Mention
the word Crotta to hurling folk all over the world,and
they will immediately say Tomasin Nolan back to you. The
Nolans are a hurling dynasty that has brought honour and
glory to the art of the caman all over Ireland. Tomasin
was the leader of the pack.
IN
NOVEMBER 2007, AT THE GRAND OLD AGE OF EIGHTY THREE ,
WE LOST ONE OF OUR GREATEST . . . EVER .
POWERFUL LEGS , EAGLE EYE , FEARLESS , WITH THE HEART
OF A LION , TOMASIN NOLAN , STALWART CROTTA HERO , HAD
ALL THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE NATURAL ATHLETE .
FOR
TWENTY FIVE YEARS HE GAVE OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE CLUB
IN ALL GRADES , STARTING IN THE SENIOR RANKS IN 1942 ,
UNTIL HE PLAYED HIS LAST COMPETITIVE GAME IN THE COMPANY
OF HIS SONS TODD AND CYRIL IN 1967 .
IN
A MIGHTY CAREER , DURING A GOLDEN ERA OF SUCCESS FOR THE
CROTTA HURLING CLUB , TOMASIN PLAYED AGAINST MANY OF THE
ALL-TIME GREATS OF THE GAME . OUTSIDE THE COUNTY , NAMES
LIKE CHRISTY RING , JACKY POWER , SEAN HERBERT , HOPPER
MCGRATH , MICK MACKEY AND TOMMY DOYLE WERE BUT A FEW OF
THE OPPONENTS HE ENCOUNTERED DURING HIS GREAT DAY WITH
THE KERRY HURLING TEAM .
IN KERRY CHAMPIONSHIP FARE CROTTA WERE A POWERFUL FORCE
BETWEEN 1939 AND 1951 , WINNING THE SENIOR TITLE ON EIGHT
OCCASIONS .
TOMASIN
WAS AN INTERGRAL PART OF THAT SUCCESS STORY , CAPTURING
SIX SENIOR CHAMPOINSHIPS , INCLUDING THE FAMOUS THREE
IN A ROW OF 1943 , 1944 , AND 1945 .
THERE WERE MEMORABLE AND GRIPPING BATTLES WITH MANY OF
THE GREAT KERRY CLUBS . TO BEAT CROTTA IN AMY COMPETITION
, YOU FIRST HAD TO SUBDUE NOLAN , NO EASY TASK !
DURING THE NINETEEN FORTIES CORK HAD A TREMENDOUS SENIOR
TEAM AND WON SEVERAL ALL - IRELAND TITLES . ON MANY OCCASIONS
THEY PREPAREDFOR VITAL MATCHES BY TAKING ON KERRY SELECTIONS
IN ROUSING CHALLENGE GAMES .
ONE SUCH GAME LIVES IN THE FOLKLORE OF KERRY HURLING .
CORK TRAVELLED TO KILLARNEY TO PLAY A KERRY SELECTION
THAT INCLUDED TOMASIN , AND ONE OF HIS GREAT RIVALS FROM
ARDFERT FRANK KISSANE , AT CENTRE - FIELD FOR KERRY .
AFTER A RARE TUSSLE CORK EVENTUALLY WON THE GAME , AND
COMING OFF THE FIELD THE KERRY SELECTORS MET UP WITH THE
LEGENDARY CORK TRAINER , JIM "TOUGH" BARRY , AND QUESTIONED
HIM ABOUT THE MERITS OF THE KERRY PLAYERS .
KERRY HAD MORE THAN HELD THERI OWN AT MIDFIELD , AND TOMASIN
WAS THE STAR OF THE SHOW , BARRY'S REPLY WAS A CLASSIC
."NOLAN WOULD GET ON MY TEAM ON THAT DISPLAY" , HE SAID
, AND I WOULD BE BRINGING YOUNG FELLOWS FROM ALL OVER
THE COUNTY , IF I HAD HIM IN MY SQUAD , TO TEST THEM AGAINS
HIM IN TRAINING ".
THERE ARE MANY STORIES ABOUT TOMASIN`S EXPLOITS , THE
AFORE-MENTIONED FRANK KISSANE AND HIMSELF TRAVELLED DOWN
AND PLAYED IN THE LIMERICK COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP WITH TOURNAFULLA
.
AMONG HIS CONTEMPORARIES IN KERRY WERE GREAT STARS LIKE
, SEAN LOVETT, FRANK AND BRENDAN KISSANE, NICHOLAS SCOLLARD,
RICHIE PURCELL, MICHAEL AND TEDDY HENNESSY, BALBO CONNELL,
JOHN DALY, AND HIS TEAMMATE IN CORTTA INCLUDED JOHN MCCARTHY
, JIMIN FLAHERTY , DICK AND PAT LAIDE, JOHN PA HARRINGTON
, BILLY STACK , JACK KENNY , AND HIS BROTHER , PENDY NOLAN
AND TOMMY FITZMAURICE . MANY OTHERS EMIGRATED , INCLUDING
TOMASIN`S BROTHER -IN-LAW , JOHN `DOCTOR` CONNELL .
ALL
THE NOLANS GAVE OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE CROTTA CLUB
, AND PRIDE OF PLACE GOES TO THE TERRIBLE `TWINS` ,TODD
AND CYRIL , WHO CARVED THEIR OWN SPECIAL NICHE IN THE
ANNALS OF KERRY HURLING .
TOMASIN AND HIS LOVELY WIFE , NANCE REARED THEIR FAMILY
IN SWEET CLANDOUGLAS , AND THE HILLS AND VALLEYS RESOUNDED
TO THE MUSIC OF THE CAMAN AND SLIOTHAR . TIMES WERE SOMETIMES
DIFFICULT , AND MONEY MIGHT BE SCARCE , BUT THE LOVE OF
FAMILY VALUES AND THE NECESSITY TO RISE EACH MORNING AND
WORK LONG HOURS TIL DARK , KEPT THE NOLAN FAMILY UNITED
AND HAPPY .
TOMASIN , OUR GREATEST GAME WAS IN YOUR LIFE AND IN YOUR
BLOOD , YOUR FAMILY WAS IN YOUR HEART AND AT YOUR SIDE
.
MAY
YOU REST IN PEACE AT YOUR OWN KILFEIGHNEY .
WE"LL
MISS YOU , BUT WE"LL NOT FORGET YOU !
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