Antrim’s ’43 team were back in Croke Park in 1993

A couple of weeks ago I posted this photo I had colourised of members of the Antrim and Cork teams being introduced Bishop Mageean before the start of the 1943 All Ireland final. The photo generated great interest and I have to say the response was really good.

Antrim captain Jimmy Walsh (to the left of Bishop Mageean) the player with the bandage on his nose is Danny McAlister of Glenariffe, his Glenariffe team-mate Dan McKillop (partly hidden), next is John Butler of Ballycastle. Jackie Bateson of Mitchel’s is next while Joe Mullan of O’Donovan Rossa is the last Antrim player in the group. You can see Christy Ring’s profile just sticking out in the middle of the Cork players while the player on the end wearing 12 was Cork’s captain Mick Kinnefick.

Last night I was scanning pics from the Antrim v Kilkenny All Ireland semi-finals at Croke Park in 1993. At the end of senior game I found these few photos of what turned out to be the Antrim team of 1943 being introduced to the crowd by the great Ó Muircheartaigh, in the interval between the end of the Antrim v Killkenny game and the start of the second semi-final between Galway and Tipperary. The one that stood out was Glenariffe’s Danny McAllister, full-forward on the 43 team, stepping forward to saltue the crowd with both hands in the air. Fifty years on from that famous day he was still a fine specimin of a man, full of self confidence as ever, revelling in the chance to take centre stage once again. His Oisins team mate Wille Graham is there too with John Butler of Ballycastle and I think it may well be team captain Jimmy Walsh leading the team out behind a member of the Artane Boys Band. Of course by that time a good few of the team were no longer with us and the decesed members were represented by sons, daughters or grandchildren, who were proud to shared the same ‘stage’ their fathers, or grandfathers, had done half a century before.

**Ballycastle’s John Butler steps forward to take his bow in the picture on the left while the one on the right features John and Glenariffe’s Willie ‘Bob’ Graham.**

When the original photo was posted we had a great response and all the players were soon named, so if you know and of the names of the players or their representaives from the 1993 presentation please let me know, either on the Facebook link to this story or by emailing me at john.mcilwaine@yahoo.co.uk