*Seán McKenna. Photograph: Ruth Griffin.
A MASTER craftsman, Seán McKenna’s death brought a sense of sadness to Scariff but also an appreciation in East Clare and beyond for a life well lived.
Born in Bodyke, Seán shaped generations of hurling careers with his gift as a hurley maker. Such was his reputation that hurlers travelled from all over Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, Galway and further afield for a famed McKenna hurley.
He moved to Ballyminogue in Scariff after marrying his beloved Brid (nee Kirby), they went on to have three children, Mark, Siobhán and Claire.
Seán died on Saturday March 14th aged ninety three and with it, East Clare lost one of its great sons and the hurling world one of its true stalwarts.
In Scariff, he was known as a friend and neighbour but his reputation extended well beyond for his skills as a master craftsman for making exceptional quality hurleys. His appearance and the manner in which he was so well-dressed was regularly commented on by those that were impressed by him.
To highlight the esteem in which he was held, Seán is the only member of the Scariff GAA Hall of Fame to not have played or served as an officer with the club.
Hailing from a strong hurling family in Bodyke, Seán alongside his late brothers Pat, Eamon and Michael first won a Junior A hurling championship in 1961 and followed this up in the twilight of his career by winning a league and championship double with Bodyke in 1969. Those who lined out alongside him have described Seán as a very skilful hurler who was very effective at scoring points from his spot at wing forward.
Several Clare hurling stars that won All-Ireland titles in 1995 and 1997 made history while using McKenna hurleys. They included the half-back line of Liam Doyle, Seán McMahon and Anthony Daly, midfielders Ollie Baker and Colin Lynch, forward Barry Murphy were all avid users with corner back Frank Lohan also tending to use a McKenna to make vital interceptions and stop scores.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Liam Doyle said of Seán, “I’d use one word to describe him and that is a pure legend. He was so easy going and you couldn’t meet a nicer fella”.
Though he moved to Scariff, Seán maintained his Bodyke roots, Liam recalled. “His brothers lived in the parish, when he got married he moved to Scariff and took more of an interest there when Mark was born and started hurling with Scariff. He was always curious of Bodyke results and of course won an intermediate double towards the end of his career. He was before my time as a hurler, I was born in 1968 and they won the double in 1969 but we all heard he was a great stick man and he was one of the real natural hurlers”.
Two-time All-Ireland winner Liam recounted, “Since I first caught a hurley, a McKenna was the only hurley I used. He knew what I wanted and I’d be picky enough with my hurleys and the weight of them, he’d always have the weighing scales out for me and everything was bang on. I went to him to repair my hurleys too so I was with him regularly whether it was getting one repaired or getting a new hurley. Anytime you went to Seán, you knew you weren’t going to be there for five minutes, you had to allow for the guts of half an hour and it was all hurling talk”.
Attention to detail was evident in everything Seán did, Liam maintained. “Hurling was his main focus but he was mad about his garden too, he was meticulous when it came to the garden, the same with making the hurleys and all his hurleys were made by hand, I spent numerous hours in conversation with him inside in the workshop”.
Hurlers of the era rarely looked past a McKenna, the 1995 All Star noted. “Seán’s name was well known, one or two boys started off with someone else and then changed over to Seán McKenna. I’d have had Seán McKenna hurleys every night at training. Mike McNamara was involved then, you wouldn’t see it nowadays but back then Mike brought in two dozen McKenna hurleys a couple of times a year and they’d be gone before they saw the inside of Cusack Park”.
Historic wins for Clare hurling in the 1990s were in a way shaped by McKenna. “He got great enjoyment out of the fact that his hurleys were used on the big days, he was delighted and thrilled that his name was linked and mentioned with the good days in Croke Park,” Bodyke native Liam added. In his home, Liam has his McKenna hurley from the 1995 All-Ireland engraved in a cabinet with another McKenna hurley in the house for the occasional puck.
Arguably one of the greatest stick men to come out of Scariff, Mark Rodgers started his career using McKenna hurleys. Mark told The Clare Echo, “All my hurleys from the age of four to eighteen would have been made by Seán before he retired. Anyone that came across his hurleys has nothing but compliments to say about them, they were works of art. It is a very sad passing for his immediate family and the community, he will be dearly missed”.
With the way in which he carried out his work, Seán helped the hurler to form a bond with their hurley before they left the workshop, Mark observed. “It was how personal it was when you used to go to the workshop, he would make the hurley right in front of you, every hurley would be custom exactly to what you were looking for, the best of ash, the best of grain and he would almost talk you through what you were looking at when he was making it. He was gifted, he was an amazing hurley maker”.
Some of Mark’s “hand-me-down” hurleys were passed on to younger brother Paul giving him “a lot of exposure to Seán McKenna hurleys,” the 2024 All-Ireland winner said. “I actually do still have McKennas at home, they are probably seven or eight years old at this stage, they are collector items at this stage”.
A spokesperson for Scariff GAA outlined, “The McKenna hurley was eagerly sought by some of the best exponents of the game but Sean would place just as much importance on providing hurleys for underage players going to training or to a game. The successful Clare teams of the seventies and the breakthrough teams of the nineties and later were well populated with McKenna hurleys. It was remarkable that Seán could remember what each players particular requirements were regarding weight, length, balance. Generations of Scariff teams were always looking for McKenna hurleys. There were often difficulties such as ‘no ash and no cash’ but Seán always came good with a supply of camáns and never put pressure on clubs for quick payment, if Scariff had a game, half a dozen hurleys were needed on the line and Seán would have them”.
“Down the years Sean was one of our best supporters in Scariff, not alone would he rarely miss a game but nearly always attended training as well. A few years ago Sean was honoured by Scariff GAA Club with induction into the club’s Hall of Fame. It was a well merited honour. He holds the distinction of being the only recipient of a Hall of Fame award who never hurled for Scariff or who never held office at committee level. He was held in such high esteem by the club for his extraordinary service as a supporter and hurley provider. Sean was one of the proudest people in Scariff on Sunday September 20th 2020 as he waited at the bottom of the hill in the town to welcome home the victorious intermediate champions who were managed by his son Mark. It was a special moment for Seán and the family. Seán stopped hurley making some time ago and enjoyed many years of good health in his retirement,” the spokesperson added.
Seán will be greatly missed by his loving wife, Bríd (nee Kirby), son Mark, daughters Siobhan and Claire. Daughter in law Christina, sons in law Lee and Anthony. Adoring grandchildren Rory, Robyn, Ellie, Pippa, Ben, Lennon, Isobella, Donnacha and Ava. Sisters in law, brothers in law, nieces, nephews, cousins, neighbours and a wide circle of friends especially in the hurling community.
