The Lost Clubs: Cork Athletic

In the sixth edition of The Lost Clubs, we look back on the history of Cork Athletic.

By Andrew Horgan

In the winter of 1948, Cork found itself in the familiar position of being without a League of Ireland club. However, this was the first time that it happened in almost a decade.

Financial difficulties have just taken its toll on Cork United and they had no alternative but to go into voluntary liquidation and resign from the League on October 10, 1948.

But the love of the sport on Leeside was too much to ignore and by November 6, after a series of emergency meetings, the county welcomed the birth of its new top-flight club to be known as Cork Athletic.

The name may have been different but there was still a number of similarities between the new Cork Athletic and the old Cork United.

Athletic continued to use The Mardyke as the venue for its home games and they also inherited the entire United squad after the League of Ireland management committee refused to give the players permission to sign for other clubs. And they immediately returned to training in an attempt to regain full fitness ahead of their impending return to League football.

Their first game back was a friendly against the Army at the Camp field, where despite the horrendous conditions on the day, they emerged with a 3-1 victory. But the real test came just a week later as the club played its first competitive fixture of the season away to Shamrock Rovers at Milltown.

Trainer Tim Murphy took a squad of 15 players to the capital, 14 of whom were also involved in United’s last fixture with the only new addition being Chris Curtin, who signed for the club from Waterford.

Athletic started with the familiar names of Florrie Burke, Owen Madden, and Jackie O’Reilly, three players who were also directors of this new club, but it wasn’t to be a welcome return to action as they were defeated 3-1 in front of their large following of supporters.

It took Athletic a bit of time to find their feet in the League. And, following a season of mixed results in their first full season back, in which they ultimately finished ninth, the glory days finally returned to Cork as they secured their first League title in the 1949/50 season.

That season almost ended with a league and FAI Cup double but they were defeated in the final of the national tournament by Transport 3-1 at Dalymount Park, a game which had to be decided at the third time of asking after the first two instalments finished 2-2.

More success materialised in the following campaign as Athletic completed a treble, winning the League, Munster Senior Cup, and FAI Cup. The national final again had to be decided by a replay but on this occasion, Cork put their previous Cup heartache behind them as they defeated Shelbourne 1-0.

Athletic soon lost their way in the League as they failed to land their third title in a row in the 1951/52 season, instead they finished in a very disappointing 10th position. They failed to reclaim the Munster Senior Cup and also the FAI Cup, as were beaten by Dundalk in yet another final that required a replay. The club felt they needed to do something dramatic if they were to be successful in the forthcoming 1952/53 campaign and they duly made the surprise signing of the talented Raich Carter from England.

Carter was a highly regarded striker across the Irish Sea, scoring 118 goals in 245 appearances for Sunderland which was impressive enough to earn him a called up to the national side.

He would also become the first and only player to win the FA Cup before and after the World War, winning the Cup with the Wearside club before the war and also winning it with Derby County shortly after its conclusion.

The Cork Athletic board felt he could be the signing to inspire the side to better performances whilst also helping the crowds to return to The Mardyke. Carter signed a contract which would see him earn 50 pounds per match, 36 pounds better than the terms he was offered in the English top flight. Those wages were paid by Mr. Elyan, who owned a cabinet manufacturing company in Cork and it worked a treat as attendances soon trebled whenever he was involved.

His goalscoring exploits helped the club to reach a fourth consecutive FAI Cup final where they would meet local rivals Evergreen, who were only elected to the League two years previously and who played their home games at a stadium known as Turner's Cross.

This would be the first all Cork FAI Cup final but it would also become famous for the birth of the phrase the ‘Burke Loophole.’ Florrie Burke was nearing the end of his playing career but he was able to make the most of a loophole in his contract which allowed him to play for Athletic in the League and for Evergreen in the Cup.

So at Dalymount Park, Burke lined out for his Cup team against his League team and it was a final that would again require a replay. But in the second and last ever all Cork Final, Athletic edged it 1-0 thanks to that man Raich Carter.

The two Cork clubs produced some fantastic local derbies in the 1953/54 season as they both challenged for the league title but it wasn’t to be for either side as Shamrock Rovers finished top with Evergreen finishing in second and Athletic finishing just two points further behind in fourth.

But Athletic’s results soon began to decline and in the following two seasons, the club finished in fifth and ninth respectively, only adding the 1954/55 Munster Senior Cup to their list of honours in the process.

Cork made another marquee signing in another desperate bid to help their problems on and off the field as former Celtic and Manchester United player Jimmy Delaney joined the ranks in 1956.

Cork again reached the FAI Cup final at the end of that 1955/56 season and Delaney was 12 minutes away from adding the Irish National Cup medal to his collection which already included the Northern Irish, English and Scottish National Cup triumphs. But it wasn’t to be as for the first time in the club's history, they were not required to participate in an FAI Cup final replay as Shamrock Rovers recovered from their 2-0 deficit to win the finale 3-2 late on.

But things soon began to unravel for Athletic financially and they ultimately seemed destined to endure a similar faith to Cork United. Jimmy Delaney left the club and results began to deteriorate along with the attendance figures.

The board couldn’t halt the decline and in July 1957, just three months after the club sealed its eighth-place finish in the League, they held an emergency meeting with the League of Ireland where they were dismissed from the competition due to their very poor financial position.

Another Cork club had come and gone as Athletic joined the previous five sides from the Rebel County that were forced to withdraw from the top flight due to poor finances.

At least during its short nine-year stint, the club managed to provide its supporters with memories to cherish having won two League titles, two FAI Cups and three Munster Senior Cups.

In the end, it was a familiar story of ups and downs but it wouldn’t stop them from trying to make it seventh-time lucky as Cork Hibernians Football Club soon emerged. 

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