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This contribution deals
generally with the period from 1984 to the present day. In summary
this period has provided
many highlights. Success for the senior teams ranged from the
four cups of 1984 to a senior final appearance in 1992.
The club achieved its ambition of officially opening their own
playing park and club rooms in 1984. Participation in
Scór, the cultural side of GAA, was encouraged, and All-Ireland
success was achieved both at senior and juvenile levels.
As with many clubs throughout
the county, Carrigallen GAA published a magazine history of the
club in the GAA
centenary year, 1984. The club celebrated its own centenary in
1990. Juvenile football has been particularly strong
during this period and is representative of the unselfish input
of a talented number of team mentors and juvenile club officers.
The occasion of the official
opening of the park in 1984 was marked by the publication of a
commemorative booklet
titled Carraig Álainn 18891984; Carrigallen GAA Club
History. This 104-page booklet was edited by the county
board secretary and the principal of Drumeela NS, Mr Tommy Moran.
As well as being an extensive history of the
club, articles on athletics, tug-of-war, drama and Macra Na Feirme
were included. The publication of this book,
apart from being an essential historical record, was also a commercial
success. The net proceeds accruing from book
sales at £ 2 each, sponsorship and advertising, exceeded
£ 2,000. The book contained a total of 42 articles.
Community Games U-13 County
Champions (Carrigallen/Aughavas).1975.
(Back) Michael McGovern, Seamas McCabe, Adrian Nicholl,
Dinny McNamee John O'Neill, Brian Brady,
Kevin O'Rourke (capt), Philip Greene, Michael Heslin &
Tomás Mimna. (Front) Sean Brady, Gerry McDermott,
Hugh F McIntyre, Kevin Doonan, Martin Reilly, Gene Doherty, Raymond
Hackett, Michael McCabe & Martin Greene.
In his article titled 'We
have a Park' in the 1984 Club history, Michael Duignan described
the efforts involved in
acquiring a suitable ground and how the enormous task of raising
funds was approached. Up to October 1982, the
total outlay on the park was £65,554. At that time the future
outlay was estimated at £10,960.
By the time the park
was officially opened on April 22nd 1984, it was considered that
well in excess of £80,000 had
been committed to the development of the park and club rooms.
The youth employment scheme funded by the
Departments of Education and Labour, provided for most of the
labour costs. Bank loans and GAA loans provided
short-term cash flow. However, the repayment of these loans and
the material costs were sourced from the local
community. The overall cost to date has now exceeded £100,000
with the completion of the spectator stand.
At the park committee
AGM held in the Tom Clarke rooms
on October 25th 1983, the official opening date was set
for Easter Sunday, April 22nd 1984. At a meeting on November 9th,
1983, it was resolved that the new park be
named Páirc Carraig Álainn. The intervening period
until the opening was a time of intense work, with meetings
taking place almost weekly.
Opening Year of Parc Carrig Állain.
(Back) Gabriel Cooke, Gerard Gormley, Niall Harte, Laurance
Reilly, Hugh Cooke, Other, Cathal Sherdian
(Middle) Colm McGuickin, Brian Harte, Anthony Morrow, Ronan
Ward, Padraig Gormley, Liam Morrow,
Brian Ward. (Front) Jim Morrow, Brain Gormley.
Easter Sunday arrived and it was a beautiful day weatherwise.
The official opening was performed by the Leitrim,
Connacht and All-Ireland selection footballer, Packie McGarty,
who in his address to the crowd complimented all
involved on their work in establishing the park and he said he
hoped for a senior championship for Carrigallen in the
near future.
The official blessing
was performed by Dr Francis McKiernan, Bishop of Kilmore. On that
day Carrigallen beat
Drumreilly in the club match to win the Peter Donohoe Perpetual
Cup. Leitrim and Lon gford played a draw in the
county match for the Kilbracken Arms Hotel Perpetual Cup. This
game was never replayed. Carrigallen and Arva
youth bands entertained the crowds. The Carrigallen team and substitutes
for the official opening day were: Kevin
Doonan, Eamon Gray, Kevin O'Rourke, Michael Dolan, Philip Greene,
Michael Reilly (Beaghmore), Matt Kerrigan,
Seamus McManus, P J Maguire, Raymond Hackett, John O'Neill, Brian
Brady, Michael Reilly (Bredagh), Brian Doyle,
Con Dolan. Subs: Hugh Cooke, Michael Donohoe, Michael Lee, Seamus
O'Rourke, John McCabe, John Flynn and
Owen Mulligan.
