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Railway Cup 1945
Leinster Retain Inter-Provincial Trophy
Annually each province selects their best players to play in the inter-provincial competition called the Railway Cup. Traditionally the final was played on St. Patrick’s Day. Leinster won the competition in 1944 and subsequently retained it in 1945. Unusually they did so by wearing the Carlow jersey. Normally Leinster teams wear a green jersey but due to the continuation of World War 11 and with the Emergency in Ireland leading to rationing enough wool could not be purchased to make the Leinster jerseys. It was therefore decided that since Carlow were the current Leinster Football Champions that their jersey should be worn. This meant that the rest of the panel won a national title wearing the Carlow jersey!
Carlow were represented on the Leinster panel that year by four players, Peenie Whelan (Tinryland), Jimma Rea (O’Hanrahan’s), Jim Morris (Ballon) & Paddy Farrell (Fighting Cocks). Since Peenie Whelan was the captain of the current Leinster Football Champions he was made captain of Leinster.
In total Leinster played three matches during that years competition, the semi-final against Ulster went to a replay, which Leinster won and on St. Patrick’s Day 1945 they defeated Connaught in Croke Park.
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