1947 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final

Pre-game

For the first and only time, the final was played outside Ireland, at Polo Grounds in New York City, to cater for the large Irish-American community there. The New York final was also intended to observe the centenary of the Great Famine, which caused mass Irish emigration to the U.S. and other countries.

It was decided that New York would host this match as a commemoration of the 1847 Great Famine, which forced a large number of Irish people to emigrate to North America. This novel location for the game was chosen for the benefit of New York's large Irish immigrant population. It was the only time for the final to have been played outside Ireland.

Around 30,000 people were in the ground for the final. Cavan travelled by air and Kerry by sea; the Cavan team credited their victory partially to their shorter time spent travelling. The Cavan team flew via the Azores, taking 30 hours. Kerry's trip by Ocean Liner took far longer. The last Gaelic game held at Polo Grounds was on 1 June 1958, when Cavan played New York.

Mick Higgins, a key member of the Cavan team that day, recalled in later life: "There was no huge send-off for us in Cavan, but both teams got a good reception in New York when we arrived. I remember the team stayed in the Commodore Hotel, but I stayed with my relatives." He also remembered there was "oppressive heat" during the game itself.

The Artane Boys' Band travelled to New York to play before the match, as they do traditionally at all All-Ireland finals.

Match

This year's final was played on 14 September.

Summary

After a slow start, Cavan fought back to lead 2–5 to 2–4 at the break, and went on to win by four points. Peter Donohoe scored eight points from frees, and the New York press called him "the Babe Ruth of Gaelic football" (Babe Ruth was a local baseball player of the time). Michael O'Hehir broadcast radio commentary back across the Atlantic Ocean.

O'Hehir noticed that broadcasting delays would bring the radio link down five minutes before the final had ended.

Details

Final

Cavan team

1 Val Gannon 2 Willie Doonan 3 Brian O'Reilly 4 Paddy Smith 5 John Wilson 6 John Joe O'Reilly (c) 7 Simon Deignan 8 P. J. Duke 9 Phil Brady 10 Tony Tighe 11 Mick Higgins 12 Columba McDyer 13 Joe Stafford 14 Peter Donohoe 15 T. P. O'Reilly

;Cavan subs not used 16 Edwin Carolan 17 Terry Sheridan 18 Owen Roe McGovern 19 John Joe Cassidy 20 Tom O'Reilly 21 Eunan Tiernan 22 Brendan Kelly

Kerry team

1 D. O'Keeffe 2 D. Lyne (c) 3 J. Keohane 4 P. B. Brosnan 5 J. Lyne 6 B. Casey 7 E. Walsh 8 E. Dowling 9 Teddy O'Connor 17 T. O'Sullivan 15 D. Kavanagh 12 B. Garvey 13 F. O'Keeffe 14 Tom O'Connor 22 P. Kennedy

;Kerry subs used 11 W. O'Donnell for T. Brosnan 18 M. Finucane for E. Walsh 16 T. Brosnan for W. O'Donnell 21 G. Teahan for P. Kennedy

;Kerry subs not used 10 G. O'Sullivan 19 T. Long 20 S. Keane

Post-match

The Cavan team returned to Ireland aboard the RMS Queen Mary. Higgins recalled, "It was only after we arrived in Southampton that we realised the joy of it all. Large numbers of Cavan people turned up to see us in London and Birmingham. We were treated like kings in Cavan."

The 1947 All-Ireland SFC final brought about an understanding that a large audience existed for Gaelic games highlights.

Owen Roe McGovern, the last surviving member of the winning team, died on 2 May 2011.

This was the last All-Ireland SFC final to be played on 14 September until the 2019 replay.

References

References

1. "National Climatic Data Center". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
2. Moran, Seán. (30 November 2011). "'GAA Football Gold' is worth its weight in memories". Irish Times Trust.
3. (28 November 1996). "Funeral of man "who held nation spellbound" takes place in Dublin". Irish Times.
4. (28 January 2010). "Cavan GAA legend Mick Higgins dies at the age of 87". [[BBC]].
5. Breheny, Martin. (29 January 2010). "Cavan football mourns loss of legend Higgins, hero of 1947 Polo Grounds". [[Independent News & Media]].
6. [http://artanemusic.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/The-artane-Band.pdf The Artane Band] History, www.artanemusic.ie, February 2002.
7. (2021). "The Complete Handbook of GAELIC GAMES". DBA.
8. ''High Ball'' magazine, issue #6, 1998.
9. "1947 - Final in the Polo Grounds | the Official Website of the GAA".
10. Moran, Seán. (11 September 2019). "Will time be on Dublin's side once more?". [[The Irish Times]].
11. (3 May 2011). "Cavan All-Ireland winning hero Owen Roe McGovern dies". BBC Sport.