St Josephs GAC

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Times have changed within the Ederney St Joseph’s Club like everywhere else. Few of the present players will remember much about “The Moss” where many a titanic tussle was fought out – ‘fought’ sometimes the appropriate work.

Playing there, particularly up the hill towards the left corner-flag just over the hedge from Ellis’ house, was a stamina sapping experience. Playing down the hill was a different matter. I can recall Jim Lunney taking a free-kick about 15 metres out from the Ederney posts and putting the ball wide at the other end! A real toe-pointer.

That was the Ederney scene of old when the panel – team and substitutes – was posted in the window of Johnny Monaghan’s ice-cream parlour at the bottom of Main Street. A plain sheet of paper with the names written in neat pen script. It was always a thrill to see one’s name included, even though one often knew it was there to make up the numbers.

If the following Sunday’s game was away from home, details of the time of the bus departure was included and any other relevant information. One often made a special trip to town to read the details of the panel and arrangements. I still recall the first time that my name appeared – near the end of the list, I must add.

I also recall a Parish League that was organised at one time in order to root out potential new players. A meeting in St Joseph’s Hall decided to set this up before the new season began and teams from Bannagh, Montiagh and Ederney (two, I think from the town and surrounding district) were organised by the people of the areas. Games were played on week evenings and the action was contested just as seriously as any championship match. I don’t recall who the winners were but I do know there wasn’t a trophy or recognition of any kind for the successful side. It was fun, anyhow. I think a few new players were found.

Of course, some of those who took part didn’t even have football boots or togs and it was common to see some participants lining out in their working clothes and boots. Sometimes unsuspecting bystanders were pushed into action to make up the 15 when ‘regulars’ were missing.

The byres that were then across the road from PJ Monaghan’s shop were used for all matches, at that time, as changing rooms. Showers, apart from those coming through the roof, were not included!

Another ‘big day’ in the history of the Ederney Club that I recall was when the opposition didn’t turn up for a league game at ‘The Moss’. It was the day of the annual Scraghey Sports in the field behind the old school, beyond the crossroads. It was normal to have 7-a-side tournaments at these events and off we all headed on our bicycles to take part.

Teams were entered on the field so a powerhouse Ederney Town team was entered. We put in a team from Montiagh and Harry Gormley entered one from Rottenmountain. There were others from neighbouring clubs but it turned out that Ederney and Montiagh clashed in the final. You can imagine what that 10-minutes-a-side battle was like. I remember that at half-time Montiagh, we had scored 3-2, had a big lead with Ederney on a couple of points. The final 10 minutes was a different story and the ‘townies’ walked away with the Ł2.00-a-man as winners.

ANTHONY REMEMBERS...... From Anthony Mulligan

Written for Ederney St Joseph's 75th Anniversary Dinner, Great Northern Hotel, Bundoran.

My introduction to Gaelic football came early when my oldest brother Jim cut a few, straight silver birch trees and stuck them in our "Well Field" at Moneyvreice and nailed on a cross bar. This would have been sometime in the late fifties and neighbouring families the Mc Veighs, Walsh's, McGraths, Reids etc would have joined us. I can remember learning to solo an old tattered leather ball up and down the field pretending to be the great Roscommon legend "Gerry O'Malley" which I must have picked up from Michael O' Heir on the wireless or the sports pages of the old Sunday Press.

I can recall watching Lack playing Coa in the field at Moneyvriece. We were so proud to have the pitch in our townland and never referred to it as "The Moss." That term must have come from townies in far-flung places like Ederney and Irvinestown. George Forrest acquired a green bus for the parish in the early sixties and I travelled on the bus as a cub to Brookeboro via Kilskeery and Tempo. It was the first time I suppose I saw mountainy land for Moneyvriece was fertile soil. Anyway I remember Fr Tom Breen in Wellingtons walking up the sideline of a rushy Brookboro field that day before bedlam broke out when a Drumskinney torpedo felled big Benny Rooney and "wee Claude" got blamed.

