The lore of the Fifth Horseman of Notre Dame—and how his legacy lives on

Notre Dame is a family that spans several generations, and we love it when these stories reach us through our study abroad students, many of whom have Irish heritage. This is the case of Maddie Cerney, fall 2024 Galway Study Abroad cohort, and the great-granddaughter of Bill Cerney. Bill was from the Notre Dame Class of 1925 and was also known as "The Fifth Horseman."

Maddie tells us about tracing her family's ancestry back to Limerick, a mere hour from Galway where she is studying at the moment. Her great-grandfather, Bill Cerney, was the son of two Irish immigrants:

"He was the son of Jacob Cerney and Margaret Moloney. Margaret was born in 1874 in Kilteely, County Limerick and came to the USA in 1888. We’ve struggled a bit tracing back Jacob, but believe he also came over from Ireland."

Bill Cerney went down in Notre Dame football lore. In Maddie's words:

"Bill was born in 1901 in Chicago, Illinois. He attended high school in Chicago and played football, which was around the time that coach Knute Rockne was starting to make a name for himself and football at Notre Dame. Rockne offered Bill a scholarship to come to South Bend and play for Notre Dame. While he was there, he played fullback behind one of the Four Horsemen and was part of the "Shock Troops," which were the players that started each game to wear out their opponent before the Four Horsemen entered the game. For his efforts and "fiery spirit," Rockne called him the "Fifth Horseman."

Maddie tells us about choosing to study in Galway, over a hundred years after her ancestors left Ireland:

"With our family history with Notre Dame, including both of my parents being grads, I knew ND was where I wanted to attend for as long as I can remember. When the opportunity to study abroad arose, Ireland was the obvious choice for me. Between my Irish lineage and the science research opportunities, Galway was the perfect fit. When my parents came to visit me this fall, we visited the church in Knocklong where Margaret's parents married in 1868. It's been special to engage with my Irish heritage while here in Ireland and connect it back to my Notre Dame story. I feel honored to be a part of the Notre Dame family that my great-grandfather was part of over 100 years ago and now create new connections with Ireland during my time here."

We couldn't have put it better ourselves. The Cerney family certainly embody the closing words of the Notre Dame Victory March, which Bill and his great-granddaughter no doubt sang and still sing with the same trepidation:

What though the odds be great or small
Old Notre Dame will win over all,
While her loyal sons and daughters
March on to victory