Austin Stacks Mourn the Passing of JJ (Jo Jo) Barrett

J.J. (Jo Jo) BARRETT.

Even though he had been ill for some time it was with sadness that we learned this morning of the passing of Joe Joe Barrett, one of the great Club men of his day.

Joe Joe came for a family steeped in Rock history. His late father (Joe 1902-1952), his Uncles (Tommy, John and Eddie) and his brothers (Tim and John) all played with the Rock and Kerry in their day. His uncle Christy was one of the founding members of the Club in 1917, a year before his untimely death in November 1918 at the age of 30 after contracting the pandemic of the time – the Spanish Flu. Joe Joe’s son, Joe, also played with the Rock in the early nineties.

Joe Joe was only 16 when he made his Senior Championship debut with the Club on 7th June 1959 and he played for the next 17 seasons hanging up his boots after winning his 2nd Co. Championship medal on 16th November 1975 (he won his first medal two years before that). Many of the early years during which he played saw the Rock still in that barren period but with the likes of JJ on the scene and younger players coming up through the ranks, players who would later become household names throughout the country, it was getting better and better and there was no prouder man in Austin Stack Park on that October Sunday in 1973 than Joe Joe when we bridged that 37 year gap going back to 1936 to win what was then our 6th SF Championship title.

And like his father, JJ also donned the Kerry jersey, winning an All Ireland Senior medal in 1962 and an U21 title two years later when Kerry won the very first playing of the All Ireland U21 Championship. He spent four seasons with the Kerry Seniors (1962-65), making his debut when coming on as a sub in that 1962 All Ireland Final against Roscommon. He won four Munster Finals during that period and lined out at top of the left in the two All Ireland Finals against Galway in 1964 and 1965.

When his playing days ceased he managed the Senior team for two seasons, culminating in, arguably, their most historic win to date, the 1977 All Ireland Club Final. He also served as Chairman of the Club for two seasons (1977-1978). Later, when he moved to Dublin as a Sports Journalist with the Evening Herald, he also took on the management of a number of teams, including the Wexford SF team. Also during this period, towards the end of 1997, he wrote a masterpiece book entitled ‘In the Name of the Game’ inspired by a conversation he had as a nine year old with his dying father in 1952. The book explains how Hurling and Football played a major role in bringing together players who found themselves on different sides of the divide during the Civil War of 1922-23 and how they remained life-long friends thereafter, players like his own father and Moyvane’s Con Brosnan.

Sincere sympathy to Jo Jo’s family from everyone in the Club and the wider community.

As a mark of respect a minutes silence will be observed at tonight’s Co. League game in Connolly Park.

Austin Stacks GAA will provide a Guard of Honour for Jo Jo Barrett tomorrow Mon (July 18th, 2021) as his remains arrive at Urban Tce., Rock St. Club Members are asked to assemble at Mulchinock’s Corner at 3pm.