Dust ups like that were commonplace then but for Shane Mc Dermot's benefit down there I must say the most ferocious I can recall was when "The Knocks" as the St. Pat's club were known then, came to Ederney once and the fighting was so bad the referee didn't even put a report in.

There was mighty fun mixed with some great foot-balling memories. I remember watching Ederney minors-playing in the red jerseys and marvelled at the skill of Frankie Mc Donagh. In one minor game after half-time, just like his nephew Marty does now, Leonard Mc Grath won the ball from the throw-in and raced soloing towards his own goals with everyone from Edemey screaming STOP Leonard and he only twigged on about the 14 yard line as he was about to blast a shot for goal and turned back laughing.

I remember well the day we were playing up in Belcoo. Fergus O'Donnell was in goals and Belcoo lofted in a high ball. Fergus looked round to see where it had gone and it came back of the crossbar, hit him on the side of the jaw and flew into the goals. Fonsie Mc Kenna was playing in his customary position at corner back and he came storming over and cuffed the lugs off poor Fergus who promptly huffed, lifted the ball and went over to the hedge behind the goals and sat on the ball As there was only one ball at the game the referee had to coax Fergus to give the ball back so the game could continue.

Tournament games were even more fun than league or championship fare and I remember a squad of us heading off to Aghyaran in Tommy Moohan's van and stopping at Eileen Mc Gee's for 50p of petrol. Eileen asked where we were going and on being informed, retorted "more power to your wee feet" which of course became the catch cry for many's the day after that We won that tournament and returned exhausted in the wee small hours and not just from the football as Colette Maguire, then Colette Lynch of Castlederg, will testify to.

Another famous catch cry was prompted from Brendan Gallagher's chidings to his team mates "Come on Ederney Start Jumping". This will be fondly remembered by all those on the famous club trip to Salthill in the late seventies as hordes of Ederney players dashed into the Marineland swimming pool holding their noses and roaring "Come on Ederney Start Jumping".

As we reminisce here tonight, I also recall a chastening experience at the hands of our local weekly sports paper. Everyone of us will admit to the thrill of seeing in print the story of how we performed as a team and more importantly, if we are honest, as individuals the previous weekend. Well Edemey were drawn against a very strong Enniskillen Gaels outfit in the 1977 Senior Championship (who went on to win the title) powered by county players, Scan Sheridan, Aiden Lunny, Kieran Corrigan, Jimmy Cleary, Gerry Burns, (Greg Kelly was part of that team too) and Phil Sheridan. Phil the county keeper was fond of a bet and he wagered me that Ederney would not score a goal against him that day. I of course couldn't back down in the iace of such a challenge and took him on. I remember Dessie Cassidy was the manager at that time and Kevin Cassidy and myself played mid-field on the day. With five minutes left things were looking bad as the Gaels were well ahead and time was running out for goalless Edemey. In such dire circumstances I decided to take things into my own hands fielded the next kick-out soloed up the field and planted a right foot pile-driver into the corner of Phil's goal. Not satisfied with that I caught the next ball and raced in again to drive a left foot screamer into the other corner of the goal. Delighted with my performance and having won the bet I awaited eagerly the match report in next Wednesday's Herald. Damien Campbell duly recounted the tale of Enniskillen's facile victory and ended by lauding the exploits of Ederney's fight-back hero who banged in two great goals, "Joe Leonard". I could have burned the Herald down in anger, such was my disappointment.

The other milestone to which Danny referred to in 1979 was of course the securing of the club's 3r Intermediate Championship suitably capping our jubilee year and I was privileged to captain the team to victory against Enniskillen on a score line of 1 -12 to 3-2. The team that day was Denis McGee, Brian Nugent, Gerry Mc Donagh, Tommy Moohan, Aiden Cunningham, Myself, Liam McLaughlin, Kevin Cassidy, Adrian Mc Gee, Paul Mc Donagh, Phillip Meehan, Cormac Mc Manus, Benny Gillen, Mickey McCauley, Fr. Pat Mc Hugh, Noel Mc Donagh, Scan Gillen, Hugh McManus and Levinus Gillen. A penalty save by Denis McGee, a Fr Pat Mc Hugh goal and a powerhouse midfield display from county player Kevin Cassidy ensuring success. Aiden Cunningham trained us hard all that year and I think the only defeat we had came in the league final play-off when Aghadrumsee pipped us in the last few minutes.

