Walter recalls the FAI Cup win of 1952
Dundalk and Cork City fans all over the globe will no doubt be searching the internet for a live stream of Sunday’s FAI Cup final.
One resident of Maryland, USA, will certainly be tuned in and the showdown between the Lilywhites and the Leesiders will bring memories of yesteryear flooding back.
Carrickmacross born Walter Durkan was the goalkeeper in Dundalk’s 1952 FAI Cup win over Cork Athletic, Gerry McCourt’s side winning 3–0 in a replay after a 1–1 draw three days earlier.
Walter, who emigrated to the States just five years after winning the trophy, spoke to the Dundalk Democrat from his home in Silver Spring and he recalled one of the happiest periods in his career.
“I have a lot of good memories from Dundalk and I made a lot of pals, some of which I talk to regularly, like Joe Martin, and some of which we have unfortunately lost such as Joe Ralph. “Football is all about comradeship and meeting people and I have been lucky enough to do that over the years.”
Walter has vague memories of the final itself although he remembers one moment in particular.
“They had a player, Paddy Cronin, who shot from about 20 yards. It was going for the top corner but I managed to push it out for a corner.
“We had a young team,” he continued. “I think the average age was only 22 and we weren’t expected to win the cup against Cork but we had great spirit.”
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They say that every side needs a bit of luck to win a cup and Dundalk certainly got it in 1952. Two nil down in their first round tie against St Pat’s, they got back on level terms before Pat’s appeared to score again through their winger Jack Breen.
However, the English referee, who was ‘helped’ to the ground by Dundalk’s Jackie McCourt, didn’t see the ball cross the line and waved play on with Dundalk eventually running out 3–2 winners.
A photograph by Malachy Bellew, published in the Irish Independent the next day, showed Durkan retrieving the ball — from at least two foot over the goal line.
“I was impeded before the ball came over so I’m sure the referee would have blown for a foul if he had seen that,” he said.
“There is no doubt the ball was over the line and it’s remembered for those reasons but I’m sure it would have been a foul anyway. We got a bit of luck, but that happens.”
Walter’s cup winning exploits earned him a place on the League of Ireland representative side to face a travelling USA team where he kept another clean sheet at Dalymount Park in a 4–0 win. Walter left Dundalk the following year to move to Glenavon before making the move across the Atlantic in 1957.
His love for the game continued, however, and he became a referee, taking charge of games in the North American Soccer League during the glitz and glamour days of Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, the New York Cosmos et al.
The power of the internet means he gets a chance to watch his old club in action and he says he will be cheering Stephen Kenny and his players on when they take to the pitch at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday.
“I’ve managed to see a couple of Dundalk’s recent games. Back when I played it was more direct but this team play beautiful, brilliant soccer,” he said.
“It’s hard to believe that this final will be the first between Dundalk and a Cork side since the one I played in all those years ago but hopefully it’s the same result!”
