Castleblayney Hurling celebrates past & present
Castleblayney Hurling decked out the Glencarn Hotel in the green & gold on Saturday night 2nd March as players, families & friends gathered in their finery to acknowledge the past, celebrate the present & look forward to the future.
2023 saw the hurling club crowned Ulster Junior club champions progressing to an All Ireland semi-final in early December, so what’s not to celebrate about that! We also took the opportunity to mark the 70 years since the club was re-formed in 1954, were it not for the efforts of those men back in 1954 on and off the field, we might not be here today.
Senior Manager, Kevin Moloney acted as MC for the evening, with David Connolly conducting the commemoration of the 1954 committee, while Chairman Paddy McArdle extended a warm welcome to us all, but in particular to our invited guests who included Leas Uachtarán Chomhairle Uladh, Michael Geoghegan & Chairman of Monaghan county Board, Declan Flanagan.
Our guests of honour were family members of the founding committee, some of whom were represented by their great grandchildren now playing with the juveniles of the club, linking past, present & future. David Connolly took us through a brief history of each committee member & in many cases gave us a personal account of the person’s involvement. The committee was as follows:
Chairman: Paddy McEneaney (D. 28th July 1975) was referred to by Terry Connolly as “hurling’s pioneer in Castleblayney”, as the “Attorney General” of the hurling club and “a true blue GAA man”. Paddy was a link to the old hurling club of 1928 as a player, attending his first county board meeting as club representative in 1929, promoting both hurling and football interests for over 40 years. He served Blayney hurling committee as chairman in 1954, 1955 and 1956 and later as vice-chairman, joint treasurer and assistant treasurer. Paddy also served as Monaghan Hurling Board secretary and registrar and along with Christy Fisher was county board delegate to Annual Congress for over 20 years. He was chairman and vice-chairman of the Mid-Ulster Hurling League. Paddy refereed hurling games over many years. Paddy had the foresight to establish a second hurling club in Blayney from 1960-1965 to give games to young players in the town and set an example to other clubs in the county. He was a promoter of the Irish language and spoke of hurling as the noble game of the Red Branch Knights. His son Nicholas graced the hurling fields, and now his great grandson Luka Fitzpatrick is the fourth generation to play with the club.
Vice chairman: Eddie Murphy (11th November 1923-30th May 2010) was synonymous with Hurling and Camogie in Castleblayney. Eddie was prominent as both an official and playing member of Castleblayney Hurling Club when it was reestablished in 1954. Eddie was vice-chairman in 1954, 1955 and 1956 and then chairman for 17 years. He was also on the county hurling committee. As a player, Eddie won Senior Hurling Championship titles in 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1962 (with Blayney Eire Og who he captained) and Mid Ulster Town League titles in 1958 and 1959. Eddie also played on the county senior hurling team and was part of many management teams for both club and county. When Eddie’s playing career finished he took up refereeing and for many years refereed at county and inter-county level in both football and hurling including the Ulster U-21 Hurling Final between Antrim and Down in Casement Park.
Terry Connolly in 1961 said that “all through the years since the club was revived, he had been the rock on which it had stood, and the club was indeed lucky to have him at the helm.” In 1965, Terry called him “a tower of strength.” Eddie’s love and passion for sport was such that it didn’t matter to him what sport was in question, he just wanted to be involved and to encourage and enable others to be involved also.
Secretary & PRO: Terry Connolly (3rd Aug 1934-5th Dec 2008) was club secretary and PRO in 1954. He served as club, secretary for 18 years, vice secretary for seven years, treasurer for 3 years, county board delegate and later club president and club Hall of Fame recipient. On the Monaghan Hurling Board, Terry was secretary for 18 years and vice-chairman for one year. When the North Eastern League Committee was established, Terry served as secretary for a number of years. He was an active hurling referee for many a year. On the playing field, Terry captained the team to championships in 1955, 1957, 1958 and 1959 and was player manager in 1974, 1977 and 1979. He won 2 Mid-Ulster Ulster Leagues in 1958/1959 and in 1974 was selected as the County Senior Hurler of the Year, having previously won the 1971 Ulster Junior Hurling Championship. (First Monaghan team to do so.) Terry represented Ulster in the Railway Cup in 1963 against a Christy Ring led Munster and scored a goal at corner forward. Team mate Jimmy Holohan from Kilkenny said “Terry could hold his own with anyone in the country.”
Assistant Secretary: Mick Finn (15th January 1919-5th February 1968) was from Rathangan in Co. Kildare. He drove turf lorries to Castleblayney where he met his future wife and later worked as foreman in the seed factory and later as caretaker of the Embassy Ballroom. Mick was vice-secretary in 1954 and chairman in 1956 and chairman of Blayney Eire Og Hurling Club in 1960 and 1961. Mick was noted as a goalkeeper with the senior hurling team in 1954 and the championship winning team of 1955, county finalist in 1956 and championship winning team of 1957. Mick added 2 Mid Ulster Leagues in 1958 and 1959 and 2 Monaghan championships in 1958 and 1959. He was a county forward in 1960. Mick served on the county hurling board committee in 1956 and was also a county team selector.
Treasurer: 1954 Founding Committee: Tom Hughes (20th October 1937-17th February 2016) from Main St. Castleblayney was treasurer on the 1954 committee. Meetings took place in different venues such as Peter Connolly’s Grocery Shop on Main St., Mick Finn’s house, Terry Connolly’s flat on Main St. and Eddie Murphy’s house. There wasn’t any money to start with and Tom Hughes started a club draw. “It was 6 pence a week, £1 for winner, 10 shillings for runner-up. The club got £4 or £5 in pocket a week.” At meetings Tom used to take out a cigarette packet and start writing the figures. As a player, Tom was the club senior goalkeeper in 1955 and on the county panel in 1955. Tom was a GAA supporter all his life.
