TED JOYCE'S first taste of adult football came in 1942, Ballymurphy bowing the knee to eventual winners Kilbride in the Intermediate semi-final but the South County men went all the way in 1943, seeing off Bagenalstown 2-4 to 0-3 in a tough county final.

Earlier in the year Ballymurphy had beaten the same opposition in the Dr Cullen Park (Intermediate) Cup final, Joyce mentioned among the 'played wells'.

Though never having played for the Carlow Minor or Junior teams, Ted's 1943 club form would have been good enough to bring him to the attention of the county Senior selectors but the Convention of 1944 ensured he was even in with a better chance of 'getting the call'. You see, as Intermediate champions, Ballymurphy were now a Senior club and every Senior club was entitled to a selector.

Who else could be the Ballymurphy nominee but Larry Furlong! With the National League suspended due to the 'Emergency' and Carlow's involvement in the replacement Leinster League finished before Christmas 1943, Carlow's first competitive game of 1944 was the first round of the championship against Kildare in Athy when the subs list read: "Ted Joyce, Andy Murphy, Michael Hughes, P Bermingham, J Kavanagh".

Kildare were leading 2-7 to 0-10 when Carlow staged a grand revival, Kelly and Morris leading an attack that reached close quarters, the whistle going for a close-in free and from the melee the leather is put asleep in the net by Micky Byrne". Draw: 2-7 to 1-10 though Carlow missed a late free to win.

The replay took place on May 28 in Dr Cullen Park and Carlow made three changes Johnny Lawler, Paddy Farrell and Ted Joyce replacing John Brady, Chris Maher and Seamus Corcoran. So, Ted Joyce, at left half back, made his inter-county Senior debut, playing well as Carlow beat the Lily-whites 3-11 to 2-5.

Next up Laois in Athy, Jimma Rea scores 1-3 as Carlow win 2-8 to 2-3, then Wexford are torpedoed 5-7 to 3-6 in the Leinster semi-final in Kilkenny, Paddy Sullivan netting three goals.

It's back to Athy for the Leinster final against Dublin, Carlow's third in four years, but whereas Ted Joyce had to make his own transport arrangements as a supporter on the previous occasions, he was now sitting in Ned Hogan's hackney car.

Ned a neighbour from down the street in Borris, would also have had Luke Kelly and Mattie Doyle, the sub-goalkeeper, on board and his motor passed the phalanx of cyclists, as well as the "horses and ponies and jennets and traps" as a huge Carlow following gave into final fever.

It looked like another tale of woe when Carlow trailed 0-5 to 0-1 at half-time but the scallion-eaters staged a remarkable rally to emerge 2-6 to 1-6 victors, Jimma Rea and John Doyle crashing home two great goals.

Ted Joyce did well at left half back that memorable day but was forced to go off with an injury early in the second-half, Johnny Darcy coming on at left full back allowing Paddy Farrell fill Ted's position.

Ted Joyce returned to Borris a hero, all the talk now about Kerry and the All-Ireland semi-final, which drew a record crowd to Croke Park.

Ted was selected at left full back and once more played a fine game, his named mentioned quite a lot in that unique blowby-blow account of the match which surfaced in Carlow some years ago. Alas, Kerry prevailed by 3-3 to 0-10 and Carlow's dreams of appearing in an All-Ireland final were at an end ... for now!

Ted Joyce thought "every year would be like this" and though he stayed playing with the county until 1952, the last of the '44 men to depart, there never were days like that again.