Incorp. Munster Industrial Advocate Vol. 102 (Reg. in GPO as a Newspaper) Shandon, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford. Tel: (058) 41205 / 42042. Fax: (058) 41559.
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Dungarvan Olympian Peter Crotty remembered WITH the Olympic Games already in full swing, our expectation is of Ireland taking some number of medals across the disciplines and, despite the setback with one of our boxers, that sport is still the most promising for us. Boxing has always been our traditional happy hunting ground for a medal haul and we were fifth overall in this sport in the last Games. All Waterford eyes will, of course, be on our champion local golfer, Seamus Power taking Olympic honours at some level and seeing the Tricolour rise over the Rio Stadium. What a moment that would be for Seamus, his family and the members of West Waterford Golf Club who would paint the town and district green in his honour. We wait in hope and expectation. Dungarvan has had a long history of boxing success, especially from the days of Peter Crotty,
universally known as ‘The Iron Man’ and in whose honour the local boxing gym has been named. Peter Crotty has been the most famous boxer to come out of the town and district which produced many fine fighters, particularly out of Caseyville, the ‘Street of Champions’. While Peter is credited as being a member of St. Mary’s Boxing Club in Clonmel, he was always and ever a Dungarvan man. It is only right that in this Olympic season, we recall some of the best moments of Peter Crotty’s successful boxing career and tell the younger generation who have not yet heard, just how good, how tough, how sporting and how famous Petie Crotty really was. There is no doubt that Peter made the name of Dungarvan famous around the world, as he took on and beat in the ring, the very best
amateur boxers of his day. His career was a remarkable and very successful one. In his later years he could look back on having boxed in the finest arenas of most countries of Europe and also in America; having fought with and against the cream of European and American Amateurs. He met many of the legends of the game including Jack Dempsey and Ingemar Johannsen and he could call Jack Doyle, the Gorgeous Gael, one of the most popular and famous Irishmen of his day, his friend. His deeds are reported in newspapers across the world not least in the Chicago Sunday Tribune for his fights in the Golden Gloves Tournament. This is a competition between the armed forces of the USA and the combined forces of Europe. Peter Crotty’s courage and capacity for taking punishment in the ring
were legendary and made him one of the finest boxers of his generation. Peter was born in 1925 and was educated in the Convent of Mercy School and the Christian Brothers where he had his first official fight when he was not more than eleven years old when he was matched against another boy named Dan Forde. Boxing was not very organised locally in those days and the club only operated occasionally. He therefore had to travel to St. Mary’s Club in Clonmel for registration and training and often walked the 26 miles to use their gym and walk back home again afterwards. He was also known to train in the tower of Dungarvan Castle, which back then housed the Garda Station. He joined the Army in 1943 and stayed until the end of the Emergency in 1945, winning a Brigade title in 1944.
But the best was yet to come and he won four successive National Championships for St. Mary’s Club at Welterweight between 1949 and 1952, establishing a reputation for himself which lasts to this day. He retired undefeated in 1953. Peter was rightfully proud that he took part in the 15th Olympic Games in Helsinki. However, due to a clash of heads in the second round which gave him a cut eye and the fight was stopped on a Technical Knockout in favour of his opponent, who was so well beaten at the time that he could take no further part in the Olympics either. Peter was also chosen to be a member of the European Team which met the United States in the 14th International Golden Gloves Bouts, the biggest trans-Atlantic amateur boxing tournament there was. This team represented the cream of
Europe and there was Petie among them, the only English speaking member. Unfortunately, fate again took a hand and Peter suffered a bad bout of flu in the days before he travelled and could not perform to his best. Petie Crotty retired from the ring in 1953, but was back again on several occasions to receive awards and
accolades from, among others, An Taoiseach, Dungarvan Town Council and the IABA. The man who was christened the Iron Man of Dungarvan is far from forgotten, and those of his era can readily recall his great career, his fierce will to win, his uncompromising style, but most of all, the many international victories he scored in his all too short career.
Dungarvan Boxing Olympian and Iron Man, Peter Crotty.
Time for a good clean-up THIS is about the time of year when the Tidy Towns judges are patrolling the country examining our towns and villages to see which of them merits the Fáilte
Ireland awards this year. This competition has been one of the great success stories in improving the landscapes and townscapes in this country and County
Waterford is not behind the times in participation. The national Tidy Towns initiative was launched by Bord Fáilte, the Irish Tourist Board
Flashback to Dungarvan Tidy Towns collecting the Silver Medal at the regional awards in Kilkenny Castle in 2013. From left: Margaret Drohan, Nicky Sheehan Eimear Shuttle, Damien Geoghegan and Ann Marie Rossiter.
(now Fáilte Ireland), in 1958 as part of the 'Tostal', a nationwide festival celebrating all things Irish. This was a step-up from the original National Spring Clean Campaign which ran between 1953 and 1957. Tidy Towns rapidly developed its own identity and has gone on to become Ireland's best known and popular local environmental initiative. Apart from Dungarvan which has improved very significantly over the years to arrive at the Silver Award stage in our category, there are several other towns like Ardmore and Lismore which were All-Ireland winners, to Stradbally always scoring very highly to other towns and villages around the county who consistently score well. However, kudos is not
the preserve of these high-fliers, because there are many towns, villages and communities around the county whose committees and communities have worked hard for years to improve their own place for the benefit of themselves. As long as the geraniums bloom; as long as children and adults do not litter the streets; as long as people keep their frontages tidy and painted, then they are happy to take pride in their own place and enjoy it for themselves. Dungarvan, as a large town, has come a long way in inspiring the population to avoid litter. “The time and energy we invested was well worth the effort,” says Anne Marie Rossiter, long time Chair of the Tidy Towns Committee.
“It has paid off handsomely in reaching the Silver Award in our category. We thought a town this size could not get that far, but a well led combined effort by the Town Council, Tidy Towns Committee and Chamber which was enthusiastically responded to by the people of the town and district, has brought success all round.” The work is neverending and, along with all of what has been achieved and established over the years, there is always additional work to be done. Flower boxes and elaborate displays are always being improved; extra boxes are being placed on poles to add to the additional hanging baskets; boxes for doggiewaste have been placed on
the cycle / pedestrian path and another addition this year are the bat-boxes in St. Mary’s Church of Ireland, to protect the species and ensure that they are safe and will stay in the locality. There is also an ongoing programme of education in the schools through the various green flag initiatives and as part of the general promotion, this Thursday night, the Tidy Towns Committee will lead a Street Sweep in Childers Estate in conjunction with WLR-fm Street Sweep Team. The Sweep will start at 6 pm and go on until 8 when all of the litter should have been eliminated. Come along if you have the time, energy and enthusiasm, there will be a warm welcome waiting for you.