie Doonan
3 Brian O'Reilly
4 Paddy Smith
5 John Wilson
6 John Joe O'Reilly
7 Simon Deignan
8 P. J. Duke
9 Phil Brady
10 Tony Tighe
11 Mick Higgins
12 Columba McDyer
13 Joe Stafford
14 Peter Donohoe
15 T. P. O'Reilly
;Cavan subs not used
16 Edwin Carolan
17 Terry Sheridan
18 Owen Roe McGovern
19 John Joe Cassidy
20 Tom O'Reilly
21 Eunan Tiernan
22 Brendan Kelly
Kerry team
1 D. O'Keeffe2 D. Lyne
3 J. Keohane
4 P. B. Brosnan
5 J. Lyne
6 B. Casey
7 E. Walsh
8 E. Dowling
9 Teddy O'Connor
17 T. O'Sullivan
15 D. Kavanagh
12 B. Garvey
13 F. O'Keeffe
14 Tom O'Connor
22 P. Kennedy
;Kerry subs used
11 W. O'Donnell for T. Brosnan
18 M. Finucane for E. Walsh
16 T. Brosnan for W. O'Donnell
21 G. Teahan for P. Kennedy
;Kerry subs not used
10 G. O'Sullivan
19 T. Long
20 S. Keane
Post-match
The Cavan team returned to Ireland aboard the RMS Queen Mary. Higgins recalled, "It was only after we arrived in Southampton that we realised the joy of it all. Large numbers of Cavan people turned up to see us in London and Birmingham. We were treated like kings in Cavan."The 1947 All-Ireland SFC final brought about an understanding that a large audience existed for Gaelic games highlights.
Owen Roe McGovern, the last surviving member of the winning team, died on 2 May 2011.
This was the last All-Ireland SFC final to be played on 14 September until the 2019 replay.