Oliver Judge subscribed heavily to a great family record

No team has won the Louth senior championship more often than Newtown Blues, and no family has had as much success in the competition than the Judge family.

The two keep company. The title has come the club’s way on 23 occasions, and in all but four of those has the team included a member of the famous Drogheda clan.

Oliver, whose recent death occurred recently, was on eight winning sides, while his brother, Jim, was on nine. Colleagues of Jim’s with a record-breaking nine medals are Matt Murphy, Jimmy Mulroy and Liam Leech.

It’s only those of a more recent generation of Louth followers might not know that Jim was better known as ‘Blackie’, while Oliver was sometimes called ‘Gull’.

Newtown Blues won the championship for the first time in 1889, and followed in the 1930s with three further titles. Next title came in 1961, and this was the beginning Blues’ charge that saw them take almost complete control of the competition throughout the decade.

It also saw the emergence of the Judge dynasty. Oliver, ‘Blackie’ and Kieran lined out in the ’61 defeat of Naomh Mhuire, and Peter came in as a reserve. Blues completed the four-timer, with Paul joining his brothers on the podium in ’66. Then the following year it was the boy, Mal’s turn to step up.

The next generation began to make their mark in 1981. Eugene, Fergal and Martin were in the first 15 for the defeat of Cooley Kickhams in the final, while Peter, Bosco and David joined Eugene on the 1986 team. Before this decade was over, Padraig would join the roll of honour.

Blues have won six titles since the turn into this century, with Eoghan getting his first medal in 2000. Since then the third generation have been making their mark, Colm, a son of Eugene’s, a leading light on the treble-winning team of, 2017 to ’19.

The club’s historian, the late Oliver might have calculated at some stage just how many Joe Ward Cup medals there are in the family. The winners mentioned above were mostly all first team players, but there would have been days when even some of those were among the subs.

Not all the glory belonged to the spear side of the family. Brian and Martin are sons of the former Frances Judge, sister of Oliver and the rest.

The Judge family’s success story has extended beyond club football. There were also major Leinster Championship wins with the county team, Oliver winning a minor medal in 1953 and following six years later with one at junior level.

Peter senior was on the 1951 team minor team, and was quickly promoted to the seniors, winning a senior in 1953. In more recent years, Eugene figured on the winning 1978 under-21 team.

Pride of place goes to ‘Blackie’. He was alongside Oliver when Louth beat Kildare in the ’53 final, and four years later again had his brother as a colleague for a win in the junior final.

Better was to come that same year. Because of his forward showing with the juniors, he was promoted to the senior side, and figuring on a panel of 21, was togged out for the All-Ireland final defeat of Cork.

That’s two distinctions ‘Blackie’ has – a record number of Louth senior medals and an All-Ireland medal.