John Hanratty

The principal focus of John Hanratty’s interview is the club, college and county scene in Armagh and Ulster in the 1950s. The interview begins with Hanratty’s reflections on his college football days with St. Patrick’s Armagh, with stories of playing in the Rannafast and MacRory Cups. Hanratty also discusses his underage career with Armagh - which included the winning of an All-Ireland minor title in 1949, aged just 16 years – and his progression in the senior ranks. The record of Armagh football in the 1950s is considered alongside the relative strengths of other Ulster counties and comment on the club scene in Armagh, especially that around Armagh city. In the course of these reflections, Hanratty sheds light on such themes as travel, transport, training and more. Finally, he contrasts Gaelic football past and present, refers to his son’s GAA experiences and considers what the GAA has meant to him.