This biography is republished from The Dictionary of Irish Biography and was written by Mary Moran. Shared by permission in line with Creative Commons ‘Attribution’ (CC BY) licencing.
Born: 7 July 1919, Ireland
Died: 9 October 1994
Country most active: Ireland
Also known as: Margaret Mary Fitzgerald
Hogg, Margaret Mary (‘Peggy’) (1919–94), camogie player, was born 7 July 1919 in Tralee, Co. Kerry, the only child of John Hogg, a commercial traveller, and Margaret Hogg (née McCarthy). The family moved to Cork city shortly afterwards and resided at Highfield West, College Road. Peggy was educated at St Aloysius School, Cork, and Le Bon Sauveur Convent, Holyhead, Wales. Later, she was employed as an insurance official in Cork. St Aloysius was a noted camogie nursery, and from the beginning Peggy displayed natural talent for the game, mastering its skills to a very high degree. An all-round sports star, she also excelled at tennis and hockey, representing the Glenanaar tennis club and playing tennis for Munster at inter-provincial level, and playing hockey while a student at Le Bon Sauveur.
After leaving school, Peggy joined Old Aloysians camogie club, where her aptitude and flair for the game were quickly recognised. She settled as goalkeeper where the ball skills she honed at tennis were of great advantage. Her athleticism allowed her to cover the whole goal and she was untroubled by shots from any angle. She was quickly promoted to the Cork senior team. In those years, Cork reigned supreme in Munster camogie, claiming the provincial title each year. The main opposition came from Dublin and, to lesser degrees, Louth, Galway and Antrim. Peggy claimed her first all-Ireland medal in 1935, when Cork successively defeated Clare, Tipperary, Antrim and Dublin to take the title, and she went on to become an inspirational figure on Cork teams of the late 1930s and early 1940s. It was in 1939 that Peggy Hogg became a household name in camogie circles, after a stunning performance in the all-Ireland semi-final – in which she confined the Louth sharpshooter, Kathleen Hanratty, to a single score – had everybody talking.
The circumstances surrounding that game paint a picture of camogie in those days. Cork were unable to fund the trip to Darver for the all-Ireland semi-final and offered a walkover. Louth refused to accept the free passage to the final, sent Cork their travelling expenses and offered to accommodate the team and officials. Many of the Cork players completed a long day’s work before setting off on their journey by car. It was late night and pitch dark as the convoy of Cork cars approached Drumisken. As the cars descended the hill into the village, the lights went on and the crowd, who had stayed up into the small hours, ran to welcome their visitors. Many of the Cork and Louth players corresponded with each other for years to come.
Peggy was also at her best in the final at Croke Park against Galway. There was a touch of class about everything she did, and at the finish Cork were ahead by 6–1 to 1–1. The fact that ten Old Aloysians represented Cork on that occasion underlines the standing of the club. Some of the top exponents of the game in that era, such as Kitty Buckley, Josie McGrath, Lil Kirby, Mary Fitzgerald, Eileen Casey, Renee Fitzgerald and the Cronin sisters, wore the club’s famous grey, green and white colours. Because of a clash of colours with Galway, Cork took the field that day sporting the Old Aloysians kit.
Cork returned to Croke Park a year later to contest the 1940 all-Ireland final, with Galway again providing the opposition. Reporting on the match, the Standard stated: ‘Peggy Hogg, Cork’s goalkeeper, was the outstanding figure on the field. She gave one of the finest exhibitions of goalkeeping I have ever seen. On every occasion, she earned the enthusiastic cheers from the record crowd. She leaped into the air to bring down high shots and diverted a series of raids with ease’ (4 October 1940). Galway controlled much of the play and sprayed the Cork goal with shots from all angles. The only balls to beat Peggy were doubled on from the edge of the square by the Galway star, Peg Morris. Cork retained their title by 4–4 to 2–2.
Cork were chasing a hat trick of all-Ireland titles when they lined out against Dublin at Croke Park in 1941. Dublin were unable to match the skilful play of the Cork girls. In particular, Kitty Buckley, who scored six goals, and Kathleen Coughlan, sister of all-Ireland hurler Eudie Coughlan, were a class apart. During the match, Peggy took a puck-out that was added to in the air by Mary Fitzgerald. Nan O’Dowd doubled on it as it passed over her head, and Kitty Buckley finished it to the Dublin net without the ball touching the ground or being handled. Jack Lynch, captain of the Cork senior hurling team and future taoiseach, stood up in the stand and cheered. Cork achieved the three-in-a-row by 7–5 to 1–2.
Peggy captained Cork in 1942. The two top teams in the country, Cork and Dublin, met in the all-Ireland final at the Mardyke. Brilliant defences on both sides were a feature of the game. Both goalkeepers, Peggy Hogg and Dublin’s Maura O’Carroll, brought off a number of wonderful saves. It was stalemate at the finish with both sides on 1–1. In the replay at Croke Park, Dublin’s midfield trio of Kathleen Cody, Kay Mills and Peggy Griffin were dominant and supplied their forwards with good ball. Rose Fletcher and Doreen Rogers showed a delightful combination of speed and stick-work in front of goal and ensured Dublin victory by 4–1 to 2–2.
Peggy was forced to cry off due to an arm injury when Cork again met Dublin in the 1943 all-Ireland final. Feature of this contest was the brilliant play of the Dublin star Kathleen Cody. Cork were outplayed in all sectors of the pitch and had to concede by 8–0 to 1–1. A dispute left Cork out of the championship for the next eight years. By the time it was resolved, Peggy had retired.
Whenever top goalkeepers are discussed, the name of Peggy Hogg comes up. Her inspiring play remained vividly in the minds of those who had the privilege of seeing her in action. She was favourably compared in style and efficiency with the Clare-born hurling goalkeeper Tommy Daly, who won three all-Ireland medals with Dublin.
In 1960 Peggy was honoured with a Cuchulainn Hall of Fame award and, four years later, Club na nGael added her name to ‘stars of the past’, a roll of honour covering all Gaelic games. A brilliant all-rounder, Peggy achieved what she set her mind to.
Peggy married (1949) Jack Fitzgerald , brother of her club and county teammate Mary Fitzgerald. A son of Cork hurling goalkeeper Andy Fitzgerald, and grandson of Cork Lord Mayor Edward Fitzgerald, Jack was employed by the Cork harbour commissioners; they had a son, Peter, and a daughter, Geraldine. Peggy Hogg died 9 October 1994 at her home, ‘Meadowlands’, Wilton Road, Cork.