St Finbarr’s GAA Club was active and competitive in the years long before the founding of the Association in 1884. Sean McCarthy, Cork’s great ex President of the Association, writing of the year 1876, recounted how the Barr’s had beaten Cloughroe, Ballygarvan, Aglish, Carrigaline, Shanbally and Blackrock all in that same year. There can be no doubt that the Barr’s entered the GAA with the most enviable tradition behind them. How they have upheld this tradition will be captured throughout these pages. Year after year, great hurlers wore their famous blue from Willie John O’Connell of the formative days to Sean Condon and Gerald McCarthy in more modern times.

Though the ‘Barr’s name doesn’t appear in the record books until 1899 they had already won an unofficial County in 1890 under Fr O’Connor’s Board. There was political turmoil within the county Board in 1889 and Fr. O’Connor, President of the Board, resigned. Why? He claimed it was a “packed” meeting with a lot of non nationalists believed to be associated with individuals who had connections within Dublin Castle being elected. The Barr’s endorsed the view of its president and were supported by Blackrock, Ballygarvan and Ballyhooley who withdrew from the County Championship. Those clubs were suspended along with five others. Aghabullogue was the only higher ranked club to remain loyal to the County Board after Greenmount proposed a motion condemning the expulsions. The disaffected clubs regrouped and formed the O’Connor Board and received support from another rival group North Cork who set up the O’Brien Board. Fr O’Connor, in 1889, presented a Cup for competition which was won by the ‘Barr’s who defeated the Rockies in the final after earlier seeing of the challenges of St Peter’s and St Paul’s, Greenmount and Little Island. The victorious Barr’s team included the following; John Canniffe, John Cronin, Dan Murphy, Philip Murphy, Wm Callaghan, Michael McCarthy, Dan Knowles, John Nunan, Jeremiah Sheehan, John Sheehan, Dan Sheehan, John Walsh, Denis Carey, James Conway, Thomas Horgan, Willie John O’Connell, Ml O’Keeffe, John Leahy, Tim Desmond, Dan Callaghan, Patrick Murphy.

Twenty two teams competed in the Cork and O’Brien Boards County Championship in 1890 for the O’Connor Cup with the Barr’s and Bartlemy winning the respective sections. A huge gathering converged on Mallow town for the decider after which the Barr’s retained the trophy and returned to the city in triumph. Barr’s (21 a side); William O’Callaghan (capt), John Leahy, Ml O’Keeffe, Dan O’Callaghan, Tim Horgan, John Walsh, James Barrett, Dan Murphy, James Keegan, Denis Carey, Michael Casserly, Willie John O’Connell, John Canniffe, Philip Murphy, James Dennehy, Denis Bradley, Ml McCarthy, Jerh. Sheehan, Denis Halloran, Michael Sheehan, John Noonan.

The Barr’s returned to the official county board in 1891. Unfortunately, the glory of the 1890 victories was quickly followed by the reproach of the “Parnell Split”. The Kitty O’Shea affair had thrown the country into turmoil, split the Irish Republican Party into two factions, Wm O’Briens and Redmondites. This split pervaded most organisations including the Barr’s. At one infamous club meeting in 1891, no fewer than twelve (the Apostles) of the Blues first team, Wm O’Callaghan, Ml Cassidy, J Leahy, Joseph Keegan, Denis O’Mahony, Dan Knowles, Con Ahern, Denis Hegarty, Ml Sheehan, Ml Hegarty, John Healy and John Noonan left the room to join Redmond’s. Most of the remainder affiliated with O’Briens resulting in the Barr’s absence for the 1892 season. Following their departure the Barr’s turned to untried youngsters who, with the help of Willie John, Jim Young and a few Sheehans, developed into outstanding hurlers. Within a few years Barr’s were a force again and when County champions Blackrock were selecting their team to represent Cork in the All-Ireland they called on Willie John and Jim Young. The Barr’s men played outstanding roles. The two years since the split were very troublesome for the Barr’s who were on their knees but it is to their eternal credit that they came roaring back to again become the county’s premier club and one of those inspiring the comeback was Billex Moloney; strong and fast he became one of the best defenders of all time. In his book “Twenty years of the GAA”, Corkonian Phil O’Neill wrote, ‘Billex was one of the oldest leading players of the Barr’s club. He was one of the greatest and most popular players of the game and became a regular on the Cork senior team. His participation dated back to the 21 a side games. Another distinction “though not the most enviable” is that he was probably the greatest player of his time who never won an All-Ireland medal, and this covered a period of over twenty years. Once, he came within a point of premier honours; that was in 1906 when Kilkenny (Tularoon) defeated Cork (St Finbarr’s) at Carrick on Suir by 1-9 to 1-8. The following year he had even worse luck as his team, which included “Bachus” Leary, “Chateye” Leary, “Dowdy” Kelly, Christy Young, Jerry Beckett, Christy Nolan, D Linehan of the Blues, beat the champs in Tipperary in the final but the “Cats” objected as the Cork keeper Sonny Jim McCarthy was a British Army Reservist. A re-fixture was ordered and Kilkenny retained their crown. When Billex laid down his camán for the last time, after a match in which three of his ribs were broken, Cork lost their noblest hurler. Yet, even when he could no longer line out he trained and selected the teams.”

It was ironic that when the Barr’s claimed their first official county championship in 1899 that their opponents were arch enemies Redmond’s to which most of their stars had defected eight years earlier. Sadly, that darling hurler inter county star Willie John O’Connell was an absentee. Willie John was revered in the parish and was destined for greatness. A fast, sweet hurler he was a long serving Barr’s captain. He loved hurling and lived for it. Then fate decreed that he should also die for it. In training with the county team in the Park, on the 25th April 1897, he received an accidental blow to the head from which died. Whatever other differences and prejudices existed the 1899 final was worthy of the sport and the men. Both teams fought manfully in a sportsmanlike spirit to secure the laurels of victory which went to “the Gallant old Blues” by the slenderest of margins. Barr’s : J Young, P Conway, W Moloney, M Sexton, C Young, J Young, W Sheehan, D Sheehan, J Harrington, D Harrington, J Cashman, T O’Keeffe, T Foley, P O’Sullivan, J Kelleher, J Delea, C O’Leary.