Longford Club Names

Football

Founded in 1889. First GAA club in the parish of Abbeylara.

Played in the 1890 Senior Football Championship.

Often referred to as Ballywillan Davitts at the time, and occasionally referenced as Abbeylara Davitts which seems to be a conflation of the club name and the parish the club was located in. The club seems to have been Ballywillan Michael Davitts, not Abbeylara Davitts.

Football

This is Ballywillan Michael Davitts club renamed Faugh a’ Ballagh part-way through the unfinished 1891 Senior Football Championship.

Ballywillan Faugh a’ Ballagh played in the unfinished 1891 Senior Football Championship and in an Abbeylara tournament in 1891.

Faugh a’ Ballagh (also Fág a’ Bealach) is an old Irish battle cry which translates as ‘clear the way’.

Club was also referred to by the shorthand ‘Ballywillan Faughs’.

Hurling

Brief references found to Abbeylara hurlers and Abbeylara Davitts hurlers from 1902.

Played friendly games against Longford Leo Caseys in March 1903 and May 1903, but no games in official competition. Played Longford (Leo Caseys) on 29th March 1903 in the Park Grounds in Longford. The game ended Longford (Leo Caseys) 2-9, Abbeylara Davitts 0-0. The match report notes that it was the first game Longford Leo Caseys won since the team was started (club was formed in October 1902). The club was due to play a friendly against Longford Leo Caseys on 24th May 1903, but the game was cancelled at the last minute. No references thereafter.

No record of any competition games played.

Note: Wider context also suggests that Ballywillan Michael Davitts was also referred to as Abbeylara Davitts. 

Football

Played in competition from 1911-1920. Name found as Carra or Carragh.

Finalists in 1917 Junior competition (League-Championship).

Name briefly changed to Ballymore Gaels in 1919.

Ballymore Gaels reached Junior League-Championship final of 1920.

Name reverted back to Carra Gaels (or Carragh Gaels) shortly thereafter.

Competed intermittently in the 1920’s up to 1927. Failure to field against Granard Shamrocks in the Junior Championship of 1928 marked the demise of this club

Football

This is Carra Gaels renamed to Ballymore Gaels or Ballymore in 1919.

Reached Junior League-Championship final of 1920.

Reverted back to Carra Gaels shortly thereafter.

Football

Short lived Junior team – Played against Abbeylara in a challenge in 1917.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Club was formed in the 1930’s on the initiative of Rev. Pat McCarthy C.C. who was a playing member of a team which included Lynch, Mallon, Reilly, Malone, Fox, Donlon, Kiernan, Smallhorn and Fitzsimons names among others.

Competed briefly in Junior competition from 1935 to 1937, but faded away in the years thereafter. Many players transferred to St. Marys Granard by the end of the decade, with a number appearing on the panel of the 1941 St. Marys SFC winning side.

(St. Bernards is the name of the national school in Abbeylara and was the name used by Abbeylara underage teams until Northern Gaels club was formed in 1980’s).

Football

The ‘Abbeylara’ club name first appears briefly around 1916 and 1917 in Junior ‘League-Championship’ competition. The Abbeylara club was re-organised and affiliated in 1928. The club has historic geographic ties back to the Ballywillan Michael Davitts club in the parish, but no direct line or continuity was found between the two beyond the fact that both existed at different times within the parish of Abbeylara.

Abbeylara quickly went into decline after 1928, replaced in the locality by the Ballywillan St. Bernards club before returning briefly in 1940 after the Ballywillan St. Bernards club folded. The club lapsed again soon after and was reformed and affiliated in 1946, winning the Junior Championship & Junior League titles that year.

Abbeylara was amalgamated with St. Marys Granard as ‘United Gaels’ in Senior from 1947 to 1948.

By 1949 the amalgamation was disbanded and Abbeylara was affiliated separately again.

In 1953 Abbeylara was amalgamated with Mullinalaghta as ‘United Gaels’. This amalgamation also included some St. Mary’s players as the St. Mary’s club was inactive at the time. The amalgamation lasted for one season.

Abbeylara went into decline following the end of the United Gaels amalgamation at the end of 1953 and competed on and off throughout the 1950’s. A notice appeared in the Granard notes in January 1960 of a meeting to be held on January 22nd and that “the purpose of the meeting will be to form a GAA Parish club”. Abbeylara is noted as re-organised and back in competition in Junior League in February 1960 against Éire Óg (Drumlish). The match preview notes that Abbeylara had re-organised after a lapse of two years.

Affiliated as a Junior Club with the County Committee, the club struggled initially to make the breakthrough in the 1960’s. Following hearthbreak defeats in the Junior Championships of 1966 and 1968 (after a replay), the long awaited success arrived in 1973 after a wait of twenty one years. Now in Intermediate ranks for the first time in its history, the club contested nine Intermediate Championship Finals between 1974 and 1994, achieving honours in 1976, 1985, 1987, 1991 and 1994 and being runners up in 1974 (after a replay), 1986 (after a replay), 1988 and 1989. A new milestone was reached in 1995 when the club entered Senior ranks and over the intervening twenty-one years it has held its own with the top teams in the County and despite setbacks has retained its Senior status ever since. The club won the Senior Football Championship in 2000 and 2006 and won Leader Cup victories in 1998, 2000, 2004 and 2009.

Types of Championship titles won as Abbeylara:

• Senior Football Championship
• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)
• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship
• Under 21 Football Championship

Football

Founded in 1889. Played in 1890 & unfinished 1891 Senior Championships.

Prior to the foundation of the GAA, football activity was recorded in the district known as the ‘old road’, comprising mainly of the townlands of Lisiniskey, Oldtown, Ballinruddy, Keelogues and Drimroe. With the official formation of the Ardagh St. Patricks club in 1889 the centre of activity seems to have shifted to the Loughill area with the Baxter and Farrell families much to the fore. The first club chairman was Patrick Baxter of Grillagh, secretary was Charlie Baxter, Treasurer was Thomas Hanley and team captain was Thomas Keenan. The above list of officers are contained in an extract from the R.I.C Crimes Special Branch papers in the state Paper office in Dublin Castle for the year 1890. It further states the approximate number of members for the club was 30 and that none of the above named were suspected of IRB membership.

The club can be found in friendly games in early 1890 and competed in the 1890 Senior Football Championship, defeating Newtowncashel in the first round by 0-2 to 0-0 at Kenagh. Ardagh were beaten later on in the competition by Rathcline in what the Longford Leader briefly describes as a controversial game. Amongst the early players on the Ardagh team were names such as Baxters, Halligans, Keenans, Peter Farrell, Cartrongarrow, Leaveys from the Ferefad area and the ‘old road’ area represented by the Keenans (Keenas), ‘Seery’ Jones from Ballinruddy and the ‘Jowler’ Keegan.

Ardagh St. Patricks is found in local tournaments up to 1896, including against Carrickedmond and Cartron Emeralds in tournaments and challenges in May 1896. The club is found again in May 1903 playing Longford Shamrocks. Ardagh are beaten by Longford Leo Caseys in a tournament game in November 1904 and the club played a number of friendly matches in the opening years of the 20th Century. The club competed in the 1904 Senior Football Championship when GAA was revived in Longford and is also found in tournaments during these years. Cited in a tournament at Longford in August 1907, drawing with Longford Leo Caseys (0-6 each).

Ardagh St. Patricks competed in the League-Championship of 1916 which eventually concluded in March 1917 with Granard Shamrocks beating Ardagh St. Patricks in the League-Championship final by 0-2 to 0-1. This was sometimes claimed as the 1916 Senior Football Championship final, but was in fact the League-Championship final. Some prior records also claim Ardagh won the 1916 SFC title, but available evidence doesn’t support this claim.

The club re-organised in 1924-25 and is noted as revived and affiliated again in 1931 while records show the club was in active competition for most of the time from 1927 to 1944, with a notice appearing in the Longford Leader in March 1938 of a meeting in Glen School to organise the Ardagh Football Club. The club won the Senior Championship for the first time in 1936 and following that up with a second title in 1942 (with help of some Whiterock Slashers players who joined the Ardagh team in 1942). The club went into decline thereafter, and the efforts of Sonny Trautt and Frank Regan helped form a Minor Club in 1945, before the adult club re-emerged and reached the Junior Championship final in 1949 and won the Junior Championship title in 1954, making a return to Senior Football from 1955, reaching the County Final and winning the Leader Cup that year.

Ardagh St. Patricks won the Junior Football Championship in 1927, 1930, 1934, 1949 & 1954, Intermediate Football Championship in 1971, 2006 and 2013, Senior Football Championship in 1978 & 1987 and Leader Cup in 1955 & 1993.

In 2016, Ardagh St. Patricks and Moydow Harpers formed a temporary amalgamation to complete jointly in competition. This amalgamation lasted from 2016 to end of 2018. Ardagh St. Patricks united with Moydow Harpers to create the Ardagh Moydow club in January 2019 (📷 Link).

(Note: Longford Yearbook 1980/81 claims that Ardagh St. Brigids was the first club in the parish, and played Newtowncashel in the ‘Championship’ in 1888. However no proof can be found to support this claim and no championship competition was played in 1888. Furthermore, GAA Annuals from the 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s as well as local media rolls of honour from 1933 & 1944 shows Ardagh St. Brigids winning Senior & Junior Championship titles in 1916, however the available records disprove this position)

Key titles won as Ardagh St. Patricks:

• Senior Football Championship
• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)
• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship

Football

Founded in 1889 (reputedly by Leitrim school teacher Michael Guihan). Also referred to as Moydow Irish Harpers.

Earliest football played at Toneen, Auganaspic in a field at the crossroads adjacent to today’s GAA pitch in Moydow. The club was named after the ‘Ancient Irish Harpers’ who were considered professionals of the highest order and found patrons in Gaelic aristocracy and later Norman Irish families.

The club can be found in friendly games in early 1890. On 27th April 1890 a tournament game was arranged in Kenagh, involving Carrickedmond O’Connells & Moydow Harpers. Moydow won by 1-5 to 0-0. This game was marked by an injury to a player (Dowd from Moydow) who broke his leg in kicking a ball around before the game started. This is thought to be the first accident on a Gaelic field in Longford.

Moydow Harpers played in the 1890 Senior Football Championship in March 1890 and competed in the unfinished 1891 Senior Football Championships too. In September 1890 Moydow Irish Harpers played in a tournament in Lanesboro together with Clough Dillons, Ballymacormack Grattans, Newtowncashel Sons of St. Kieran, Rathcline John Martins & Killashee John Mitchells.

The club is cited later in May 1903 in a game versus Ballymacormack Grattans. The club is mentioned again in a game against Clough Dillons in 1905 and can be found in active competition in 1912 and 1913. No mention thereafter until 1923 when the club is reported as affiliated again, and noted as affiliated in 1924 too. Club appeared to lapse soon thereafter and was reformed and affiliated again in 1937 and back on the playing fields in 1938, winning the clubs first title (Junior Championship) in 1939. During this period, club affiliations are noted in 1923, 1938-42, 1946-47 and 1950-51.

Club went into decline for a long period after 1951 and was reformed in December 1975 by a group comprising Micko Doyle, PJ McDermott, Seamus Kenny and John Donlon. The club was back in active competition from 1976. Moydow Harpers won the Junior Football Championship in 1939, 1986 & 2011.

In 2016, Moydow Harpers and Ardagh St. Patricks formed a temporary amalgamation to complete together in competition. This amalgamation lasted from 2016 to end of 2018. Moydow Harpers united with Ardagh St. Patricks to create the Ardagh Moydow club in January 2019 (📷 Link).

Key titles won as Moydow Harpers:

• Junior Football Championship

Football

Name appeared briefly in January 1898 in a challenge game between the Longford Light Blues and Moydow St. Patricks.

The match report noted the following…. “The visitors were ‘not in it’, with the locals, two of whom, Messrs Williams and Shields, displayed the highest scientific ability. The game was splendidly contested from the start. When the whistle sounded for half time the game stood Longford 1 goal and 1 point, Moydow Nil. In the second half things fared worse for the visitors, the score at the end being Longford 3 goals and 1 point, Moydow Nil. Everything passed off most pleasantly, the duties of the referee being ably and fairly discharged by M. Devlin”. 

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Recorded as playing against Ardagh St. Patricks in 1903 (non-competitive).

May have been a short lived Junior team.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Junior team recorded in challenge game in 1905.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Cited briefly in 1906 in a game against Manor Erins from Edgeworthstown. Based in Treel in the Foxhall area of Ardagh.

Played challenge game against Longford Shamrocks in 1907 as ‘Ardagh Davitts’.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Formed on 13th January 2019 when Ardagh St. Patricks and Moydow Harpers united (📷 Source).

This is the newest GAA club in County Longford.

Football

Founded in February 1889 (3rd club founded in the county after Granard Healy’s and Longford Davitts). Named after William O’Brien, the Nationalist M.P. from Cork who was imprisoned in Clonmel at that time. P. Noonan was Hon Secretary and W.J. Brown and Dan Molloy were noted as members. Also referred to as Ballymahon William O’Briens. This was the first club in the Ballymahon area.

The officers elected in 1889 were: Chairman – Joe Cox, Secretary – James Mulvihill, Treasurer – James Farrell, Committee – Thomas Geraghty, J. Bolger, J. Butler, P. Newman, Henry Cowper, T. Carrigy, E. O’Hara and J. Yorke.

First recorded in action against the Longford Davitts club in a challenge game played on the fair green in Ballymahon on 24th February 1889, which seems to have been the first match played under GAA rules in Longford. The return game was played in Longford on 24th march 1889. We find Ballymahon O’Briens and Carrickedmond O’Connells playing a Junior challenge in February 1893.

No record of any competition games played.

The club merged with Shrule Leos to form the Ballymahon Leos club in 1890.

Football

Founded in 1890. Played in 1890 Senior Football Championship.

Merged with Ballymahon O’Briens to form Ballymahon Leos in 1890.

The Leo name was in honour of John Keegan Casey (aka Leo Casey) who was an Irish poet, orator and republican who was famous as the writer of the song “The Rising of the Moon” and as one of the central figures in the Fenian Rising of 1867. He lived for many years in Gurteen, near Ballymahon.

Football

Formed in late 1890 when Shrule Leos and Ballymahon O’Briens united.

Ballymahon Leo’s held the first meeting of their ‘newly organised club’ on 6^th October 1890. Officials elected included Michael Finn as President, James Delany as Vice President, J. Mulvihill as Secretary, J. Farrell as Treasurer and Charles Reynolds was appointed Captain.

Charles Reynolds had previously applied to have the name of Shrule Leos changed to Ballymahon O’Briens at the County Board meeting in October 1890 as members of the latter had now joined the Leo’s. After an argument, the combination name of Ballymahon Leo’s was agreed to.

Ballymahon Leo’s played Newtowncashel St. Kierans in a local tournament in December 1890.

Leo’s entered the unfinished 1891 Senior Championship, but didn’t compete in it.

No record of any competition games played as Ballymahon Leo’s.

Club name was later extended to Ballymahon Leo Caseys.

Football

Ballymahon Emmets appeared briefly in 1896. May have been Junior.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Gurteen briefly field a team in 1897.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Recorded in the 1905 Senior Football Championship. No record thereafter.

Football

Recorded in 1905. May have been a short lived Junior team.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Played Granard Shamrocks in a challenge in February 1905 (earliest mention).

Also played Kilcommock St. Patricks in a challenge match in 1905.

Played county champions Killoe in a tournament at Longford in August 1907. Final score was Killoe Young Emmets 3-11, Ballymahon Inny Rovers 0-3.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Organised in 1906 and were to play in 1907 championship but pulled out.

Recorded as re-organised in 1908 and playing up to 1909.

A notice of the club’s meeting in 1907 was titled ‘Ballymahon Gaels’, so seems club was referenced as either Ballymahon Gaels or Goldsmith Gaels. 

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Ballymahon Hazelites was a short-lived Junior team.

Played Moate Emmets in a local challenge in 1908.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Junior team that were in training in 1908 and 1909.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

This appears to be the Ballymahon Leo’s club with a slightly longer name. This name was in honour of John Keegan Casey (aka Leo Casey) who was an Irish poet, orator and republican who was famous as the writer of the song “The Rising of the Moon” and as one of the central figures in the Fenian Rising of 1867. He lived for many years in Gurteen, near Ballymahon.

Ballymahon Leo Casey’s beat Athlone in a local challenge in November 1909.

Ballymahon Leo Caseys (sometimes cited as Shrule Leo Caseys) also referenced in 1919 and also in mid to late 1920’s and is noted as reformed in 1936-37.

The ‘Leo Caseys’ club name was still in use by the Ballymahon club up to 1942. Ballymahon dropped ‘Leo Caseys’ from the name shortly after 1942. The ‘Leo Caseys’ name was retained for a while by Ballymahon underage some years later.

Football

This is Ballymahon Leo Caseys with the name shortened to Ballymahon around 1942. The ‘Ballymahon’ name was referenced much earlier in challenge games in 1909 and in competition in 1910’s (announced as re-organised in June 1913), but this was likely as shorthand for Ballymahon Leo’s at the time.

This is the same club as Ballymahon Leo’s or Ballymahon Leo Caseys, just with name changes along the way.

Ballymahon won the Junior Football Championship in 1945, 1960 & 2010, Intermediate Football Championship in 1969, 1984, 1998 & 2022, Senior Football Championship in 2002 and Leader Cup in 1960. The 1960 Leader Cup final was played between Ballymahon and Colmcille. Ballymahon had just won the Junior Football Championship and went on to win the Leader Cup (SFL) too that year, which was a unique feat for a Junior club.

Hurling

Ballymahon hurling team was cited in March 1931 when a practice game was scheduled against Drumraney.

No record of any competitive games played as Ballymahon until 1980’s when Ballymahon hurlers competed in an amalgamation with Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) in Senior Hurling Championship in 1984 & 1985 as Mostrim/Ballymahon or Edgeworthstown/Ballymahon. A few years later we see the formation of the Ballymahon Gaels hurling club.

Key titles won as Ballymahon:

• Senior Football Championship
• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)
• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship

Hurling

Hurling club was founded in 1990.

Prior to the formation of the Ballymahon Gaels hurling club, Ballymahon hurlers competed in an amalgamation with Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) in Senior Hurling Championship in 1984 & 1985 as Mostrim/Ballymahon or Edgeworthstown/Ballymahon.

Ballymahon Gaels played in an amalgamation with Cashel in Senior Hurling Championship in early 1990’s.

The club competed in Senior Hurling Championship as Ballymahon Gaels between 1999 & 2001.

Ballymahon Gaels reached the Senior Hurling Championship final in 2000 & 2001.

The club disbanded after the 2002 season.

Note: Reference can be found to ‘Ballymahon Gaels’ playing Killoe Young Emmets in September 1907, however the use of ‘Gaels’ at the time was likely a descriptor combined with a geographic reference, and likely a reference to the Ballymahon Leo’s club.

Football

Founded in 1890.

Played in 1890 Senior Championships. Entered the 1891 unfinished Championship but did not compete in it.

Carrickedmond O’Connell’s played Ardagh St. Patricks in a tournament game in May 1896.

Next noted in a challenge game in 1909 and competed in local challenge games in 1910 and later in official competition from 1925 to 1927.

Briefly amalgamated with Carrickboy in 1926.

Carrickedmond O’Connells club disbanded in 1928.

Club re-organised in 1937 as Carrickedmond O’Connells and competed until 1939, reaching the Junior League final in 1939.

Club lapsed from 1940 until 1945, returning under the shortened name Carrickedmond.

Football

Played in Junior tournament in 1915.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Referenced in a challenge game against Carra in 1922.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

St. Riochs was a separate club from the Carrickedmond O’Connells club that both preceded and succeeded it in the parish of Kenagh in the 1930’s. The club was named after St. Rioch of Inchboffin who was a brother of St. Mel of Ardagh and St. Munis of Forgney.

The club competed for two seasons from 1935 to 1936, in absence of any other club in the area.

St. Riochs disbanded after 1936 and the Carrickedmond O’Connells club reformed in 1937. St. Riochs is sometimes conflated with the O’Connells and therefore with the modern-day Carrickedmond club as all being the same club, but that was not the case. They both existed within the parish of Carrickedmond, but while O’Connells and the current Carrickedmond club are the same club (renamed), the St. Rioch’s club was a separate club unit within the parish.

Football

This is Carrickedmond O’Connells club reformed in 1945 with name shortened to Carrickedmond.

Carrickedmond was amalgamated with Kenagh as St. Martins in Junior (1971-1973) and Senior (1971-1975).

Carrickedmond club reformed and affiliated on it’s own after the St. Martins amalgamation ended.

