Connie "Sonny" Buckley (24 November 1915 – 27 January 2009) was an Irish
hurler who played as a centre-forward for the
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
senior team.
Buckley made his first appearance for the team during the
1934 championship and was a regular member of the starting fifteen until his retirement after the
1941 championship. During that time he won one
All-Ireland
All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) refers to all of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Ireland" is most frequently used to refer to sporting teams or events for the entire islan ...
medal, one
Munster
Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...
medal and two
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
medals. An All-Ireland runner-up on one occasion, Buckley captained the team to the All-Ireland title in 1941.
At club level Buckley was an eight-time
county club championship medalist with
Glen Rovers
Glen Rovers is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Blackpool, Cork, Ireland. The club was founded in 1916 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling. They were Cork senior hurling champions in 2015 and 2016, having w ...
.
His brother
Din Joe won five All-Ireland medals and a third brother,
Jack
Jack may refer to:
Places
* Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community
* Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community
* Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA
People and fictional characters
* Jack (given name), a male given name, ...
, was an All-Ireland medalist as a non-playing substitute in 1942.
Playing career
Colleges
It was during Buckley's secondary education at the
North Monastery
The North Monastery (Irish: ''An Mhainistir Thuaidh''), commonly known as The Mon, is a co-educational education campus comprising Scoil Mhuire Fatima Primary School, North Monastery Co-educational Secondary and Gaelcholáiste Mhuire AG located ...
where his talents at
Gaelic games
Gaelic games ( ga, Cluichí Gaelacha) are a set of sports played worldwide, though they are particularly popular in Ireland, where they originated. They include Gaelic football, hurling, Gaelic handball and rounders. Football and hurling, the ...
were first brought to the fore. In 1934 Buckley was a key member of the college team that captured the
Harty Cup title. When the North Mon retained the cup again in 1935, Buckley was captain of the team. That same year he captured a
Munster
Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...
medal with the college's senior football team. Together with his schoolmate
Jack Lynch
John Mary Lynch (15 August 1917 – 20 October 1999) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979, Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1966 to 1979, Leader of the Opposition from 1973 to 1977, Minister ...
, Buckley was also chosen on the Munster colleges' inter-provincial hurling and football teams that year.
Club
Buckley played his club hurling with the famous
Glen Rovers
Glen Rovers is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Blackpool, Cork, Ireland. The club was founded in 1916 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling. They were Cork senior hurling champions in 2015 and 2016, having w ...
and enjoyed much success during a golden age for the club.
As a
dual player
Dual player or dual star is a term used in Hiberno-English to describe someone who competes in multiple sports — for example, in Victorian Ireland, cricket and hurling. The term today in Gaelic games typically describes a male player who plays ...
in the minor grades he won a minor football championship medal with the Glen's sister team,
St. Nick's, in 1932. The following year Buckley captured a minor hurling championship medal with Glen Rovers, thus beginning a great era of success.
By 1934 Buckley had joined the Glen Rovers senior hurling team and he played at midfield as the Glen lined out in only their second ever championship decider. A 3–2 to 0–6 defeat of four-in-a-row hopefuls
St. Finbarr's gave Buckley a
Cork Senior Hurling Championship
The Cork Premier Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Co-Op Superstores Cork Premier Senior Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Cork PSHC) is an annual club hurling competition organised by the Cork County B ...
medal. He added a second championship medal to his collection the following year when
Carrigtwohill
Carrigtwohill, officially Carrigtohill (), is a town in County Cork, Ireland with a population of 5,080 (2016). It is 12 kilometres east of Cork city. It is connected to Cork Suburban Rail and is bypassed by the N25 road. Carrigtwohill is on ...
gave Glen Rovers a walkover in the championship decider.
The Glen continued to dominated Cork hurling once again in 1936. In spite of having two players sent off, Buckley won a third successive championship medal following a decisive 7–5 to 4–2 defeat of
Sarsfield's.