Committee member: Maurice Drumm (27th April 1928-9th March 1983) was on the 1954, 1955, 1957 and 1967 hurling club committee, serving as joint-treasurer in 1956. In 1965, Maurice was vice-chairman of the Castleblayney Eire Og Hurling Club. On the playing field, he was a forward on the 1954, 1955 and 1956 senior hurling team, winning a championship in 1955. In 1959, Maurice won a championship and Mid-Ulster league medal. In the club run Juvenile Street League of 1959, Maurice was a team mentor along with his teammate Paddy Irwin.
Committee Member: Hugh McKenna (B. 23rd August 1934) is currently living in Tralee, Co. Kerry. His father, Hugh Senior was on the old hurling club committee in 1945 and 1946. Hugh junior served on the HC committee in 1954 and 1955. Hugh was a right half back in the 1955 championship winning team and was goalkeeper for the 1956 final, the 1957 final win, the 1958 keeper in 1957. Hugh was a man for the stage and acted as compere of the Down Express at the Lyric Theatre in 1958 and many other shows, dinner dances, fundraisers etc. Hugh emigrated to England in September 1960, before returning to Dublin and now Tralee.
Committee Member: Tommy Nolan (5th April 1935-5th December 1976) was one of three Nolan brothers from Callan, Kilkenny who lined out for Blayney hurling in the 1950s and 1960s. Tommy worked as a railway clerk in Castleblayney and played with Keady and Armagh before Blayney Hurling Club reformed in 1954. Tommy served on the club committee in 1954, 1955, 1956, 1961 and as joint treasurer in 1957. He played for the county and was selector in 1956 and later served on the county hurling board committee. He was honoured to be selected as an Ulster Railway Cup reserve in 1960 and as a full forward on the Ulster team in 1961, playing alongside his brother Edward (Eddie, Ned) who was representing Donegal at the time. Tommy played midfield on the 1955 championship winning team, full back on the 1957 winning team and on the championship and Mid Ulster winning teams of 1958 and 1959.
Committee Member: Tommy Farrell (March 1929-3rd March 1998) served on the 1954 committee. Along with his cousin Gerry Farrell, Tommy had a great interest in GAA in the town. Tommy was a forward on the 1954 team and the 1955 championship winning team.
Committee Member: John “Corker” Daly (25th August 1911-29th August 1979) was from Drumcrew and later Concra and worked for the Dept. of Forestry. He was a link to the old hurling club. He played hurling with Castleblayney in the 1930s, 1940s and won a championship with Blayney in 1955. He was a member of the local defence forces, Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil (FCA) and received a certificate for his services during the National Emergency from 1939-1946. He attended the Monaghan Convention on behalf of the club in 1940. John served on the reestablished hurling committee from 1954 to 1960. He was a vice chairman in 1957 and 1958 of Blayney Faughs Hurling Club and vice chairman of Blayney Eire Og Hurling Club in 1960 and 1961. He served on the Mid Ulster Hurling league committee in 1957. John emigrated to Derby, England in late 1960 and worked for British Rail.
Each family member received a commemorative plaque designed & made by Brian McGuigan, Crafty Owl Productions.
After a superb meal served up by The Glencarn, next up was the presentation of medals to the players by Declan Flanagan & Michael Geoghegan, both of whom shared their words of wisdom & encouragement. MC & Senior Manager, Kevin took the opportunity to catch up with some of the players, he hadn’t seen in a while! Winding up the formal part of the evening, Chairman Paddy McArdle thanked the organising committee, David Connolly for commemoration of the 1954 committee, the Glencarn Hotel, Glenn Murphy Photography, Crafty Owl Productions, Mickey McHugh for the music & all those involved with organising the night. A bouquet was presented to former club secretary, Sheila Forde for her dedicated service and work for the club, fortunately Sheila continues her involvement in the club in a different role. Former player, Mickey McHugh got the place moving & shaking and served up a treat, ably assisted by our very many talented Seniors & ex-members of that famous band, The Stick Swingers. A great night was had by all.
Family members of the 1954 committee who were present at the Dinner Dance & received a commemorative plaque
Back Row: David Connolly (Terry Connolly), Sean Hughes (Tom Hughes), Anne McKevitt (Tom Hughes), Kyeira McKevitt (Tom Hughes), Abbie McKevitt (Tom Hughes), Martina Drumm (Maurice Drumm), Bridie McGinnity (Eddie Murphy), Rachel McGaughey (Tommy Nolan), Alyssa McGaughey (Tommy Nolan), Paddy McArdle (Chairperson), Declan Connolly (Terry Connolly).
Front Row: Luke Fitzpatrick (Paddy McEneaney), Mary Callaghan (Maurice Drumm), Marita Hughes (Tom Hughes), Fr. Seamus Whelan (Hugh McKenna), Mary Murphy (Eddie Murphy), Rosaleen McPhillips (Mick Finn), Michael McPhillips (Mick Finn), Daniel McGinnity standing (Eddie Murphy).
Name in brackets is a member of the 1954 committee
Photos from the Dinner Dance & the Commemoration of the 1954 http://
Dinner Dance &1954 Commemoration