Carrickedmond won the Junior Football Championship in 1955 & 1962, Intermediate Football Championship in 1978, 2001, 2010 &  2014 and Leader Cup (SFL) in 1956.

Key titles won as Carrickedmond:

• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)
• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship

Football

Founded in 1890.

Named after Dr. John Esmonde, a member of the United Irishmen who was hanged in 1798.

Edmondes first game was in August 1890 against Cranley Hearts of Erin.

The club played in the unfinished 1891 Senior Football Championship.

The Esmondes club name is found up to 1895, playing Edgeworthtsown Volunteers that year, and is not found thereafter as clubs folded during the lean years with no competition during the 1890’s.

(Note: Some publications claim that a club called Erins Isle was founded in 1884 and was the first club in Clonbroney parish. However no published evidence has yet been found to support this claim. It may well be that a team existed in Clonbroney bearing that name prior to the formation of the GAA in 1884, but the first club formed under GAA rules in Longford was Granard Healys in 1888 and the first GAA club in Clonbroney parish formed under GAA rules was Clonbroney Esmondes)

Football

When GAA activity restarts in Longford in 1904 after a long gap since the last official competition in 1891, the GAA club in Clonbroney parish is called Clonbroney Clan O’Farrells, though the name appears only in hurling fixtures in those early years.

Played as Clonbroney Clan O’Farrell in Senior League-Championship in 1912 and in Granard tournament in September 1912.

No trace of the name thereafter.

Hurling

Longford Leo Caseys beat Clonbroney Clan O’Farrells in a Longford Feis game in March 1905. Hurling team seemed to also be referred to as Clonbroney Hurling Club. See ‘Clonbroney’ for more details.

Football

Cited as early as 1905 as Clonbroney Camlin Rovers or Ballinalee Camlin Rovers. Club name first appears in tournaments in 1905 (including Mullinalaghta Tournament in June 1905).

Name appears later in Junior competition in 1915 and 1916 and mentioned in challenge game against Coolarty in 1916.

The Camlin Rovers name is last recorded in a local tournament in 1927 against Lislea Hebodomarians and Helvetians.

Thereafter the Camlin Rovers name appears in published records from 1925-1930 for Association Football (Soccer) and briefly for Hockey in Longford. It is not used in any contemporary GAA context relating to the 1919 SFC title win until years later in 1933 when a Rolls of Honour refer to Clonbroney Camlin Rovers as 1917 winners (year was later debunked). The Camlin Rovers name is also found in parish league in Clonbroney in 1933 and in Longford town parish league in 1940’s as well as Association Football (Soccer) at various stages for years and decades thereafter. The Camlin Rovers name re-emerged in GAA circles in Minor amalgamations in 1999 (Killoe-Ballymore) and 2000 (Killoe-Ballymore) and Juvenile amalgamation in 2000 (Clonbroney-Dromard). The name itself stems from the Camlin river, a tributary of the River Shannon and the longest river in Longford which runs through the parish. Rising near Granard, it flows through Granard, Clonbroney, Killoe and Longford parishes en-route to the Shannon. It is worth stating that contemporary reports from 1919 and the years just before and afterwards does not show Camlin Rovers as the name of the Clonbroney team that won the 1919 Senior Championship, however it may well be that the club was named Clonbroney Camlin Rovers at the time, but was not recorded as such in published media of the day.

Football

From the mid 1910’s the club in Clonbroney parish competed as ‘Clonbroney’.

The key year for Clonbroney was 1919 when the club won the Longford Senior Football Championship. Later records claim that the title was won using the, ‘Clonbroney Camlin Rovers’ name, however the ‘Camlin Rovers’ name is not actually found in any contemporary records for 1919 and only appears relative to that 1919 title some years later in a Roll of Honour published in local media in 1933. That roll contained a range of errors, not least a range of naming errors, hence is not a reliable source. All contemporary references to the winning team of 1919 show Clonbroney as the club name. The club won that 1919 Senior Football Championship by beating Killoe Young Emmets in a replay. It is reputed that Seán Connolly was captain of that winning 1919 Clonbroney team. The 1919 championship win was incorrectly referenced for many years as the 1917 title before the era of digital archives allowed for the correction of this long-standing error. The 1919 Senior Championship draw was made immediately following the completion of the delayed 1917 League-Championship final in March 1919. The county final was held on 3rd August 1919 with Clonbroney beating Killoe Young Emmets by 1-3 to 0-3 in a replay at Longford Park (later the greyhound stadium) (Source). The winning squad was: Paddy Callaghan, Seán Connolly, Charlie Miner, Peter McGrath, Michael Donohoe, Johnny Smith, James O’Connor, Harry Grier, Johnny Donohoe, Mick Kenny, Fred Browne, Tommy Connolly, Joe Donohoe, John McDowell, Pat Donohoe, John McCarthy, James Feeley and Mick Burke.

Contemporary reports from 1919 and the years just before and afterwards do not show ‘Camlin Rovers’ as the name of the Clonbroney club that won the 1919 Senior Championship, however it may well be that the club was named Clonbroney Camlin Rovers at the time, but was not recorded as such in published media of the day.

Here is a timeline of Clonbroney club for 1919-1920.

• Feb 1919: Clonbroney affiliated for the coming year.
• Apr 1919: Clonbroney met Granard in the first round of senior. Later the same month Clonbroney Juniors met their Drumlish counterparts in a challenge game.
• June 1919: Clonbroney met Ardagh in the next round of the Senior Championship. At the same time, teams are affiliating for the upcoming Junior League-Championship and Carrickathane Wolfe Tones is listed in fixtures for the first time. They are beaten by Drumlish in Round 1.
• July 1919: Clonbroney and Killoe Young Emmets draw in the Senior Football Championship final.
• Aug 1919: Clonbroney defeat Killoe in the replay to become Longford champions. In the same week Carrickathane Wolfe Tones are noted as affiliated for Round 2 of Junior competition. However when fixtures appear that month, they are not included and not recorded in fixtures for rest of 1919.
• Sep 1919: Clonbroney are awarded a walkover against Killoe in the opening round of the Senior League-Championship.
• Nov 1919: Clonbroney draw both home and away games v Columbkille in Senior League-Championship.
• Jan 1920: Clonbroney defeat Mullinalaghta in Senior League-Championship, originally fixed for November 1919.
• Mar 1920: Mullinalaghta wins the return tie. In the same week, the teams for Junior competition are listed including Carrickathane Wolfe Tones. The Carrickathane club is found in Junior League-Championship fixtures in May, June, July and August 1920, and is not found thereafter.

Clonbroney club was active in 1920 in Senior Football Championship in May and July 1920. There was no Senior League-Championship competition that year and no competition of any kind in 1921. In February 1922 Clonbroney are listed in fixtures vs Killoe Young Emmets in February and March in Senior League-Championship. Carrickathane Wolfe Tones is not found in any competition after 1920. Clonbroney club continues to appear in competition during the 1920’s, in those few years when competition took place from 1922-1926. Clonbroney took part in both Junior and Senior competitions in 1927, reaching the Senior League-Championship final in early 1928 and were beaten by Drumlish in Senior Football Championship in March 1928. The Clonbroney name remains in use throughout the rest of the 1920’s, including post a revival of the club in 1928, and Clonbroney remains the published club name in fixtures, results and reports until the end of the 1934 season. From 1935 the club name changed initially to Clonbroney Seán Connollys and then Seán Connollys thereafter.

(1919 SFC medal as provided by relative of the Clonbroney team)

Hurling

Clonbroney hurling club is recorded vs Killoe Young Emmets in the 1904 Senior Hurling Championship. Longford Leo Caseys is recorded as beating Clonbroney hurlers in a friendly hurling match held on St. Patricks Day 1905. Clonbroney hurlers were part of the St. Patricks day procession that day along with Longford Leo Caseys hurlers, Longford Leo Caseys footballers, Killoe Young Emmets hurlers and Drumlish Wolfe Tones footballers.

Key titles won as Clonbroney:

• Senior Football Championship

Football

Short lived team in 1919 & 1920 – Played in Junior competition.

June 1919: Wolfe Tones club in Carrickathane is affiliated ahead of the upcoming Junior competition and is listed for the first time in published media. They are defeated by Drumlish in Round 1.

Aug 1919: Carrickathane Wolfe Tones are noted as affiliated for Round 2 of Junior competition. However when fixtures appear that month, they are not included and are not recorded in competition for rest of 1919.

Mar 1920: Teams are listed for Junior competition including Carrickathane Wolfe Tones. The club is found in Junior League fixtures in May, June, July and August 1920.

No published record of Carrickathane Wolfe Tones after 1920.

Football

Short lived team – Likely a local league team.

Recorded playing a challenge game in 1927.

Played a local tournament in 1927 against Ballinalee (Clonbroney) Rovers and Helvetians.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Short lived team – Likely a local league team.

Helvetians were a Celtic tribe or tribal confederation occupying most of the Swiss plateau at the time of their contact with the Roman Republic in the 1st century BC.

Played a local tournament in 1927 against Ballinalee Rovers and Lislea Hebodomarians.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Published records throughout the 1920’s and early 1930’s show the club name as ‘Clonbroney’ throughout and up to the end of the 1934 season. In 1935 the club was re-organised and a new club secretary was appointed (Paddy Kenny). From this point we find the first reference to the club as Clonbroney Seán Connollys or just Seán Connollys in local media. Seán Connolly was a former footballer with the club and local hero in the War of Independence who died in action in 1921 and who was a member of the Clonbroney team who won the SFC title in 1919.

A five-page recollection of the early years of the Clonbroney club which was published in the 1981 Longford GAA Yearbook claimed that the Seán Connollys name was adopted by the Clonbroney club in 1928 when a revival of the club took place. The article details how the new name was proposed and ratified at a meeting of the Clonbroney club held in Ned Tynan’s cottage at Drumeel in October 1928. The meeting chairman Mr. James Mannix (a Kerryman from Annascaul who had been appointed Principal of Ballinalee N.S.) asked for a proposal to name the club. Johnnie Cahill from Ballinalee put forward the proposition that the club be named after Seán Connolly. John Devine seconded the proposal, and the new name was carried unanimously. Our assessment of newspaper records of the time showed no change to the ‘Clonbroney’ name in the years following October 1928, with a consistent use of ‘Clonbroney’ as the club name in all published records throughout the 1920’s and until the start of the 1935 season when the change to Seán Connollys first appears.

The club won the Junior Football Championship in 1935 and went on to win the Leader Cup (Senior Football League) for the first time on 21st June 1942, with victory over Clonguish by 2-11 to 0-2. The club was briefly inactive in 1945 with players competing with Mostrim that year, but was reformed at a meeting on 19th February 1946 and back in competition thereafter.

Seán Connollys won the Junior Football Championship in 1935, 1950, 1967 & 1975, Intermediate Football Championship in 1982, 1988 & 1989 and Leader Cup (SFL) in 1942.

Key titles won as Seán Connollys:

• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)
• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship

Football

Founded on 20th October 1889 in what was then Thompsons pub in the village of Newtownforbes (later The Castle Inn). E. Thompson was President, P. Nolan was Secretary, M. McGann was Treasurer, John Flynn was Captain and D. Nolan was Vice-Captain. The club colours adopted were emerald green and yellow.

Newtownforbes was known locally as ‘Gallowglass country’. The Gallowglasses were elite mercenary warriors and members of the Norse-Gaelic clans of Ireland between the mid 13th and late 16th centuries. The club wore emerald green and yellow colours.

The clubs first match was against Killoe Erins Pride in a tournament in Drumlish on December 8th 1889. Clonguish Gallowglasses played in the 1890 Championship (losing to Drumlish Robert Emmets by 0-2 to 0-1) and also featured in the unfinished 1891 Championship. Clonguish played in the curtain-raiser to the first ever County Final between Rathcline and Colmcille in 1890, playing Moydow Irish Harpers. The Gallowglasses are active until 1895, and are inactive until the club is reformed in 1902 after lapsing during the inactive ‘Parnell Split’ years of the GAA in Longford. After a few years of challenge matches, the club competed in the 1904 Senior Football Championship when official GAA competition revived in Longford in 1904. In the 1905 Championship, Clonguish Gallowglasses were beaten by Leo Caseys who went on to beat Edgeworthstown Volunteers in that years Senior Championship final, which was played in July 1906. The club also played in and won the Dromod Traders Tournament of 1905, 1906 & 1907 and won the Newtownforbes Tournament in 1906 and competed in the Killoe Tournament in March 1906, among other tournaments in those years. In the 1907 Championship, Clonguish were beaten by Killoe Young Emmets in the first round, with Killoe going on to win that years Championship by beating the Drumlish & Ballinamuck 98’s combination in the County Final in Newtownforbes in July 1907. Clonguish are found in tournaments and revival games in the years that followed. A club revival takes place in 1909, and various challenge games take place in 1910. Clonguish Gallowglasses had their first major win by capturing the newly inaugurated Senior League-Championship (aka League) in 1911. Clonguish Gallowglasses reached the 1915 Senior Championship final, losing to Killoe Young Emmets by 3-0 to 0-3 in a delayed final played in July 1916. From 1914 Clonguish are found wearing white jerseys with green collar, cuff and bottoms with letters ‘C.G.F.C’ (Clonguish Gallowglasses Football Club) and the club’s shamrock emblem in green across the front.

The Clonguish Gallowglasses name was used in competition into the 1910’s, but the ‘Gallowglasses’ is less commonly cited in local media in the second half of the decade, shortened to Clonguish instead. Gallowglasses is found very sporadically in local media up to 1950’s. By the 1918 Junior League-Championship final win and 1919 Senior League-Championship final win, the club is referenced as just ‘Clonguish’.

(Note: Published GAA Annuals in the 1930’s and 1940’s along with rolls of honour published in local media in 1933 and 1944 shows ‘Clonguish Red Branch Knights’ winning Senior and Junior Championship titles in 1910 and/or 1911, however no record of this club name was found in any competition in those years. A correction to the roll of honour in 1933 noted that the correct club name in those years was Clonguish Gallowglasses not Clonguish Red Branch Knights, though the name continued to appear in GAA Annuals into the late 1950’s)

Key titles won as Clonguish Gallowglasses:

• Old Senior Football League-Championship

Football

Junior team recorded in 1904. May have been an alternative name for Clonguish Gallowglasses Junior team?

Record of Newtownforbes Leo Caseys versus Clonguish Gallowglasses match in 1904. Also record of Newtownforbes Leo Caseys playing Longford Lord Edwards in a tournament in April 1904. All friendly matches, never in official competition.

No record of any competition games played.

The Leo name was in honour of John Keegan Casey (aka Leo Casey) who was an Irish poet, orator and republican who was famous as the writer of the song “The Rising of the Moon” and as one of the central figures in the Fenian Rising of 1867. He lived for many years in Gurteen, near Ballymahon.

Football

Cited in early 1900’s – Likely a short lived Junior team.

Also referenced as Newtownforbes Shamrocks.

No record of any competition games played.

Hurling

Mentioned as playing Longford Leo Caseys in a Junior hurling game in 1905 (not official competition).

No record of any competition games played.

Football

This is Clonguish Gallowglasses with name shortened to ‘Clonguish’ in the 1910’s. (Note: It is difficult to be precise as to when the name was shortened versus simply being referred to in shorthand in print media, but references to Gallowglasses are few and far between after 1915). A reference in local media to the ‘Clonguish Gaels’ appears in the late 1910’s, but this needs to be examined in the wider context of teams being referred to as ‘Gaels’ in local media in those years. It is difficult to assert that this was a name change because an assessment of contemporaneous records does not indicate this to be the case. In GAA Annuals from the 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s you will find reference in 1919 to ‘Clonguish Gaels’, though our research suggests this was most likely a descriptor of the ‘Clonguish’ club, rather than the club name.

Clonguish was reformed in 1918 thought the influence of John Ralph, having lapsing for a couple of years. The club won the 1918 Junior League-Championship by beating Mullinalaghta in the delayed decider on June 8th 1919. The club returned to Senior grade as Clonguish (no Gallowglasses) and immediately entered the 1919 Senior League-Championship which began in July 1919. Clonguish beat Mullinalaghta in the delayed decider in April 1920 which for many years afterwards was conflated with the Senior Championship title of 1919, which Clonbroney (later Seán Connollys) won.

Clonguish played in light blue jerseys with black togs for a period in the 1930’s and in the preview of the 1947 Junior Football Championship final in the Longford Leader, they were noted as playing in blue jerseys with gold sash.

Clonguish amalgamated temporarily with Longford Wanderers to play as United Gaels from 1933-34.

When the amalgamation ended, Clonguish re-organised in 1935. The club announced it would be competing from 1935 as ‘Clonguish’ following the clubs convention on Friday 12th April 1935, stating “It was decided to use the word Clonguish as name of the club in future and not United Gaels as in the past“. An interesting footnote from that same convention was a special committee formed to ask permission from Lord Granard to allow the club to fill in a quarry hole directly behind the playing pitch in Curry which caught any ball kicked over the end line, causing big inconvenience and lost time as the hole contained a lot of water!

Clonguish dominated the 1960’s in Longford and went on to win Senior Football Championship titles in 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1981, 2003, 2004 & 2009 and has the distinction of being the only club to win four-in-a-row titles (1962-1965). The club also won the Junior Football Championship in 1928, 1941, 1947, 1959, 1992 & 2003, Intermediate Football Championship in 1997, Leader Cup (SFL) in 1952, 1965, 1968, 1973, 1979, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008 & 2011 and U20/U21 Championship in 1964, 1965, 1971, 1972, 2000, 2017 & 2022.

Key titles won as Clonguish:

• Senior Football Championship
• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)
• Old Senior Football League-Championship
• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship
• Old Junior Football League-Championship
• Under 21 Football Championship

Hurling

Clonguish Gaels hurling club was founded on 20th July 1998 and participated in 1998 Senior Hurling Championship for the first time.

First appearance in Senior Hurling Championship final was in 2003.

Clonguish Gaels won SHC titles in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2012, 2019 and 2022,

(Worth noting that while the ‘Clonguish Gaels’ name is associated with the Hurling club, there is some evidence that the Clonguish Junior Football team was known as Clonguish Gaels in 1918 when they won the Junior title of that year)

Key titles won as Clonguish Gaels:

• Senior Hurling Championship

Football

Founded in 1889.

Competed in the first Senior Football Championship in 1890, becoming the first winner of the Longford SFC title after beating Rathcline John Martins in the final on 8th June 1890. Also competed in the unfinished 1891 Senior Football Championship.

In March 1891 the club received an invitation to play in a tournament in Bornacoola alongside Rathcline John Martins, Strokestown St. Patricks, Kilmore Diehards and Mohill Faugh-a-Ballaghs and others. Columbkille St. Columbkilles name also appears in a tournament game in 1900. The Columbkille St. Columbcilles name next appears in 1912 when a tournament is organised in Rathmore on 21st July 1912 involving Longford Commercials, Clonguish Gallowglasses, Columbkille St. Columbcilles, Tyreconnells, Clonbroney Clan O’Farrells and Arva Davitts and appears again in a tournament in Ballinagall, Granard in September 1912. The St. Columbcilles name is cited again in 1913 against Granard Shamrocks in Gelsha (appears to be a Junior team reference at that point), and much later is cited in 1931 for the delayed Junior Football League final of 1930.

Club name later shortened to Columbkille or Columbcille (different publications used different spellings at different times) and eventually to Colmcille. This is all the same club – just with different naming conventions and spellings.

(Note: One of the earliest recorded tournaments held in Longford following the establishment of the GAA in the county was held in November 1889 at Cornadrung in Colmcille. It involved teams from Drumlish Robert Emmets, Mullinalaghta Leaguers, Killoe Erins Pride, Dromard O’Briens and Ballywillian Davitts)

Key titles won as Columbkille St. Columbkilles:

• Senior Football Championship

Football

Name recorded briefly in tournaments between 1901 and 1905.

No record of any competition games played.

The St. Mary’s name re-appears briefly in 1927 when a new short-lived club emerged for a very short period in the parish.

Football

Name recorded briefly in Arva tournament in 1905. Not clear if it was a typo.

No record of any competition games played.

(Note: Columbkille St. Patricks is referenced in GAA Annuals in the 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s and in published rolls of honour in local newspapers from 1933 and 1944 as winning Senior Championship titles in 1912 and 1915, and winning Junior league titles in 1912 and 1915. However the evidence and records from those years disproves this claim. No evidence of any Columbkille St. Patricks club has been found in any of the printed sources assessed by our team)

Football

This is the Columbkille St. Columbkilles club with name shortened to Columbkille (or similar spelling variants such as Columbcille or Columcille) during 1900’s and 1910’s.

The club was not in active competition during the early 1900’s and is cited as re-organised in 1909.

