Jimmy Devaney and Vincent Feeney – two Castlebar Celtic luminaries
CLUB CENTENARY SPECIAL: BY ANDREW LEONARD
I had the wonderful opportunity recently of getting to sit down for a recorded chat with two luminaries of Castlebar Celtic’s past - Jimmy Devaney and Vincent Feeney.
Vincent’s brother Michael Feeney arranged it and as far as I’m concerned they're still luminaries, shining bright in terms of memories, great company and observations of the modern game.
Jimmy Devaney was an old style left winger. Michael described him as an ‘artist on the ball’.
He was cocky, confident, with an amazing control of the ball. It was said that if players needed a five-minute rest while still on the pitch, just give the ball to Devaney!
He was notoriously difficult to get the ball back from. Michael described him as a player very much ‘in the style of Joe Haverty’, who played for Arsenal and Ireland in the early 1960s.
Of himself, Jimmy said: “I didn't know the difference between right half and right foot, I just played.” He won three Connaught Cup medals - 1959, 1960 and 64. He told me he used to love wearing the opposition out.
His most memorable match was the Connaught Cup final of 1960 against Westport.
He recalled other outstanding players like Wally Tighe with “his short little steps with the ball, he was deadly”, Peter Duke, “a wonderful centre forward”, as well as Josie Feeney, “seriously fit and covered a lot of ground”.
Jimmy joked that back then when there was no clubhouse “HQ was somewhere around Hughie McGartland’s barber shop and Mike Conway's pub,” which were both on Castle Street.
It wasn't all about the football and like today the social dimension to the club was just as important.
In later years Jimmy excelled in golf and won many awards, including another Connaught Cup medal representing Castlebar Golf Club.
He is retired now from Telecom Éireann. I found him the best of company and one of life’s gentlemen.
Another one of life’s gentlemen is Vincent Feeney. He now lives in Tipperary but is a regular visitor to his home town.
He too won three Connaught Cup medals playing for Castlebar Celtic. He was in many ways an unsung hero as he played alongside his brother Josie.
Michael, another brother of course, described him as an “old style swashbuckling left half who came up with very important long range goals in important games.”
Vincent also recalled fondly some other great players for Celtic such as Frank Roach and Neil McCarran.
He recalled the ‘doggedness’ of Andy Redmond in goal and the ‘consistent objective fairness’ of referee Paddy Gilligan, formerly of Marion Row, Castlebar.
Vincent also remembers the ‘horrible pitch’ that was Maryland in his time, far from the now lush green pastures of Celtic Park.
Vincent was an ever present and consistently high performing player who never seemed to get injured.
He is a lifetime supporter of Castlebar Celtic and he travels regularly from Tipperary to attend games.
He worked in the Bacon Factory before emigrating to England where he worked for more than 30 years in construction.
He was also a significant darts player on the London circuit and those who witnessed him playing reckoned that he was well capable of going professional.
Nowadays, he regularly attends the local St. Michael’s Soccer Club in Tipperary town, a club that has won the FAI Junior Cup on a few occasions.
Let’s hope, as Vincent has predicted, Castlebar Celtic will reach the FAI Junior Cup final someday and wouldn't it be sweetly ironic if they were to play St. Michael’s from Tipperary town.
It’s a fair bet Vincent will be hailing for the Hoops that day and I’m sure Tipperary town would forgive him.