By Mark Squibb | Vol. 12 No. 22 (October 31, 2019)
From left to right, Cyril Walsh, Gerald Hynes, and Brendan Keough cut the special anniversary cake.
If you love local sports and nostalgia, the Southern Shore Folk Arts Centre in Ferryland was the place to be Saturday, October 26, as members from the sports community from as far as Argentina and Bell Island gathered to celebrate 50 years of Ferryland Flyers hockey and softball.
“We’re here tonight to celebrate fifty-plus years of great hockey and softball in Ferryland, and to acknowledge the founding coaches and players of the fifties and sixties,” said John Kavagnagh, addressing a crowd of about 140. “The Ferryland Flyers had tremendous community supports throughout the years in both sports, and that’s the reason they’ve lasted so long. It’s a prime example of how important community support is.”
Wally Anne Sweeney could be heard cheering for each award winner as he stepped forward to claim his award. They got their chance to cheer her on as she received the award for number one fan.
Kavanagh was one of the organizers of the event, along with Jerome Curran and Wayne Barnable. He said that for years there had been talk of hosting such an event, but that it was only because he was laid up at home following surgery two months ago that he finally had the time to commit to making the dream a reality.
“I had to get cut open for this to happen tonight,” he joked.
Arnie Furlong receiving his Most Consistent award from Jerome Curran. Both Furlong and Curran were among the 19 who received appreciation awards.
A bevy of guest speakers, including Randy Crane, Wilf Curran, Loyola Hearn, Johnny Seay, and Loyola O’ Driscoll spun yarns and told tales of the many adventures (and misadventures) of years gone by.
“When we played in Trepassey, it was a Saturday afternoon, and of course, junior hockey was that night,” Curran, of the Masterless Men fame, told the crowd, recalling one example of the commitment to sports some people showed. “And Gerald Hynes left Ferryland, he drove to Trepassey, picked us up, and brought us to St. John’s, and coached us, for a junior game. It wasn’t even a playoff game, it was a junior game. This is the type of dedication that led to the successes that we’ve had over the years.”
Later that night, Jerome Curran recalled seeing Paddy Healey tying Sears catalogues to his legs for pads.
“And he only needed one on each leg. He wasn’t a very tall man,” he joked.
Those were only some of countless stories.
A number of awards were also handed out recognizing founding members and the coaches and players of years gone by. A moment of silence was observed for those who have passed away over the years.
Nineteen men, former players, coaches, and organizers, received special appreciation awards: They included Cyril Walsh, Davey Slaney, Joe Sesk, Eddie Sweeney, Danny O'Keefe, Peter Morry, Bill Kavanagh, Mike Keough, Brendan Keough, Jerome Curran, Wayne Barnable, Alf Sesk, Arnie Furlong, Wilf Curran, Randy Crane, Algy Windsor, Russ Keough, Cyril O'Keefe, and Ally Walsh.
Bill Kavanagh here receiving the prestigious top award for his role as player, coach, builder, and mentor. He is receiving the award from Johnny Seay. Kavanagh also received one of the 19 appreciation awards.
Wilf Curran was named MVP, Arnie Furlong awarded Most Consistent, Wayne Barnable was deemed Most Gentlemanly and Effective , and Bill Kavanagh was awarded the prestigious Top Award as Player, Coach, Builder and Mentor.
A framed photo of the seven ‘founding members’ was unveiled. Several of the members, including Paddy Healey, Eric Furlong, Bill Morry, Angus Maher, and Joe Barnable, have passed on. Remaining members Stan Barnable and Gerald Hynes were on hand for the presentation.
A special award went to Wally Ann Sweeny for her decades of dedication and support on the sidelines, making it to every game that she could.
During the 1960’s and 1970’s, the Ferryland Flyers excelled in both hockey and softball. The Ferryland Flyers Junior hockey team won 8 out of 12 years from the early 1960's to the mid to late 1970's, while the Ferryland Senior Fastpitch softball team won many senior C and B tournaments in the 70's. Newspaper articles dominated one corner of the room, a treasure trove chronicling a rich and deep sports history, while on television a slideshow showed team pictures and action shots from over the years.
All in attendance received a complimentary fiftieth anniversary pin.
