Jack Lynch first came to fame as a very talented dual-player
for the Cork football and hurling teams. He is still regarded as one of the
greatest all-time dual-players, regardless of his subsequent political career.
It was no wonder then that when President Éamon de Valera
wanted to demonstrate the appeals of Irish sports to a visiting monarch, King Baudouin of Belgium, it was Lynch he turned to.
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| King Baudouin with President De Valera and Taoiseach Jack Lynch at Áras an Uachtaráin 14 May 1968 |
When Lynch arrived at Áras an Uachtaráin for the impromptu
hurling lesson, he was rather bemused to see De Valera pick up a hurley facing
the wrong way round. When De Valera proceeded to throw a sliotar in the air and
swing at it with the upside-down hurley, he was even more amused. De Valera was
almost blind at that point in his life, so his mistake was forgiveable. In
fact, Lynch would later say that he did not think Dev would have been able to
hit the Áras with the hurl, never mind the sliotar.
Lynch did take over the hurling demonstration then, and King
Baudouin had a go at the sport himself. As you’ll see from the photos, the
young king adopted a one-armed style, though I fear it is a style that would
not last very long against Lynch if he had still been in his inter-county
heyday. But, for a first try on the lawn of the Áras while wearing a full
military ceremonial suit, it wasn’t a bad attempt at all.
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| The one-handed style of King Baudouin |
King Baudouin probably felt very much at home in the Ireland
of the 1960s. He was a very devout Catholic, going so far as refusing to sign
an abortion bill that had been passed by the Belgian parliament into law in
1990. However, he did suggest that the government declare him unfit to act as
head of state temporarily so they could go ahead and being the law into force
without requiring his signature. King Badouin died on 31 July 1993 of sudden
heart failure.
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