GAA World - Down - Castlewellan GAC

1993 Frank Lennon

Frank Lennon or Proinnsias Ó Lionain as he is better known by his colleagues in Glor na nGael was born and raised in Auglisnafinn (the‘finn) a few miles from Castlewellan town in December 1908. At 93 years of age (in 2001) Frank is the oldest surviving former Castlewellan player. He has spent his entire life promoting all aspects of Irish culture, including the Irish language, but is probably best known for his lifetime service to Feis an Duin, which he joined in 1928. His sterling service for the Feis spanning sixty years has culminated in his recognition as life President. In 1998 Frank was also honoured by the Feis committee at a special presentation evening to Frank, attended by the local press on the occasion of his 90th birthday, in appreciation of his lifetime dedication to Feis an Duin.

Frank’s introduction to Gaelic football came in 1914 when he was a young schoolboy attending the primary school in Auglisnafinn. Fr.Erdley who was the parish priest at the time started a schoolboy team and the young Frank was picked as their captain. He remembers too a few years later when he was only ten, an adult team being formed in the ‘finn called the Mac Sweeney’s. The team was so named after the patriot Terrence Mac Sweeney, Lord Mayor of Cork who had died on hunger strike at that time. Frank’s brother Eddie was one of the founders of the team, although Frank recalls that his brother wasn’t that great a player as he had" other things to take care of". But he does remember some good players on the team such as Tom King of Edinadariff, Hugh John Murray, and the Leesons from Annsborough, and the well remembered Jimmy Johnston from Castlewellan. This team folded after a few years and the next Gaelic team Frank remembers in the area was a Ballylough team formed, in the early twenties by a Seamus Lenaghan. Frank although only a young teenager played on the team and was also the club’s secretary. In 1924 at the age of 17 Frank began his senior football career with Drumnaquoile a team organised by a man called Hugh McCann. A few years later in 1927 a team was again organised in the Finn and this club quickly developed a Gaelic football team. Frank played on the team and was also the team secretary. It was with this finn team where Frank won his first GAA trophy in 1928 an East Down runners –up medal.

By 1928 Frank’s football skills had come to the attention of the County Down GAA Board and that same year he was selected to play for the County. His first game was a challenge match against the famous Breffini Blues Cavan team who were the reigning All-Ireland champions. The occasion was a fundraising game for the new St. Patrick’s memorial at Saul and the game was played in Smyth’s field in the townland of Moneybot. Players then had to find there own way to games, and Frank recalls cycling to Saul from the ‘finn. Tommy Steele (Hall of Fame) from Castlewellan was another Down player on the team that day as was Johnny Doherty from Ballykinlar (father of Paddy Doherty of 60’s Down fame). As was expected Cavan won easily although Frank insists that the young Down team give a good account of themselves, against famous Cavan players such as "Gunner" Brady, Tom O’Reilly, Jim Smith, and a sergeant in the Guards by the name of Devlin. After the game the champions were treated to dinner in Hayes’s Hotel in Downpatrick while the Down men received Bovril and crackers, before making their own way home. Frank also recalls playing for Down against Antrim in Corrigan Park, where they were beat, and against Armagh in the Abbey grounds in Newry, a game which they won. Frank played with both the Down junior and senior team for a number of years.

By 1932 a new parish priest by the name of Fr. Mc Alea had arrived in Castlewellan, and he was anxious to form a Parish team. He approached the ‘Finn men to join with the town and a new St Malachy’s team was formed. Along with Frank came John O’Hare (Hall of Fame), Seamus Lenaghan, Mick O’Donnell, Hugh McMullan, and Hugh McClean. The new team soon established itself as one of the foremost in the County going on to win two SFC’s in 1934 and 1936. In 1934 the team beat Ballymartin in the final after a replay as both sides drew 1.3 each in the first match. In the replay the town won convincingly beating Ballymartin 2.5 to just 1 point. In 1936 the final was against Mayobridge and again the final ended in a draw, Castlewellan scoring 6 points, to 1 goal and 3 points for the Bridge. In the replay the town won 1.4 to 3 points. (a photo of the 1934/36 team can be viewed in the ‘major club successes page of this website). The successful 1934/36 team was as follows: -

Hugh Kelly – Hugh McNabb (Capt) – Seamus Leneghan – John King – Paddy Steele – Hugh McLean – Hugh McMullan – John O’Hare – Tommy Hannity – Pat O’Boyle – Mousey Hanna – Tommy Steele – Frank Lennon – Peter Hawkins – Mick McDonald – James Maginn – Fr. P. J. O’Hare – Liam Ferguson – Tom McCann.

Mick Lamb who appears in the team photograph was the Club secretary at the time, and the team trainer was Barney Tumelty from Mill Hill (who later moved to live in Downpatrick). Barney was also a member of the Castlewellan Brass Band.