Having been granted a walkover by the same opposition two years earlier, Glen Rovers faced Carrigtwohill in the county decider of 1937. The dominance continued and a 3–5 to 1–0 score line gave Buckley a fourth championship medal.
In 1938 Glen Rovers set out to make history by besting
Blackrock's twenty-five-year-old championship record.
Midleton
Midleton (; , meaning "monastery at the weir") is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies approximately 16 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare. A satellit ...
stood in the way of a fifth successive championship title, however, a comprehensive 5–6 o 1–3 score line secured the victory and gave Buckley his fifth championship. He also collected his first
championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
medal in football that year as St. Nick's defeated
Clonakilty
Clonakilty (; ), sometimes shortened to Clon, is a town in County Cork, Ireland. The town is located at the head of the tidal Clonakilty Bay. The rural hinterland is used mainly for dairy farming. The town's population as of 2016 was 4,592. Th ...
.
The success continued once again the following year as Glen Rovers faced Blackrock in their first championship decider meeting in almost a decade. A 5–4 to 2–5 win for the Glen gave Buckley a sixth successive championship medal.
Sarsfield's stood in the way of Glen Rovers securing a seventh successive championship in 1940. In one of the most high-scoring county finals of all-time, Buckley won his seventh championship medal following a 10–6 to 7–5 defeat of Sars.
In 1941 Glen Rovers reached an eighth successive decider. In a game that set them apart from all other teams, the Glen continued their stranglehold of club hurling in Cork by claiming the victory following a 4–7 to 2–2 defeat of
Ballincollig
Ballincollig () is a suburban town within the administrative area of Cork city in Ireland. It is located on the western side of Cork city, beside the River Lee on the R608 regional road. In 2016 it was the largest town in County Cork, at whic ...
. Buckley had the distinction of being the only player to have lined out in all eight victories. He also added a second football championship medal to his collection as
Millstreet
Millstreet () is a town in north County Cork, Ireland, with a population of 1,555 (as of 2016).
Millstreet is within the civil parish of Drishane, and within a Poor Law Union also called Millstreet. The Millstreet Union encompasses the civil ...
were accounted for in the county final.
Nine-in-a-row proved beyond Glen Rovers and a defeat by Ballincollig in the championship semi-final brought the curtain down of Buckley's senior club career.
Inter-county
Buckley joined the Cork senior hurling team in 1934 and was an unused substitute for that year's championship. He made his debut in the 1934–35 National League and immediately became a regular member of the starting fifteen.
In 1939 Cork made a breakthrough in the provincial championship after nearly a decade in the doldrums. A narrow 4–3 to 3–4 defeat of
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
gave Cork the title and gave Buckley his only
Munster
Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...
medal. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Cork against
Kilkenny
Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512.
Kilken ...
. In one of the most iconic championship deciders of all-time, played on the day that
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
broke out, the climax of which was played in a ferocious thunder storm. While a draw looked likely as the hour drew to a close
Paddy Phelan
Patrick Phelan (16 September 1910 – 7 December 1971) was an Irish hurler who played as a left wing-back for the Kilkenny senior team.
Born in Freshford, County Kilkenny, Phelan arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of twenty-one whe ...
sent a seventy-yard free in towards the Cork goalmouth. The sliotar was gobbled up by the defence and cleared, but only as far as
Jimmy Kelly who sent it straight over the bar for a one-point lead. Immediately after the puck-out the referee blew the whistle and Cork were defeated on a score line of 2–7 to 3–3.
Although defeated in the All-Ireland decider, Cork continued their breakthrough in 1940. An 8–9 to 6–4 defeat of
Tipperary
Tipperary is the name of:
Places
*County Tipperary, a county in Ireland
**North Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Nenagh
**South Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Clonmel
*Tipperary (town), County Tipperary's na ...
in the decider gave Buckley his first
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the l ...
medal. He added a second winners' medal to his collection in 1941 following a defeat of
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
.
