Art Foley
Encyclopedia
Michael Arthur Foley better known as Art Foley, is a retired Irish
sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local club St. Aidan's of Enniscorthy
and with the Wexford
senior inter-county team from 1946 until 1956.
with his local St. Aidan's club and enjoyed much success. He won senior county titles in 1946, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1954 and 1956. His team mates at the club included the legendary Nick O'Donnell
.
in 1946 well still a minor. He was small for a goalkeeper but very solid and strong and his quick hands in goal made him an important member of the Wexford team. Confidence and inconsistency, however, was something he lacked in the early days when in the Wexford goal, which in turn meant that he was dropped on numerous occasions and failed to stamp his position fully in the team. During the 1951 championship Foley was dropped from the team and indeed the squad as Wexford struggled to find a goalkeeper and Foley wasn't in anyway impressive. Wexford went on to lose the All-Ireland
final that year with seven goals put past the then goalkeeper Ray Brennan who never played inter-county after that, so Foley was brought back into the frame again in 1952. Foley didn't really maintain the goal position fully during the 1952 and 1953 championship campaigns. In 1954, however, Foley won his first Leinster
title. Wexford later played Cork in the All-Ireland final, however, victory went to 'the Rebels' on that occasion. He won a second provincial title in 1955, however, Wexford went all the way this year by defeating Galway
in the championship decider and Foley collected his first All-Ireland medal.
. With seconds remaining in the final and Wexford gone into a two point lead, the ball broke to Christy Ring
and he headed straight for goal with the Wexford back line in pursuit. When he got to the 21 yard line he let off a shot that was set to rattle the back of the net, but the shot was somehow blocked by Foley and then cleared by him too. Much has been said about it, and newspapers pages have been filled as regards this particular save but what happened after it also.
People for decades have always maintained that Art caught the ball in that final. But this was completely not true and the ball was blocked by his hurley. Christy Ring remarked in an interview many years later "When I got through I thought I had it, but Foley had other ideas, and fair play to him he made a great save"
But what exactly was said between Art and Ring? This particular incident has been told in so many different ways, and wasn't fully answered until the publication of Martin Codd's book "The Way I Saw It" in 2005 when a written letter from Foley explained the incident, and events leading up to it in great detail. Christy after Art had made the save, raced in grabbed Art by the hair and said "You little black bastard you've beaten us"; Foley replied "It's about so and so time someone did" but he then went on and congratulated him and went off in search of another chance. Within a minute the ball dropped into Foley again and after it was cleared it made its way up the pitch and was buried in the back of the Cork net by the masterful Nicky Rackard
. Tom Dixon tagged on another point to put the icing on the cake. Wexford 2-14, Cork 2-8
A popular goalkeeper amongst the Wexford faithful and regarded as one of the heroes in the 1956 All-Ireland final, he has written his name firmly into the hurling archives. He has also had many articles written about him in newspapers mainly due to the myth surrounding his save from Christy Ring
which has been literally talked through the generations.
Foley is currently living in Long Island
America where he has been for the last fifty years. He emigrated in 1958. He has come home many times for all the get-togethers and presentations, with his former hurling team mates.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
sportsperson. He played hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
with his local club St. Aidan's of Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy is the second largest town in County Wexford, Ireland. The population of the town and environs is 9538. The Placenames Database of Ireland sheds no light on the origins of the town's name. It may refer either to the "Island of Corthaidh" or the "Island of Rocks". With a history going...
and with the Wexford
Wexford GAA
The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wexford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wexford. The county board is also responsible for the Wexford inter-county teams.-History:Hurling has been played in...
senior inter-county team from 1946 until 1956.
Club
Foley played his club hurlingHurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
with his local St. Aidan's club and enjoyed much success. He won senior county titles in 1946, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1954 and 1956. His team mates at the club included the legendary Nick O'Donnell
Nick O'Donnell
Nick O'Donnell was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling at various times with his local clubs Éire Óg in Kilkenny and St. Aidan’s in Wexford. He was also a member of both the Kilkenny and Wexford senior inter-county teams from 1947 until 1962...
