The Thirties - The Golden Years
By 1927 a Gaelic football Club was organised in Aughlisnafinn and this club quickly developed a Gaelic football team. Frank Lennon the oldest surviving Castlewellan player in our Club’s Centenary Year of 2005 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 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 in 1933. Along with Frank Lennon came John O’Hare (Hall of Fame), Seamus Lenaghan, Mick O’Donnell, Hugh McMullan, and Hugh McClean. Under the guidance of Father McAlea a new Club Committee was formed. Its members were Dr Patrick Conway C.C. Patrick Cunningham, Hugh McCann, Bernard McAlinden, Michael Lamb(the team trainor). The first Castlewellan team to be called St. Malachy's, soon became a force and the five succeeding years can be termed the golden years. With men like John O’Hare and Tom McCann the new Club swept the decks. Apart from the two men mentioned sterling service during those years was given by John King, the Steele brothers, Teddy and Tom, Hugh McNabb, Tom Hannity, “Mouse” Hanna, James Maginn and Frank Lennon.
Schoolboy football was still very strong in Castlewellan at this time thanks to the continuing efforts of Martin Cafferkey. The Frontier Sentinel of 16th January 1932 reported on a match between St Malachy’s PS Castlewellan and De La Salle School Downpatrick. This match followed a County match between Down and Antrim in the National League at Moneybot Downpatrick. Down won 2,3 to 0.2.
“….Apart from the senior match, the result of which of course gratified all supporters of the GAA in Down, a field day was arranged for the school boy Gaels. Master Caferkey Castlewellan arrived with a splendid troop of Boy Scouts who with their piper at the head, led the inter-county teams unto the field, and subsequently escorted the teams from St Malachy’s Castlewellan and Christian Brothers Downpatrick. The match provided by these lads give the spectators a real treat and everyone present was impressed by the splendid football played by these youngsters. The Castlewellan boys with their greater experience won after a hard struggle but they were the first to admit that the Downpatrick lads, with more experience will be very serious rivals to any schoolboy team in the county….” Fr. McAlea had also formed a Boy Scout troop in the town in 1932 (the first Catholic Boy Scout troop in County Down) and the troop went to the Eucharistic Congress in Dublin in 1932, camping out in the Phoenix Park). Such was the popularity of the Boy Scout movement (Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland (CBSI)) in Castlewellan that a second Boy Scout troop was formed in the Town a few years year later (1st and 5th CBSI Down). Dan Rooney and Gerry Brannigan became Scout Masters and the close association with the local GAA Club continued down though the years with Club members and former players Des Keown Paddy Burns Gerard McAlinden and Ciaran Crilly as Scout Leaders in the 1970’s and in the 1980’s Liam and Patrick Hardy and Oliver and Sean Rooney.
Also in 1932 a Castlewellan and District schoolboys league commenced “to encourage young boys to play their national games” Castlewellan boys never lost a match in the league that year but were beat in the final of the schoolboy’s Championship which preceded the Senior Championship final between Kilclief and Newry on 11th September 1932.
A special convention of the Down County Committee was held in the AOH Hall Circular Road Castlewellan (later to become ‘The Star Cinama’ and demolished by the IRA in the 1970s – the site is now an all-weather Council playing pitch opposite St Malachy’s Park) in October 1933 for the purpose of (a) defining the areas for league and championship contests and (b) to regrade teams. Hugh McCann (proprietor of McCann’s Grove Bar on Castlewellan’s Main Street – now closed)and Bernard Kelly represented St Malachy’s Club at the Convention and Castlewellan were placed in the Junior League for weaker teams (and newly formed teams). The Castlewellan Junior League area included the parishes of Leitrim, Clanvaraghan, Newcastle, Gargory, Kilcoo, Cabra, Castlewellan and Dundrum.was the first year of the All-County Senior League which consisted of only one senior team in each parish. The following year 1934 Castlewellan entered the senior section of the league while retaining a junior team St Malachy’s in the Junior League
During the early 30's the Castlewellan O'Rahillys five-a-side team was practically unbeatable, County Down has always had a large number of seven-a-side tournaments. The forerunners of these were the five-a-side tournaments, which were an important feature of every sports day. Over the years Castlewellan has had a strong tradition of success in the "small number" games, and this tradition was established by the O'Rahillys five-a-side team. The players were the brothers Johnny and Hughie "Nacker" Toner, John "Darkee" Toner, Jimmy Jennings and Willie Ferguson. Darkie’s son Jim was a committee member for many years and his grandson, Brendan (Bengy) won a National Football League, title with Down in 1983 and was a prominent member of the Club senior team during the 70s and early 80s winning SFC medals with the town in 1979 and 1982. Jimmy Jennings sons Jim and Peter were Castlewellan stalwarts while Willie Ferguson's son Des was the Dublin, All-Ireland hurler and footballer of the 50’s/60’s.