Carrigallen Minor Team,
1987
(Back) Colin Galligan, Hugh O'Neill, Cathal Óg Sheridan,Barry
Ward, Noel Magarahan, Kieran Harte &
Winston Harkness. (Front) Fintan Cooke, Emmet Ward, Johnathan
Finnegan, Derek Mulligan,
Gerard Gormley & Dermot Mulligan.
The juvenile GAA was started in the early 1970's and has consistently
provided the new material for U-21 and senior
teams. We have won all grades from U-10's and U-13's in Community
Games to U-12, U-14, U-16 and minor
competitions at county level. The club has also provided players
and team managers to represent Leitrim at county
level. Two of the National School competitions in Leitrim for
large and small schools are cups in memory of the late
Masters Frank McGlynn NT and Paddy Reynolds NT who taught in Carrigallen
National School.
Carrigallen Senior Team have alternated between Divisions I and
II almost on an annual basis during the period. The
second string has been represented Junior B Division IV. The lead
into this period commenced with junior
championship success in 1980, followed by promotion to Division
I in 1982. Relegation back to Division II happened
in 1983 but this was not unexpected, given that the team had only
reformed in 1977 and was still young and relatively
inexperienced.
The team in 1984 achieved
many successes starting with the Peter Donohoe Perpetual Cup when
they defeated
Drumreilly on the occasion of the official opening of the GAA
park grounds. This was followed by a victorious
campaign in the Division II league and success in the intermediate
championship. The year was rounded off with a
week-end trip to Abbeydorney, Co Kerry, to represent Connacht
in the centenary tournament organised by the home
club, Brick Rangers. Ironically in Kerry the objective of this
tournament was to promote football. This was an area
that was otherwise noted for its strong hurling tradition. After
defeating Brick Rangers 6-12 to 2-3, Carrigallen
overwhelmed St Anne's, Dublin, in the final. The Carrigallen/Aughavas
combination known as Carrigallen Harps
won the U-21 Championship this year. The team was as follows:
Alan Harkness, Michael Lee, John O'Neill, Kieran
Nichol, Owen Mulligan, Philip Greene, Michael Fitzpatrick, Brian
Doyle, Seamus O'Rourke, Raymond Hackett,
Brian Brady, Seán McKiernan, Peter Magarahan, Gerry Keaney,
Joe Casey. Subs: Hugh Cooke for O'Neill.
The expectations of the
team of 1984 were not realised in 1985 with an early exit from
the championship and
relegation back to Division II. However, a very successful tour
of the USA was undertaken and was organised by
Seamus McManus, John McCabe, Michael Reilly (Beaghmore),
Michael Reilly (Bredagh), Edmund Dolan and Philip
Greene. The team played games in New York, Boston, New Haven and
Hartford. In 1986, for the third time in five
years, Carrigallen were Division II league winners. Carrigallen
reached the semi-final of the 1987 Senior
Championship, only to be beaten by Aughawillian. In 1988 the team
gained promotion from Division II of the league.
In both 1989 and 1990,
Seán O'Heslins and Allen Gaels respectively beat Carrigallen
in the first round of the Senior
Championship. A revival in club fortunes occurred in 1991 when
the club achieved the double of the intermediate
championship and Division II league winners.
Brian Doyle, Captain
of the Intermediate ChampionshipTeam, 1991.
The following year, 1992, Carrigallen came within a whisker of
winning the senior championship when they were
beaten by Aughawillian in the final on a score-line of 10 points
to 1-6. A good league campaign this year saw the club
finish in fifth position in Division I, its highest placing in
a long time. The 1992 championship final team were as
follows: Christy Coyne, Peter Donohoe, Seamus O'Rourke, Ciaran
Harte, Fintan Cooke, Seamus McManus, John
O'Neill, Hugh O'Neill, Seamus Cooke, Derek Mulligan, Brian Doyle,
Emmet Ward, Andrew McManus, Michael
Reilly, Dermot Mulligan. Subs: Michael Lee for Ward.
1992 Leitrim Senior Final
Runners Up.
(Back) Anthony Morrow, Gabriel Cooke, Thomas Lockhart,
Seamus McManus, Michael Reilly, Seamus O'Rourke,
Brian Doyle, Seamus Cooke, Hugh O'Neill, Pat Masterson, Peter
Donohoe, Kevin O'Rourke & Michael Lee.
(Front) Tomás Lee, Cathal óg Sheridan, Tomás
Tierney, Fintan Cooke, Andrew McManus, Emmet Ward,
Ciaran Harte (Capt), Dermot Mulligan, John O'Neill, Derek
Mulligan, Christy Coyne & Bernard McCartin.
