Jack Aherne, A Popular CarrigalinePersonality And Renowned Cyclist

Writes Leo McMahon

Born, bred and proudly Carrigaline, octogenarian Jack Aherne has interesting memories as a champion cyclist and pitch and putt player, a musician and as the man who always had a smile for customers at the bike shop he ran for many years at Kilmoney Road.

Speaking to The Carrigdhoun at his home in Clevedon, Carrigaline, Jack said he was born on October 1st,1938 and spent his early years at Cork Road.  He was the son of Crosshaven man John (who worked for many years in England) and Helena (Lena nee Foley from Carrigaline) Aherne in a household also comprising his brother Finbarr (RIP) and Tony and his sister Carmel Bushe (RIP).

Interestingly, Jack’s primary education began during ‘The Emergency’ (World War II) in a girls class!  ‘I was four at the time and there was a risk that teacher numbers could drop so I was enrolled early into the girls’ school to keep the numbers up’.

Despite being what he regarded as a good pupil, National School in Carrigaline at Church Road wasn’t a happy experience for Jack due to the very strict and at times, cruel regime so his mother managed to move him to Scoil Chriost Ri, Turner’s Cross, Cork where, as he put it: ‘I got on famously, passed all the exams and played under 12 hurling.

‘I would get the bus every school day but when I was about ten, my cycling career began on an old Raleigh via Carr’s Hill. However, my mother still gave me the 3/6 for the bus fare’.

         After that, he went on to Sharman Crawford Street Technical School where he trained as a motor mechanic. His first job was at Cross’s Garage, Sullivan’s Quay and for 25 years from 1969, was a production worker at Ford’s, Centre Park Road, Cork until its closure in 1984.

‘Among the cars made during my time were the Ford Popular, the Prefect, the Anglia, the Consul and the Commer van. It was a great job’, recalled Jack who became a shop steward for the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union.

         Recalling the village of Carrigaline in his youth, Jack said his chums included Bernie O’Mahony and his brother Harry in St John’s Terrace. He also remembered playing hurling for an Altar boys team during his school days.

Jack Aherne, Hilltown Athletic and Cycling Club, Carrigaline pictured riding to the top of St Patrick's Hill, Cork in 54 seconds

         ‘The shops I can remember along the main street were Wylie’s, Mrs Collins (later Barry Collins), O’Mahony’s, Willy and Daisy (his aunt) O’Sullivan’s, Maher’s, Cantillon’s Bakery and round the corner in Kilmoney Road, Han and Madge O’Riordan’s shop.  

         ‘When I was at primary school, I played hurling for the Altar boys, In the early ‘fifties I played under age for Carrigaline up to minor grade and won medals at under 14 level.  Among my team mates were Noel Duane, Finbarr Harrington, Eddie Cooney and Maurice Coveney.  I did bowling as well along Church Road and also when I was quite young, I would play pitch and putt with my friends on a course we made comprising a few holes in the cricket field which is now the catholic church’.

Hilltown Cycling Club

         Jack said his GAA career ended at around 18 when Hilltown Athletic and Cycling Club was formed in 1956.  ‘There was a meeting at Benny Flynn’s farmhouse where, Finbarr O’Brien, Christy Flynn and Liam Murphy were among those present, and I was their first cyclist.  My first bike was a Raleigh Clubman with turned down handle bars.  I bought it from a Glanmire man Con Dullea for £6.10shillings.’ (Other early members included Miah Kelleher and Barry Cogan).

         Another memory of Jack was summer dances on a wooden platform in Benny’s quarry near the meeting place at Hilltown to raise funds.

         ‘We trained on the road and mainly raced at sports meetings on GAA pitches. We often went on a training cycle on Sunday mornings starting from Church Road, Carrigaline (near the current band hall) to Monkstown, Passage, Douglas, up Carr’s Hill, left after Dunlea’s towards Raffeen, up into Shanbally, down into Coolmore and back to Carrigaline.  We would sometimes ride to Bandon and Clonakilty or Youghal and back’.       