An outbreak of
foot and mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) or hoof-and-mouth disease (HMD) is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids. The virus causes a high fever lasting two to six days, followe ...
severely hampered the 1941 championship. As a result of this Cork were nominated to represent the province in the All-Ireland series. Buckley captained the team in the final against Dublin, however, it turned into a one-sided affair thanks to contributing goals from
Johnny Quirke
John Quirke (2 May 1911 – 24 August 1983) was an Irish hurler who played as a right corner-forward for the Cork senior team.
Quirke made his first appearance for the team during the 1932 championship and was a regular member of the startin ...
and
Ted O'Sullivan. At the full-time whistle Cork had won by 5–11 to 0–6. It was one of the most one-sided championship deciders of all-time, however, it did give Buckley an
All-Ireland
All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) refers to all of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Ireland" is most frequently used to refer to sporting teams or events for the entire islan ...
medal, as well as the honour of collecting the
Liam MacCarthy Cup
The Liam MacCarthy Cup is a trophy awarded annually by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) to the team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, the main competition in the prehistoric sport of hurling. Based on the design of a ...
on behalf of Cork.
Buckley's emigration in 1942 brought his inter-county hurling career to a premature end. He returned in 1943, however, a young Cork team were attempting to capture a third All-Ireland title in-a-row. There was no place for Buckley on this team.
Inter-provincial
Buckley also lined out with
Munster
Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...
in the inter-provincial hurling championship where he played alongside his championship rivals from other Munster hurling counties. He played in the
Railway Cup
The GAA Interprovincial Championship ( ga, An Corn Idir-Chúigeach) or Railway Cup (''Corn an Iarnróid'') is the name of two annual Gaelic football and hurling competitions held between the provinces of Ireland. The Connacht, Leinster, Munster ...
final of 1941, however, Munster were defeated by
Leinster
Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ir ...
on that occasion.
Personal life
Born in Roman Street on the north side of Cork city, Buckley was he fourth child in a family of eleven born to Timothy and Elizabeth Buckley. He received his
national school education at the nearby St. Vincent's convent and later attended the North Monastery.
In 1942 Buckley was forced to emigrate to London where he found employment with the
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...
in
Dagenham
Dagenham () is a town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Dagenham is centred east of Charing Cross.
It was historically a rural parish in the Becontree Hundred of Essex, stretching from Hainault Forest ...
. He returned to Cork shortly afterwards. Buckley was married to Kitty Byrne and together they had seven children.
Buckley died in Cork on 27 January 2009. At the time of his death he was the oldest surviving All-Ireland senior hurling captain.
Honours
Team
;The North Monastery
*
Dr. Harty Cup (2): 1934, 1935 (c)
;Glen Rovers
*
Cork Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Cork Premier Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Co-Op Superstores Cork Premier Senior Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Cork PSHC) is an annual club hurling competition organised by the Cork GAA, Cork ...
(8): 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941
* Cork Minor Club Hurling Championship (1): 1933
;St. Nicholas's
*
Cork Senior Club Football Championship
The Cork Premier Senior Football Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Bon Secours Cork Premier Senior Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Cork PSFC) is an annual club Gaelic football competition organised by the Cork Coun ...
(2): 1938, 1941
*Cork Minor Club Football Championship (1): 1932
;Cork
*
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship, known simply as the All-Ireland Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurling competition i ...
(1):
1941
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...
(c)
*
Munster Senior Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Munster Championship, is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster GAA, Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the h ...
(1):
1939
This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history.
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 1
** Third Reich
*** Jews are forbidden to ...
*
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the l ...
(2):
1939–40,
1940–41 (c)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buckley, Connie
1915 births
2009 deaths
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winners
Cork inter-county hurlers
Glen Rovers hurlers
Munster inter-provincial hurlers
St Nicholas' Gaelic footballers