Brian Kiernan
I recently asked a few people at Drumeela why 1928, '44 & '49 should have a special significance for the area. 'Don't know' or 'haven't a clue' was the general response, but I'm glad to say Pat Fitzpatrick spared their blushes. In each of these years we won The Junior Football Final and the name Drumeela is forever written into the annals of the GAA.
1928 was before my time but the players and supporters who fostered the spirit and culture of the GAA in those early years deserve to be remembered. Records tell us that as early as 1913 teams existed in Longfield, The Dreadnoughts, and Newtowngore, Padraig Pearses. While neither of these teams achieved any success of note, they provided most of the players who later went on to win the first title for Drumeela in 1928. The semi-final was against the newly formed Tully Team and our co-parishioners and, needless to say, the blood was up in both campssome say it even appeared on the surface on a number of occasionsbut we'll leave that to history. Drumeela won by two points and with the best wishes of their opponents of that day, went on to beat Bornacoola in the final. Prominent on the team were the McIntyre, Lynch and Meehan Brothers. 'Tis said the celebrations and craic went on for three days and nights in Newtowngore, Drumeela and Longfield, and why not!
The 1930s were lean years for the club, but we won the final of the Parish League by beating Kilahurk near Clogher Cross in 1933. The Team on that day included Con and Charlie Sheridon, P Reilly, Willy, Hugh and Christy McIntyre, Benny and John Brady, T Kiernan, Eugene McKiernon, Benny Reilly, F Maguire, T Lynch, John Reilly and J Dolan. At the end of the decade, the Club disbanded and the curtain descended on competitive football round Drumeela for a number of years.
This lack of competition was a great disappointment to the few dedicated players still around and in 1942, when the opportunity arose to join the nearby Doogra Club, they were eager to do so. My earliest recollections of football go back to these years and I remem- ber, just into my teens, cycling out to Lynch's field each Sunday with the big fellas, H Reilly, D Mitchell, John & Frank Maguire, John W and James F Reilly. Having played with Doogra for a few years, Leitrim Co. Board
disapproved of the arrangement and suspensions followed. In 1944, when the dust settled, it was back to the drawing board and in Fargie's Shed, the following panel was chosen and a team affiliated: T McCable, J W & J F O'Reilly, B Reilly, P & T Reilly, J &T Mimna, M J Reilly, C Reilly, J & F Maguire, D Mitchell, B Brady, P Lynch, M O'Brien, Fr Ed Meehan, J Dolan, T Cunnion, H Reilly, B Kiernan, C Cassidy. Thanks to Doogra Club and The Lynch Family, permission was given to play matches and practise at Doogra. Success beyond our wildest dreams lay ahead and on a cold wintry day at Willowfield, Ballinamore, with a light coat of snow on the ground, we beat Kiltubrid in the Final with a score-line of, I think, 1-8 to 0-9.
Players of those days who stand out in my memory include: Johnnie Dolan, always steady and reliable in goals; the great Benny Reilly with his safe fielding and long clearances at full-back and the tall and high reaching Tim McCabe; clouds got in his way as he grabbed balls from the sky; John The Tailor Maguire, not a big man in stature but big in courage and determination. Few could match him at centre-field. His partner, Con Reilly Captain, footballer supreme, and golden boy of the team, his spectacular solo runs, free taking and scoring ability, snatched victory from the jaws of defeat so often; Frank Maguire and Benny Brady, cool, nippy forwards, capable of chalking up scores from any angle. The Mimna Brothers, Tom and Jimmy and Danny Mitchell all three to the fore, when the going was tough; their commitment and dedication never in doubt for the full sixty minutes. These players richly deserved any rewards that came their way throughout their footballing careers.
Vast sums of money weren't necessary in those days to finance a club but to balance the budget, funds were raised by holding ceilis, socials and the odd 25 Card Drive in wintertime plus a concert in Lent. Venues for these functions would be Doogra Hall and the O'Rahilly Hall in Newtowngore, both long since disappeared off the map. Always available to play a leading part in these activities was Con Reilly, whose skills on the football pitch were equally matched by his talent on the stage. Whether doing M C, telling a few jokes, singing a song or doing his yodelling piece, he was a 'class act' and a priceless asset to the club. The Old Bog Road and If We Only Had Old Ireland Over Here were his favourite numbers and always brought the house down.
Having to take on senior status in 1945, we found the going tough and when back to the junior level in '46, little success came our way. But often as we cycled home from matches lost, the bitter talk of defeat was quickly dispelled by the spontaneous wit and craic from Benny Reilly, ably assisted by Con, Mickey O'Brien or Pat Fitzpatrick.
In 1947, the team disbanded, with players lining out for Drumreilly and Aughawillan, but come '48, pride was again restored to Drumeela when Pat Lynch marshalled the remaining hopefuls and affiliated the famous Harps Team. As the saying goes, 'the savage loves his native shore' and the 'wandering stars' returned bringing with them five stalwarts from Drumreilly. The following panel was then available. J & T Mimna, T McCabe, C Reilly J and M O'Rourke, J & M McKeever, B Kickner, J Maguire, B Gorby, D Mitchell, J (Tailor) Maguire, F Kiernan, J Kickner,
M Gaffney, B King, M O'Brien, J F Reilly and to our great joy and satisfaction, Drumeela did it again, when they won the 1949 Final against Glenfarne, in the Bee Park, Manorhamilton. Columba Quinn of Aughawillan, was the referee that day.
Throughout the 50s, the scourge of emigration took its toll and with players like T McCabe, the famous Eric Murray, M O'Rourke, J McKeever and many other younger players taking the boat or seeking jobs elsewhere, the future again looked bleak. Although powered by the McKeever, Fitzpatrick, Murray, Mimna, Lynch and O'Rourke Brothers, with B Gorby, Con Reilly, H McGoohan, myself and Fr B Doyle and T Kiernan from Carrigallen, success of note eluded us and by 1959, players in my age bracket packed our kits and called it a day.
At a meeting in Carrigallen, the very sensible decision was made to officially unite the whole parish in Senior, Junior and Minor Grades. The once famous names of Tully and Drumeela disappeared and a new era unfolded under the parish name of Carrigallen. Many of the players and colleagues mentioned have now gone to their eternal reward, we pray their souls now rest in eternal peace.
When those of us still around view the magnificent park in Carrigallen, memories return to craggy, humpy, rushy pasture fields marked out with lime or sawdust, a length of 'Hairy Ned' roped off the goal area, the back of a hedge for a dressing room and a leather ball that seemed to weigh half a ton when wet. Perhaps we can be forgiven for thinking we could all have been super-stars back then if present-day facilities had been available. But stardom and victories are always very difficult to achieve no matter what the circumstances.
Today football in the parish is in the safe hands of a very dedicated committeethe talent is there in all grades, and I'm sure they can continue to bring the highest honours and fame to the parish during the years ahead.
Best of luck to all the players and may your wins be many!