Aiden moved to Lisnaskea the following year but the fruits of his hard work were reaped the next year under joint player managers, Eugene Gilroy and Benny Gillen when the team recorded memorable wins in the Senior Championship over St. Pat's and Devenish the latter by 1 - 9 to 1 - 8 in a replay, before going down in the semi- final to a goal blitz from eventual champions Lisnaskea

The 1980's will probably be remembered more for club activity off the field than for it's playing exploits. A committee chaired by Fr Pat Mc Hugh was formed in 1981 to improve club facilities culminating in the purchase of new grounds at the present 10-acre site in the village acquired from former chairman Patsy Cassidy for the favourable sum of Ł20,000.

Fund-raising obviously played a major role in club affairs including the famous walk to Dublin in August 1981, which raised Ł4,000. One of those walkers is wont at times, when we shall say he is in more talkative mode, to insist "Mulligan I did the whole walk to Dublin " to-night I would like to show conclusively that, "I was there, Did that, Wore the T-Shirt!" It would hardly fit me now!

Fund raising then also included the weekly bingo in St Joseph 's Hall and the three winters of house "25 card plays" run by Danny Gormley, Benny Gillen and Francie Corry. In 1983 "The Moss" was sold to current Asssistant Secretary, Eugene Mc Hugh at auction by local auctioneer and founder member Johnny Monaghan, By the end of Cuman LuthCleas Gael centenary year, 1984, the club had fully paid for it's new grounds and was ready to move to the next phase.

Over the latter part of the 1980's with massive input from the likes of Brian Mc Hugh, Dessie Cassidy, Brendan Gallagher, Malachy Mc Aleer of Omagh, Francie Corry, Benny Gillen, Brian Nugent, Eugene Gilroy, Liam Mc Laughlin, Henry Forrest and numerous others ( as Danny said it's difficult to mention any and not leave someone out so apologies in advance) the club completed a spanking new Prunty sand-carpet pitch and new dressing room complex which was officially opened by Fr Dan Gallogly, Chairman of the Ulster Council on 30 April 1989, referred to by Charlie Mulgrew earlier.

Sadly only four months later the club was stunned by the death of it's hard working secretary and lifetime stalwart Francie Corry. The work of the club was destined to continue however and the following year Francie's wife Vera assembled a hard-working team of ticket sellers, including many lady members, and ably assisted by Pat Kelly and Claude Maguire of the Corner Bar and all the club members of that time they launched the highly successful 52 week Ł50 ticket draw which raised over Ł100,000 and completely cleared the financial deficit involved in the club's huge new park development.

On the playing side of things Ederney became famous for it's outstanding primary school hurling exploits under the expert coaching of Red Joe Maguire. The Juniors were held together mainly through the efforts of Hugh Mc Manus another Gael who along with his neighbour Tommy Farmer devoted a lifetime of service to the club.

The Senior footballers were to end the decade on a high note again in 1989 winning the Intermediate Championship under player manager Nicky Beacom when we defeated Brookeboro in Brewster Park. The lineout being Francie Gallogly, Sean Mc Grath, Brendan Maguire, Aiden Cassidy, Noel Mc Donagh, Michael Mc Cauley (Captain), Myself, Nickey Beacom, Eugene McDonagh, Joe Colton, James Mc Laughlin, Gerard Hegarty, Kevin Gormley, Finbar McGrath, Conor Cony, Sean Gillen, Seamus McDonnell and Levinus Gillen.