Won the Foresters Cup in 1913 as Columbkille.

Columbkille (and sometimes Columbcille or Columcille) was the dominant spelling for the club name throughout the 1910’s, 1920’s and 1930’s, with very brief references to St. Columbkilles in a 1912 tournament and in 1930 Junior League final report. Columbkille or Columcille was also used as late as 1948 for Junior Championship Final preview (when the club is noted as having Black and Amber colours). We see the use of Colmcille as the dominant spelling for the club name from the end of the 1940’s onward.

Football

Short lived team – Played in Junior competition in 1918 (did not finish) and 1919.

Likely from the parish of Colmcille, perhaps formed around the Colmcille O’Rahilly Sinn Fein club of the time.

Football

Same club as Columbkille St. Columbkilles, shortened to Columbkille and eventually to Colmcille by 1930’s.

The Colmcille club did not affiliate in 1934, but was back and affiliated from 1935 onward.

The club was mostly referred to as Colmcille in the 1930’s and 1940’s with some occasional references to Columbkille during those decades in various published sources. Thereafter is almost exclusively referenced in published sources as Colmcille.

Colmcille won the Junior Football Championship in 1937, 1979, 1998 & 2020, Intermediate Football Championship in 1986, Senior Football Championship in 1890, 1938, 1949, 1952, 1958, 2008 & 2022, Leader Cup (SFL) in 1954, 1957, 1990 and U20/U21 Football Championship in 2001, 2002, 2003 & 2015.

Key titles won as Colmcille:

• Senior Football Championship
• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)
• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship
• Under 21 Football Championship

Football

Founded in 1889 – First GAA club in the parish of Dromard.

Spelled Dromard O’Briens or Drumard O’Briens in early published reports.

Played in 1890 Senior Football Championship as Dromard O’Briens.

Dromard O’Briens merged with Dromard Owen Roes to form Dromard Hugh Roe O’Donnells in 1890 and O’Donnells then competed in the unfinished 1891 Senior Football Championship. As with many other clubs in the 1890’s, the Dromard O’Donnells club lapsed during the 1890’s.

However we then see Dromard O’Briens name re-appears in November 1905 in Drumlish tournament, in December 1905 in Dromard tournament and in March 1905 in Killoe tournament. Dromard O’Briens then compete in the 1905 Senior Football Championship. It is not clear whether this was the original Dromard O’Briens club (pre merger) or whether the old Dromard O’Donnells club had been renamed once competition resumed in Longford in the early 1900’s.

The Dromard O’Briens club lapsed for a number of years after 1905 and was re-organised later as ‘Dromard’ (no O’Briens).

Football

Founded in July 1890.

This was a separate club to the Dromard O’Briens club.

John McNamee applied to have a new club called Dromard Owen Roes affiliated at the July 1890 county board meeting. Dromard O’Brien’s were noted as affiliated but subsequently withdrew as a consequence of their game with Killoe Erin’s Pride which was played in Drumlish and awarded to the Killoe side when it was determined that the Dromard team fielded players from Cavan. It was then agreed to approve the affiliation of the Owen Roes club.

There is confusion around the two clubs in the parish as noted at the county board meeting later in October 1890. The O’Briens delegate said that “they never ceased to exist”. The Owen Roe’s delegate John McNamee noted that as “they (O’Briens) were not holding meetings or any sign of club going on in the parish, they (Owen Roe’s) were entitled to start a club”. A suggestion to amalgamate both clubs was proposed to which both delegates agreed. J.P. Farrell as County Board President suggested the name Dromard Hugh Roe O’Donnell’s which was adopted.

Owen Roes’s merged with O’Briens in 1890 to form Dromard Hugh Roe O’Donnells.

No record of any competition games played as Drumard Owen Roes.

Football

Formed in 1890 when Dromard O’Briens and Dromard Owen Roes united to form Dromard Hugh Roe O’Donnells.

Chairman was Michael Doyle, Secretary was Bernard Reilly and Treasurer was John McNamee. By October 1890 there was confusion around the two clubs in the parish as noted at the county board meeting. The O’Briens delegate said that “they never ceased to exist”. The Owen Roe’s delegate John McNamee noted that as “they (O’Briens) were not holding meetings or any sign of club going on in the parish, they (Owen Roe’s) were entitled to start a club”. A suggestion to amalgamate both clubs was proposed to which both delegates agreed. J.P. Farrell as County Board President suggested the name Dromard Hugh Roe O’Donnell’s which was adopted.

The O’Donnells played in the unfinished 1891 Senior Football Championship.

Club was also known by the shorter name Dromard O’Donnells.

Club folded during the lean years with no competition in Longford during the 1890’s.

Football

Local tournament team – No record of any competition games played.

Played Legan O’Briens in a challenge game in Ballyduffy in March 1901. Legan won 0-3 to 0-1.

Played against Legga in a local game in early 1930’s.

Football

Short lived Junior team organised briefly in 1922.

Spelled either Young Drumard or Young Dromard.

Played against Edenmore in a friendly game in August 1922.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Short lived Junior team organised briefly in 1922.

Played against the Young Dromards in a friendly game in August 1922.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Local tournament team – No record of any competition games played.

Played against Ballyduffy O’Briens in a local game in early 1930’s.

Football

This appears to be the reformed and renamed Dromard O’Briens club, now shortened to ‘Dromard’.

The ‘Dromard’ name was cited in in 1917, 1919 and 1923 Junior League-Championship competition.

The club is then noted as registered with County board in 1924 as Dromard.

Dromard fielded a team in a 7-a-side tournament in Gelsha in October 1926.

Dromard reappears in active competition from February 1930 and competes during the 1930’s. In February 1937, a report from the County Convention cites ‘Dromard St. Stephens’ but there is no further published record found of the St. Stephen name being used by the club at any point before or after this point. The club lapses towards the end of the 1930’s and in 1943 an effort was made by Fr. James Reynolds to restart football in the parish. A committee was formed in October 1943 and Dromard were back in competition from 1944.

Dromard won the Senior Football Championship in 1946, 1999, 2005 & 2007, Intermediate Football Championship in 1979, 1992 & 1995, Junior Football Championship in 1944 & 1970, Leader Cup (SFL) in 2001 & 2006 and a unique 5-in-a-row of U20/U21 Football Championship titles in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009.

Key titles won as Dromard:

• Senior Football Championship
• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)
• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship
• Under 21 Football Championship

Football

Founded in August 1889. First GAA club formed in the parish.

Francis Sheridan was Chairman and Patrick Kelly was Secretary.

Drumlish Emmets organised one of the early GAA tournaments held in Longford on 8th December 1889 (delayed from an originally planned November date) with Drumlish Emmets, Killoe Erins Pride and Clonguish Gallowglasses taking part.

The club competed in the 1890 and unfinished 1891 Senior Football Championships.

Football

Founded in October 1890.

M. McCabe C.C. in a letter to the County Board in October 1890 noted that the “young men around Ballinamuck are anxious to establish a branch of the G.A.A. in this side of the parish of Drumlish”. The Drumlish Emmets delegate Francis Sheridan noted that their club had no objection and Ballinamuck 98’s (or ‘ninety-eights’) were subsequently affiliated, creating two clubs in the parish of Drumlish.

The club name was a nod to the 1798 rebellion against British rule. The main organising force of the 1798 rebellion was the Society of United Irishmen, a republican revolutionary group influenced by the ideas of the American and French revolutions. Originally formed by Presbyterian radicals angry at being shut out of power by the Anglican establishment, they were joined by many from the majority Catholic population. This included a French expeditionary force which landed in Mayo and were defeated in the Battle of Ballinamuck on 8 September 1798.

The Ballinamuck club name was often recorded in shorthand as ‘Ballinamuck’ in fixtures and reports, but the 98’s suffix is still found in published sources until the 1940’s (i.e. appeared in local media in 1912, 1919, 1920’s, 1930’s & 1940’s as Ballinamuck 98’s).

Ballinamuck 98’s played in the unfinished 1891 Senior Football Championship. The club was next recorded ‘in training’ in 1906.

Ballinamuck 98’s and Drumlish Wolfe Tones joined forces in 1906 to compete for a period as Drumlish/Ballinamuck 98’s. The combination reaching the 1907 Senior Football Championship final where they were beaten by a point after a replay. When the combination concluded, the Ballinamuck 98’s club re-emerged separately. Ballinamuck 98’s is next referenced on its own in a tournament in Granard in September 1912. A football tournament is held in Ballinamuck in October 1912 involving teams from Clonguish, Colmcille, Bornacoola, Granard, Killoe and Drumlish. Ballinamuck 98’s seems to be revived proper in 1916.

Ballinamuck 98’s won the Junior League-Championship title in 1919 (this was the Junior competition prior to start of knockout Junior Championship in 1927) and went on to win the Senior Football Championship in 1920, becoming the first club from the parish to do so. The club remained active through the first half of the 1920’s when many other clubs were inactive, and contested the Senior League-Championship final of 1922 (finished in May 1923) losing out to Longford Wanderers by 0-6 to 0-0, as well as the Senior League-Championship final of 1923 (finished in September 1925) losing out again to Longford Wanderers by a point. Ballinamuck 98’s competed in the Senior Football Championship when it resumed in 1927 after a gap in competition since 1920, and reached the County Final, losing to Drumlish (first and only time two clubs from the same parish had reached the County Final).

Ballinamuck 98’s lapsed after 1927, but was reformed and back in competition in 1933 in Junior grade, but without the 98’s suffix. While we see occasional reference to 98’s, the vast majority of references to the club in published records from this point is as ‘Ballinamuck’. See Ballinamuck name for more details.

Key titles won as Ballinamuck 98’s:

• Senior Football Championship
• Old Junior Football League-Championship

Football

This appears to be the Drumlish Emmets club reformed and renamed in the early 1900’s.

Drumlish Wolfe Tones is noted as putting up medals for a tournament in Drumlish in August 1904, with following teams involved: Drumlish Wolfe Tones, Longford Leo Caseys, Ardagh St. Patricks, Edgeworthstown Volunteers, Killoe Young Emmets, Clonguish Gallowglasses and Bornacoola. Longford Leo Caseys is cited as beating Drumlish by 2-6 to 1-3 in the opening game of that tournament in September 1904. The final of the Drumlish Tournament was due to take place on 16th October 1904, with Longford Leo Caseys due to play Ardagh St. Patricks in the decider. However Ardagh did not turn up due to the wet weather, and the final had to be re-arranged. Drumlish Wolfe Tones were due to play Killashee John Mitchells in a friendly following the tournament final, but that game didn’t happen either because Killashee did not turn up (likely due to the weather too). So instead Longford Leo Caseys played Drumlish Wolfe Tones in a friendly that day, with Leo Caseys winning by 5 points to nil.

Drumlish Wolfe Tones entered the 1904 Senior Football Championship and were beaten 1-4 to 0-3 in semi final which was played in March 1905. Newspaper citations alternate between ‘Drumlish Wolfe Tones’ and the shorthand of ‘Drumlish’ during this period. The club competed as Drumlish Wolfe Tones in Dromard tournament, Drumlish tournament and at Longford Feis games throughout 1905 and in Killoe Tournament in March 1906. Drumlish Wolfe Tones also took part in St. Patricks Day procession and games in March 1905, playing Longford Leo Caseys and beating them by 1-10 to 0-1.

Drumlish Wolfe Tones and Ballinamuck 98’s clubs joined forces in 1906 to compete for a period as Drumlish/Ballinamuck 98’s. The combination reaching the 1907 Senior Football Championship final where they were beaten by a point after a replay. When the combination concluded, the Drumlish club re-emerged separately as ‘Drumlish’ with no Wolfe Tones in the name.

Football

Drumlish Wolfe Tones and Ballinamuck 98’s clubs joined forces in 1906 to compete for a period as Drumlish/Ballinamuck 98’s. This amalgamation played in official competition once, in 1907 Senior Football Championship, reaching the county final and losing after a replay.

From the early 1910’s we see the constituent clubs of the amalgamation re-emerge separately as Drumlish (cited from 1911) and Ballinamuck 98’s (cited from 1912). It is worth noting that when the wider context of the era is examined, it is difficult to fully ascertain whether published references in those early years of 1910’s are to the individual clubs within the parish, or a broader parish reference applied to any team from that parish.

The Ballinamuck 98’s and Drumlish clubs formed a joint committee in late 1912 with reference to completing together in 1913 competition. In January 1913 we find a reference to ‘Drumlish and Ballinamuck’ club, and Drumlish 98’s is cited in a tournament in April 1913. No further record of a combined club/team is found in the years immediately following. Perhaps this was the earlier Drumlish/Ballinamuck 98’s amalgamation, proposed again for 1913 but referenced in shorthand as Drumlish 98’s? It is worth noting that the combination did not compete in any official competition in 1913 or in any official competition in the years thereafter. The next reference to a club from the parish playing in official competition is when Drumlish played in the Senior League-Championship competition of 1913 and Drumlish is also cited in Newtownforbes tournament in March 1913. Both Drumlish and Ballinamuck 98’s clubs continue to be found separately during the rest of the 1910’s and into the 1920’s with Ballinamuck 98’s winning the 1919 Junior League-Championship and the 1920 Senior Football Championship.

A joint Drumlish & Ballinamuck team is recorded briefly in December 1926 in a challenge game organised between Longford Wanderers. The team is referenced in local media as ‘Drumlish & Ballinamuck United’. The game was reported as having been postponed and re-arranged for 5th December 1926 in Ballinalee. No evidence yet found of the match being played. Both Drumlish and Ballinamuck 98’s clubs are both found separately in active competition in the years before and immediately after this reference, including reaching the Longford Senior Football final of 1927 where Drumlish beat Ballinamuck 98’s to take the title. Hence this December 1926 reference appears to have been a one-off amalgamation for specific purposes.

Football

This appears to be the Drumlish Wolfe Tones club with name shortened to Drumlish.

Drumlish Wolfe Tones and Ballinamuck 98’s combined forces in 1906 and competed for a period as Drumlish/Ballinamuck 98’s. Both clubs appeared to go their separate ways a few years later. The next time Drumlish is cited in competition on its own (or at least referenced on it’s own) was in 1911 Senior League-Championship as ‘Drumlish’. The club was also cited on its own in the announcement of the draw for 1911 Senior Football Championship in August 1911, listed against Longford Commercials in a game to be played on 18th October 1911 with Mr. Burns from Ballymahon appointed as referee. Media reports for the clubs participation in the 1911 Senior League-Championship and 1911 Senior Football Championship all reference ‘Drumlish’.

Drumlish club also appears in tournaments in 1912, including a tournament in Ballinamuck in October 1912 including teams from Colmcille, Clonguish, Granard, Killoe and Bornacoola. On November 3rd 1912 Drumlish are cited as playing Clonguish in Ballinamuck, for a set of medals and a silver cup presented by Rev. W. Prunty from New York, and Philip Cassidy from Dublin.

Drumlish won the clubs first Senior Football Championship title in 1927, beating Ballinamuck 98’s in the county final. This is the first and thus far only SFC decider to involve two clubs from the same parish. The club went on to win eight Senior Football Championship titles in 1927, 1928, 1932, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1943, 1945, and five Leader Cups in 1937, 1939, 1943, 1944, 1946 as ‘Drumlish’. Both Drumlish and St. Marys Granard were the dominant sides of the 1930’s in particular. In October 1934 Drumlish traveled to Oldcastle and famously beat Navan Gaels by 1-4 to 1-3, in a game which drew great admiration for the Drumlish men from the local newspapers of the time.

Drumlish wore black and amber in the early 1930’s, gold and blue in the late 1930’s, and red, green and white from the early 1940’s.

The Drumlish club went into decline towards the end of the 1940’s and did not affiliate for a period, but returned to competition in 1950. The Drumlish club then re-organised and adopted the name Young Irelands from 1951, changing to the Irish version of Éire Óg from the late 1950’s and winning further Senior Football Championship and Leader Cup titles under the Young Irelands name.

Key titles won as Drumlish:

• Senior Football Championship
• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)
• Old Senior Football League-Championship
• Old Junior Football League-Championship

Football

Recorded briefly in 1907.

Played against Ballinamuck 98’s Junior team in a challenge in 1907.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Described as ‘newly organised’ in local media by 1917.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Cited briefly in 1918 as a Junior team.

Played two challenge matches. No record of any competition games played.

Football

The Ballinamuck 98’s club lapsed for a period after 1927, and was reformed and back in Junior competition as ‘Ballinamuck’ in 1933 (without the 98’s suffix). While we see occasional reference to 98’s after this point, the vast majority of references to the club in published records from this point is as ‘Ballinamuck’. The first fixture post the return in 1933 was against Dromard in Junior in June 1933 and was the first game played at the new Gaelic Grounds at Kelliher Barracks, which was later developed into Pearse Park which was officially opened in 1937. That Ballinamuck v Dromard game took place ahead of the 1933 Fr. Lynch Cup final in which neighbours Drumlish beat Killoe that day. The Ballinamuck club was again re-organised in 1937 at Junior grade, and among the games played that year was a Junior game versus Drumlish in March 1937 (Drumlish club had teams in both Senior and Junior). Ballinamuck won the Junior Football Championship in 1938 (medals presented in April 1940) and thereafter the club lapsed for some of the early war years. Ballinamuck reformed again in 1943 and reached the Junior League final that year, beaten by Cashel in the decider. The club continued to compete in Junior competition until the end of 1949 season and then lapsed. The next reference to the Ballinamuck club comes in December 1966.

The Ballinamuck club reformed in December 1966 after a gap of 17 years ( Source), with club officials elected in January 1967 ( Source). The club appearing in Junior fixtures from January 1967 ( Source), and is noted as ‘returned to the football scene’ in February 1967 ( Source). Initially described in local media as ‘reformed’ or ‘returned’ and initially cited as 98’s when announced in the clubs own notes in the Longford Leader in January 1967, the club name appeared in fixtures and match reports from 1967 to 1969 as Ballinamuck. Reports in local media in early 1967 show players transferring from neighbouring clubs (including Éire Óg and Dromard) to the reformed Ballinamuck club ahead of the start of competition that year. There was no published change to the status of Éire Óg club during that period, and the two clubs co-existed in the same parish from January 1967 to March 1969 just as the two clubs had previously co-existed in the same parish from their respective formation in 1889 and 1890 until the end of 1949.

Ballinamuck competed at Junior grade from 1967 until March 1969. At the start of the 1969 season, Ballinamuck played Colmcille in the Junior League in February, and beat Dromard 5-2 to 2-7 in Junior League on 9th March (fixture originally set for 23rd February). The fixtures then showed Ballinamuck due to play Mullinalaghta in the next round of the Junior League on 23rd March 1969. However less than 10 days after the game with Dromard, the Ballinamuck and Éire Óg (Drumlish) clubs decided to unite to form the Fr. Manning Gaels club (📷 Source).

(Note: Ballinamuck is also found in underage hurling in late 1960’s which was organised through the schools. Reports of Ballinamuck in U-14 hurling league action in 1966 and in U-16 hurling League action in 1967 with M Whelan, P Whelan and Quinn from Ballinamuck all nominated to play in the Longford U-16 hurling team in an inter-county competition that year. M Whelan from Ballinamuck is noted as playing for Longford U-14 hurling team in a game against Cavan in October 1967. Ballinamuck is listed as one of the six teams competing in the U-16 Hurling Championship of 1969, however by the time competition gets underway the union of Ballinamuck and Éire Óg clubs to form Fr. Manning Gaels had already concluded and we do not find Ballinamuck in competition in hurling thereafter. No evidence of any adult hurling played by Ballinamuck.) 

Key titles won as Ballinamuck:

• Junior Football Championship

Football

Drumlish re-organised and adopted the name ‘Young Irelands’ in 1951. Our initial research assumed that Young Irelands was a union of Drumlish and Ballinamuck clubs which had existed separately for half a century prior to the emergence of the Young Irelands name in 1951, and we assumed both were unified into one club by Fr. Seán Manning in 1951. However Fr. Manning Gaels club maintains that Young Irelands was not a combination club, but was the Drumlish club renamed in 1951 with the Ballinamuck club having folded at that point. We have no evidence to prove or disprove that assertion, and so we take it on good faith to be so. Young Irelands wore red, white and green from 1951 to 1953, and switched to Maroon and Gold in 1954.

The Young Irelands name first appeared in fixtures on February 24th 1951. The name was initially Drumlish Young Irelands and then more commonly as the shorthand Young Ireland. Records show the Young Irelands name changing to the Irish version of Éire Óg from around 1958. It was asserted previously that the change to Éire Óg had occurred as early as 1953, but research of all contemporary published sources showed no use of Éire Óg until 1958 at the same time that other club names were being cited ‘As Gaeilge’ in local media. For a period after 1958 we can find both Éire Óg and Young Irelands used in published sources, before transitioning exclusively to Éire Óg from the early 1960’s. The club won the Senior Football Championship in 1951, 1953 and 1955 and Leader Cup in 1953 under the name Young Irelands (not Éire Óg). 

