THE community of Courtmacsherry, Barryroe and the wider Ibane peninsula lost a central figure last week with the passing of that great nonagenarian John Sexton.
A man of many parts, John, over nine decades, through his mastery of the pen and his weekly column in The Southern Star, ensured that all aspects of parish life were front and centre to the almost total exclusion of everything outside of his local domain.
Bowling was right in there too in a colourful blend of politics, matters of GAA, horse and greyhound racing, where a local winner at Thurles, Fairyhouse or Curraheen Park was assured of a prominent slot firmly on the media front line.
Among the rank and file of bowling John invariably commanded a deep level of respect and admiration. He put the founding fathers of Ból Chumann na hÈireann, Flor Crowley and Eamonn O'Carroll, high up on a pedestal of their own. Hardly surprising either that his score reports were often written in harmony with Crowley and O'Carroll where he would have seen two school teachers of a bygone era as something of an education in the science of bowl playing.
It was however, while reporting on the bowling exploits of the players from the barony of Ibane that John’s passion and pride of place came very much into its own. Shades of Kickham's 'Knocknagow', for the sake of the little village and for the honour of the old home.
Laced here and there with an interesting jot of history, John loved to regale us with stories from the Croke Park of bowling, the never-to-be-forgotten bowlers of Bandon's Clancool Hill, Delaney and Bennett away back at the start of the 20th century and quickly moving forward to the battle fought between Brendan O'Donovan, Courtmacsherry, and Mickie Harte, Gaggin, almost half a century later.
In the eyes of John Sexton, the O'Donovan era had and continues to have a magical aura unrivalled in bowing's history, wherein Brendan is lauded for his 1958 county junior final win over Fin Casey at Enniskeane, a triumph surpassed almost 30 years later when Declan brought the Hughie Trainor Cup back home to West Cork. Today James O'Donovan is among the top half dozen senior players of the day.
It would be remiss of course not to recall that red letter day in Ballyshonin in 1980 when, with John Sexton in the hot seat of number one road shower, PJ McCarthy, a player of great scope with a loft to match, lifted the All-Ireland intermediate title at the expense of that great Armagh sportsman Sean Webb. A memorable day in North Cork, a day when John strode a bowling colossus, the number of handshakes received almost surpassing those of a graceful champion PJ McCarthy.
The bowling fraternity extends its condolences to his wife Betty and the extended family on the passing of John Sexton.
