W. J. Spain
William J. Spain was a famous Irish dual player. He played Gaelic football with his local club Commercials and with the Limerick senior inter-county team in the 1880s. Spain also played hurling with his local club Kickhams and with the Dublin senior inter-county team in the 1880s.
Playing career
Club
Although born just outside Nenagh, County Tipperary, Spain first came to prominence as a Gaelic footballer with the Commercials club in Limerick. The club enjoyed much success in the infant years of the Gaelic Athletic Association. Spain captured a senior county title with the club in 1887.
Spain later moved to Dublin and joined the famous Kickhams club. Here he enjoyed further success, however, this time it was on the hurling field. He won a senior county title with that club in 1889.
Inter-county
In 1887 the very first All-Ireland championship took place in football. Only four teams participated that year and Spain was a member of the Limerick inter-county team. The county’s first outing in their championship campaign saw Tipperary provided the opposition. That game ended in a draw; however, Limerick secured the victory in the replay by 1-9 to 0-4. The next game was the All-Ireland final and Limerick played Louth. The game itself was a close, low-scoring affair. Spain turned out to be the hero of the game. Eleven minutes into the second-half he scored a goal after a long dribbling run for his own 21-yard line. Limerick won the game by 1-4 to 0-3 and Spain collected his first All-Ireland title.
Two years later in 1889 Spain was a key member of the Dublin hurling team. That year Dublin got a walkover from Laois in the Leinster final. This victory allowed Spain’s side advance directly to the All-Ireland final. Clare provided the opposition on that occasion and an exciting game followed. The Clare team, who played the game in their bare feet, took a half-time lead of 1-5 to 1-0. ‘The Dubs’ fought back in the second-half with Spain scoring a hat trick of goals as Clare collapsed. Dublin won the game by 5-1 to 1-6, giving Spain an All-Ireland hurling title to match his football one. In doing son he became the first All-Ireland-winning dual player in the history of Gaelic games.
Spain’s career ended shortly afterwards as he emigrated to the United States in 1890.