The Éire Óg club was in demise by the start of 1969 and struggling to fulfill fixtures at senior grade due to emigration, retirements, loss of some players to the reformed Ballinamuck club since 1967 and the loss of some young players who were in higher education in various parts of the country and abroad, similar to that experienced by other rural clubs at the time. In the Leader Cup fixture on 2nd March 1969, Éire Óg conceded the game to Mostrim. Two weeks later the Éire Óg and Ballinamuck clubs decided to unite to form the Fr. Manning Gaels club (📷 Source).

Note: A minor club called Young Irelands was formed in 1949 under the stewardship of Fr. Seán Manning and was made up of players from Drumlish & Ballinamuck (there was separate senior clubs in the parish at the time – Drumlish and Ballinamuck). The new Minor club was announced in the Longford Leader on 9th July 1949 (📷 Source). This is also cited in Des Guckian’s book ‘The Life and Times of Fr. Seán Manning’ where he describes the formation of the Minor club “to represent the united parish of Drumlish and Ballinamuck”.

Key titles won as Young Irelands (Éire Óg):

• Senior Football Championship
• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)

Football

The Fr. Manning Gaels club was founded on 18th March 1969 when the Éire Óg and Ballinamuck clubs (both from the same parish) decided to unite. The club was named in honour of Fr. Seán Manning who had been curate in the parish from 1948 to 1954 and was a leading figure in the development of the GAA in Drumlish, St. Mels College and at county board level in both Longford and Leitrim.

The two clubs announced their intention to unite to Coiste Chontae an Longfort and a notice then appeared in the local paper on 22nd March 1969. The new club name was then announced in local media on 29th March 1969. (📷 Source).

This new formation was announced in local media on March 22nd 1969 under the headline ‘Clubs Unite’, as follow:

Éire Óg and Ballinamuck clubs, both from the same parish, have decided to unite. Delegates from the clubs stated at Tuesday nights Co. Board meeting that they were no longer in a position to field two teams from the parish, emigration and retirals being the reason given for the present position. A joint meeting of the two clubs will be held in the ’98 Memorial Hall, Ballinamuck, on Monday night next, March 21st at 9 o’clock and all interested are urged to attend. The name of the club will be decided on at Monday’s meeting and representatives will later meet the County Board Executive from which recommendations will be submitted to the next Board meeting.

The following week on March 29th 1969, local media reported the following under the headline ‘New club select fitting name‘:

At the joint meeting of the Ballinamuck and Éire Óg clubs in the ’98 Memorial Hall on Monday night it was agreed that the clubs should unite and seek affiliation under the name of Father Manning Gaels. It was an appropriate selection because the late Father Manning while serving as curate in Drumlish, did much good for football in the parish. And if the new club display the determination and dedication of the great sagart, it will not be long until their famed footballing parish will be back in its rightful place in Longford Football.

Research of available published sources does not support the stated position of Fr. Manning Gaels club officials that this was simply a re-naming of the existing Éire Óg club following a reunification of Ballinamuck players following a temporary split. Research and published sources show this to be the union of two clubs into a new club. More details can be found here. In the ‘Longford GAA History (1980-2005)’ book, the origin of the Fr. Manning Gaels club was described by the club’s own PRO as follows… “In 1969 Drumlish/Ballinamuck reformed the ways of Gaelic football in the parish by coming together to form the Fr. Manning Gaels club“. In the GAA local history project in 2011, members of the club refer to the formation of Fr. Manning Gaels in 1969 as follows… “We decided it was going to be a complete start” and discuss very clearly and openly the dynamics of getting the two clubs to play as one combined club. Listen back at 🔊 GAA Oral History project (starts around 23:00).

Fr. Manning Gaels competed in Intermediate grade from their formation in 1969 (different from the clubs that merged to form it, which had competed in Senior (Éíre Óg) and Junior (Ballinamuck) grades prior in early 1969). The club’s first game was against Colmcille on 20th April 1969 in the newly formed ‘Special League’ (mixed competition for all grades). The club then competed in the Intermediate Championship later that year, losing out to Ballymahon in the first round.

The club elected to regrade from Intermediate to Junior for the 1970 season, and completed in Junior competition in 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 & 1974, winning the Junior Championship in 1974 and gaining promotion to Intermediate grade from 1975 before winning the Intermediate Championship in 1975 and gaining promotion to Senior grade from 1976. The club had earlier amalgamated with Mullinalaghta to win the Intermediate Championship of 1973 – the first and only time an amalgamation, and one made up of Junior clubs, has won the Intermediate Championship.

The club wore both Gold/Green and Gold/White colours in some of the early years before moving to the Maroon and Gold colours which they wear today. Fr. Manning Gaels won the Senior Football Championship in 1996, 1997, 1998 & 2001, Intermediate Football Championship in 1975 & 1978 (and in 1923 in an amalgamation with Mullinalaghta), Junior Football Championship in 1974 & 2005, Leader Cup (SFL) in 1986, 1987, 1997 & 1999 and U20/U21 Football Championship in 1981, 1983, 1993, 1995, 1999 & 2013.

Key titles won as Fr. Manning Gaels:

• Senior Football Championship
• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)
• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship
• Under 21 Football Championship

Football

Founded in 1889. Played in the 1890 & unfinished 1891 Senior Football Championships.

Named after the 18th century Irish Volunteers. May also have been referred to as Mostrim Volunteers.

Edgeworthstown Volunteers appeared in friendly matches between 1894 and 1897.

The club was reformed in December 1897 in a meeting attended by P Lee, J Greene, M Greene, P Galligan, M Burke, M Gavin, T Flynn, P Grimes, D Grimes, W Doris, J Doris, A Cauly, P Quinn. Those present elected P Lee as captain and M. Burke as treasurer. It was decided to stick with the old ‘Volunteers’ name.

In April 1897 a report is carried on a game between Edgeworthstown Wolfe Tones and Granard Slashers. A letter to the newspaper by the Volunteers club corrected the name error as well as other aspects of the report on the game. Edgeworthstown Volunteers noted as playing a practice match in the Longford Leader of January 22nd 1898.

The Volunteers competed in friendly games and tournaments in the early years of the 1900’s, and competed the 1904 Senior Football Championship when GAA revived in Longford and reached the 1905 & 1911 Senior Championship finals.

Volunteers name is cited right up to 1912. When club appears again in 1919 the name has been shortened to Edgeworthstown.

It is worth noting that Edgeworthstown Volunteers is incorrectly cited in Comóradh an Chéid (Published 1987) against Killoe Young Emmets in the semi-final of the 1905 Senior Hurling Championship. However that Hurling Championship contained just three teams… Longford Leo Caseys, Killoe Young Emmets and Clonbroney. 

Football

Founded in 1890. Played in unfinished 1891 Senior Football Championship.

Thomas Farrelly applied to the County Board in July 1890 to have a second club (Cranly) affiliated in the Edgeworthstown parish. The club was initially affiliated provisionally subject to no objections from the Edgeworthstown Volunteer club.

Spelled as Cranly or Cranley.

Not recorded thereafter.

Football

Cited briefly in 1906 – Possibly a Junior team.

Recorded in a challenge match against Old Road Davitts in 1906.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

This appears to be the Edgeworthstown Volunteers club shortened to Edgeworthstown in the 1910’s.

Competed in Junior competition in late 1910’s and throughout the 1920’s as Edgeworthstown.

Won the 1929 Junior Football Championship title as Edgeworthstown.

Club name changed to Edgeworthstown Young Irelands later in 1930.

Key titles won as Edgeworthstown:

• Junior Football Championship

Hurling

Formed in late 1931 and competed in the 1932 Senior Hurling Championship.

First game (vs Granard) was played in June 1932 and the following played for Edgeworthstown: R. Walsh, J. Cullen, F. Cullen, V. Gillie, J. Gogan, P. Connolly, F. Cofffey, J. O’Reilly, M. Dunne, John Breen, M. Carters, F. Greene, P. Murphy, W. McNally, Jim Bates, P. Morgan. Granard won this game by 2-1 to 1-2 on 5th June 1932.

Appeared to be active at start of 1933 but did not compete in either the 1933 or 1934 Hurling Championships.

Football

Mentioned briefly in a challenge game in 1912.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Recorded in 1918 and 1919 Junior competition.

The club started but did not complete the 1918 Junior competition.

Longbridge played against Edgeworthstown in Junior in 1918 and 1919.

Football

This is Edgeworthstown club renamed Edgeworthstown Young Irelands in 1930.

Referred to in media as same team that won 1929 Junior Championship (final was in February 1930)

Reached 1931 Senior Football Championship Final and won 1932 Intermediate Football Championship as Young Irelands.

The Young Irelands club name can be found up to the 1934 convention but was not found in active competition after 1934.

Key titles won as Edgeworthstown Young Irelands:

• Intermediate Football Championship

Football

Formed in 1932 when a number of players split from the Edgeworthstown Young Irelands club. The split seemed to centre around political allegiances. The Geraldines competed in Junior competition.

The Geraldines name was in honour of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, the Irish Patriot.

The club was still around by the 1934 convention but we could not find the Geraldines club referenced from 1935 onward.

Football

Manor Rovers is first cited in 1933.

Manor Shamrocks club affiliates at start of 1934, but is Manor Rovers when competitions are listed.

Club competed at same time as Edgeworthstown Young Irelands and Edgeworthstown Geraldines.

Manor Rovers is mentioned in a report in July 1938 as having ‘ceased to exist’ in years previously.

Football

This club name is first referenced in February 1906 in a friendly match between an Edgeworthstown ‘Wolfe Tones’ team and Granard ‘Young Bloods’ team (Junior). The name is not found again until the 1935 and it is not clear if this 1906 reference was a naming error at the time.

Edgeworthstown Wolfe Tones appears in the 1935 and 1936 seasons. Sometimes referred to as Mostrim Wolfe Tones.

Club is noted as being a ‘united club‘ – It may have been the re-unification of Young Irelands and Geraldines?

No record of Edgeworthstown Wolfe Tones or Mostrim Wolfe Tones after 1936 – Club appears to lapse or fold.

The next time the ‘Wolfe Tones’ name appears at adult grade is 1982 when the Mostrim hurlers adopt the name.

Football

Club formed in 1937 using the Mostrim Eoin Ruadhs name for one season.

The ‘Eoin Ruadhs’ part of the name is dropped from 1938, and just ‘Mostrim’ thereafter.

This is the origin of the modern day Mostrim club. Our research did not find any link or continuity between this club and the earlier Edgeworthstown Young Irelands or Wolfe Tones clubs. This appears to be a new and separate entity formed after a short period of no GAA clubs in the parish.

Football

This is Mostrim Eoin Ruadhs club, with name shortened to Mostrim from 1938.

Mostrim won the clubs first title in 1940 with victory over Killoe Young Emmets in the Junior Championship (awarded after an objection). A new club called Manor Gaels emerged briefly in the parish from 1948-1949, but when the Mostrim club re-organised again in 1949, they were the sole GAA club in the parish. In 1950 Mostrim reached the Junior Championship final against Seán Connollys. An all-out effort was made to win this game but disaster struck when Slim Cullen received an eye injury and was unable to play. Connollys ran out winners after a hectic game on the score 1-10 to 1-04. By 1954 a plethora of players had arrived in the town and the club entered the senior ranks voluntarily. The club was drawn against Young Irelands, the County Champions, in the first round and were well beaten. In 1955 Mostrim were drawn against Longford Slashers, who were then the County champions. Mostrim raised their game to unexpected heights and with only minutes to go Mostrim looked set to score a goal and win the match. However the ball went over the bar to draw the match. The replay was won by Longford Slashers but Mostrim were awarded the game after an objection. The semi-final was against Young Irelands (Drumlish), but defeat was the order of the day.

Emigration struck hard in those years and the senior team was decimated and regraded to Junior ranks in 1957. Mostrim reached the Junior Championship final in 1958 against St. Marys Granard – who had also been recently regraded, losing out on a scoreline of St. Marys Granard 1-07, Mostrim 1-03. In the early sixties the good work done at schoolboy level began to bear fruit and in 1966 the Junior Championship was won for the first time since 1940 with the assistance of a number of Minors. This was a lively encounter against Abbeylara with final scoreline of 2-2 to 1-4. In 1967 the club was promoted to Intermediate ranks and won the Intermediate Championship final against Cashel by 1-11 to 1-9 to gain promotion to Senior grade for the first time. Mostrim’s first Senior title was the Special Senior Championship, beating St. Dominics (Kenagh) by 1-7 to 0-9 in Newtowncashel on Sunday 7th December 1969.

In 1970 Mostrim won the clubs first major title at Senior grade with victory over Ballymahon in the Senior Football League (Leader Cup) final. A first U-21 Championship title followed in 1973 with victory over Rathcline after a replay. Mostrim finally reached the Senior Championship final in 1974 against old rivals and neighbours Ardagh. As the final drew closer excitement was at fever pitch in both parishes. The game itself was very sportingly contested. Mostrim held a slender lead coming into the last quarter but then Paddy Noonan was introduced and within five minutes had scored a goal and a point to ensure that the Connolly Cup was on its way to Edgeworthstown for the first time ever. The game ended Mostrim 2-6, Ardagh St. Patricks 1-5.

During the 1980’s Mostrim won the U-21 Championship in 1980, Leader Cup in 1984 and captured a second Senior Championship title in 1985 after a second replay following an epic series of games against Ardagh St. Patricks. The club were Senior Championship finalists in 1984, 1986, 1988 and 1989. Mostrim lost out in the Senior Championship final of 1990 to Longford Slashers. In 1992 Mostrim enjoyed its finest year ever, winning the Senior Championship for the third time and also winning the Leader Cup and U-21 Championship titles. Other successes would follow in Leader Cup in 1995, and Junior Championships in 2007 and 2015. Mostrim reached the Senior Championship final in 2021, losing out to Mullinalaghta in the decider.

In total Mostrim won Senior Football Championship in 1974, 1985 & 1992, Intermediate Football Championship in 1967, Junior Football Championship in 1940, 1966, 2007 & 2015, Leader Cup (SFL) in 1970, 1984, 1992 & 1995 and U20/U21 Football Championship in 1973 & 1980.

Key titles won as Mostrim:

• Senior Football Championship
• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)
• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship
• Under 21 Football Championship

Football

Club recorded playing Junior in 1948 and 1949.

Manor Gaels played against Mostrim in these years.

Club disappears in 1949 when the Mostrim club is reorganised.

(Not clear why this club emerged in 1948-49 in competition to Mostrim)

Hurling

A meeting of the ‘St. Mary’s hurling club’ for the Mostrim-Lisryan area was announced in the Longford Leader on 26th December 1959, in the the same week that a motion is recorded from the Mostrim club to establish Hurling in Co. Longford. No adult hurling club is subsequently formed.

In 1982 a newly formed hurling club in Edgeworthstown is called St. Mary’s (Mostrim).

Club name quickly changed to Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) instead.

No record of any competition games played as St. Marys.

Hurling

Name changed from St. Marys (Mostrim) to Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) soon after 1982 Hurling Championship.

Amalgamation of Ballymahon & Wolfe Tones competed in 1984 & 1985 Senior Hurling Championship as Edgeworthstown/Ballymahon alongside Slashers Gaels, Naomh Ciarán (Rathcline) and Bunlahy clubs.

Wolfe Tones appeared in their first Longford Senior Hurling Championship final in 1987.

Wolfe Tones won SHC titles in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020.

The club has the distinction of being the first to win five-in-a-row of Longford SHC titles (1992-1996), which they later repeated and added to with the first ever six-in-a-row of Longford SHC tites (2013-2018).

(Note: The Mostrim underage hurling club had been called Wolfe Tones since the 1960’s)

Key titles won as Wolfe Tones (Mostrim):

• Senior Hurling Championship

Football

Forgney club name first cited in competition in 1920 and again in 1929 (recorded in a friendly against Ardagh in July 1929, and a number of friendly games against Tang & Tubberclair from Westmeath in 1929 too).

Club lapses in the early 1930’s and is reformed in 1936 as St. Munis Forgney.

Hurling

A hurling club was formed in Forgney in March 1931 with stated intent to enter a team in Junior hurling competition in 1931. Training for hurling is noted at the end of March 1931. However no evidence found of any competitive games played.

Football

This is the Forgney club with St. Munis name added after the club reformed in 1936. St. Munis was the brother of St. Mel of Ardagh and St. Rioch of Inchboffin, and was appointed Bishop of Forgney by St. Patrick.

The St. Munis club played in competition intermittently, lapsing in and out of existence from the 1930’s to 1950’s until the club was reformed at the end of the 1950’s, and are back in competition at Junior grade from 1960 when a notice in the newspaper in February 1960 reads “New team in action – The newly formed St. Munis’s (Forgney) will be anxious to start off on a high note when they travel to Killashee to take on the locals”.

The club name appeared as Forgney St. Munis or St. Munis Forgney. It is not clear which convention is most historically accurate.

The Forgney St. Munis club ceased participation in active adult competition at the end of the 2016 season, and is no longer affiliated. Underage players in the Forgney parish compete as part of the ‘Ballymahon Forgney Gaels’ underage club.

Key titles won as St. Munis Forgney:

• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship

Football

Founded in 1889.

Did not compete in the 1890 Championship and was a late entry in the unfinished 1891 Championship.

Mullinalaghta Leagues requested affiliation to the Council in March 1891. It appears that a member of the Killoe Erin’s Pride club expressed concerns to potential trouble if affiliated referring to them as a “rough disorderly club” and questions raised around the fact that they were a border club i.e. should they affiliated to Longford or Cavan. It was agreed to affiliate the club subject to a caution if they exhibit roughness!

Recorded as Mullinalaghta Leaguers in tournaments in 1901 and 1902. In 1904 a notice appeared in the Longford Journal stating that a meeting had been held on 4th September 1904 at Cloonagh, for the purpose of re-organising the Mullinalaghta Gaelic Football Club. The elected officers were: D Kiernan (Chairman), J Reilly (Treasurer) and O Flynn (Secretary). The Leaguers name was cited briefly in 1912 and also appeared in 1914 and 1917 when Mullinalaghta played against Mullahoran Dreadnoughts and Loughduff Volunteers.

Football

Short lived team – Played a challenge game in 1912.

No record of any competition games played.

Was called after Myles ‘the slasher’ O’Reilly who was a legendary hero of Ireland and County Cavan in the 17th century in his resistance to the new Covenanter Scottish and English settlers in Ireland. He was a descendant of the O’Reilly Princes of Breifni.

Football

This appears to be the Mullinalaghta Leaguers club reformed and name shortened to Mullinalaghta.

In 1904 a notice appeared in the Longford Journal stating that a meeting had been held on 4th September 1904 at Cloonagh, for the purpose of re-organising the Mullinalaghta Gaelic Football Club. The elected officers were: D Kiernan (Chairman), J Reilly (Treasurer) and O Flynn (Secretary). There is no mention of the word ‘Leaguers’ in the club name at this point.

Mullinalaghta are noted in the Loughduff tournament in 1916, with games arranged between Loughduff v Granard and Mullinalaghta v Ballymachugh.

Mullinalaghta name is used from the point of the clubs re-organisation until 1955 when the St. Columbas suffix was added.

In 1953 Mullinalaghta entered a temporary amalgamation with Abbeylara as United Gaels. This team also included some St. Mary’s Granard players as the St. Mary’s Granard club was inactive at the time.

Hurling

Mullinalaghta briefly had a hurling team in 1936, but did not take part in official competition.

Key titles won by Mullinalaghta:

• Senior Football Championship
• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)
• Intermediate Football Championship

Football

This is the Mullinalaghta club with ‘St. Columbas’ added to the name in 1955.

St. Columba (also St. Colmcille) AD 521–597, founded Inchmore monastery on the nearby Lough Gowna which straddles the parishes of Colmcille and Abbeylara. The neighbouring parish and club of Colmcille is also named in honour of the Saint.

Mullinalaghta St. Columbas was inactive in 1957 and 1958 but reformed in 1959 (with assistance of players from Colmcille).

