Keher photograph brings up childhood memories of comics and all the drama from a point-to-point

One of the oldest photographs in the large collection of photographs purchased by Kilkenny County Council last summer from its creator, Tom Brett, depicts Eddie Keher with his parents, Sgt Stephen and Noreen Keher (née Brown).
As far as I can work out it dates from 1963, perhaps a few days before or after Kilkenny beat Waterford in that year’s All-Ireland final which was played on September 1 at Croke Park. It was this famed hurler’s second All-Ireland, his first having been in 1959.
Sgt Keher, as he was generally referred to, was a Roscommon man by birth while his wife Noreen was true Inistioge: her mother being a Miss Tobin, whose own mother was a Barron of Kilcross.
Miss Tobin married Edward Brown, also of Kilcross, a well-known family of blacksmiths. Many of their products, no doubt, still do duty at field entrances around the parish.
The name Barron harks back to the medieval period when the Lords of the area were the Fitzgeralds of Brownsford and Clune Castles, often referred to as the Barons. Long after they had lost their lands as a result of the Williamite War, their descendants in the locality bore the surname Barron. The Fitzgerald lands later became a major part of the Woodstock Estate.
Familiar figures
Sgt Keher and Mrs Keher were familiar figures in Inistioge during my childhood. Indeed, I would go further and say that Mrs Keher, who operated the local newsagents, was a pivotal figure for many of Inistioge’s children, especially on a Sunday morning after 8am Mass.
Then in receipt of the weekly pocket money my first port of call was Keher’s to pick up my copy of the Beano or the Dandy or the Victor. Later on the general knowledge magazine Tell Me Why was the most desired object of a Sunday morning.
Occasionally, funds were inadequate so one was obliged to negotiate a deal which meant an application to the proprietor for the house’s credit facility.
Happily I was never refused but my responsibilities were made clear; payment in full by a certain date. Mortgage negotiations could not have been more fraught or tense in case of a refusal. Surely a very valuable early lesson in how to manage one’s often limited resources.
Both parties, I am happy to say, abided by their respective word. The relationship continued for many years and only ended when secondary school beckoned. Still for old time’s sake I often went back when home on holidays.
An occasional witness to these negotiations was Eileen Keher (O’Brien) who sometimes helped her mother in the shop on a busy Sunday morning but not once was she an active participant in the more delicate negotiations. Vendor and client knew their roles automatically. No outside parties need apply. To Eileen I am obliged for the photographs of Eddie and his fellow-readers which dates from April 1952.
When I saw the photograph first of Eddie with his parents, these memories and one other occurred to me.
My father, Paul, came from Lower Grange, Goresbridge, where the horse and its associated sports were the paramount sporting attractions, not hurling which never got a look in.
Cricket, not hurling, was the other key field sport of the Goresbridge-Gowran area as Michael O’Dwyer’s book on this Kilkenny field sport so well documents.
Point-to-Point
On Thursday, March 22 1945, The Kilkenny Hunt held point-to-point races near Stoneyford, on land owned by Messrs. Drea, Kearney, Forristal, Lannon, Walsh, Donnelly, Finnegan, Whelan, Fitzgerald, Lee and Mrs O’Neill. The stewards were James McClintock (INHS Committee), Major D McCalmont MFH, Jack McEnery, Willie Pilsworth (his daughter Teddy Hoyne a fearless rider) and Richard Holohan.
The judge was Major Dermot McMurrough Kavanagh of Borris (grandfather of Andrew McMurrough Kavanagh) while the starter was Dr T O’Brien (co-founder, I believe, of the Mount Loftus Harriers with Major Loftus and his daughter Miss Patricia Loftus). Clerk of the scales was Gilbert Butler, Scatorish, (father of James Butler and Jessica Rathdonnel).
The medical officer in attendance was Dr. Cassin while Capt. J. Barry of Kilkenny was the veterinary surgeon whose immediate antecedents were, I believe, the Barrys of Sugarstown. BJ O’Kelly was clerk of the course.