Frank was also a member of the Castlewellan sevens team that won the "GAA Jubilee Year" Feis 7’s competition in 1934, which was played in Thornton’s field opposite St. Patrick’s Park. Frank looks back with pride on this memorable title as it was in the semi-finals of the Feis sevens played against Kilcoo in the meadow that Frank clinched the winning point for the town that put them through to the finals on Feis Sunday. Frank was chaired off the field when they beat Kilcoo but is quick to point out that he didn’t shoot for a point but was attempting to drop the ball into the square when a strong wind carried it sailing over the cross bar. Frank won a second feis medal with the town a couple of years later in 1936 and they also got to the final of the Feis sevens in 1937. Frank recall that they should have won the final that year which was against Ballymartin. The town was winning when he was brought down in a rough tackle resulting in him sustaining a broken collarbone. Frank was being attended on the sideline by Dr McNabb from Castlewellan (Dr McNabb never missed a town match - he lived for most of his life on C’wellan’s Newcastle Road in the house now owned by Councillor Eamon O’Neill) and the game continued with only six town men, allowing Ballymartin the opportunity to get back into the game and take the lead before Castlewellan made a substitution, which was too late for the town.

By 1937 the team was still going well having won the All-County League in 1935/36. But by 1937 internal strife within the new St Malachy’s club (which came about as a result of the local soccer team folding and joining the Gaelic team) resulted in the team folding but not before they won the East Down League in 1937/38. Frank remembers that the last game played by the team was against Mayobridge at the Bridge. It was a rough game, which the town went on to win and he also remembers that the referee for that final game was John McAlinden, a brother of Harry McAlinden from Castlewellan (uncle of Laurence McAlinden). When the St Malachy’s team broke up, as many as eight Castlewellan men went to play for Bryansford. In 1938 however Frank had opened his first business - a grocery shop and animal meal store, at Ballybannon and was asked to help form a new Auglisnafinn team. The St Mary’s team quickly developed football hurling and camogie, as well as Irish dancing and a choir. A branch of the Gaelic League was also established, and Mrs Brendan Nolan and Mrs Dan O’Rourke (Miss Noonan) taught Irish Classes in the old Finn School. The St. Mary’s team went on to win a Feis medal that same year and although Frank was not a regular in the team, he stood in for Hugh McClean who was not available to play that day – thus Frank is the proud holder of three Feis medals (two with the town and one with the ‘finn). The other members of the St Mary’s Feis team were Owen McGeown (goals) Dinney and Willie McKibben, John O’Hare, Barney Trainor, Pat McShane (brother of Tommy McShane from Dundrum).

Frank played for the ‘finn for a number of years until the club folded again, before finally ending his playing days for a Rossglass team (near Ardglass) who had asked him to help them out. Frank also helped to form Annsborough GFC in the late forties. He recalls that the first Chairman of the Annsborough club was Dan O’Rourke from Annsborough (grandfather of O’Rourke Bros. Plumbers) and that Billy Hardy and his son Teddy Hardy (father of Liam and Paddy) were great Annsborough club men as was Tommy McPhilips who had come from Fermanagh to live and work in Annsborough. Frank remained with Annsborough GFC for a number of years and done a spell as Club chairman before he finally retired from the club to concentrate his time and energy with Feis an Dúin who he had remained faithful to since he was first asked to help on the gate by his uncle in 1928. He was later elected chairman of Feis an Dúin, for two terms, from 1975 to 1978, and from 1982 to 1986. After his playing days Frank continued to follow the fortunes of the local Gaelic teams and the Down team whenever he could, and remained a strong advocate of teams participating in the Feis Sevens. He was a familiar sight too at the many sports events in the fifties and sixties were he always made available his famous PA system

In 1948 Frank had moved his growing grocery and meal business to Main Street Castlewellan to the premises next to McKenny’s shop at the corner of Lower Square.

Back in the forties and fifties Castlewellan was a busy market town then with late night shopping to 9.30pm on a Saturday night. Frank raised six sons (Pat, now deceased played for Castlewellan teams in the early seventies) and run a successful business at Main Street for close on 30 years until his retirement in the late seventies. John McKenny purchased the premises and built a new shop on the site in 1984.

When Frank retired in the seventies the town business community and customers alike didn’t expect to see the 70 year old open a new business, but that is just what the bold Frank did. Straight across Main Street opposite his old shop Frank opened the popular electrical repair and record shop (McAleenan’s, beside the present Post Office). A lover of Irish music Frank serenaded shoppers with his PA system outside the shop for close on another decade. When he finally, finally retired he didn’t remain still either. Frank remained an active member of Feis an Duin serving his second term as chairman from 1982 to 1986 when he was in his late seventies. After he retired from the Feis committee he went on to form a local ‘Mass rock’ committee whose aim is to identify and authenticate all ‘Mass rocks’ in County Down. Cannon Davies is the current chairman of the committee, which meets regularly in St Malachy’s GAC clubrooms, and the Secretary is Michael McCartan. Also in the 1980’s Frank was honoured by Glor na nGael Caislean an Mhuílinn, when he was made President, and presented with a Shield in recognition of his lifetime devotion and promotion of our native language. A proud holder of a Gold Faínne (Faínne Óir) Frank won a Feis scholarship to the Gaelteach in the forties and has spent his entire life mastering the language which he speaks with pride.

Proinnsias Ó Lionain has led an interesting and varied life which he has devoted to the promotion of all aspects of Irish life and culture. He is also a noted local historian and can recall many events and personal experiences spanning almost a century of our troubled past. In the St. Malachy’s Club he remains fondly remembered, not only for the honour he brought to the club during the thirties, but also as a true and respected Gael who has dedicated his life to the promotion of Gaelic culture and the Irish way of living.