         Among the cycling greats he admired in his youth were Gerry O’Callaghan, Monkstown Wheelers; Frank O’Sullivan, Fermoy; Tom Lavin, Glanmire; Pat Hickey and Mick Carr, Star Wheelers; Mick O’Leary, Johnny Murphy, Danny Casey, Ted Dwyer and Jerome Dorgan of Blarney CC.

         Among the first events he raced at were sports days at Upton (Rosminians) and Ballinhassig. ‘There would one, two, three and sometimes four mile races, mainly on grass tracks at GAA fields, and you would compete in them all. Some of my cycling team mates were John, Michael and Gerard O’Flynn, Timmy Lane, Mick Healy, Con Ryan, Tony Aherne, Carl Cogan and also Mick Dolan from Passage.

         ‘We raced all over Munster and one year the club won the CADE Cup for best overall.  I remember winning the treble, the half mile, the mile and the three mile races against some Kerry cycling greats at the time, at Kenmare Sports in 1958. To win a race, you’d have to ‘sit in’ and be able to sprint hard when required and I was a good sprinter’. Apart from medals, prizes could be suit lengths, clocks, watches, ware and so on.’

         Jack showed me a newspaper cutting of him receiving the Timothy Patrick Dinan Medal for best cyclist at Nadd Sports in 1957 and a photograph of him riding a bike up St Patrick’s Hill in Cork which he did in 54 seconds to finish fifth out of 55 riders in a time trial.

In 1960, he won gold in the Irish Junior 3 Mile Cycling Championship at Kilmallock Sports riding a yellow Carlton Track Road.  

During the ‘sixties, Hilltown combined with Fr Mathew Athletic Club founded by Fr Nessan OFM Cap to become Leevale A.C. based in the city but sadly soon after, cycling began to fade.

In 1983, Hilltown Cycling Club was revived at a meeting in Miah Kelleher’s house and the committee included Tony Murphy, Tim Lane, Jim Kehoe, Mick Kingston, Miah and Jack, who returned to the saddle after more than 20 years.

The Carrigaline man continued winning races all over the county for a further seven years as a veteran (40 and over), some at festivals including Cork City Sports in 1984 and the Tour of West Cork at Clonakilty Festival as a 47 year old in 1986 against top class riders.  Locally, he won Cogan Bros. TV Carrigaline Grand Prix in 1985 and the Allen Cup in 1986 and looking back, said he was fortunate to avoid any serious injuries from crashes on Irish country roads.

Jack became president of Hilltown CC and among those he served with included Mick McSharry, Dom McGrath and Mick Hodnett. The club, he said, introduced many youngsters to the sport in competitions from under 12 up. A popular race it hosted was the Tom Aherne Trophy, in memory of a club member, which attracted many of Ireland’s best.

At his home, Jack opened a box full of medals including a 1952 South East hurling medal and cycling medals such as the Irish championship, the 1958 Munster half mile on track and as a veteran, the 1983 Munster 50 kilometre race and the 1985 10 mile time trial. He also showed me Hilltown league medals for best times over the local training circuit. 

Jack was always a great practical supporter of the Carrigaline Lions Club Classic Cycles which continue to raise a huge amount of money for many deserving causes and participated in several rallies to West Cork and Kerry over the past 31 years. He also supported Carrigaline Summer Festivals in the early nineties including the Southern Star Grand Prix in 1992.

Pitch and Putt

         Many people today wouldn’t realise it but Carrigaline once boasted an excellent pitch and putt club and some of Ireland’s greatest players.

         Founder members, Jack recalled, included his brother Finbarr Aherne and Barry Collins, who along with others, managed to rent a field off Church Hill from Barry’s mother and lay-out an excellent 18 hole course.  A clubhouse was developed in the late 1950s on the site of the former chapel.

         Jack played up to intermediate level and acknowledges that had he moved up to senior, it’s likely he would probably would never have represented the club in competitions because players such as Mick Forrest, Noely Fitzgerald, Joe Doyle, Denis Keane, John O’Leary, Robbie McCarthy, Jim Hannon and others were simply brilliant and feared by opponents across Ireland.

         ‘Pitch and putt was a great game’ said Jack, a former chairman, who won a fair share of tournaments on the home course and beyond and lost by just one stroke in the Irish Intermediate Championship in the early 1960s.

