Spectacular Westmeath aeroplane stunt recalled in new GAA book

A new book has shone the spotlight on surely one of the most dramatic, innovative marketing stunts in the history of GAA, and it all happened in Westmeath over seven decades ago. It was July 16, 1933, and the new field in Mullingar, Cusack Park, was officially opened. Funnily enough, the match between Kerry and Dublin wasn't the main attraction but the throw-in to begin the spectacle was - due to the involvement of an aeroplane swooping in with the ball to start the game. "In a moment of extraordinary pageantry, an aeroplane, hired at a cost of £3 10s, flew above the ground. From the aeroplane, the match ball was thrown between the waiting players. It didn't land in the middle of the field but the game was on," The GAA County by County, by Mike Cronin, Mark Duncan and Paul Rouse, recalls. Putting the publicity stunt in context the new publication explains that this all happened several years before the establishment of Aer Lingus or the opening of Dublin airport. Indeed, the newspapers of the time appear to have been enthralled at the idea of flying but then it's important to remember that the majority of the people at the match in Mullingar would never have seen a plane, let alone flown in one. It was enough to lead the Midland Reporter newspaper to describe an aeroplane as "something not unlike a bird with huge wings," the lavish book explains. Combining previously unseen photos and recollections from the Oral History Project, the book charts the highs and lows of on-field activity in each county and how they were affected by social, economic, geographic and political forces which shaped the personality of association in different areas. The new book argues that in a sense the opening of Cusack Park marked a coming of age for the GAA in Westmeath and the festivities to mark the occasion illustrate that fact. Celebrations actually began the night before when the great Kerry team, who had just won four successive All-Ireland titles, arrived in Mullingar to a rapturous reception. "They had just back from America - where they had been acclaimed as 'world champions' - and were met in Mullingar by the Confraternity Band who led them in torchlit procession through the town for a civic reception," the book details, adding that the opening festivities were meticulously planned with a plethora of committees organising different aspects such as catering, parking, entertainment and decorations. Organisers had clearly left absolutely nothing to chance and seemed to see the opening festivities as a real showcase for Mullingar and Westmeath GAA to put its best foot forward. For example, the beautiful hardback book by the authors of the acclaimed The GAA - A People's History, tells that a list of publicans and hoteliers were compiled who would serve food and drink at reasonable prices so nobody could leave the town saying they had been ripped off and thereby providing an excuse for Mullingar not to be given major matches in the future. Indeed, bringing the Cusack Park development to fruition was a huge success for every Westmeath club who had raised the total cost of the development - £3,28411s 8d, a huge sum for the times. Each county was divided into separate districts and subscriptions were sought from individuals and businesses, the largest of which came from two publicans close to Cusack Park, James Corcoran and Martin McGreevey who contributed £25 and £10 respectively. Other notable donors came from the Guinness brewery in Dublin, Lord Longford and Lady Chapman. The events of the spectacular opening were brought to a close with a monster ceilí, organised by the local branch of the Gaelic League in Mullingar Town Hall. In an accessible way the book takes the reader through a snapshot journey of the history of Westmeath GAA from the formation of the first county board in 1891 right up to the modern day All-Ireland football triumphs at underage levels in the mid to late 1990s and the sole Leinster Senior football title in 2004, as well as tracing the development of hurling in the Lake county throughout the period. There are interesting revelations along the way, for instance, the close relationship football and cricket enjoyed in some areas of the Westmeath during the 19th century. In 1890 the captain of the Moate football team in the county final was one Frank Doran, who also happened to be the professional at Moate Cricket Club. In some parts of the county, the book reports a pattern developed where players played football in the winter and cricket in summer. Another interesting memory contained in the 400 page publication is the run the Westmeath junior football team enjoyed in 1929 claiming the Leinster title by defeating Laois in September that year. They later beat neighbours Roscommon in the All-Ireland semi-final and Limerick in what was then called the 'Home' final played three days before Christmas. However, they couldn't be named All-Ireland champions until they defeated London in the final proper. They duly did just that in Croke Park in February 1930 on a scoreline of 0-9 to 1-2. One of the players Dinny Breen, remembers in the book the quality of that team: "We had a fine side and no team really came close to beating us. "Winning the junior All-Ireland was a big thing back then, only second to the senior All-Ireland". Indeed, that victory paved the way for the modern day glories as it allowed Westmeath to compete for the first time in the senior football championship, something which brought them to their very first Leinster final of 1930, only to lose out to Kildare. *The GAA County by County by Mike Cronin, Mark Duncan and Paul Rouse is published by Collins Press and is available in all good bookshops.