UNBEATABLE FR. TOM JONES (1868-1950) HANDBALL SUPREMO
Tralee born Tom Jones was according to Martin Collins of the Austin Stack’s GAA Club “One of the greatest sporting legends ever to come out of Rock Street, specialising in Handball”. This son of the famed “Street of Champions” was already Munster, Irish and World Champion before leaving St. Brendan’s Seminary, Killarney by 1890. Tom Jones loved Handball just like the son of another Tralee man who became the first GAA Patron namely Archbishop Croke of Cashel and Emly.
“Unbeatable” is the biography of this Handballing Supremo who lived across two centuries and as a priest served in Ulster, Yorkshire and Australia together with 45 years ministry all around the Wild Atlantic rim of Dingle Bay. He built the original Ballcourt in Glenbeigh in 1946. The new complex of 1979 there bears his name showing on the outside gable a limestone plaque identifying him as “an laoch ba thréine” or ‘Handball’s greatest warrior in Ireland or overseas’.
Tralee’s Handball Club is known as Fitzgerald -Jones Club honouring two World Champions in this important Gaelic sport. Fitzgerald, who died young in San Francisco, claimed he could never beat Jones, his Doubles’ Partner. Maynooth College President and later Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr. Mannix said “Jones was altogether the greatest athlete that ever passed through this House”. Jones excelled in field games, athletics and swimming and was regarded as unbeatable in all codes. Because he dominated all athletic competitions in his early Australian days they banned him from his participation – much to his dislike! As an accomplished musician he could play 14 instruments including the Uilleann Pipes. He regularly played with both Leo Rowesome and John Potts in Dublin. As a linguist he both translated and published German and French classics in Irish. He is famously linked with rescue attempts on the Great Blasket in 1909 when Dublin Gaelic Leaguer, Eibhlín Nic Niocaill and Domhnall Ó Criomhthain, son of the Islandman were drowned. Easter week 1916 saw him leading three local men down a sheer cliff to rescue eight Norwegian merchant seamen who had been torpedoed by a German U-boat. All were duly honoured for this daring rescue and the King of Norway awarded Tom Jones with the Silver Goblet on view in the Kerry County Museum, Tralee thanks to the Jones Fitzgerald family.
Tom Looney’s 160 page biography features many stories about Jones, both personal, humorous and sporting that have passed into legend in Kerry and further afield. The book sells at €15.00 and is available at O’Connor’s, Beech Road, Killarney: Dr. Crokes GAA Club secretary.drcrokes.kerry@gaa.ie : Mr. John Joe Quirke, Chairman of Glenbeigh Handball Club : also from the author tomlooney45@gmail.com (Allow €4.00 for postage in Ireland). A donation from sales’ proceeds will go to benefit Glenbeigh Handball Club and Dr. Crokes’ Youth Academy.