Mullinalaghta reached the Junior Championship final against Ballymahon in 1960, the only highlight of those lean years. By 1977 a good group of players had come together to capture the Junior Championship with a victory over neighbours Ballymore. Although competitive at Intermediate grade, the breakthrough would not be easy. Losses by narrow margins in semi-finals and unsuccessful final appearances – against Forgney in 1980 and Ballymahon in Centenary Year 1984 – was to prove a disappointment. The 1980’s was also a period of development for the club with the formation of the Northern Gaels Minor club (together with Abbeylara) in 1985 enabling access to a competitive underage structure and well coached youngsters for adult grades. This collaboration as Northern Gaels has borne fruit with a National Féile title in 2010 and four Minor Championship titles over the years, and the success of those squads provided much of the basis for the club’s renaissance in the last decade. In 1987 Mullinalaghta officially opened the club’s current grounds at The Laurels in Derrycassan where the club had been resident since the 1940’s. In 1990 an Intermediate Championship was won by virtue of a narrow win over Ballymahon after a replay. Due to retirements and emigration, Mullinalaghta was forced to regrade to Junior status in 1994, but by 1996 Intermediate status had been restored. Two Intermediate Championships were to follow, with victories over Dromard in 2000 and Kenagh (after a replay) in 2007. Since 2007 steady progress was made at Senior level, culminating in a Leader Cup final win over Longford Slashers in 2013 and the club’s first appearance in a Senior Championship Final for 62 years against Killoe Young Emmets in 2014.

Though not successful on that first outing – losing 2-11 to 0-10 in that 2013 Leader Cup decider – that Leader Cup was a harbinger of what would become the greatest decade in the club’s history since the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. Killoe Young Emmets proved once again to be Mullinalaghta’s nemesis in the 2015 championship, with a couple of late scores in the quarter-final overturning a Mullinalaghta lead. 2016 saw the club back in the County Final of the Senior Championship under the stewardship of Mickey Graham. An early second-half goal from Aidan McElligott was to make the difference in a final scoreline of 1-8 to 0-8 over Abbeylara, and tremendous scenes accompanied the presentation of the Connolly Cup to captain Shane Mulligan as Mullinalaghta celebrated their first senior title in 66 years. The club’s first foray in Leinster brought victories against Stradbally of Laois and St. Loman’s of Westmeath before a semi-final loss against a more experienced St. Vincent’s team in Pearse Park. Domestically, Mullinalaghta added the Leader Cup to their haul for the year with a victory over Clonguish in the Leader Cup final. In 2017 Mullinalaghta found a path to the final once more, Abbeylara were once again the opposition in the decider and were once again on the wrong side of a three-point margin at the end, 0-13 to 1-7. The Leinster campaign brought a victory against Eire Óg of Carlow in the first round but Mullinalaghta then allowed a four-point lead, going into stoppage time against St. Loman’s, slip away to exit at the quarter-final stage. A domestic treble of Senior Championship, ACFL Division 1, and Leader Cup titles was completed along with a victory over a Grattan Óg/Rathcline combination in the Under-21 championship. The 2018 campaign saw Mullinalaghta in yet another County Final meeting with Abbeylara. A tight game in atrocious weather conditions produced a draw on a score of 0-6 each with Abbeylara narrowly missing the opportunity to wrap up the game in the final minute, however the replay the following week produced a clear win for Mullinalaghta on a score of 2-14 to 1-2. The Leinster campaign began with a close and dogged encounter against Rhode of Offaly in Tullamore with the match turning on a two-minute spell where Rhode had a goal disallowed followed by Mullinalaghta racing to the other end and slamming the ball in the net. A comfortable win over Eire Óg of Carlow in the semi-final brought Mullinalaghta to the first ever Leinster Club Final for a Longford club and a battle with Dublin kingpins Kilmacud Crokes. The story of that match and its aftermath is now part of GAA folklore with a coolly taken Gary Rogers penalty felling the Goliaths and a national media blitz landing on the shores of Lough Gowna before Christmas. The All-Ireland semi-final against Dr. Crokes of Killarney the following February, however, proved to be a step too far for the club and focus returned to domestic matters, with the club winning the ACFL Division 1 once again, but the Leinster campaign meant that the 2018 Leader Cup final against Killoe Young Emmets was never played.

The following three years produced mixed fortunes for the club; an exit at the 2019 quarter final stage to a hungry and determined Colmcille squad was compensated to some degree by a Division 1 and Leader Cup double, and the Covid-disrupted 2020 season saw Mullinalaghta reach the semi-final after a narrow victory over Colmcille only to see further activity postponed until this calendar year. In 2021 Mullinalaghta were back in the County Final, this time against Mostrim, and a comfortable win to take a fourth SFC title in seven years.

Key titles won as Mullinalaghta St. Columbas:

• Senior Football Championship
• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)
• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship

Football

Founded in September 1888 – The first GAA club in Longford.

The club was named after Tim Healy, the Irish parliamentary Party M.P. for North Longford from 1886-1892 who also served as Governor General for the Irish Free State in 1922. The club’s first president was James Cosgrove, and Liam Cosgrove was captain.

First reference in local media was in Longford Independent on 27th October 1888 with the announcement… “A foot-ball club under the Gaelic Rules having for its title the ‘Granard Healys’ has been established in this town for the last month”. (source)

The clubs first match was against Arva Davitts in Arva on 24th February 1889. Granard Healys was cited in the Westmeath Examiner and Anglo Celt in March 1890 as having re-organised ahead of competing in the Senior Football Championship in Edgeworthstown in 1890. The Granard Healy club competed in the 1890 Senior Football Championship and in the unfinished 1891 Senior Football Championship. Thereafter there is no mention of Granard Healys club name post 1891. It is noteworthy that in January 1891 a club called Granard Slashers was affiliated. By that time, Tim Healy (who the first Granard club had been called after) had become an ardent anti-Parnellite, so it is possible that Granard Slashers was formed to enable footballers to remain politically neutral, and therefore players moved across to play with Granard Slashers from 1891 thus leading to the end of Granard Healy’s.

Note: No direct link has been found between Granard Healys and later Granard clubs such as Slashers or Shamrocks or St. Marys, beyond the fact that all clubs existed at different times in the parish of Granard (along with a number of other clubs that came and went). It is worth noting that Granard Healy’s and Granard Slashers co-existed briefly in 1891 and both played in the unfinished 1891 Championship, while Granard Shamrocks and St. Marys co-existing at the same time during the years 1927-1931.

Football

Founded in late 1890 and first affiliated in January 1891.

In January 1891 Fr. O’Reilly (Granard C.C.) recommended the Granard Slashers club to the County Board for affiliation. By that time, Tim Healy (who the first Granard club had been called after) had become an ardent anti-Parnellite, so it is possible that Granard Slashers was formed to enable footballers to remain politically neutral – But there is no evidence either way.

The club was named after Myles ‘the slasher’ O’Reilly who was a legendary hero of Ireland and County Cavan in the 17th century in his resistance to the new Scottish and English settlers in Ireland. He was reputedly a descendant of the O’Reilly Princes of Breifni.

The Granard Slashers club competed in the unfinished 1891 Senior Football Championship and later contested an ‘unofficial’ Championship final in 1896. This was in fact an invitation extended by Granard Shamrocks to Longford Shamrocks to play a friendly game at Ballinalee, and somehow over the years was incorrectly assumed to be the Senior Championship Final (likely because of the absence of any other games at that time). There is no record of Granard Slashers in competition after 1897 and no record when GAA activity in Longford resumes in 1904. The next mention of the club comes briefly in 1912 (may have been Junior).

Note: No direct link has been found between Granard Slashers and earlier or later Granard clubs such as Healys or Shamrocks or St. Marys, beyond the fact that all clubs existed at different times in the parish of Granard (along with a number of other clubs that came and went). It is worth noting that Granard Healy’s and Granard Slashers co-existed at the same time in 1890-91 and both played in the unfinished 1891 Championship, while Granard Shamrocks and St. Marys Granard co-existing at the same time during the years 1927-1931.

Football

Played Ballinamuck 98’s in a tournament game in 1891.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Appeared in a tournament in 1891.

The club was named after Myles ‘the slasher’ O’Reilly who was a legendary hero of Ireland and County Cavan in the 17th century in his resistance to the new Scottish and English settlers in Ireland. He was reputedly a descendant of the O’Reilly Princes of Breifni.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

First affiliated around March 1905. Played in the 1905 championship and in local tournaments in 1905 and 1906.

Granard Shamrocks appeared to lapse after 1906 and was reformed in August 1912 (referenced often in shorthand as ‘Granard’). The club hosted a tournament on 22nd September 1912 including Granard Shamrocks, Clonguish Gallowglasses, Killoe Young Emmets, Arva Davitts, Columbkille St. Columbcilles, Mullahoran Gaels, Edgeworthstown Volunteeers, Clonbroney Clan O’Farrells and Ballinamuck 98’s. Granard Shamrocks also competed in a Ballinamuck Tournament in October 1912, which included teams from Clonguish, Killoe, Drumlish, Colmcille, Granard and Bornacoola. The club is also referenced vs Colmcille in a tournament in Gelsha in April 1913 (Granard Shamrocks vs Columbkille at senior and Granard Junior Shamrocks vs Columbkille St. Columbkilles at junior).

Granard Shamrocks won the 1914, 1916 & 1917 Senior League-Championship (aka League) titles, with the last of those played in March 1919. These have sometimes been confused with Senior Championship titles in the past, but research into those titles and the context around them indicates that they were not Senior Championship titles. Club is also noted in Loughduff tournament in 1916 vs Loughduff (other game was Mullinalaghta v Ballymachugh).

After the 1917 Senior League-Championship final in March 1919, Granard Shamrocks club is not found much thereafter until later in the 1920’s, and appears in Junior competition from 1927 to 1931. It should be noted that Granard Shamrocks club existed for a few years in the parish of Granard at the same time that the St. Marys club was in active competition.

In an interview with the Longford Leader in August 1982, Joe Regan mentioned ‘Granard All Shamrocks’ and refers to most of their players being from Killasonna. Granard Shamrocks was also cited as reformed briefly in 1940’s in the GAA’s Oral History Project recordings.

Note: No direct link has been found between Granard Shamrocks and earlier or later Granard clubs such as Healys or Slashers or St. Marys, beyond the fact that all clubs existed at different times in the parish of Granard (along with a number of other clubs that came and went). It is worth noting that Granard Healy’s and Granard Slashers co-existed at the same time in 1890-91 and both played in the unfinished 1891 Championship, while Granard Shamrocks and St. Marys Granard co-existing at the same time during the years 1927-1931.

Hurling

Hurling Club called Granard Shamrocks is announced in August 1912. Appears to have been formed primarily to stop the formation of a cricket club in Granard. The notice of the formation of the hurling club in the Longford Leader on August 10th 1912 notes:

“We believe an effort was made to form a cricket club in Granard but the Shamrocks would have none of it, and so it remained in oblivion. All honour to the Gaels who made the manly stand”. 

There is no record of any competitive hurling games played by Granard Shamrocks.

Key titles won as Granard Shamrocks:

• Old Senior Football League-Championship

Football

Short lived club, played in a tournament alongside Granard Shamrocks in 1905.

Not clear if this was an underage or Junior team.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Junior team recorded in a challenge match in 1905.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Junior team recorded in a challenge match vs Edgeworthstown Wolfe Tones in February 1905.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Short-lived club, formed in 1908 as underage or junior club.

May have replaced the Granard Celtics club as the underage team in the parish.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Short-lived club for non Locals who worked in pubs or shops in Granard town.

Recorded in a 1912 challenge game.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Killasonnagh Emmets Junior team mentioned in 1912 and again as Kilasonna in a tournament in 1926.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Junior team organised in 1916.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Junior team organised in 1917.

No record of any competition games played.

Football & Hurling

Short lived club founded on 4th November 1919.

Named in honour of John Boyle O’Reilly, an Irish poet, journalist, author, activist and member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood.

Club is noted in May 1920 as seeking a field for practice games in football and hurling.

No record of any competition games played.

Hurling

The Granard hurling club was founded in 1931 and participated in 1932, 1933 and 1934 Hurling Championships.

There are earlier reference to a hurling club in Granard in the early 1920’s and again in November 1924, though this may refer to the Boyle O’Reillys club in the parish at that time in both hurling and football (though never in official competition). Signs of a hurling club in Granard by 1928, but not affiliated.

Granard competed in 1932, 1933 and 1934 Senior Hurling Championships. The club played in the inaugural game of the 1932 Hurling Championship against Longford hurling club in April 1932. This was likely the first competitive hurling game played in Co. Longford since the 1907 Championship. That first game ended in tragedy however, when the Granard captain, Justin Manning, a native of Woodford in Co. Galway, collapsed and then died while being removed to hospital. The game had been only twelve minutes in progress and the deceased had played a prominent part until the tragic event abruptly terminated the game. The Coroner in reviewing the evidence at the inquest said it was evident that influenza was indirectly the cause of death. The death was not caused by anything which happened in the game. Justin Manning had been working as a shop assistant in Mr. L. D. Kiernan’s of Granard for some time.

That 1932 Championship game vs Longford was eventually re-fixed and played on 29th May 1932, with the following team representing Granard: M. J. Gaffney (captain), T. Kiernan, T. Finnan, P. McNally, T. Rudden, P. O’Dea, P. Hension, T. Manning, M. Reilly, M. Boyce, T. Gorman, H. Owens, S. Fagan, E. Fagan, M. Kiernan, T. Doherty, J. Sheridan, M. Gorman, W. Gaynor, J. Finnan and J. Geraghty. This was the first team to play a competitive hurling game for a club from the parish of Granard.

Granard won three-in-a-row hurling Championships in 1932, 1933 and 1934 along with the very first Senior Hurling League title in 1933. Club fades away after 1934 and is not found in the following years. The club was reformed in 1949 and won the 1950 Cavan Senior Hurling Championship title. From 1949 to 1953 hurling flourished in Granard while there was no football club active in the parish.

The club has the distinction of being the first to win three-in-a-row Longford SHC titles (1932-1934).

Key titles won as Granard Hurling Club:

• Senior Hurling Championship

Football

The St. Marys Granard club was formed in the parish of Granard in 1925. The catholic parish of Granard is dedicated to St. Mary.

No direct link has been found between St. Mary’s Granard and earlier Granard clubs such as Healys or Slashers or Shamrocks, beyond the fact that all clubs existed at different times in the parish of Granard (along with a number of other clubs that came and went). It is worth noting that Granard Healy’s and Granard Slashers co-existed in the parish at the same time in 1890-91, while Granard Shamrocks and St. Marys Granard co-existing in the parish at the same time during the years 1927-1931. The Granard Shamrocks club re-organised from 1927 to 1931 at Junior grade and existed at the same time as St. Marys club was in active competition, hence two different clubs at the same time within Granard parish (hence those earlier League-Championship titles in the 1910’s are not assigned to St. Marys as they were clearly two different clubs). There is often a conflation of the St. Marys club with other clubs which existed at the same time or prior to the formation of St. Marys. It is more accurate to state that the St. Marys club was formed in 1925 while the origin of the GAA in Granard dates back to the formation of the very first club in the county – Granard Healys – in 1888.

St. Marys went into decline and lapsed for a period in the late 1930’s but was back by the start of the 1940’s and won the 1941 SFC title. The club lapsed again from 1942 to 1946 and thereafter amalgamated with Abbeylara as ‘United Gaels’ in Senior Championship in 1947 & 1948. The club was not active from 1949 to 1953 with hurling becoming the dominant sport instead in the parish of Granard in those years. St. Marys was reformed in 1954 and has been continuously active since then, with a period of domination in the 1960’s when most titles were shared between St. Marys and Clonguish. The club has the distinction of being the first club to win three-in-a-row Senior Football Championship titles (1929-1931) and followed this up almost immediately with another three-in-a-row from 1933 to 1935. St. Marys has won 11 Senior Football Championships in 1929, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1941, 1966, 1967, 1970 & 1982

Key titles won as St. Marys Granard:

• Senior Football Championship
• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)
• Old Senior Football League-Championship
• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship
• Under 21 Football Championship

Football

The modern-day Ballymore club was formed in 1967. In the mid-1960’s the St. Mary’s club in Granard parish enjoyed a spell of dominance within the county. The fact that the town-based club had the resources to select a team from within its environs led to a separation within the parish along rural-urban lines. This was the impetus for the development of a separate club, with the Ballymore-Coolarty-Killeen-Bunlahy district deciding to go it alone. Hence in 1967 the Ballymore Gaelic Football club was established by a group including Bishop emeritus Colm O’Reilly (then curate), Phil Reilly, John Drake, Jimmy Reilly, Patsy Cooke and Paddy Higgins. Phil Reilly was elected the first Chairman and Jimmy Reilly the first Secretary. Ballymore commenced activity in Spring 1967 with the clubs first game played against Mullinalaghta St. Columbas.

Earlier references to a ‘Ballymore’ team can be found circa 1915 (Eugene McGee also had a reference in 1981 Longford GAA Yearbook to Marty Daly’s first game being for Ballymore against Ballinamuck 98’s in 1915) with a reference also found to Ballymore in active competition in Junior competition in 1919. A challenge match was also recorded between Ballymore and Columbkille on 5th September 1920. Nothing is noted thereafter until the formation of the modern-day Ballymore club in 1967. No direct link between the Ballymore team of the late 1910’s and the Ballymore club founded in 1967 has been established thus far, beyond a common geography and the use of the name on both occasions. It seems most accurate to state that the Ballymore club was founded in 1967 while teams from Ballymore were competing as far back as 1919.

Ballymore won the Junior Football Championship in 1980 & 1995 and Intermediate Football Championship in 2004.

Key titles won as Ballymore:

• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship

Hurling

Founded in 1984 and entered first Senior Hurling Championship in 1984.

Reached the 1986 Senior Hurling Championship Final.

Football

Founded in April 1889 (4th club in County Longford) by the driving force of Tipperary native Michael McGrath who was a school teacher in Kenagh for 40 years and died in 1909. He had been instrumental in the foundation of the Gaelic League, IRB and GAA in the Kenagh area and in the establishment of the GAA in Longford.

The Clough Dillons name was a nod to John Blake Dillon (Member of Parliament) and the Dillon involvement in the 1867 Fenian battle in Ballingarry. Michael McGraths influence led to the club adopting the Tipperary colours of blue and gold. The clubs first game was in a Tournament organised by the Longford Davitts club on Easter Sunday 1889 involving Ballymahon O’Briens, Clough Dillons, Rooskey Pat Molloys and Longford Davitts. The brand new club played a more experienced Rooskey Pat Molloys outfit and came away defeated by 2-5 to 0-0.

On 13th October 1889 two matches took place in Longford involving Longford Davitts vs Killoe Erin’s Pride and Drumlish Robert Emmets vs Clough Dillons. The Drumlish-Clough game had to end prematurely due to bad light, and Kenagh were leading at the time by 1-2 to 0-1. This was the first win by Clough Dillons. In November 1889 Clough Dillons played Moydow Harpers in a friendly, with Dillons winning 1-3 to 0-2.

Clough Dillons played in both the 1890 and unfinished 1891 Senior Football Championships.

In late September 1890 Clough Dillons played in a tournament in Lanesboro together with Ballymacormack Grattans, Newtowncashel Sons of St. Kieran, Rathcline John Martins, Killashee John Mitchells and Moydow Irish Harpers. Clough played Rathcline in the main match and won by 1-2 to 0-3. This was also the first participation in any tournament by Killashee and Moydow teams. By November 1890, such was the popularity of the game in Clough that the club was able to field a team of young players who were not on the Senior team, and a match was played between the Clough Junior Dillions vs Ballymahon Junior Leo’s. This may well have been the first underage GAA match played in Co. Longford. In December 1890 Clough Dillons played Rathcline John Martins with Rathcline snatching a win by 0-1 to 0-0.

On 27th April 1890 Kenagh hosted one of the Senior Championship games, between Killashee John Mitchells and Rathcline John Mitchells. A tournament game was also arranged on the same day in Kenagh, involving Carrickedmond O’Connells & Moydow Harpers. Moydow won by 1-5 to 0-0. This game was marked by an injury to a player (Dowd from Moydow) who broke his leg in kicking a ball around before the game started. This is thought to be the first accident on a Gaelic field in Longford.

Club is referenced again in 1905 against Moydow Harpers. In 1911 Clough Dillons played a friendly vs Terlicken Rovers at Corina. The match ended in a draw and the panel of players included Jas King, P King, Bill Walsh, Tom Flanagan, James Lennon, PJ Lennon, Tom Egan, Tom Regan, Joe Healy, John Healy, Tom Kelly, Whitlow and Corrigan (Abbeyderg).

In 1917 Clough Dillons played Legan in the first round of the Junior competition. Kenagh won by a point from a Jim Miley free. In the second round, Dillons defeated Clonahard, but were defeated by Longford Wanderers in the semi-final. In 1923 Kenagh and Cashel played in a close game and we find Clough in action in Junior competition (League-Championship) in the period 1920-22.  The club is last cited in 1923 and disbands soon after with players competing with Cashel in the years that followed.

