The largely-forgotten hurler who helped 'light a hurling fire in Kilkenny which is still blazing away'

Jack Rochford of Tulla, Threecastles was reckoned to be the best hurling full back in Ireland during the early years of the last century.

He won seven senior All-Ireland medals with Kilkenny between 1904 and 1913, and I have no hesitation in saying that if he had been playing hurling a half century later, he would have been better remembered, and would have been an automatic choice on both Team of the Century in 1884, and the Millennium Team of 2000.

It is indeed a pity that Jack Rochford is not well known these days, but that is understandable, because it is now well over 100 years since he starred at Number 3 with Kilkenny. Report after report during his career indicated that Jack never once played a poor game, and starred in every All-Ireland that he played in.
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Worth recalling
It is worth recalling a Kilkenny People report following Kilkenny’s victory over favourites Tipperary in the 1913 All-Ireland final.
Tipperary had rather easily defeated Cork in the Munster final while being predominantly led by a high scoring full forward named ‘Bud’ O’Dwyer. However, the same O’Dwyer was so overwhelmed by Jack Rochford that he said to the Kilkenny People reporter following the final, that: “Before the game I thought that I was the best full forward around, but now I doubt that I will get my place on the team.”

Rochford was not an overly-sized full back. I would say that he stood about 5 feet 10 inches, but was lean and hardy, and possessed tremendous skill as a hurler. He was an expert at tipping the ball away from an opponent. As well as applying the skills of hooking and blocking, he was also an excellent ground hurler.

The Rochford family home was positioned just off the Kilkenny /Freshford road at the turn off for Tulla Road just before Webster’s Garage. It was demolished a number of years ago. Jack’s mother was Catherine (Cathy) who was originally a White from Ballyouskill (north of Ballyragget), and she was a cousin of the famous Martin White of Lacken out the Tullaroan road from Kilkenny. He was a famous hurler with Kilkenny during the thirties, and he lived to be 102.

Only Son
Jack was an only son, and he had two sisters named Bridget and Kathleen.
He was born on April 24, 1882, and eventually became a tailor just like his father Michael. With no organised underage hurling at the time, he practiced the game locally with his neighbours and friends.

As well as playing hurling, he was also a member of a local cricket club, as this game was very popular in Ireland during the final years of the 19th Century, and well into the early 1900s.
In 1895, the pages of the Kilkenny People newspaper included a request for cricketers to help the GAA by lining out for both hurling and football during their off-season. All that was to change a few years later between 1901 and 1905, when the GAA with James Nowlan as President introduced various rules which banned the playing of ‘foreign games’ and that included cricket.

While starring with the neighbouring club Tullaroan, Jack eventually progressed onto the Kilkenny team in 1902, and then came the first golden age of Noreside hurling.
Kilkenny had been defeated in five All-Ireland finals (including one home final of 1903), and it began looking like they might never win an All-Ireland. However, all that changed with the coming together of some great hurlers including Jack.

So, between 1904 and 1913, Kilkenny emerged as All-Ireland champions on seven occasions.
Danny O’Connell

At this stage, I would have to mention Danny O’Connell who took over as the Kilkenny manager for the 1904 championship (played in 1906) at a time when Kilkenny hurling was at a very low ebb.

They had been trounced by Cork in the previous years All-Ireland final by 8-9 to 0-8. Danny, who was also the Kilkenny County GAA secretary from 1902 changed all that, and he eventually managed Kilkenny to 11 senior hurling All-Ireland victories between 1904 to 1939 — the same number as Brian Cody.

And while Kilkenny did win seven All-Irelands during those ten years between 1904 and 1913, they could have won a few more, but disputes were a big problem during those early years of the Association.

The year 1908 is a case in point. Tom Ryall — in his great book Kilkenny GAA Story 1884- 1984 — said that the dispute over the Railway Shield probably cost Kilkenny an All-Ireland victory that year.
Objected

He recalled the story of Kilkenny being defeated by Wexford in the first round of the championship. Kilkenny then objected as one of the Wexford players had been sent off during a football match which was played just before the hurling match.
Kilkenny wanted a replay, but the Leinster Council did not agree. Then Kilkenny refused to play Dublin in the Leinster Final, as they had supplied 15 players to the Leinster team that had won the Railway Shield, and they reckoned that they should be allowed to keep it.

However, Kilkenny were then suspended by the Leinster Council for six months.
The Great Southern and Western Railway Company presented two Shields to the GAA in 1905, for inter- provincial hurling and football competitions. The Company stipulated that the Province which won the Shield twice, or three times in all, should be allowed to keep it.

Kerry was presented with the football Shield in 1907 as Munster had won it in 1906 and 1907. The Leinster hurlers recorded their third win in 1908, so there should have been no argument about the Shield’s resting place.
However, Kilkenny had to wait, but they were eventually presented with the said Shield, and it is now on display in the meeting room in Nowlan Park. It looks really well, particularly since Patrick Corcoran — a master carpenter — carved a beautiful surround for it a number of years ago.

1906 dispute
The year 1906 was another year that Kilkenny might have won the All-Ireland, but a row developed over the selection of a goalkeeper, with the result that the Tullaroan players refused to travel.

Kilkenny eventually lost to Dublin in the Leinster Final following a lacklustre display. Mooncoin had picked the team and they favoured their goalkeeper Jim Dunphy over Tullaroans Ned Teehan.

Jack also enjoyed a very successful club hurling career. With no GAA parish rule at the time, he played with three different clubs, Tullaroan, Three Castles, and Erins Own. He won two County Championship medals, with Three Castles in 1903, and Tullaroan in 1915.
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Four of that great, successful Kilkenny team between 1904 and 1913 won seven All-Ireland medals each. Apart from Jack, the other three were Dick Doyle and Dick Walsh of Mooncoin, and Sim Walton of Tullaroan.
Sim was a personal friend of Jack’s until 1916, when they had an argument about the selection of the team. Jack was also due to play, but he declined.

Dermot Kavanagh — who wrote a great book a number of years ago called Kilkenny No 3 — said that: “Jack was his own man both on and off the field, and over the years both Sim and himself never reconciled their differences.

“However, their paths did cross again, but in rather poignant circumstances. Following Jack’s death in October 1953, Sim requested permission from Catherine Rochford, if he could act as pallbearer at her husband’s funeral. Catherine was only too happy to oblige.”

Jack died on October 17 1953, and is buried with his wife Catherine in Tulla graveyard. Catherine died in her 100th year in 1982.

Ah yes, Jack and his great hurling comrades helped to light a hurling fire in Kilkenny which is still blazing away. May he rest in peace.

- Liam Burke