Mascots are: Dermot Lyons & Stephen Tierney.
In 1993 the club were relegated from Division 1 only to be followed
by promotion from Division 11 the following
year. Carrigallen retained their Division 1 status in 1995 to
a structuring of the leagues at county board level.
The club finished off
1996 by securing Division 1 football for another year, this time
on merit. Carrigallen Harps
won the 1995 U-21 championships. The team was: Patrick McGirl,
Gerry McGovern, Enda McNamara, Noel
McBrien, Michael Holohan, Bernard McCartin, Ciaran Mollahan, Adrian
Charles, Damien Smyth, Andrew McManus,
Fintan McBrien, Raymond McBrien, Rory Harte, JP McManus, Seamus
Colreavy. Subs: Kieran O'Rourke, Colm
McKiernan, Terence Reynolds, David Bohan, Keith Conefry.
The Carrigallen Mandevilles
are recorded as having played tournament football in both Leitrim
and Cavan in 1889.
They were not represented at the first County Convention held
in Drumshambo on October 20th 1889. However,
they did feature in the Ballinamore division of the first Leitrim
championship in 1890. Accordingly, the club
centenary was celebrated in 1990. The significance of the year
was marked by the erection of a special sign and by
the flying of the club flag from the club rooms throughout the
year.
A centenary tournament was organised for the week ending August
26th 1990. Carrigallen beat Drumreilly in the
boys under-12 game. The under-14 game was postponed. Carrigallen
lost in the first round of the senior tournament.
Drumreilly beat Aughavas in the final. The highlight of the year
was the revival of the annual dinner dance held on
New Years Eve. The surviving members and wives of the 1946 Tully
senior team, Leitrim champions, and the
Drumeela Junior Champions of 1945, were honoured.
Many Leitrim titles have been
won during this period with the club coming close to getting the
overall Leitrim award
on several occasions. At the 1989 Connacht Scór finals,
the juvenile ballad group reaped Connacht success. They were
Carmel Gorby, Una Charles, Therese McCartin, Olivia McCartin and
Bernard McCartin. The Morrow brothers
from Errew, Robert, Thomas and John, won the juvenile All-Ireland
instrumental section in the Gaiety Theatre in
1989. This was a fitting reward for a talented family group. Gus
Ward, Kivvy, and Killian McGuinness,
Drumbreanlis, became the first All-Ireland Senior Scór
Winners from Carrigallen in 1988 with their presentation of
The Drunk. Gus went on to win the recitation section in
the 1994 All-Ireland Finals held in the Green Glens Arena.
It is a unique distinction in Leitrim to have won All-Ireland
success in two disciplines. In 1999 Carrigallen once again
enjoyed success winning the novelty section for the second time,
under the direction of former winner Killian
McGuinness. Taking the Biscut cast also included Eileen
Ward, Main St., Sean McIntryre, Kivvy.
The Vocational School enters teams in three competitions, namely
Senior (U-18), Junior (U-16) and first year. Up
until 1994 these teams competed in the Leitrim Vocational Schools
League, but because of the very large numbers in
both the Ballinamore and Carrick-on-Shannon Schools, outright
victory always eluded them. In that year the county
leagues were abolished and were replaced by a Connacht competition
in which all vocational schools were seeded
according to their size. Carrigallen were placed in Division III
with amongst others Mohill and Drumkeerin
Vocational Schools. In the first year of the competition Carrigallen
won the junior title with the following team:
Enda Lyons, Shane Donohoe, Barry McGurren, Eoin Brennan, Jim Morrow,
Francis Corrigan, Raymond
Warrington, Hugh McFee, David Corcoran, John McKeon, Kevin Keegan
(Captain), Tony Lunney, Raymond Reilly,
Bernard O'Rourke and Gerard Smith. Sub: Seán Corrigan. The following
year the Juniors retained their title and this
year they are aiming for three in a row.
Over the years the school
has supplied many star players to the County Vocational School
team. During the 1980's
the names of Ciaran Harte, Seamus O'Rourke and Terry Harton from
Gowna spring to mind. When Leitrim won the
Connacht title in 1990 for the first time in many years, their
midfield pairing was Pat Connolly and Emmet Ward,
both from Carrigallen. Peter McBrien from Aughavas played at left-half
forward on that team. Pat Connolly had the
added honour of captaining the team.