I remember that game very well because we got off to the worst possible start. When we were in the process of re-shuffling our defence to deploy me on Brookeboro sharp shooter Arthur Mulligan he had the ball in the Ederney net inside the first minute. Happily however he was well curtailed after that and with the help of a Finbar Mc Grath goal Ederney went on to lift the title. Finbar and James Mc Lauglin were featuring on the Fermanagh minor side and with a raft of younger players coming through to carry the flag into the nineties and beyond it was time for some of us older hands to make way.

It would be remiss in recounting club activities in this era not to mention Camogie, which flourished in the club between 1970 and 1977 supported by Fr Dawson who was heavily involved in football affairs as well during his years in Culmaine. Unforunately he cannot be with us tonight as he is going for and operation next week and we wish him a speedy recovery. Geraldine Mc Grath, Colette Mc Veigh, the Farmer girls, The Carrons, Mc Donaghs to name but a few all helped to put the club on the map in Fermanagh bringing silverware home in 1972 and '76.

To conclude I would say to the younger players here tonight is that for me nothing beats the buzz of playing Gaelic football. I moved on to coaching for the next decade or so and helped manage a number of Ederney teams which I was delighted to do but the playing of the game certainly brought the most fun and friendships and hopefully will too for you players and for many Ederney gaels in generations to come.

How the youth set-up has changed within Fermanagh since even my day!! Under 12 football for my colleagues and I involved one blitz in September. I'm so glad (and jealous) that now there is an organised league for this age group as well as even an organised set-up for Under 10 footballers! This can only be a positive for the future of the great game.

One of the first great stories of my youth football career actually involved my late Great Uncle Fr John Eves. He was on a visit to Ireland and was living with us. One morning I got up for school and was leaving with my football bag. Fr John asked me what the bag was for and i replied that I had it because we where going to a blitz that day!! Now, Fr John was a navy man so his idea of a blitz was a bit different to mine!! He marched straight up to the primary school and had a war of words with Mrs Corry!! He could not believe that the school would send out such young 'men' to battle!! Thankfully, Mrs Corry managed to explain the situation to Fr John. He could then go on his way and say morning mass happy in the knowledge than his great nephew was not going out to battle in the trenches!

My first taste of proper organised Gaelic Football was at U.14 level. Playing alongside such icons as Paul Baxter, Tony McGrath and Rory Maguire. We just missed out on the league final that year and had a 1pt defeat in the championship to Derrygonnelly. Declan McKeever being on holiday did not help us. Under the management of Anthony Mulligan (my best coach at club underage level) I played at corner forward and a certain young Marty McGrath was in the other corner starting out on his glittering career that has yet some way to go and more excellence to offer.

The next year at U.14 was poor. I blame the parents! There cant have been too much flirtation happening in Ederney 12/14 years beforehand because there was a severe shortage of players! There were only 11 in my primary school class, this included four girls! Anyway this year only myself, Marty and Decky McKeever were survivors of the previous year! age requirements meant we lost some of the older lads the likes of Donal Gormley and Aidan Monaghan.

Our next and final year of under 14 resulted in the most enigmatic display of any team I have been involved with. It was an unforgettable journey however for all concerned.

Our U.16 play that year was the same as my first experience of U.14 basically the same team and the same results, just missed out on a league final and an early championship exit. This was under the guidance of Finbar McGrath. I haven’t heard too much of Finbar in a coaching capacity since, perhaps he got injured at the coaching course!!

As for the enigmatic under 14's we got beaten heavily in every league game. Our smallest margin of defeat being 12 pts.

Then came B Championship time. We all signed Pact going into this campaign that Anthony Mulligan’s pep talks would never be publicised. We should have bottled them, they would be worth quite an amount nowadays!

We played the quarter final Vs Aughdrumsee who defeated us at their place in the league. Tempo was the venue we scored a handsome victory! 13-17 1-05.

Inspired by Marty McGrath, who would go from strength to strength as a result of this match, we got revenge. The man mountain that is Gerard Mulligan at centre half back snuffed out the oppositions main threat, Mr Toye, out of the game thus laying the foundation for our achievement. a young Conor 'porky' McGrath treated himself to an insane amount of scores. the big talk that night in the 'Corner bar' was whether or not this was the next batch of McGrath talent coming through???

