THOMAS ‘BUD’AHERNE - Part Three By Gavan Bergin (Click for Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 ) “The star player of those days was wing maestro Stanley Matthews. Bud kept him quiet every time they met.” (Hatters Heritage Website) Thomas 'Bud' Aherne was born in Limerick on January 26th 1919. He grew up in the Thomondgate area of Limerick city, where he took to playing sports as a youngster. At first, hurling was his game-he played for the famous Treaty Sarsfield club and he did well enough to be selected for the Limerick senior team. But good as he was with a hurl in his hands, Bud was even better with a ball at his feet, and he decided to try for a career in soccer. That decision paid off, and by the time he was eighteen Bud was playing for Limerick FC in the League of Ireland. In Bud's first season with Limerick FC, they reached the Munster Senior Cup Final. In that Final, which was against Cork, Bud saved the day for Limerick by scoring the goal that ea...