The man in this picture is Jim Ware, Captain of the Waterford team in the 1948 All-Ireland Hurling team. Born in Cork in 1908, he arrived in Waterford as a young boy and attended De La Salle College, Newtown, Waterford. Subsequently he worked as a bookbinder in Harvey’s shop. Ware played his club hurling with Erin’s Own, winning 12 Waterford County Titles (including 9-in-a-row from 1927 to 1935).
He lined out in goal for the Waterford senior hurlers but missed out on the county’s Munster title breakthrough in 1938. Ware finally collected an inter-county provincial title in 1948, captaining the side and adding further silverware with their victory in the All-Ireland final over Dublin.
The feat means that Jim Ware was the oldest All-Ireland winning captain. His Celtic Cross from ’48 is on display on the top floor of the Bishops Palace in the Viking Triangle, why not drop in and see a piece of history!