Semi final took us again to Tempo on a Saturday morning at 11am. Thankfully we were all U.14, this meant we were able to get up at this time and have a clear head!! Our opposition was Maguiresbridge. yours truly found himself very motivated for this game as it presented some family rivalry. Maguiresbridge beat us by 17 pts in the league fixture at St Josephs Park...that didn’t matter, Anthony was about to deliver 'the speech'!

I believe we won that day by about 18 pts. Angela McGrath provided the half time refreshment...Fanta!! It was party time, we were on the verge of our first ever final!

That man mountain, Gerard 'minnow' Mulligan, again took care of the oppositions main talisman Barry Rice. Martin McGrath and Damien McKeever manned the midfield. Porky was his usual lethal self. The one bad point of the victory was the injury sustained by Micky Lawn, it meant he would have to leave the showpiece in Brewster against Belcoo early. A blow. Anyone who knows me knows that I marked my dear cousin Niall that day. Very sweet victory indeed! i helped myself to a personal tally of 4-5!! Finally I had bragging rites! I made sure he would never mark me again!!

The final was horrid. My lowest point in football, proof that fairytales don’t happen all the time!! Not only was i sporting the worst hairstyle ever known to man but I also got sent off. First half went great, Screeny helping himself to a great goal that made the Belcoo keeper (now their big hard man full forward) cry!! We went in at half time leading 1-05 0-01. The less said about the 2nd half the better! Beaten by 4pts. Tireless work that day by Emmett McHugh, Luke Taggart, Gerard Mulligan and Damien Cassidy almost got us to the promised land but it wasn’t to be. What an experience though!!

We would have to wait a while for our first underage success. At U.16 we had a much improved league performance but in our last game, one we had to win against Enniskillen B, a number of our players were below par because it was a Friday nite. There was party before the match! And so the days of playing GAA with a hangover would begin for this crop of players!

In minor football we had some of our friends from Kesh and Pettigo join our squad to help boost the numbers because of the scarcity of players in our age group!! Cross Community at its strongest!

We collected our first honours, league and B Championship victories very comfortably. A friendly against Enniskillen, the county champions, was challenged but turned down by the townies!!

One of our finals that year has gone down in infamy unfortunately however, for all the wrong reasons!! There was a mass brawl between the two teams. However this was ended in an hilarious manner due to one of the Ederney fans who will remain nameless (Donal Gormley!) coming down from the seating to keep the peace only to get tangled up climbing over the wire in St Molaise and falling to the ground foot stuck in the wire!! Good man Bla!

The next year saw us retain our league title against Kinawley. Who then beat us in the B Championship final. This particular game was a mess! There was vomiting and own goals. The fact that the game was played at 11am on a Sunday morning may have been the reason for this debacle!

I am glad that since then all our underage teams are learning from our mistakes and are proving to be a huge success story for our club! As long as this continues to be the case we will hopefully have to start building a trophy cabinet.

Being young is all about learning and having fun. Being a member of St Josephs allowed me to tick both of these boxes. It is testament to the club all this success the teams within the club are having, notably the senior teams achievements this year. This all came from a good youth structure that has been installed.

It is also refreshing to see some of the senior players coming out to lend a hand in coaching and to offer their support to any team playing for the club. I remember when I was playing underage and being in awe of some of the senior players. Then to see them coming out to watch you playing it was an extra boost to your performance and added incentive to do well for yourself but more importantly the club! I would always urge the adult players to if not help coach, go otu ad watch the games of the other teams within the club. One for all and all for one! After the senior teams achievements this year they are all 'football icons' for the youth so there presence at the youth games could spur the kids on to great things!!

Looking at the squad lists for all St Joseph teams this season I am looking forward to hearing of some more silverware being collected.

To the senior and Junior squad I extend all my best wishes to y’all this year. Keep building on the success gained each year, I am sure the season will soon be beginning in earnest so lets hope division 1 status can be secured and Who knows how far we can go in intermediate championship this year!!