JIM JUDGE
The U16 for CBS Drogheda, front l/r: Eamonn McCarthy, Robbie Gogan, Mickser Hand (RIP), Mickey McAdams. Middle: Liam Cooney, Jim Stafford, Jim Judge, Gerry Leech, Frank Fagan (RIP), B. Crinion. Back: Frank Murphy, Jim Gough, Vincent Loughran, Eamonn McHugh, Tommy Connor, Andy Kiernan, Joe Dolan
W
hile at C.B.S secondary school Jim Judge showed
THE LEGEND THAT IS JIM (BLACKIE) JUDGE
some of the football class that made people stand up and watch a unique talent in action. They won
the Louth under 14’s and got to the Leinster Final at under 16 level. After this Jim told me he left school to serve his time as a carpenter with Kevin Flynn. Jim was part of the Louth minor set up in 1953 to 1956. He played county minor at 15 in 1953 when Louth became minor champions of Leinster. They beat Kildare in the final. His brother Oliver also played. They played a Clare team in the semi-final which was very suspect as regards age. Clare beat Louth but
When I went to visit Jim Judge in Drogheda, he began to tell me about the nine boys and two girls in his original family. His father was Peter Judge and his mother was Margaret (nee) McKenna. His brothers were Mick, Jack, Pat, Peter, Oliver, Kieran, Paul and Malachy. Eileen and Francis were his two sisters. The backbone of the Blues football team was in that household in the Greenhill’s area. Jim went to St.Patricks N.S School in Scarlett Street. Father McDonnell who later became the parish priest of Ardee helped out with gaelic football there, but the Christian Brothers were to play a bigger part in Jim’s love of football. By Sean Ross
there was much debate over the Clare team. Jim, at 15, created a record that’s still not broken - playing minor football for Louth for four years. He was captain of the winning Blues minors in 1956 and the Blues also won in 1957 and 1958. In 1957 Louth juniors won the Leinster championship – Jim was on this team. He was also a sub on the All-Ireland winning team at senior level. This was a golden era for Louth football, and today we still talk about this year. It’s like a biblical event in our history. Jim was captain of the Louth juniors in 1958 but Dublin beat Louth by one point in Drogheda. Jim left for England as work was scarce. He got work and joined St.Vincents of Cricklewood, London. He heard that the Blues were not doing well at home. In 1959 Darver beat them
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