Football

Short lived Junior team recorded in 1905 in a challenge match against Inny Rovers.

No record of any competitive games played.

Football

The formation of the modern-day Kenagh club can be traced back to 1942. The club was predated in the parish by the Clough Dillons club which was formed in 1889 and lapsed around 1923. In the years prior to 1942, footballers from Kenagh competed with Cashel or Moydow, with some winning the 1939 Junior Championship with Moydow Harpers. In 1940-41 Moydow were in dispute with the County Board regarding the venues for Championship games and as a result didn’t compete in the Junior Championship. A team was then formed in Kenagh in 1942, with assistance from a number of players from Moydow. From 1942 to 1956 they played in the Blue and Gold colours of the old Clough Dillons club.

Kenagh lapsed in 1946 and a club called Foigha was formed in the area and competed at Junior grade in 1948 & 1949. The club folded thereafter.

Kenagh was re-organised in 1952 and entered into an amalgamation with Moydow Harpers under the name ‘St. Dominics’. The amalgamation competed from 1952 to 1953 but did not affiliate in 1954 or 1955 (as noted in the County Convention report).

Kenagh reformed on its own in 1956, co-opting the St. Dominics name and with new colours of Maroon and White.

Kenagh amalgamated with Cashel as ‘Clanna Gael’ in 1959 but was back and affiliated as Kenagh St. Dominics by 1960.

Kenagh won the Under 21 Championship in 1963 and Intermediate Championship in 1966 as Kenagh St. Dominics.

Kenagh amalgamated with Carrickedmond as St. Martins in Junior (1971-73) and Senior (1971-75).

The club reorganised and affiliated on it’s own as Kenagh at Junior grade from 1973 and won the Junior Champoionship in 1976.

Kenagh has won 2 JFC titles (1976, 2019), 2 IFC titles (1966, 1983) and 4 U21 titles (1963, 1987, 1989, 1997).

(Note 1: Earliest reference to the ‘Kenagh’ name in club context is in 1905 challenge match vs Ballymahon. It seems likely however that this was a geographic reference to the Clough Dillons club)

(Note 2: The ‘St. Dominics’ part of the club name is not prominent in published sources after the early 1970’s except for it’s use as the name of the Minor Club and underage team name)

Types of Championship titles won as Kenagh:

• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship
• Under 21 Football Championship

Football

Foigha club was founded in October 1947 in absence of any club in the area.

Foigha played in Junior competition in 1948 & 1949.

Football

Founded in 1890.

The club was named after the Irish Nationalist activist John Mitchell. Often referenced by the shorter name of Killashee Mitchells.

Played as Killashee John Mitchells in the 1890 Senior Football Championship.

In September 1890 Killashee John Mitchells played in a tournament in Lanesboro with Clough Dillons, Ballymacormack Grattans, Newtowncashel Sons of St. Kieran, Rathcline John Martins & Moydow Irish Harpers. This was the first game played by a Killashee team.

Club entered the unfinished 1891 Championship but didn’t compete in it.

Recorded in 1902 as Killashee Mitchells in a match against Ballymacormack Grattans, and is recorded in Roscommon Herald in 1903 against Longford Leo Caseys in a friendly game as Killashee Mandevilles (not clear if this was a typo – context suggests it was).

The club competed in the 1904 championship as Killashee John Mitchells when GAA revived in Longford.

Killashee John Mitchells played Ardagh St Patricks in a Championship fixture in January 1906 (likely the 1905 Championship).

Club name is next referenced briefly in a tournament in 1915 as John Mitchells.

When the Killashee club is reformed and affiliated in 1932, the ‘John Mitchells’ part of the name was gone.

Football

This appears to be the Killashee Mitchells club with the name shortened to Killashee.

Competed as ‘Killashee’ in tournaments in 1905 and 1907 and in the late 1910’s, though this seems likely to have been shorthand for the Killashee John Mitchels name used by the club at the time.

The club was reformed and affiliated in 1932 under the name Killashee. We find no reference to John Mitchels from this point.

Football

Local area team recorded playing Cornollin and Kilmore in a challenge match in 1905.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Local area team that played against Clondra Shamrocks in a challenge in 1905.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Short-lived club, played in Junior League in 1920 (reached the Junior League final vs Longford) and in Junior competition in 1924.

Hurling

Team cited in April 1926 in a friendly game against Longford hurling club, with Longford winning 4-4 to 3-3.

A club is mentioned in December 1931 but did not compete in 1932, 1933 or 1934 hurling competitions.

No record of any competition games played in hurling.

Football

This is the Killashee club with St. Brigids added to the name from 1934.

Club lapses for a few years at the end of the 1940’s and was reformed and affiliated again in 1950.

Key titles won as St. Brigids Killashee:

• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)
• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship

Football

Founded in June 1889 – First GAA club in Killoe parish.

The club was founded as Killoe Erins Hope but was quickly renamed Killoe Erins Pride which was the name used when the club played in the inaugural Longford Senior Football Championship in 1890. It is not known why such a quick renaming of the club occurred in 1889. The ‘Erins Hope’ was a Fenian gun-running ship that traveled from the US in 1867 with the aim of assisting a rebellion with arms onboard.

No record of any competition games played as Killoe Erins Hope.

Football

This is the Killoe Erins Hope club which was swiftly renamed Killoe Erins Pride immediately following the club being founded in June 1889. It is not known why such a quick renaming of the club occurred in 1889. The first chairman was John Farrell, Keegan from Kiltyreher was Vice Chairman and Secretary was William Hughes. 

Killoe Erins Pride played it’s first game in the Colmcille tournament at Cornadrung in November 1899 and competed in both the 1890 Senior Football Championship and unfinished 1891 Senior Football Championship. The club is last recorded in the 1890’s against Longford Shamrocks Junior team in March 1896. Club appears to lapse thereafter during the lean ‘Parnellite Split’ years of the 1890’s.

Worth noting that Killoe Erins Pride and Killoe McMahons clubs co-existed at the same time as separate GAA clubs in the parish of Killoe for a short period in the early 1890’s. They were not the same club, they were separate competing clubs within the same parish.

Football

Founded in 1890.

Played in the unfinished 1891 Senior Football Championship.

Killoe McMahons & Killoe Erins Pride clubs co-existed at the same time in 1890 & 1891. The Killoe Erins Pride club actually objected to the formation of a second club in the parish at the time. In March 1890 Mr. James McCarthy came forward and said he had a club in Killoe to get affiliated. McCarthy claimed that the young men of the upper end of the parish were too far from where the Erins Pride played (he claimed it was four miles distance). Mr. W Hughes of Killoe Erins Pride objected to the formation of a second club, and cited rule 10 of the Association which says “No second club shall be formed in any parish or district unless the consent of the County Committee has previously been obtained”. He went on to point out that they already had one club in Killoe and this club which Mr. McCarthy asked to have affiliated was formed of players from their club, and had been organised without the consent of the Co. Committee. The County Board president asked if there was any chance of an amalgamation being made. Mr. McCarthy said no. Following that March 1890 meeting, James Donoghoe approached the County Board in November 1890 to have Killoe McMahons affiliated. Notice had been provided to W. Hughes of the Killoe Erin’s Pride club in advance who confirmed at the meeting that he did not intend to oppose the proposal. The affiliation was therefore approved at the meeting on 2nd November 1890.

A game was recorded on 7th February 1892 between Killoe McMahons and Crosskeys Fitzgeralds with Killoe winning 3-2 to 0-1. The game was played in Killoe, with Thomas Keenan, captain of Ardagh St. Patricks, as referee. On 6th March 1892 McMahons are recorded against Ballymacormack Grattans at Lisduff with Charlie Reynolds as referee.

As was the case with the majority of clubs in the 1890’s, the Killoe McMahons club was gone by the turn of the century.

Football

Ennybegs Kickhams is recorded in March 1891 playing against Kilnathmine Sarsfields.

Likely a local team. Reference to both teams belonging to the same parish, however it is unclear if Kilnathmine Sarsfields was Kilnathruhan Sarsfields but misspelled. This was a return match which implies the teams played against one another previously.

No record of any competition games played (either by Ennybegs Kickhams or Kilnatruhan Sarsfields).

Football

Short lived team recorded as playing Killoe Young Erin’s Pride in 1905.

No record of any competition games played.

Difficult to ascertain if this team was from Soran in Killoe or Clonbroney parish (Townland of Soran straddles both parishes).

Football

Short lived team who announced their intention to play challenge games in 1905.

The team captain was John McCarthy from Farragh.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Short lived team recorded as playing Soran O’Connells Sons in 1905.

Seems to be a local team as opposed to the re-organised and renamed Killoe Erins Pride club.

Team consisted mostly of players from the townlands of Dernacross, Drumnacooha & Cornafunshion.

No record of any competition games played as Killoe Young Erins Pride.

Football

Killoe Young Emmets name first appears in published sources (also as Killoe Emmets or Killoe Robert Emmets) in December 1903, playing exhibition games of hurling and football against Longford Leo Caseys. The naming of the club is linked to the 100th anniversary of the death of Robert Emmet which was commemorated across Ireland in September and October 1903, just prior to the emergence of the club name in December 1903. It is not clear if this was the reformed Killoe Erins Pride club or a new club in the parish.

Killoe Young Emmets competed in the 1904 Senior Football Championship when competition resumed in Longford for the first time since 1891, reaching the final which was played in April 1905, and losing out to Longford Leo Caseys. Killoe Young Emmets are then recorded against Dromard O’Briens in the Drumlish tournament in November 1905. Killoe lost the 1905 Senior Championship semi-final to Edgeworthstown Volunteers. In 1907 Killoe Young Emmets claimed their first football and hurling titles (and the first ever double won in Longford) and held onto the senior football title for 9 years, between 1907 and 1915. However, some of these championships were not finished, and the evidence shows that Killoe won four championship tiles in this period, with some championships taking two years to complete.

In the 1907 SFC final, Killoe beat an amalgamation of Drumlish & Ballinamuck 98’s by 1-8 to 1-0 at Newtownforbes. While records prior to 2014 had credited Killoe with 1911 and 1912 championship titles, the evidence shows that the records for both years are actually all from the same 1911 championship which rolled into 1912. The listed final of 1911 appears on closer examination to be the 1911 semi-final, and after some uncertainty over the final opponents, Killoe eventually overcame Edgeworthstown Volunteers in early 1912 to win the title. Killoe Young Emmets defeated Longford Commercials by two points to one in a replayed 1913 final in April 1914. Killoe’s championship final of 1915 resulted in a win by three goals to Clonguish Callowglasses three points in July 1916. With no championships in the years 1917-1918 due to unrest, rebellion and impact of the Spanish flu pandemic, it would be 1919 before action resumed in Longford and Killoe would once again find themselves in a County Final, this time against Clonbroney (later renamed Seán Connollys). The Clonbroney men won the title after a replay.

After losing out to Clonbroney in 1919, the Killoe club went into decline in the early 1920’s, lapsing for a few years and was re-organised on 17th October 1926, retaining the name Killoe Young Emmets and the colours of Green and White. The 1930’s saw success in Junior Championship in 1931 and Junior League in 1939 with further Junior Championships won in 1949 and 1951. In 1955 & 1956 the club amalgamated with Whiterock Slashers as Killoe Slashers and won the 1956 Junior League. A meeting of the Killoe members in Esker Hall resolved to secede and return to the field as the Killoe Young Emmets club in 1957. Killoe won the 1957 Junior Championship and returned to senior grade, reaching the Senior Championship final in 1959, losing to Longford Slashers. In 1960 the Club claimed their first Senior Championship in 45 years when overcoming Longford Slashers to become the first winners of the newly commissioned Seán Connolly Cup. After victory in the 1961 Leader Cup Final over Longford Slashers, Killoe’s fortunes declined with retirements and emigration and the club would eventually surrender senior status in 1965. In 1977 Killoe had one of their most successful seasons since the great days of the sixties when the Intermediate team remained unbeaten throughout to capture the Championship, Intermediate League and Special Intermediate League titles and gain promotion back to Senior grade.

Killoe reached Senior Championship finals in 1983 and 1987 only to suffer defeat on both occasions. Killoe won the Leader Cup for the first time in 1985 with a 3-point win over Longford Slashers. Killoe finally made the big breakthrough in 1988 and captured double honours in the process, becoming the first club to win Senior and Junior championships in the same year. The 1990’s saw Killoe’s Junior grade steal the limelight by winning five-in-a-row Special Junior Championships in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995. A further two Junior Championship titles in 1997 and 1999 and Junior League title in 1993 and 1994 ensured that Killoe were indeed kings of the Junior grade. Intermediate League (1A) was also captured in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1997. In 1993 Killoe won the Senior Championship title for the 7th time with a two-point win over St. Marys Granard. In 1995 the Young Emmets showed fine spirit when capturing the club’s 8th Senior Championship crown, overcoming Ardagh St. Patricks in the final.

After a few lean years, Killoe was back to winning ways in the 2000’s, winning the Leader Cup and ACFL Division 1 titles in 2005 & 2020. The club went on to win the Senior Football Championship in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019 and 2020, and reached the Leinster Club SFC semi-final twice in the 2010’s.

Hurling

Killoe Young Emmets is first cited in hurling competition in an exhibition game against Longford Leo Caseys in December 1903. The club competed in the inaugural Longford Hurling Championship of 1904, reaching the SHC final on 19th February 1905 and losing to Longford Leo Caseys. The game was replayed on 7th May 1905 following a Killoe objection, and Leo Caseys won the replay. Killoe reached the Senior Hurling Championship final again in 1907, this time beating Longford Leo Caseys to win the very first Senior Football & Hurling Championship double in Longford. Cited as ‘county champions’ in a tournament in August 1907 at Longford against Ballymahon Inny Rovers (won 3-13 to 0-3). Fleeting references are found to Killoe Hurling Club in November 1919 when a meeting is proposed after practice on the following Sunday and to make arrangements for coming match. However no evidence was found of competitive hurling games played after 1907.

Young Emmets or Emmet Óg?

The club name is Killoe Young Emmets and the name itself is most likely linked to the 100th anniversary commemoration of the death of Robert Emmet which took place across Ireland in September and October 1903, immediately preceding the first record of the club name in December 1903. The club is also referred to by the Irish ‘Emmet Óg‘ since the 1960’s. A wider pivot to the use of Irish names dates back to 1958 when club notes in the local newspapers started to appear with the club name As Gaeilge, reputedly as a result of an initiative driven by the County Board secretary of the day. This led to most club names appearing in Irish in local media fixtures and club notes from the end of the 1950’s. This stuck for both Killoe Young Emmets and Young Irelands (Drumlish) in particular who continued thereafter to be referenced as Emmet Óg and Éire Óg in club notes, fixtures and eventually match reports throughout the 1960’s. This confusing dual-naming convention has continued ever since (even though the Irish translation of Killoe Young Emmets is ‘Na hEiméid Óga Cill Eo‘). All records from 1903 to 1960’s referred to the club as Killoe Young Emmets, while Emmet Óg was then used interchangeably with Killoe Young Emmets during the 1960’s and 1970’s, with a mixture of Emmet Óg and Killoe Young Emmets used in 1980’s and 1990’s, and mixture of Killoe Emmet Óg and Killoe Young Emmets used since the 2000’s.

Key titles won as Killoe Young Emmets (Emmet Óg):

• Senior Football Championship
• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)
• Senior Hurling Championship
• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship
• Under 21 Football Championship

Football

Founded in 1890. Competed in the 1890 and unfinished 1891 Senior Football Championships.

The ‘sunburst’ reference comes from the old Fenian Sunburst flag associated with early Irish nationalism, which is first thought to have been used in 1858 by the Irish Republican Brotherhood.

Legan Sunbursts lapsed for many years and reformed in 1934 (reported in the Convention report on February 3rd 1934), competing for one year. The club played matches at Carrickboy, hence fixtures would typically read ‘At Carrickboy: Sunbursts vs Other’. This may have led to confusion over whether the club name was actually Carrickboy Sunbursts. There was a team in Carrickboy in the 1920’s and some limited references exist to Carrickboy Sunbursts, but not in the 1934 period.

No references to Legan Sunbursts club found after 1934.

Football

Short-lived team, played Ballyduffy O’Brien from Dromard in a match in 1901.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Mentioned in 1905 as a Junior team, and again in October 1933 versus Manor Rovers.

No record of any competition games played.

Named in honour of Myles ‘The Slasher’ O’Reilly who was a legendary hero of Ireland and County Cavan in the 17th century in his resistance to Scottish and English settlers in Ireland. He was reputedly a descendant of the O’Reilly Princes of Breffni.

Note: It wasn’t unusual in the early years of the GAA in Longford for a clubs Junior team to have a different name to the Senior team. It is not clear whether Legan Slashers was the Junior team of the Legan Sunbursts club. 

Football

Legan club name is referenced in Junior challenge in 1915 and in 1919 Junior competition, and during activity in early 1920’s. No reference to Legan Sunbursts at all in this period (just Legan). Whether this is because of shorthand references by the journalists and writers of the day, or reflects a different club in Legan at the time, is not clear.

Next reference to the club as ‘Legan’ is in 1946, and from 1952 to 1953 but did not affiliate in 1954.

Football

Junior team – Played competitively in 1925 and 1928 competition.

Noted as amalgamated with Carrickedmond in 1926 Junior competition.

Note: Carrickboy team was sometimes referred to retrospectively in later years as Carrickboy Sunbursts because when Legan Sunbursts reformed for a year in 1934 they played their matches in Carrickboy so the fixtures would appear as ‘At Carrickboy: Sunbursts vs Other’. Some limited references exist to a Carrickboy Sunbursts team, but not in the period cited above. The likelihood here is that this was the Legan Sunburst club being referred to as Carrickboy. 

Football

St. Joseph’s name first appears in 1935. Appears to be the Legan Sunburst club reformed and renamed.

Competed in Junior from 1935-38 as Legan St. Joseph’s. Name cited again in 1944 when the Legan club reformed.

Club is then referred to as ‘Legan’ in 1946, and again from 1952-1953.

Football

Legan Sarsfields name first appears in 1966 when the club was reformed after years of no activity since end of 1953.

Appears to be the Legan St. Joseph’s (previously Legan Sunbursts) club reformed and renamed.

The club was named after the Irish hero Patrick Sarsfield, Earl of Lucan.

Key titles won as Legan Sarsfields:

• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship

Football

Founded on December 2nd 1888 – First GAA club formed in Longford town, and the second in the county (after Granard Healys).

Ballot papers for club officials were issued at the first meeting on 2nd December 1888 and by 6th January 1889 the new Longford Davitts club had JP Farrell (founder of the Longford Leader newspaper) as Chairman, William Foran as Secretary, Francis McGuinness as Treasurer and Michael Toolan as Captain. The club was named after Michael Davitt.

First recorded in action against the Ballymahon O’Briens club in a game played on the Fair Green in Ballymahon on 24th February 1889, which seems to have been the first match played under GAA rules in Longford. The return match was played in Longford on March 24^th 1889.

The club competed in the 1890 Senior Football Championship.

Club is briefly cited as Longford Davitts in 1894.

Football

Formed on 16th December 1889, named after Henry Grattan and founded at a meeting in Rockspring House.

Dan Farrell was first President, J.P. Quinn was first Secretary and Joe Lyons was Captain.

Grattans competed in 1890 and unfinished 1891 Senior Football Championships. Ballymacormack Grattans club was active in friendly games in 1892, 1895, 1896 and 1897. The club was then cited briefly vs Killashee Mitchells in 1902 (won 0-2 to 0-1 in Loughanboy), and against Moydow Harpers in 1903 (played Moydow on 24th May 1903, winning by 3-9 to 0-1) and is cited again in 1904 in a friendly game against Longford Leo Caseys. The club is referenced as ‘Ballymacormack’ in friendly games in 1906-07, but the wider context suggests this was shorthand for Ballymacormack Grattans.

The modern day Grattan Óg club takes its name from the old Ballymacormack Grattans club.

Football

Founded in 1889. Played in 1890 Championship.

Named after the Normal Fitzgerald family and the ‘Crosskeys’ area at the end of the Battery Road – As you head out of longford Town there is a row of houses opposite the roundabout for the Demense called The Crosskeys.

Football

Founded in 1889. Played in 1890 & 1891 Championships.

Named after John Mandeville who was an Irish Fenian and member of the Irish National Land League.

Ferafad Mandevilles recorded in a tournament against Edgeworthstown Volunteers in May 1896.

Football

Played in the 1896 ‘unofficial’ final. Older records assumed that to be the Senior Football Championship final, but there was no official competition in those years and it was a one-off game, not an organised competition.