The event featured five races. A copy of the race programme survives amongst a file of legal papers which came up for sale at Mealys of Castlecomer. Knowing something of the event I was delighted to purchase the file (some of the pages are reproduced here).
As a result of an accident which occurred during the running of the fifth race of the day - The Farmers’ Cup - (presented by Major Dermot McCalmont, MFH), a legal action was brought by Jack Donohoe of Barrowmount House, Goresbridge who sued The Kilkenny Hunt for £700.
Major Dermot McCalmont acted for the hunt. His employees, huntsmen Davy McMinn (on Alf) and Thomas Monahan (on Doninga), did duty as hunt servants for the event.
The race was free of incident material to the legal case until the second last fence which was jumped by three horses: Easter Lily (owned by Mr Tom Blackmore of Bisopslough), Rosy (owned by Mr William (Liam) Connolly of Red Mills) and The Damager owned by the Plaintiff in the case: Mr Jack Donohoe, an auctioneer and farmer (Ballyellen, Co Carlow and Borrowmount, Co Kilkenny).
The three horses cleared the fence but The Damager came down. His jockey (Jim Mullins, older brother of Paddy) quickly remounted and was considered still to have had a very good chance of winning the race.
The crowd got excited and there was a danger that some of the spectators would spread onto the course. The Hunt Servants sought to keep order during which exercise The Damager came into contact with Doninga whose rider was Davy McMinn a man well remembered, even today in Kilkenny hunting circles.
McMinn had serious difficulty controlling the crowd who pushed his horse into the way of The Damager, who was travelling at high speed when he struck the hunt servant’s horse a glancing blow, which brought it and its rider down.
Subsequently The Damager whose jockey (Jim Mullins of Doninga) was thrown, also fell. After the race it was deemed that The Damager had lost his value as a chaser and would be of no further use.
Recently The Damager had beaten Lawbreaker at Doninga Point-to-Point Races which horse had just won two races at Punchestown, where he beat a horse called Jumbo (owned by John (Jack) McEnery) which was sold for £750. Hence Jack Donohoe’s claim against the Kilkenny Hunt for £700. Major Dermot McCalmont represented the Hunt in court.
Wise counsel had urged Jack Donohoe not to pursue his claim in court but remained adamant. Not only did it go to court but, when his claim was rejected, an appeal was lodged which was also lost.
My father Paul was a witness for the plaintiff, who was his father’s first cousin, while Sgt Keher of Ballyhale who had attended the meeting in his official capacity gave evidence for the defendant.
The case came down to a point of law. The collision was admitted. It was also admitted that The Damager could have won the race. The value of the horse was also allowed.
The key question was: had The Damager strayed beyond the course boundary into the crowd or had the hunt servant on his horse strayed onto the course?
After hearing the evidence from both sides the judge decided that the hunt servant had not strayed, even by one inch, onto the course.
Shades of many a hurling match. Had there been a foul? Was dirty play involved? It all rather hung on your particular view of the incident.
In this instance my father was of one view while Sgt Keher was of another. The event was often discussed in households around Goresbridge which I used to visit as a child with my parents.
My father, of course, knew what he saw - Sgt Keher equally so. Never the twain shall meet. Just like a hurling or football match!
John Foley of Bagenalstown acted for Jack Donohoe while Michael Buggy and Company acted for the Kilkenny Hunt. The file which I purchased came from the latter practice contains not only legal papers but drawings, newspaper accounts, a Point-to-Point programme and a copy of the INHS regulations.
We can see the value of the races, whose horses were running, the colours worn by the riders and many other details. With every year it is of increasing value, even more so with the Tom Brett Collection which documents almost the entire county for close to 50 years.
Happily, Kilkenny County Council saw its value and purchased it. It will take years to catalogue and further investment from Kilkenny Co Council to make it fully available.