When Leitrim won the
All-Ireland B tittle in 1994, the team included Noel and Fintan
McBrien and J P McManus
from Carrigallen School. The following year Fintan McBrien was
again the star player on the team beaten by
Donegal in the All-Ireland Final in Croke Park. Terence Reynolds
was also on that team.
The school have their
own small pitch behind the main buildings. They use it for training
and also for inter-class
competitions. The opening of the local GAA grounds in 1984 has
been of great benefit to the school team because as
well as playing their home games there they can also use it for
specialised training before important matches.
The school teams draw
their players from three local club: Carrigallen, Drumreilly and
Aughavas, plus the Cavan
Clubs of Killdallen, Templeport, Killeshandra, Cornafean, Gowna
and Lacken. The team jersey colours are black
with an amber hoop, black togs and black and amber socks.
Ladies' Football was active
for a period in the mid 1980's. Noel Lyons and Bernie McHugh were
the trainers.
Unfortunately, numbers dwindled and the remaining players joined
up with some of the neighbouring football clubs.
In 1990, U-12 and U-14 girls' teams were formed with Killian McGuinness
and Jerome Maguire in charge.
The girls have not been forgotten when it comes to GAA within
the local school. In 1994 the school was represented
by a camogie team for the first time. As there is no other camogie
school team in Leitrim the teams have had to travel
to Cavan, Donegal, Fermanagh and Monaghan for games. In 1996 a
girls' football team has entered the Leitrim
post-primary competition and thus far have a 100% success record.
Carrigallen Ladies Football
Panel, 1984.
(Front) Collette McCabe; Anne O'Neill,Theresa McCabe,Eileen
Donohoe,Gretta O'Neill,Yvonne Donohoe,
Catherine Donohoe,Claire O'Neill & Catriona Reilly. (Front)
Joan Reilly,Tina Mulligan, Maura Reilly,
Martina McCabe,Veronica Reilly, Stephanie Mulligan, Marley Mulligan,
Patricia Reilly & Maura McCann.
The normal fund-raising sources
include the gate receipts on league games, membership, subscriptions,
sponsorship,
functions, ticket sales and church gate collections. Over the
years however, to fund expenditure on the development
of park playing facilities, spectator stand, ball stop nets, the
night-training lights, perimeter path ways and
landscaping, it has been necessary to supplement the normal fund-raising
activities with other more exciting and
attractive events.
A very successful Lord
Mayor fund-raising campaign was held in 1985. Three candidates
were put forward, each
representing an organisation and also a strategic section of the
parish. Joan Reilly from Beaghmore represented the
Ladies, GAA and held various functions far and wide in her fund-raising
activities. She accumulated the grand sum
of £1,300 during her campaign. Hugh Magarahan from Calloughs
stood for the GAA and established the pub quiz as
the mainstay of his fund-raising activities. He collected £2,665.
Pat Mitchell from Newtowngore representing Macra
Na Feirme raised £3,731 during his campaign and was duly
elected Lord Mayor. For the record the sum of £937.50
was raised on the night of the Lord Mayor function. This yielded
a total of £8,633.50 from this activity over a three
month period. Effectively this cleared the debt on the park purchase
and development programme at that time much
to the delight of all involved.
The participation by
the club in the sales of Ciste Gael tickets continued until about
1986. This idea tired and other
ventures had to be tried. Poker classics were held, horse-racing
nights were organised and numerous £20 limited
draws took place. At the 1994 AGM the club Chairman John Reilly
introduced the lotto. Cathal Sheridan and Tommy
Brady were appointed first lotto co-ordinators. This concept based
on the national lotto has proved to be an
outstanding success raising funds from both inside and outside
the parish on a weekly basis.
The achievements and
successes of the period 1984 to 1996 both on and off the field
could not have been realised
without a huge amount of voluntary effort from members of nearly
every family in the parish. At this time we salute
their efforts . We remember also the deceased friends and members
of the club. May their souls rest in peace.
However, that elusive
first senior championship victory since 1946 is still awaited.
The resources for and the
whole-hearted promotion of juvenile football must continue. The
continued representation at Scór must be
encouraged. The maintenance and continued development of our club
facilities are is to be complimented and should
not be neglected in the future. The organising of games and competitions
exclusively for girls has been a success. As
a major part of the social and cultural fabric of our parish,
the community identifies with and takes pride in its GAA
Club. The responsibility for a strong club rests with us all.
This article by Con Dolan
is from "Carrigallen Parish-A History."
"Carrigallen Parish-A
History."1996, Design inc.
© Ronan Ward Design
2003. All Rights Reserved.