.
Inter-county
Foley first played hurling for WexfordWexford GAA
The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wexford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wexford. The county board is also responsible for the Wexford inter-county teams.-History:Hurling has been played in...
in 1946 well still a minor. He was small for a goalkeeper but very solid and strong and his quick hands in goal made him an important member of the Wexford team. Confidence and inconsistency, however, was something he lacked in the early days when in the Wexford goal, which in turn meant that he was dropped on numerous occasions and failed to stamp his position fully in the team. During the 1951 championship Foley was dropped from the team and indeed the squad as Wexford struggled to find a goalkeeper and Foley wasn't in anyway impressive. Wexford went on to lose the All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
final that year with seven goals put past the then goalkeeper Ray Brennan who never played inter-county after that, so Foley was brought back into the frame again in 1952. Foley didn't really maintain the goal position fully during the 1952 and 1953 championship campaigns. In 1954, however, Foley won his first Leinster
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Leinster in Ireland....
title. Wexford later played Cork in the All-Ireland final, however, victory went to 'the Rebels' on that occasion. He won a second provincial title in 1955, however, Wexford went all the way this year by defeating Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
in the championship decider and Foley collected his first All-Ireland medal.
The Save from Christy Ring
The most famous moment in Foley's career, was his vital save in the dying minutes of the 1956 All-Ireland Hurling FinalAll-Ireland Hurling Final
The All-Ireland Hurling Final is the last match to be played in the All-Ireland Hurling Championships . The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final is one of the biggest sporting occasions to be held in Ireland every year...
. With seconds remaining in the final and Wexford gone into a two point lead, the ball broke to Christy Ring
Christy Ring
Nicholas Christopher Michael Ring , better known as Christy Ring, was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the Glen Rovers club from 1941 until 1967 and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1939 until 1963. Ring is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in...
and he headed straight for goal with the Wexford back line in pursuit. When he got to the 21 yard line he let off a shot that was set to rattle the back of the net, but the shot was somehow blocked by Foley and then cleared by him too. Much has been said about it, and newspapers pages have been filled as regards this particular save but what happened after it also.
People for decades have always maintained that Art caught the ball in that final. But this was completely not true and the ball was blocked by his hurley. Christy Ring remarked in an interview many years later "When I got through I thought I had it, but Foley had other ideas, and fair play to him he made a great save"
But what exactly was said between Art and Ring? This particular incident has been told in so many different ways, and wasn't fully answered until the publication of Martin Codd's book "The Way I Saw It" in 2005 when a written letter from Foley explained the incident, and events leading up to it in great detail. Christy after Art had made the save, raced in grabbed Art by the hair and said "You little black bastard you've beaten us"; Foley replied "It's about so and so time someone did" but he then went on and congratulated him and went off in search of another chance. Within a minute the ball dropped into Foley again and after it was cleared it made its way up the pitch and was buried in the back of the Cork net by the masterful Nicky Rackard
Nicky Rackard
Nicholas Rackard better known as Nicky or Nickey Rackard, was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local Rathnure club and was a member of the Wexford senior inter-county team from 1940 until 1956...
. Tom Dixon tagged on another point to put the icing on the cake. Wexford 2-14, Cork 2-8
A popular goalkeeper amongst the Wexford faithful and regarded as one of the heroes in the 1956 All-Ireland final, he has written his name firmly into the hurling archives. He has also had many articles written about him in newspapers mainly due to the myth surrounding his save from Christy Ring
Christy Ring
Nicholas Christopher Michael Ring , better known as Christy Ring, was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the Glen Rovers club from 1941 until 1967 and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1939 until 1963. Ring is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in...
which has been literally talked through the generations.
Foley is currently living in Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
America where he has been for the last fifty years. He emigrated in 1958. He has come home many times for all the get-togethers and presentations, with his former hurling team mates.