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.

CLUB HISTORY

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.

THE OFFICAL OPENING OF THE PARK

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.

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 Longford 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.

JUVENILE FOOTBALL

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. 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. 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 NTwho taught in Carrigallen National School.



SENIOR & U21 FOOTBALL

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.

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.


CENTENARY YEAR

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.

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 girls have not been forgotten when it comes to GAA within the 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.

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.

FUND-RAISING

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.