Inside Track: Jimmy was an instant hit with St Patrick’s

Little was Jimmy Clifford to know when he transferred from Young Irelands to St Patrick’s in 1959 he’d have instant success..

He’d been an understudy to All-Ireland goalkeeper, Seán Óg Flood at the Dundalk club, playing most of his football with the junior side.

However, on his transfer to Pat’s, he had the No 1 spot all to himself, playing behind a full-back line of John Sharkey, John White and Felix Traynor. This trio wasn’t easily passed, but on the occasions it was, there was a goalkeeper behind with a safest of hands.

READ NEXT: Inside Track: Good putting, scoring and tipping on Carroll Challenge programme

Jimmy, who died last week at the age of 88, was born in Dundalk, but for most of his life lived in Rockmarshal, in the heart of St Patrick’s territory.

The 1960 season was memorable for the Pat’s club. Less than a decade in existence, they won the Junior championship, scoring a convincing 3-11 to 0-2 win over Drogheda side, Parnells, in the final.

The following year, five of the team were included when the county team opened their bid for Leinster junior championship honours. Jimmy Clifford was among them, along with Gussie and Jemmy Sheelan, Paddy Jordan and Henry Donnelly.

Wins over Meath, Longford and Offaly qualified Louth for a Leinster final meeting with Dublin, and this ended in another victory for the home team, 2-4 to 0-8.

Kerry were next up in the All-Ireland semi-final, and playing in front of a 5,500 crowd, Louth benefitting from a late Fra Kirk goal to win by 2-7 to 1-8.

The ‘home final’, as it was known, was against Galway in Croke Park, and despite having a number of players who would later be part of the great three-in-a-row Galway senior side of the mid-1960s, the Westerners couldn’t match the men in red.

This win qualified Louth to meet the British champions, Yorkshire, in the final proper. Roundhay Stadium in Leeds was the venue, and in a game in which goalkeeper Clifford was called upon to make several saves, the visitors emerged with a three-point win, bringing the title to the county for the first time in 27 years.

That same year, Jimmy graduated to the senior county side, figuring in the first three matches in the National League.

Aside from football, Jimmy took a big interest in greyhound and horse racing, particularly the latter Rarely did he let a day go by without a bet, and if there was one he had a bit of information for, he wouldn’t be slow to let you know.

All of his St Patrick’s colleagues on the winning Louth team have gone to their reward, but there were many from the Lordship club’s later generations present for his Requiem Mass and removal to Lordship cemetery.