One hundred and fifty Wexford natives honoured Enniscorthy man Art Foley in New York last week.
Art was the goalkeeper on Wexford’s All-Ireland hurling winning teams of 1955 and 1956.
Fresh from a game-winning save from Cork’s Christy Ring in the 1956 All-Ireland hurling final - a save that GAA historians call the greatest save ever made in Croke Park - Art emigrated to the U.S with his wife Anne and their then three young children in 1957. Eventually settling in Long Island just outside the City, Art has lived a quiet dignified life for more than 60 years, raising a family of six children, and now grandchildren and great grandchildren.
None of Art’s neighbours or co-workers at the airline company where he worked knew that Art was a revered sporting star in his native homeland. Even leaders in New York’s Wexford community did not realize that Art was alive and well in Long Island all these decades.
‘After receiving a call from Wexford hurling supporter club leader Joe Carroll in January of this year, I had to go through several channels to determine where Art lived and if he was still with us,’ said Wexford Association President and Ramsgrange native, John Murphy. ‘Fortunately for us, some members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians who worked with Art years ago had a number for him and we established contact and set about honouring Art for his legendary achievements.’
In attendance on the night were Irish Consulate General Barbara Jones, a native of Enniscorthy, famed singer and Wexford town native Larry Kirwan, and the majority leader of New York’s City Council, Jimmy Van Bramer, whose grandmother originally hails from Wexford.
In her speech, Consulate General Jones said the event filled her with emotion for her native County and said all Wexfordians and indeed Irish emigrants throughout the U.S., could take pride in the honour and accomplishments of a man like Art.
The evening featured moving video tributes to Art sent over from Wexford by Captain of the 1996 All-Ireland hurling team, Martin Storey, and, one of the only other surviving members of the 1950s Wexford team, Ned Wheeler. Ned’s tribute included a line of thanks to Art for making the most courageous save he ever saw to secure a famous win in a game in which Wexford were underdogs. "It was a beautiful thing you did Art, not only for yourself, your teammates but all the Wexford people down the years.’