Madam, – Peter Scott’s letter of March 4th recorded various theories concerning the expulsion from All Hallows Seminary and the subsequent appointment as Archbishop of Perth of the Kerry footballer Mundy Prendiville.
When I was a member of the staff of All Hallows from 1950 to 1953, the accepted story was this: there was no ban on clerics playing games outside term, but the 1924 All-Ireland final was during term, and Mundy could not get out to play. Requests to the relevant authorities were all rejected.
So Mundy scaled the wall of All Hallows (no great problem – I did it often), and was at Croke Park in time for the throw-in. However, a last-minute appeal to the bishop of Kerry brought the required permission – and the resulting search revealed Mundy’s escape. He was promptly expelled, as one might have expected.
Up to about the mid-1940s, clerics (priests and brothers) played regularly in matches during seminary holidays. Older Cork people will remember outstanding Cork inter-county hurlers like Fathers Jimmy Morrison, Bobby Dinneen, Connie Cottrell, Bernie Murphy and others. In football, Maynooth supplied great footballers such as Fr Larry Carr (SMA), Kevin Connolly, Mick Hardy and the bulk of the Louth and Armagh teams.
Whence the episcopal ban? There is a tradition that a Wexford hurler, ordained on a Sunday morning, skipped his ordination breakfast and reached Croke Park in time to come on as a substitute at half-time. He is recorded as having scored three goals and knocked out three members of the opposing team. The collective episcopal crozier descended, and red cards were issued to all would-be clerical hurlers and footballers.
Fortunately for some members of the hierarchy, bowl-playing was not included in the list of prohibited games. Golf remains the refuge of clerical sinners. – Yours, etc,