Born into a Castlewellan family, steeped in the true GAA tradition, Aggie is only the 3rd female to receive the Club's Hall of Fame honour since the inception of this prestigious award back in 1979. The first female was her own mother Bessie in 1994. In 2005 Aggie was the only female recipient of a special Centenary Spirit of St Malachy's GAC Award for outstanding services to her club during her lifetime.
Growing up in a family where Gaelic traditions were handed down by her uncle and then kept vividly alive by her elder brothers it’s easy to see how a female can so easily become so passionate about the fortunes of future ‘Town’ teams.
She herself was no mean sportsperson and was the inspirational figure on the Castlewellan camogie team in the early 1950’s, never shying out of any tackles and always leading by example. One can only wonder how Castlewellan teams would have faired back then if ladies football had been around with such an inspirational figure to lead them.
When her playing days were over she answered the club call once again in whatever capacity was possible, committee member, jersey washer, tea maker, cleaner, fund raiser and along with others town ladies helped with the formation of a Camogie Club in 1973 which ran very successfully right through the 1970's culminating in the camogie team winning the junior league in 1976 and and the Down Junior Championship title in 1979. The Camogie Club's Irish dancing team also won an All-Ireland CCD title in the same year.
In the early 1990's Aggie was again involved with the formation of the first ladies football team in the town.
In keeping with her proud family tradition her own 2 sons have represented the ‘Town’ over the years with distinction at various levels in both football and hurling and there were two very proud moment for the family when one of these sons captured an All-Ireland minor medal on that famous hallowed turf of Croke Park and the other captained the ‘Town’ to their 10th Down senior football championship title in 1995.
She has been a loyal supporter of Castlwellan teams for over 50yrs. and keeps that great family tradition alive by becoming the 6th member of the Rooney family to be enrolled in the Club Hall OF Fame.
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