Armstrong Cup, 1977 and today

This Sunday sees the final round of the Armstrong Cup. Dublin University has been ahead all season, but stumbled slightly recently with a loss to Gonzaga. With a 2-point lead, and with the only other possible winners Elm Mount and Gonzaga playing each other, they must still be solid favourites. But strange things can happen in last rounds …

The 1976-77 Armstrong Cup was added to the Armstrong Cup page here recently, and the records have now been expanded out to give that season its own page, with all known match scorecards.

One aspect that stands out is the number of players who played in both the 1976-77 Armstrong and again in this one. I had assumed there might be three or four, but in fact there are at least ten, and maybe more than a dozen. In alphabetical order, and with their 1976-77 and current teams respectively, they are:

Brian Beckett (Dublin A, Bray/Greystones)
Ray Byrne (Collegians, Gonzaga)
Tony Dennehy (Collegians, Dún Laoghaire)
Oliver Dunne (Dundrum, Elm Mount)
John Gibson (Collegians, St. Benildus)
Tim Harding (Dundrum, Dublin University)
Eamon Keogh (Ierne, Kilkenny)
Joe Noone (Kevin Barry, Celbridge)
Bernard Palmer (Dublin B, Dún Laoghaire)
Herbert Scarry (Printers, Phibsboro)

and some I’m less sure of:

J. Bradley, U.C.D. / John Bradley, Kilkenny
C. Egan, Collegians / Colm Egan, Dublin
F. McMahon, Portmarnock / Frank McMahon, Phibsboro.

I may have missed some; corrections welcome.

The list of players who played in the Leinster Leagues in both seasons must be a long one. I’ll note Art Coldrick (Collegians, Armstrong ’76-’77; Phibsboro, Heidenfeld this season), Jack Killane (Rathmines in both years; Armstrong ’76-’77, Heidenfeld this season) and Mick Germaine (Printers, Armstrong ’76-’77; Phibsboro, Heidenfeld this season).