Famed In Story, Famed In Song

by Shane Murphy

(first published in the April 2011 Shelbourne match programme)

“I’ll be langers in the morning, me longers need a patch,
bejaysus there’s Con Martin, I hope yiz win the match!”

Many Blues players have had songs written about them, but only one has been sung by the Dubliners! That’s just one small footnote to the remarkable story of Con Martin – the former Blue who played for both the Republic and Northern Ireland, in goal and outfield, and suffered the wrath of the GAA.

Pete St John’s folk song “The Mero” was appropriately sung by the Dubliners given its references to so many Dublin characters of the 1940s and ’50s, such as Brendan Behan, Alfie Byrne, Bang Bang and Hairy Lemon. In amongst them was Con Martin, a man well known in football and GAA circles. Aged 19, he helped Dublin win the 1942 Leinster Football title against Carlow. However when he was discovered playing a trial match for Drumcondra he became the most prominent victim of “the Ban”, and was expelled from the GAA. While his team-mates went on to win the All-Ireland, Con didn’t receive his Leinster medal until 1971. He always felt he was a more natural Gaelic footballer, but switched to soccer out of necessity.

While serving in the Irish Air Corps, Con also played for Drumcondra – winning the FAI Cup in 1943. He signed for Glentoran and won the first of 30 Irish Senior caps the same year. Ireland were already losing 3-0 to Portugal when goalkeeper Ned Courtney had to leave the field. With no substitutes allowed, centre-half Martin was asked to play in goal due to his ball-handling skills as a former Gaelic footballer. He kept a clean sheet as the Irish battled back to 3-1 with a goal from Paddy Coad. He stayed in goal for the next game in Madrid and produced an outstanding display as Ireland shocked Spain with a 1-0 win, in front of General Franco!

However, his most famous appearance in a green jersey was at Goodison Park in 1949. Having been switched to centre-forward in the previous match against Finland – scoring twice – Martin kept his place against England and scored again as Ireland won 2-0, and became the first non-British team to beat the English at home. During those year he also played six times for Northern Ireland, as was allowed at the time. This lead to a rule change from FIFA to prevent anyone playing for two countries in the same World Cup qualifying campaign. In all, he played in five positions for Ireland, scoring six goals and captaining his country on five occasions.

At club level he moved from Glentoran to Leeds United in 1947, turning down Manchester United in the process. Matt Busby was looking for a goalkeeper, but Con chose to play at centre-half at Elland Road, though he later regretted the move as Leeds were relegated. Aston Villa paid £10,000 for him in 1948, and he is still fondly remembered at Villa Park, earning his nickname, Mister Versatility. Most of his eight successful season at Villa were spent at full back or centre-half, but he did also play one entire season in goal.

Con’s last Ireland cap was in May 1956 against Holland in Rotterdam, and that summer he joined Waterford. He didn’t get on well initially with Blues manager Eddie McIlvenny, and found it difficult to settle as he was training on his own in Dublin. Still, he won the Munster Senior Cup in 1957, and had a successful season in 1958/59. Waterford (now managed by Alex Stevenson) had a wonderful team, with Tommy Taylor in goal, Martin at the back, three Hales (Alfie, Dixie and Harry) and three Fitzgeralds (Jack, Denny and Peter). They won the 1959 Shield, but lost the Cup final in a heartbreaking replay against St Pat’s. He left the Blues later that year to become assistant manager at Dundalk, and to tie in nicely with the occasion, he later had a stint as manager of tonight’s opponents, Shelbourne!

Of course, the Martin family tree has borne further footballing fruit. Con’s son Mick played 51 times for Ireland, as well as for Man Utd, West Brom, and Newcastle. His other son, Con Jr, played for Shels in the 1970s, and his grandson Owen Garvan is currently with Crystal Palace. Garvan, you might remember, scored twice against his grandfather’s old team when Ipswich beat the Blues 3-0 here in a friendly two seasons ago. Con was inducted into the FAI Hall of Fame in 1999, and lives in Dublin still at the ripe old age of 88. Plenty of time still for another chapter in the amazing life of Con Martin, the former Blue feted in song by Ronnie Drew!