In January 1895 Longford played Westmeath in a game contested for a new silver cup presented by the Mullingar Catholic Commercial Club. The Longford team was represented by the Longford Shamrocks club, and the Westmeath team was represented by the Mullinagar club. The game ended in a draw. Years later Longford Shamrocks claimed to have won the trophy, so it must be assumed that the game was replayed with a Longford win. Also noted in friendly games in 1895 including vs Ballymacormack Grattans.

In February 1897 Longford played in a first ever inter-county game in the delayed 1896 Croke Cup, with Longford Shamrocks representing Longford against Louth who were represented by Drogheda Emmet. The game took place in Oldcastle and Louth won by 2-10 to 0-3. The Longford County Committee had earlier met in October 1896, but there was not enough clubs affiliated, hence no County Board could be voted in. Longford Shamrocks gave a stinging criticism of the state of football in the county and especially that no team would meet them to decide who would represent Longford against Louth in the Croke Challenge Cup. The Shamrocks club took it upon themselves to represent the county rather than give Louth a walk over. Shamrocks initially challenged Rathcline to a game and in the event that the invitation was not taken up, the club would ask the Central Council to play Louth as representing the County. Shamrocks then submitted their request and received a letter from the Central Secretary relating to the match between Longford and Louth in the Croke Cup. The letter was understood to be an invitation for Shamrocks to represent the county.

By late November 1896 Longford Shamrocks are continuing to lay down challenges to teams to play them. Ballymahon were a possible prospect to play for ‘county honours’ and Granard Slashers offered to play any challenger in Ballinalee. The Granard challenge was taken up and the report to this game referred to it as the ‘County Longford Championship’. This was recorded in previous records as the SFC final, however there was no County Board at the time of the match, hence no official GAA activity in the county in 1896, and the match itself was a one-off game and not part of any larger competition with other clubs. Therefore we have concluded that the 1896 game was a one-off and not the Championship final.

In December 1897 Longford Shamrocks were noted in the Westmeath Examiner as follows… “The Longford Shamrocks challenge any Gaelic club in any of the following counties: Sligo, Roscommon, Leitrim, Cavan, Meath or Westmeath, to contest for the silver cup won by them in 1895 from the Westmeath GAA, on Monday 27th December 1897 in Longford. All challenges must be in before 23rd inst”. The cup in question was that presented by the Mullingar Catholic Commercial Club for the Longford v Westmeath game in early 1895. It is not known if the challenge was met.

Longford Shamrocks was next recorded in a friendly match in 1903 against Ardagh St. Patricks (won 1-7 to 1-5 on 24th May 1903) and was cited again in 1904. The club was noted in 1905 as ‘newly organised’ as a Junior team of local shop assistants. The club was also noted in published records as ‘Longford Shop Assistants’. On 12th March 1905 Longford Shamrocks was noted as having organised a friendly with Kilmore Shaun O’Farrells. Noted in April 1905 as playing Longford Junior Leo Caseys, and played a number of non-competitive games between 1905 and 1908 – likely all at Junior.

Note: There is no direct link between Longford Shamrocks club and the later Longford Leo Caseys or Longford Wanderers or Longford Slashers clubs, beyond the fact that all existed at different times as GAA clubs in Longford town. As this section shows, they were among many such clubs down the years. To conflate or combine these clubs is historically inaccurate. 

Football

Played a challenge game in January 1898 against Moydow St. Patricks.

The match report noted the following…. “The visitors were ‘not in it’, with the locals, two of whom, Messrs Williams and Shields, displayed the highest scientific ability. The game was splendidly contested from the start. When the whistle sounded for half time the game stood Longford 1 goal and 1 point, Moydow Nil. In the second half things fared worse for the visitors, the score at the end being Longford 3 goals and 1 point, Moydow Nil. Everything passed off most pleasantly, the duties of the referee being ably and fairly discharged by M. Devlin”. 

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Longford Leo Caseys club was founded initially as a hurling club in October 1902. The Football Club was formed on 26th September 1903.

The Leo name was in honour of John Keegan Casey (aka Leo Casey) who was an Irish poet, orator and republican who was famous as the writer of the song “The Rising of the Moon” and as one of the central figures in the Fenian Rising of 1867. He lived for many years in Co. Longford.

Longford Leo Caseys footballers are cited playing Ardagh St. Patricks in December 1903, and again in February 1904 in a game which Ardagh won by 1-4 to 0-2. In March 1904 Longford Leo Caseys footballers played Ballymacormack Grattans and won by 0-4 to 0-2. These sides clashed again in May 1904, with Leo Caseys winning by 2-11 to 0-2. We find reference to Longford Leo Caseys playing Killashee in football in June 1904, with Leo Caseys winning by 0-8 to 0-3 in Killashee. Leo Caseys played Mullingar Young Irelands in June 1904 in a tournament in Ardagh with cup presented by the Longford Co-operative Dairy Society. In September Longford Leo Caseys played in a tournament in Drumlish, beating the local side by 2-6 to 1-3.

Longford Leo Caseys won the Senior Football Championship in 1904 and 1905. The club also won the inaugural Senior Hurling Championship of 1904 (final played in Feb 1905 and replayed in May 1905), becoming the first club to complete a Football-Hurling double in the same season. Cited in August 1907 in a tournament at Longford, in a draw game vs Ardagh St. Patricks (0-6 each). Leo Casey’s was the first Longford Town club to win titles under GAA rules, but was not the first club formed in Longford Town or in Longford Parish (Longford Davitts was the first club formed in Longford parish and there were a handful of other clubs that came and went in the parish before the Leo Caseys club was formed).

The club represented Longford in inter-county football in the early years of the 20th Century, including in 1904 Goodwin Cup vs Cavan in March 1904, Croke Cup vs Kilkenny in May 1905, Leinster SFC (1902) vs Wexford in November 1903, Leinster JFC (1906) vs Westmeath in February 1907 and Leinster JFC team vs Westmeath in 1908.

By 1911 another club called Longford Commercials was active in Longford town, and a heavy defeat in 1911 Senior Championship vs Clonguish Gallowglasses (1-5 to Nil) seemed to mark the end for this once great club. Last reference to Longford Leo Caseys found in 1912, having played 1911 and 1912 League-Championships.

Note: There is no direct link between Longford Leo Caseys club and the earlier Longford Shamrocks or later Longford Wanderers or Longford Slashers clubs, beyond the fact that all existed at different times as GAA clubs in Longford town. As this section shows, they were among many such clubs down the years. To conflate or combine these clubs is historically inaccurate. 

Hurling

Longford Leo Caseys was formed initially as a hurling club on 1st October 1902, and was the first hurling club formed under GAA rules in Co. Longford. The club was associated with the town’s branch of the Gaelic League and in the following few years hurling had a far greater impact in Longford town than Gaelic Football.

The initial notice about the club in the Longford Journal was not complementary of the clubs first Chairman, J.P. Farrell (MP). The notice appeared in Longford Journal on 4th October 1902 noting that “meeting was held on Wednesday 1st October 1902 for the purpose of establishing a Gaelic Hurling Club in Longford at which Mr. J. P. Farrell M.P, attended and in the course of one of this usual tirades he attacked all the other young sportsmen in the town. We would be glad to see a successful club established but we think the promoters were badly advised in allowing Mr. Farrell have any part in the matter as his presence is sure to blight the undertaking. His violent and ungentlemanly conduct will prevent many young men from joining“.

On 7th December 1902 Longford (as Leo Caseys) played Roscommon Gaels in a friendly hurling game in the New Park in Longford. This appears to be the first inter-county hurling game ever played by a Longford team. Roscommon Gaels won by 2-6 to 1-4 and the match report notes that “the Longford team has been practicing only for about three weeks“. The team that day was: McAvock (Captain), Kiernan, McLoughlin, O’Sullivan, Conway, Collins, Tully, M. Conlon, Coulahan, Quinn, MacManus, Donlon, McGuinness, Hughes, Faulkner and Denning. The return tie took place in Roscommon on 15th February 1903 with Roscommon Gaels winning 2-5 to 0-1. In March 1903 Longford Leo Caseys played a hurling game against Abbeylara Davitts at the New Park in Longford, with Leo Caseys winning by 2-9 to 0-0. This is noted as the first win by the club since it was formed. Longford Leo Caseys played a hurling game against Mullingar Shamrocks in March and April 1903. In January 1904 Longford Leo Caseys played a hurling match against Mohill Faugh-a-Ballagh club. The game ended with a win for Leo Caseys by 1-1 to 0-1. The return tie took place in Mohill in early February 1904, with Mohill winning the game.

Longford Leo Caseys cited as beating Clonbroney hurlers in a friendly hurling match held on St. Patricks Day 1905. The club was part of the St. Patricks day procession that day along with Clonbroney Hurlers, Longford Leo Caseys Footballers, Killoe Hurlers and Drumlish Wolfe Tones Footballers.

Longford Leo Caseys won the inaugural Longford Senior Hurling Championship which was organised in 1904 and completed in 1905, beating Killoe Young Emmets in the final. The club reached the Senior Hurling Championship final again in 1907, with Killoe Young Emmets gaining the upper hand on that occasion.

The club represented Longford in inter-county hurling during the early years of the 20th Century, including in Leinster Cup (Hurling) vs Meath in July 1903 and Leinster SHC vs Westmeath in July 1904. The club was due to represent Longford in the Leinster SHC in November 1903 vs Wexford, however the game was switched to Football at the last minute when Longford could not commit to fielding in hurling. Wexford received a walkover. Leo Caseys are to the fore in an attempt to revive hurling in the county in 1910 & 1911 with challenge matches organised, and a game recorded between Leo Caseys & Mullingar Shamrocks in March 1911 (one of the first hurling games played for some time). Leading the charge in that revival attempt was the clubs most renowned player James Maloney (aka Towneyboy) who was originally from Tipperary and lived in Water Street having served in the barracks in Longford. James went on to fight in WW1 and suffered from gas poisoning as a result. Ultimately these attempts at a hurling revival proved futile and the club was gone after 1912.

Types of Championship titles won as Longford Leo Caseys:

• Senior Football Championship
• Senior Hurling Championship

Football

Recorded in a tournament against Newtownforbes Leo Caseys in April 1904.

Named after Lord Edward Fitzgerald, an Irish aristocrat and nationalist.

Club name is recorded twice in challenge games in 1905 and a team bearing the name ‘Clonahard’ played in competition in 1920.

Note: In Comóradh an Chéid (1987), it is claimed that Lord Edwards played a juvenile game against Seán O’Farrells on Sunday 25th January 1903, with Lord Edwards winning by 5 goals to nil. The details included a team list and the overall granularity suggests this claim has merit. However we were unable to find any published record of a club bearing the name Seán O’Farrells. 

Football

First appears as a Junior team in 1905, but not in competition.

Reorganises in Junior in 1920 – Cited as playing Edgeworthstown in Junior competition in May 1920.

Played Junior for one season in 1920, coinciding with the period when Longford Wanderers were Senior.

Football

Recorded as playing Newtowncashel Junior St. Kieran’s in 1906.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Played a challenge game against Clonguish Gallowglasses in 1908.

Towneyboy was the nickname of a well known Longford hurler called James Maloney who was a member of the Leo Caseys club and to the fore as a Longford hurler in these years.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Recorded in 1909 playing in a local competition against Longford Wanderers, Ballymacormack Hazelites and Longford Rovers.

May be St. Mels College referred to in local media by another similar name.

No record of any competition games played as Longford St. Mels.

Football

Short lived team, briefly noted in a tournament in 1909 versus St. Mels and Longford Wanderers and Longford Rovers.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Longford Wanderers first appears in 1909 in a local tournament against Ballymacormack Hazelites, Longford St. Mel’s and Longford Rovers. The club did not play any competitive matches during that period. The Longford Wanderers name was mostly associated with soccer in the 1910’s.

Wanderers are then cited vs St. Mels College in a friendly in April 1919, with Longford Wanderers winning 2-2 to 0-2.

Longford Wanderers won the Senior League-Championship (aka League) in 1922, 1923, 1927 & 1928. The 1922 and 1923 titles seemed to be won under the shorthand name ‘Longford’ but an assessment of players versus the earliest reference to Wanderers in competition shows sufficient overlap to conclude that it was the Wanderers club. The 1927 and 1928 titles were won under the clear banner of Longford Wanderers.

Longford Wanderers won Junior Championship titles in 1932 & 1942.

From 1933-34 Wanderers was amalgamated with Clonguish as United Gaels.

Longford Wanderers won Senior Football Championship titles in 1944 & 1947, but started to decline by the early 1950’s.

By 1954 Longford Wanderers had been relegated to Junior grade, while neighbours Whiterock Slashers had gained promotion to Senior ranks. Both clubs were aware that they were struggling with numbers, so it was decided to invite members of the Longford Wanderers club to a meeting of the Whiterock Slashers club, where both clubs agreed to merge and create a new Longford Slashers club (using half of each clubs name).

Longford Wanderers merged with Whiterock Slashers to create a new Longford Slashers club on 4th January 1954 (link).

Note: No direct link was found between Longford Wanderers and the earlier Longford Leo Caseys or Longford Shamrocks clubs, beyond the fact that all existed at different times as GAA clubs in Longford town. As this section shows, they were among many such clubs down the years. To conflate or combine these clubs is historically inaccurate. 

Key titles won as Longford Wanderers:

• Senior Football Championship
• Old Senior Football League-Championship
• Junior Football Championship

Football

Longford Commercials club was first affiliated in 1911 and played in 1911 Senior Football Championship.

The Commercials name was first cited in December 1893 and again in 1905 and 1909 when we find references to shop assistants of Longford looking to organise as a football team.

The club co-existed for a period with Leo Caseys in Longford town, but took over as the pre-eminent Gaelic Football club in the town when the Leo Caseys club folded around 1912.

Commercials reached the 1913 Senior Football Championship final (conflated in some records with Longford Leo Caseys) and lost after a replay to Killoe Young Emmets in April 1914.

Football

Mentioned in a challenge game in 1912.

Likely based at the army barracks in Longford.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Longford I.N.F. or Irish National Foresters had a team in 1913.

No record of any competition games played.

Club organised a cup competition in 1912 which Colmcille won in the decider in 1913.

Football

Played in a tournament in 1915.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Formed in 1918, played Melview in a few matches.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Recorded in club action in a friendly match versus Longford Wanderers in April 1919.

St. Mels College won the Junior League-Championship in November 1920, after Ballymore failed to show.

Players from St. Mels also reported as playing for Longford Wanderers in this period too.

Hurling

A hurling team is cited as having been formed at St. Mels College in May 1928. No evidence that this team competed in Longford club competition – seems to be limited to Colleges action only.

Key titles won as St. Mels College:

• Old Junior Football League-Championship

Football

Recorded twice in 1920. Mainly challenge games.

No record of any competition games played.

Hurling

First cited in August 1920, with both ladies and men involved in practices in Longford Park. Reference found in May 1922 to Longford hurling club being in full swing with practices held in Longford park each evening. A friendly match is noted on 15th August 1924 between Longford and Lismacaffrey as part of the Street Annual Sports event. On 27th August 1925 a hurling friendly was played in Longford Park between a Longford selection and the Army’s 6th Western Battalion, with Longford winning by 0-17 to 0-15. Another game is cited in October 1925 between Longford hurling club and the Army’s 10th Battalion, with the Military running out 6-4 to 2-3 winners on that occasion. Another friendly is recorded between Longford hurling club and Lismacaffrey in November 1925, with Longford winning by 6-5 to 6-4. A friendly is played between Longford and Elphin in May 1926 and it is noted in June 1926 that the Longford hurling club is not affiliated with the County Board.

The club was re-organised in 1931 and competed in the 1932, 1933 and 1934 Hurling Championships.

Longford playing Granard in the first game of the 1932 Hurling Championship on 10th April 1932. The team for that first game in 1932, and the very first Senior Hurling Championship game in Longford since the 1907 Championship was… A. Layden, J. Daly, M. Canning, R. Donohoe, T. Downes, P. Doyle, P. Beirne, J. McMahon, P. O’Keefe, P. Farrell, S. D. Kelly, P. McCoppin, J. Tierney, P. O’Sullivan, E. Banks. Subs: M. Nevin, J. Lyone, T. McGuire, M. Stack.

That inaugural game ended in tragedy when the Granard captain, Justin Manning, a native of Woodford in Co. Galway, collapsed and died while being removed to hospital. The game had been only twelve minutes in progress and the deceased had played a prominent part until the tragic event abruptly terminated the game. The Coroner in reviewing the evidence at the inquest said it was evident that influenza was indirectly the cause of death. The death was not caused by anything which happened in the game. The 1932 first round game against Granard was replayed on 29th May 1932.

Club was re-organised again in February 1936 after a gap with no hurling activity in Longford in 1935. The club played challenge games in 1936 due to lack of any hurling competition in Longford (was the only hurling club in Longford in 1935, and up to mid 1936 when the Lanesboro hurling club was formed). The club was still around and practicing in April 1937 and folded thereafter.

Football

Played in 1924 and 1925 Junior League-Championship and another Longford team took their place in Junior after they won the 1924 Junior League-Championship beating Clondra in the final by 2-2 to 0-1. (There was no knockout Junior competition, so Junior League-Championship which was played on league basis, was referred to as Junior Competition or Junior Championship back in those days)

References found include a game against Drumlish in the 1st round of the Senior League-Championship in October 1925. Another reference is found to Longford Rovers in a Junior League-Championship tie against Ballinamuck 98’s on Sunday 18th April 1926, which resulted in a walkover for the 98’s when the Longford team arrived too late to Ballinamuck.

Last game recorded by Longford Rovers was a drawn game against Colmcille in Junior in 1930. Last reference to the club was in March 1931.

Key titles won as Longford Rovers:

• Junior Football League-Championship

Football

The 6th Battalion are recorded at the start of Junior League competition in October 1925, beating Carrickedmond by 7-5 to 2-1. In December 1925 a game of football takes place between the 4th Infantry Battalion #2 Brigade vs the 2nd Infantry Battalion #1 Brigade. In March 1927 a friendly Army football match was played between Finner Camp and Athlone.

Army are cited again briefly in competition between 1941 and 1945.

Teams were based at the Connolly Barracks in Longford town.

Hurling

The 6th and 10th Battalion hurling teams played friendly matches vs Longford hurling club in 1925. The 6th Battalion lose to Longford in August 1925 by 0-17 to 0-15, while the 10th Battalion beat Longford by 6-4 to 2-3 in October 1925. In December 1925 a game of hurling takes place between the 4th Infantry Battalion #2 Brigade vs the 2nd Infantry Battalion #1 Brigade. In March 1927 a friendly Army hurling match was played between Finner Camp and Athlone.

Teams were based at the Connolly Barracks in Longford town.

Hurling

Notice in the media on 16th June 1928 announced the formation of a new ‘Geraldines’ hurling club in Longford.

No record of any competition games played.

Football

Appears to be the old Ballymacormack Grattans club, reorganised and name shortened.

Cited in official competition in 1929 and 1930, initially in the Fr. Lynch Cup and then in Junior League.

Ballymacormack club name found in Junior League fixtures and results in the 1940’s.

Football

Founded in July 1933. Young Grattans (later Grattan Óg) took its name from the old Ballymacormack Grattans club which was formed in 1890. Ballymacormack Grattans folded after the unfinished 1891 Championship.

In July 1933 a notice appeared in the local newspaper announcing the formation of a ‘Young Grattans’ club. The notice (📷 Source) stated that “This is a newly formed club and takes its name from the old Ballymacormack Grattans who over thirty years ago were one of the foremost clubs in the county”. The first game was scheduled against Edgeworthstown Geraldines on 23rd July 1933, however the new club never actually materialised. A notice in February 1936 cites application for transfer of players to a ‘proposed Young Grattans club‘ but the transfers could not be granted as the club was not yet in existence. The Young Grattans name appears in a Longford Wanderers local league in the mid 1930’s and at various stages during the 1940’s, but there is no published evidence of any competitive games played using the Young Grattans name in the 1930’s and 1940’s. We do find Ballymacormack in Junior League fixtures in the 1940’s.

Young Grattans name is used in official competition for the first time in Junior League in April 1950. The club competes at Junior for a few seasons and then folds in 1954 after failing to fulfill Junior League fixtures due to emigration. We find a reference to the Young Grattans in the 1954 Juvenile Championship Final vs Longford Slashers in August 1954, cited as the Ballymacormack Young Grattans. The club became inactive at adult grade after 1954 until it was reformed on 4th February 1980 as Young Grattans. The Irish version of ‘Grattan Óg‘ has been used interchangeably with Young Grattans as the club name since around 1982, and has become more prevalent as the club name in recent times.

Key titles won as Young Grattans / Grattan Óg:

• Junior Football Championship

Football

Founded in 1934 to cater for GAA needs in an area to the east of Longford Town, stretching from the Ballynareegan-Ferafad district to the Killoe border at Kiltybegs.

