Joe Connor was still a Minor when the Loughteague Football team won the County Final in 1928. The Loughteague team preceded the Park team and what is now known as Park/Ratheniska. Their “home ground” for training was in Lowry’s field at the back of what is now Liam Walls.  Matches “at home” were played in Ramsbottoms field on the Cork Road.

Preparation for the final was mainly practice matches among the team members and free taking was practised. Training was nearly every evening and there was no running and exercising like there is to-day. Everyone made an effort to go to training but work, like hay making or thinning turnips, always took precedence over training.

The Final was played in the Lawn in Stradbally. The team either walked or cycled there. There was a bicycle in Joe’s house and, and using Joe’s words, “he got his turn out of it”!

The style of football was different then, big strong kicks with a lot less passing and  less running with the ball. Joe says that it is a much faster game to-day.

The type of football used then was also different, the outer layer was leather and the inside was a bladder that had to be blown up and the bladder was kept in place by lacing an opening of about six inches. Before the match Liam Wall blew up and laced up the football.

On the team were Jack Delaney, Big Bog, Ger Moloney of Ballygormill and Frank Casey, all backs. In the forward line were Paddy Ramsbottom,who was full forward, Liam Wall at Centre half forward, with Joe O’Connor of Loughteague Tom Delaney, and Jim Cormack, both of Big Bog and Johnny Lalor of Munny also in forward positions. Dave McEvoy of Dysart, Tom O’ Connor, Loughteague, Jack Conroy, The Rock. John McEvoy, Dysart, and Mick Kenna filled other positions.

In the 1930’s Park Club was formed and the Loughteague Club became absorbed into it. The Loughteague Club Officers at the time were Denis Drennan and Jimmy Robbins.

Joe also remembers playing minor for Laois and going to play Carlow in Croke Park. The team cycled to Portlaoise after Mass on the Sunday of the match. They left the bicycles at the station, got the train to the then Kingsbridge Station, got a bus to Barrys Hotel, got a meal there, togged out in the hotel and walked togged out to Croke Park.

Joe says that there were often more spectators at “the ringing of a pig” than there were in Croke Park on those day. Changing times of a changing association but one that Joe has so much passion for.