1st Verse
Bless em all, Bless em all
Bless College and Dolphin and all
Bless Constitution and Young Munster’s too
Bless Limerick Bohs and the boys in light blue
Chorus:
And we’re saying good-bye to them all
As back to their clubhouse they crawl
They all got a sell as they met Sunday’s Well
So here’s up em all, Bless em all
2nd Verse
Now Dolphin had boasted that they’d win the cup
We’ve heard all that before
First we beat Munster’s and then Garryowen
And when we beat Dolphin
We were out on our own
Chorus:
And we’re saying good-bye to them all
As back to their clubhouse they crawl
They all got a sell as they met Sunday’s Well
So here’s up em all, Bless em all.
John “Lancs”O` Sullivan
THE STORY OF BLESS ‘EM ALL
SUNDAY’S WELL CLUB ANTHEM
The Sunday’s Well club anthem was written by John “Lanks” Sullivan shortly after the club won
their first Munster Senior Cup in 1949 and is traditionally sang after a victory by any Well team,
including the under-age sides.
At the time the Munster Senior Cup was “THE” competition in Ireland and many people travelled
from all over the country to attend these matches such was the intense rivalry of the teams.
All senior clubs that competed in the Senior Cup that season are mentioned and the song also
tells us who the club beat on the way to the final.
As the song says, “First we beat ‘Munsters”, which was a great victory as the game was played in
Thomond Park before a passionate crowd. Next up was Garryowen in the Mardyke where the
game finished scoreless. Garryowen had a host of Munster players and a few internationals in
their side and everyone expected Garryowen to win easily in the replay at Thomond Park. A
huge crowd travelled from Cork and a special train was provided by CIE for the Well supporters.
The game started distasterously for The Well as we lost 2 players early in the game, Frank
Jackson who broke his leg and also Jim Corcoran. There were no substitutes allowed in those
years and a magnificent performance by the remaining 13 saw them beat Garryowen by 3-0.
Dolphin, who had internationals Bertie O’Hanlon, Jim McCarthy, Gerald Reidy and Paddy Lawlor
in their side, were the Well’s opponents in the final and were firm favourites to lift the trophy.
“Now Dolphin had boasted that they’d win the cup” is another line from the anthem, but the
Well outplayed them with a fantastic all round performance from the entire team. Mick Barry
(team captain) and Timmy McNamee scored a try each with the latter being converted by Dan
Daly.
It is worth noting that Shannon, Highfield, Old Cresent and all the provincial teams that now
compete in the Senior were junior clubs at the time.