The club was called after Cavan native Myles ‘The Slasher’ O’Reilly who was a legendary hero of Ireland and County Cavan in the 17th century in his resistance to Scottish and English settlers in Ireland. He was reputed to be a descendant of the O’Reilly Princes of Breffni.

Whiterock Slashers won the Junior Championship in 1936 but struggled in the years that followed and throughout the war years. The club was reformed in the late 1940’s and won the Junior Championship in 1953, and gained promotion to Senior grade for the 1954 season.

By January 1954 Whiterock Slashers had gained promotion to Senior grade, while Longford Wanderers were relegated to Junior ranks. Both clubs were aware that they were struggling with numbers, so it was decided to invite members of the Longford Wanderers club to the AGM of the Whiterock Slashers club, where both clubs agreed to merge and create a new Longford Slashers club (using half of each clubs name) on 4th January 1954 (link).

That should be the end of the story, however as the merger was being finalised, some Whiterock Slashers officials got cold feet and wanted to maintain a club in the Whiterock area, and decided to affiliate a new Whiterock Slashers club (Whiterock Slashers 2.0), despite the fact that the merger and creation of the new Longford Slashers club had gone through. Whilst a number of Whiterock players and officials moved across to the new Longford Slashers club, some remained and to play with the new Whiterock Slashers club which also affiliated in 1954.

Whiterock Slashers struggled to complete in the period that followed, and in 1955 & 1956 competed in a temporarily amalgamation with Killoe Young Emmets, under the name Killoe Slashers. The amalgamation came to an end at a meeting of the two clubs in Esker Hall on 11th January 1957.

Whiterock Slashers lapsed once the amalgamation ended, and did not affiliate in 1957 or 1958. The club was replaced by the formation of Shroid Slashers in November 1958. Shroid Slashers was therefore a revival of the Whiterock Slashers club post January 1954.

Key titles won as Whiterock Slashers:

• Junior Football Championship

Football

Founded on 4th January 1954 when Longford Wanderers and Whiterock Slashers united to form the Longford Slashers club (📷 Source). The fortunes of Longford Wanderers and Whiterock Slashers clubs were somewhat divergent by 1954, with Whiterock having been promoted to senior grade for the 1954 season, while Wanderers had struggled at Senior and had slipped down to Junior grade for the 1954 season. Whiterock Slashers club invited representatives of the Longford Wanderers club to their AGM on Monday 4th January 1954, ahead of the start of the season, and an arrangement was thrashed out which would see both clubs unite to form a new club called Longford Slashers.

The announcement of the new club in the Longford Leader on 9th January 1954 was as follows:

The [Whiterock] Slashers Club held their Annual Meeting on Monday night last in the Temperance Hall and there was a large attendance. The attendance included representatives of the Longford Wanderers Club who were invited to discuss a proposal that both clubs amalgamate with a view to forming a Senior and Junior team to represent the parish. After a discussion the proposal was adopted and it was agreed to form a Club to be known as Longford Slashers. This new Club will also field a Minor team and at least two Schools teams.

Both Whiterock Slashers and Longford Wanderers had won Football Championship titles (SFC/JFC) prior to the formation of Longford Slashers, hence the titles of Whiterock Slashers and Longford Wanderers are (and have consistently always been prior to our research) kept separate from those of Longford Slashers in the roll of honour and titles count.

The first club officials were Michael Farrell (Chairman), Aidan Davis (Vice Chairman), Noel Caslin (Sectretary), Noel Caslin (Treasurer), Selectors: Seamus Green, Ml Farrell, Ted Ward, Maurice McManus and Mick Donoghue. The new Longford Slashers club played their first match in Drumlish on 24th January 1954, when the then reigning Senior League and championship holders Young Irelands won the challenge game by two points 0-8 to 1-3. It was considered a very satisfactory outing. At a later meeting on the 25th January 1954 it was decided to affiliate Minor, Juvenile and Schoolboy teams in the various competitions (under the name St. Michaels). In the club’s first senior competitive game, Longford Slashers beat Ballymahon in the Leader Cup by a decisive 2-6 to 1-1. The team followed up this win with a hard earned 0-7 to 0-3 victory over Ardagh St. Patricks. Longford Slashers was well prepared for a first appearance in the Senior Championship and turned in a great display to score a surprise 4-7 to 2-4 win over Colmcille, and in doing so qualified for the final at the first time of asking. In the opinion of many, Longford Slashers were now odds-on to win the title, and they lived up to that billing in overcoming Seán Connollys by 1-6 to 1-3 to claim the clubs first senior championship title.

In 1955 Mostrim were the first opponents in the defence of the Senior Championship title. One of the best teams ever to come out of Mostrim held Longford Slashers to a draw the first day, but in the replay Slashers came out well on top, winning by double scores 2-10 to 0-8. However, Mostrim lodged an objection to the award of the match on the eligibility of Davy Sheeran and Longford Slashers were eventually removed from the 1955 championship which was later won by Young Irelands. However, Longford Slashers came bouncing back to win the Senior Championship again in 1956 and 1957 and in fact their first on-field defeat in the Longford Senior Championship did not come until 1958 when Colmcille defeated them at the semi-final stage. The club was by now donning new colours of sky blue – the decision to change was taken in 1957, the year the famed Tuam Stars came to Longford to play Slashers in a challenge game, which attracted a record crowd for an evening game.

The Senior Championship crown returned to Longford Slashers in 1959, as the great rivalry with Killoe Young Emmets began. The town side had to settle for a draw on the first day but overcame Young Emmets in the replay by 3-5 to 1-5. The two sides met again in the final of 1960 (this time with the new Connolly Cup silverware on offer), but Killoe, led by Billy Morgan and featuring former Slashers forward Davy Sheeran, gained revenge to bridge a 45 year wait for the senior championship title. Longford Slashers did bounce back the following year to overcome Eire Óg in the 1961 decider. Over the rest of the decade the Senior team came up against the great Clonguish and Granard teams, Clonguish in particular having a great side, many of whom formed the nucleus of the great county team of the late 60’s. It was not until 1971 that the Seán Connolly Cup finally arrived back to the town.

By the turn of the 1980’s, the Sky-Blues had added another three senior titles and seemed to be poised to push on further. However, the senior footballers struggled to make an impact for much of the 1980’s before a dominant spell came at the end of the decade. Dessie Barry was the star forward on the first side from the club to claim three senior championships in a row in 1989, 1990 & 1991. Barry was chosen as man-of-the-match for all three deciders and was captain for the latter two.

By now, there were a number of key rivalries for Slashers, including with Killoe. The two sides enjoyed some great battles in the early 1990’s, meeting in three consecutive years when all three ties went to a replay (the winners went on to claim the county title in each of these years). Slashers won title number 13 in one of the more memorable county finals against Colmcille in 1994. Despite returning to the county final stage in 1997, the team’s star began to wane by the end of the century. In 2000 Dessie Barry was selected on the Longford Team of the Millennium along with another former Longford Slashers great Seán Donnelly.

Having lost out to Abbeylara in 2006 and Colmcille in 2008, the club returned to winning ways in 2010 with victory over Dromard in the County Final. Slashers retained the title in 2011 with a narrow one-point victory over Clonguish, but the three-in-a-row was foiled by a re-emerging Killoe side who won the 2012 championship after a replay. Once again however, Slashers bounced back, and in October 2013, led by man-of-the-match Dermot Brady won their 16th and most recent senior title, defeating Dromard by 1-11 to 1-9. In the years that followed, Slashers fell behind Mullinalaghta and Killoe, but battled back to the county final stage in 2019 and 2020, losing out to Killoe in both finals. As of 2023, Longford Slashers holds the record for longest period in Senior Football having played in Senior Championship in every year since the foundation of the club in 1954, never being relegated to Intermediate or Junior grade.

It is worth noting that the name ‘Longford Slashers’ appeared briefly in Junior League competition in Autumn 1926, prior to the name being used for the formation of the newly merged club in 1954. It is not clear what happened to this 1926 Longford Slashers team.

Note: There is no direct link between Longford Slashers club and the earlier Longford Leo Caseys or Longford Shamrocks clubs, beyond the fact that all existed at different times as GAA clubs in Longford town. As this section shows, they were among many such clubs down the years. To conflate or combine these clubs is historically inaccurate. 

Hurling

Hurling section of the club was called Slashers Gaels until 2002 and changed thereafer to Longford Slashers. Any hurling titles won after 2002 were won under the name Longford Slashers.

See Slashers Gaels section for more hurling details.

Key titles won as Longford Slashers:

• Senior Football Championship
• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)
• Senior Hurling Championship
• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship
• Under 21 Football Championship

Football

Founded in November 1958 and announced initially as the reformed Whiterock Slashers club.

Shroid Slashers name first appeared in fixtures in February 1959 and is cited as a ‘revived’ club. The club was called after Cavan native Myles ‘The Slasher’ O’Reilly who was a legendary hero of Ireland and County Cavan in the 17th century in his resistance to Scottish and English settlers in Ireland. He was reputed to be a descendant of the O’Reilly Princes of Breffni.

Shroid Slashers club catered for an area to the east of Longford town, stretching from Ballynareegan-Ferefad to the Killoe border at Kiltybegs.

While it would be fair to assume that Whiterock Slashers vanished when the Longford Slashers club was formed via the merging of Whiterock Slashers and Longford Wanderers clubs in 1954, that was not actually the case. While Whiterock and Wanderers were concluding their merger to create the new Longford Slashers club, some officials within the Whiterock club got cold feet, and elected post the affiliation of Longford Slashers in 1954 to also affiliate a new Whiterock club (Whiterock Slashers 2.0), albeit without the players and officials who had opted to transfer to Longford Slashers. Hence while the old Whiterock Slashers and Longford Wanderers clubs merged to form the new Longford Slashers club, a separate club remained in the Whiterock area after the merger, bearing the same name as the club that it replaced. In the years that followed, Whiterock struggled with numbers and had a brief temporary amalgamation with Killoe (as Killoe Slashers) in 1955 & 1956 before the club lapsed in 1957. In November 1958 an attempt was made to restart a club in the area, and the Shroid Slashers club was formed as a revival of the post January 1954 Whiterock Slashers club.

Shroid Slashers has not participated in active competition since 2019.

(Note: A ‘Shroyd’ team is mentioned as playing Ardagh in a challenge in 1903)

Key titles won as Shroid Slashers:

• Junior Football Championship

Hurling

Slashers Gaels was the name of the hurling section of the Longford Slashers club from 1981 to 2002.

Club competed in the newly reformed Senior Hurling Championship from 1982.

Competed and won titles as Slashers Gaels until 2002.

Name changed to Longford Slashers after 2002 as the club moved to bring all sections under one common club name. Hurling moved from Slashers Gaels to Longford Slashers while Underage moved from St. Michaels to Longford Slashers. The club is unique in Longford in that every part of it (Senior, Hurling, Underage, Ladies, Camogie) operates under one common club name.

Key titles won as Slashers Gaels:

• Senior Hurling Championship

Football

Founded in 1890. Played in 1890 & 1891 Senior Championships.

Club had exactly 30 members at it’s foundation in 1890, and the first officers were:

John O’ Farrell – Chairman and Captain
Michael Mulvihill – Treasurer
Joseph Mc Nally – Secretary

The club’s debut in the championship in 1890 was a short one, conceding in the first round to Ardagh St. Patricks. The club reorganised in 1905 but lapsed soon after. There followed thereafter a lean period with no club activity until the 1920’s. The first games played in Cashel were in a field opposite Claris House. Many matches were played between different townslands as well as with other clubs like Rathcline, Moydow, Ballymahon and Kiltoon. Football in the 1920’s was played in Bornaveera and Cashel and in different fields around the village.

No specific mention of the ‘Kieran’ or ‘Ciaran’ name in 1920’s when club resumed activity. The club is referred to as Newtowncashel during this period.

Newtowncashel Sons of St. Kieran wore the colours of blue and white, but in 1926 the Newtowncashel colours were changed to black and amber.

Football

This is the Newtowncashel Sons of St. Kieran club reformed and renamed Newtowncashel St. Ciarán in early 1932 (different spelling to previous ‘Kieran’) under the guidance of Fr. A Lynch. The St. Ciaráns name was used frequently by the club during the 1930’s and up to 1943.

The Newtowncashel St. Ciaráns club did not affiliate for some of the 1930’s, and submitted a request for affiliation in June 1935 which was accepted by 5 votes to 2. The club did not affiliate again from 1938-1941.

The Newtowncashel St. Ciaráns club returned to action in 1942 and won the Junior championship in 1943.

The clubs colours changed from black and amber to saffron in 1933 and changed again in 1946 to green and red.

Key titles won as Newtowncashel St. Ciaráns:

• Junior Football Championship

Football

This is Newtowncashel St. Ciaráns club with name shortened to ‘Cashel’ from around 1947.

Cashel briefly amalgamated with Rathcline as Shannon Gaels from 1952 to 1953.

Cashel briefly amalgamated with Kenagh St. Dominics as Clanna Gael in 1959.

The club colour changes had changed to green and red in 1946 and remained in place for thirty years until the decision was taken in the 1970’s to change to the now familiar red and black.

Hurling

Cashel & Ballymahon clubs amalgamated as ‘Ballymahon/Cashel’ and competed in the Senior Hurling Championship in the early 1990’s, and are cited in local media as a new hurling team in October 1990. Hurling in Cashel faded away at some stage later in the 1990’s.

Key titles won as Cashel:

• Senior Football Championship
• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)
• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship
• U20/21 Football Championship

Hurling

Initially recorded as playing hurling in 1926 (though not in active competition).

Lisryan competed in the 1933 & 1934 Senior Hurling Championships alongside Longford and Granard hurling clubs.

Confirmed in year-end summary in Longford Leader on December 29th 1934 as having won the Hurling League title in 1934. This was achieved with two victories over Longford, one victory over Granard and one loss to Granard (4-1 to 3-2), to end the league season on 21st October 1934 at the top of the table and as League champions.

Football

Founded in 1890. Played in the 1890 and 1891 Senior Championships.

Also referred to as ‘Honest John Martins’.

Reached the final of the very first Senior Football Championship in 1890.

The club was named after the County Down Presbyterian Nationalist named John Martin. He was arrested for his Nationalist activities and sentenced in 1848 to 10 years transportation to Van Diemen’s Land. Martin returned to Ireland in 1856 having received a full pardon. He had a Longford connection having contested and lost the Longford Election in 1870 in what became a seminal period in Irish politics. He became the first Home Rule MP for Meath from 1871–1875 and was commonly known as ‘Honest John Martin’. When he died in 1875, his Home Rule party seat in Meath was contested and won a young Protestant from Wicklow by the name of Charles Stewart Parnell.

In March 1891 the club received an invitation to play in a tournament in Bornacoola alongside Columbkille St. Columbkilles, Strokestown St. Patricks, Kilmore Diehards and Mohill Faugh-a-Ballaghs and others. Rathcline John Martins club name is also found around 1896/1897. Rathcline competed in the 1904 Senior Championship when the GAA revived in Longford following an absence of activity since 1891. Cited as ‘Rathcline John Martins’ in a game vs Ardagh St. Patricks in December 1904 in Round 1 of the Championship. Also recorded in Championship in January 1906 vs Clonguish Gallowglasses (1905 Championship).

Another brief reference to John Martins is found in 1922, but the club played as ‘Rathcline’ for most of the 1920’s.

Football

The Rathcline club adopted the St. Michaels name from 1934-1937 seasons.

Football

Rathcline St. Michaels appears to change name to St. Dermots in 1938.

Name is shortened briefly to Rathcline in 1939 and club is then inactive for two years thereafter.

Football

Rathcline name originally found in 1910’s & 1920’s, without mention of John Martins – but was probably shorthand.

Modern day Rathcline club name appeared in 1939 (after St. Michaels and St. Dermots faded away). Thereafter we see the club referred to as Lanesboro for a period. Rathcline name was in regular use from 1948 onward (instead of Lanesboro).

Rathcline won their first title in 1951 as ‘Rathcline’, beating Mostrim 1-5 to 0-2 in the Junior League final.

The club briefly amalgamated temporarily with Cashel as ‘Shannon Gaels’ from 1952-53.

The club was re-organised and competed on it’s own as Rathcline from 1955.

Worth noting that the Rathcline club was sometimes referenced in local media as ‘Lanesboro’ in 1942 and 1944. Likely the use of Lanesboro was simply a mixing of club and parish name, which was not uncommon.

Key titles won as Rathcline:

• Senior Football Championship
• Senior Football League (Leader Cup)
• Intermediate Football Championship
• Junior Football Championship
• Under 21 Football Championship

Hurling

First reference to Lanesboro Hurling Club is in April 1926.

Lanesboro Hurling Club was reformed in July 1936. At the time Longford Hurling Club was the only other active hurling club in the county.

In the absence of any competitive games, Lanesboro hosted Longford in a challenge game in late July 1936, with the Longford side winning 6-1 to 3-3. Lanesboro were represented by: Flaherty (Captain), Dolan, Hopkins, Hoey, Malone, Corcoran, Ryan, Rhatigan, Connor, Smyth, Igoe, McDermott, Kilcoyne and Skelly. Lanesboro then traveled to Longford for the return leg of this friendly in August 1936, with Lanesboro winning by 5-2 to 2-2.

Club is not referenced after 1936. No record of any competition games played.

Football

Short-lived club consisting of Bord na Mona employees.

The club played competitively in 1948.

Hurling

This was the name of underage hurling club in Lanesboro in the 1970’s.

Rathcline Gaels played with Slashers Gaels in the Connacht League of 1982.

Name changed to Naomh Ciaráns at start of 1980’s. Club went on to win SHC titles as Naomh Ciaráns.

Hurling

Rathcline Gaels became Naomh Ciaráns at start of 1980’s and played in Senior Hurling Championship as Naomh Ciarán.

The club won two Senior Hurling Championship titles and was runner up in four Senior Hurling finals in the 1980’s.

Appears to have contained players from Cashel club at some stage too (some references to Lanesboro/Cashel makeup).

Naomh Ciaráns hurling club was no longer in competition by the early years of the 1990’s.

Key titles won as Naomh Ciarán:

• Senior Hurling Championship

Football

Request received by Longford County Council (County Board) in November 1890 to have Raspathic Leagues affiliated in Longford as they had no County Council to affiliate with in Westmeath.

Club participated in the unfinished 1891 Senior Football Championship.

Football

Temporary amalgamation of Longford Wanderers and Clonguish from 1933-1934.

United Gaels reached Senior Football Championship final in both years.

Also a reference to some players from Ardagh in the team.

Football

Temporary amalgamation of Abbeylara and Granard from 1947 to 1948.

Reached Senior Football Championship final in 1947.

Also reached Junior Football Championship final in 1947.

Played in the Granard colours of blue and white.

Football

Temporary amalgamation of Rathcline and Cashel in February 1952.

Enters competition in 1953 but is reported as non-existent later that year.

Football

This was a temporary amalgamation of Kenagh and Moydow Harpers and competed as St. Dominics from 1952-1953. St. Dominics did not affiliate in 1954 or 1955 (noted in the County Convention report) and the amalgamation was over by 1956 when Kenagh affiliated on it’s own.

Kenagh club affiliated on its own in 1956 and adopted the St. Dominics name to become Kenagh St. Dominics.

Football

Temporary amalgamation of Mullinalaghta and Abbeylara (with some Granard players).

(St. Mary’s Granard club was inactive during this period)

Football

Temporary amalgamation of Killoe Young Emmets and Whiterock Slashers for 1955 & 1956 seasons.

Both clubs competed in adult and underage grades as Killoe Slashers during this period.

Won 1955 Junior League (final against Longford Slashers played in early 1956) as Killoe Slashers.

The amalgamation was disbanded at a meeting of the two clubs on 11th January 1957 in Esker Hall.

Football

Temporary amalgamation of Kenagh St. Dominics and Cashel.

Football

Temporary amalgamation of Carrickedmond and Kenagh in Junior (1971-1974) and Senior (1971-1975).

Reached Senior Football Championship finals of 1971 & 1973.

(Note: Kenagh reformed at Junior grade in 1973 and were fully separate as an adult team from 1976)

Football

Northern Gaels won the Under 21 Championship title in 1976.

The team was a temporary amalgamation of Dromard & Fr. Manning Gaels.

This is a separate team from the later combination of Abbeylara and Mullinalaghta who formed a joint Minor Club as Northern Gaels.

Hurling

Played in the newly re-organised Senior Hurling Championship in 1982.

Not found in action after the 1982 season.

No information thus far on which clubs made up this amalgamation. If you know, please get in contact.