         His interest in the sport probably began many years before with putting and mini golf with his pals on the old cricket field (now the Catholic Church) at Church Road.

         With the demise of pitch and putt course at Church Hill after 20 years (followed by a brief spell at Carrigaline Community Complex grounds in the ‘nineties where he also played), Jack played golf all over Munster, joined clubs at Fernhill, Carrigaline and Kinsale (Ringenane) and was a member of Carrigaline GAA Club Golf Society.

Owenabue Showband

Outside of sport, Jack said he enjoyed dancing at the Crystal Ballroom in Carrigaline and going to Bobbie Cogan’s cinema shows. He always had a keen interest in music and at his home in Clevedon has an electric piano organ in the living room.

         Self-taught (and a fine singer), Jack played guitar for many years with the Owenabue Showband along with leader and drummer Barry Cogan; guitarist and singer Jimmy Allen, Carrigaline; saxophone player Noble Shephard, Monkstown and piano/accordeon, Gerry McCarthy, Ringaskiddy. At different times to Jack were Billy Maye and Brendan Harte were members.

         The Crystal Ballroom, Carrigaline was a regular venue but the band performed in their own right and as a support for all the top singers and showbands (plus the American Drifters) in dancehalls across Co Cork and South Munster in the ‘fifties and ‘sixties and were very popular. Other venues included The Lilac, Enniskeane; Majorca, Crosshaven; Marian Hall, Ballinhassig; the Arcadia and Palm Court, Cork.

         The versatile band was also in demand for dancing at Macra and church socials, weddings and other functions.

         In 2009 he was one of several local artistes in a CD produced by Kevin Meaney called ‘Forever Young’ and sang ‘Bobby McGee’ and ’40 Shades of Green.’

Aged 28, Jack married Teresa McSweeney (RIP) from Greenmount, Cork on April 3, 1967 in Saints Peter and Paul Church, Cork.  The couple moved into Jack’s mother’s home at 9, St Philomena’s Place, Carrigaline and raised five children: Linda, Shirley, Marguerite, Lorraine and Paul.

Jack Aherne Cycles

         Work was hard to get in 1984 when Jack along with many others were made redundant following the closure of Ford’s.

         Having purchased what was formerly Wylie’s store, which were converted into two units (the other half is still Carrigaline Interiors) and refurbished by his brother Tony, he took the brave step during a recession of opening Jack Aherne Cycles shop at Kilmoney Road.

         It was officially opened before a large attendance in November 1986 by then World No l cyclist Sean Kelly from Carrick-on-Suir.  Barry Cogan was MC and Sean presented Jack with a Kas jersey he had worn on the way to winning the Paris-Nice race that year to Jack.

         Jack stocked a wide range of bikes from children’s to BMX and racers including Raleigh, Carlton, Peugeot, Falcon, Viking, MBK, Dawes, Vitesse, Scott, President and Hercules plus parts and accessories and being a mechanic, was saviour to many for his after-sales and repairs service. 

When World No 1 Cyclist Sean Kelly who opened Jack Aherne Cycles, Kilmoney Road, Carrigaline in 1986.

         Always welcoming to his many customers, Jack said: ‘I was very well supported in Carrigaline and beyond and managed to make a living from it’. Many a young cyclist started his or her cycling days from the Carrigaline until Jack, who was assisted in the shop by his daughter Lorraine for ten years, retired from the business and sold up in 2005.

         Neighbours at Kilmoney Road included Cogan Bros Electrical, Matt Kearney, electrician; Han and Madge O’Riordan, shopkeepers and Carrigaline Interiors as well as some householders.

         Jack and his wife Teresa moved to Clevedon nine years ago. Sadly, she died on May 2nd, 2014 but Jack keeps in touch with his family and friends including grandchildren Gary, Kate, Christopher, Kellie, Donna, Charlie, Jack, Luke, Ben and Ryan plus great grandchildren Taylor, Tia, Summer, Charlie, Rian, Robyn and Lola. 

Looking back on a colourful life, 84 years old Jack Aherne, a man who has contributed in many positive ways to his local community through sport, music and business, said Carrigaline is a great village in which to grow up and despite expanding massively in the past 50 years, continues to retain its village feeling.