In 1934 the Fels had been revived and the 5-a-side competition became a 7-a-side. First winners of the Feis sevens (GAA Golden Jubilee year) were St.Malachy’s represented by John King, Hugh McClean, John O’Hare, Seamus Lenaghan, Frank Lennon, Mick MeDonnell and "Mousie Hanna". They defeated Clonduff in the final refereed by Geordie Nash of Belfast. Incidentally the Feis was held opposite St. Patrick’s Park in what was know then as Thornton’s field.
The 1934 season was a particularly brilliant one in the Club’s history. In addition to winning the league the St Malachy’s team also won the Senior Football Championship for the second time in the Club’s history giving the Club a treble which was completed again in 1936. The Frontier Sentinel in it’s report of the final wrote:-
“one of the most closely contested games ever played at Hilltown was witnessed there on Sunday by almost 2000 spectators. Glorious weather favoured the fixture and large contingents travelled from all parts of the County.” The paper reported that Castlewellan started out on top:-
“ Castlewellan were having the best of the exchanges and Hanna, O’Hare and Steele combining well, forced play again into the opponent’s territory for the latter to place his side further ahead with a goal. Ballymartin seemed unable to settle and lost many nice opportunities through bad catching and lifting. Castlewellan’s catching and lifting was superior by far to that of Ballymartin and their attacks were more dangerous.”
At the interval Castlewellan were leading 1 goal and 1 point to Ballymartin’s 2 points.
“ The second half opened in favour of Castlewellan who got away from a free from which J’O’ Hare pointed. During the next five minutes, both defences were vigorously tested and Castlewellan was the first to fall, for a point leaving the score at this period, 5 points to 3 in favour of Castlewellan. The next moment Doran from Ballymartin missed a score by inches when from a free; he struck the crossbar with a vigorous drive. Play now became very keen and Ballymartin time and again forced into their opponents defence only to be sent back by O’Hare and Co. Fitzpatrick sent the Ballymartin forwards away and Byrne, receiving, passed on to T. O’Hare but the latter delayed too long in trying to lift the ball from the ground and lost possession. Hawkins receiving from Steele give to Maginn, who shot for goal but Fitzpatrick caught beautifully and cleared. After a spell of midfield play Castlewellan came back again, but McNabb sent past. At the other end Kelly saved from Byrne, who was playing a splendid game in the Ballymartin forward line. The Castlewellan forwards attacked vigorously but the Ballymartin defence was at the top of it’s form now and was hard to penetrate. Intense end-to-end play marked the closing stages of the play but both sides playing very strenuously, failed to add to their score. Result Castlewellan 1 goal 3 points, Ballymartin 1 goal and 3 points. The replay of the Down Football Championship has been fixed for Hilltown on Sunday October the 7th. Ballymartin and Castlewellan will again fight for honours and judging by the display they give on Sunday last, a very keen encounter is anticipated”.
Castlewellan Team – B. Kelly, J. King, H McClean, T. Hannity, P. Steele, M. McDonald, F. Lennon, S Leneghan, P. Hanna, J. O’Hare, T. Steele, H. McNabb, P. Hawkins, J.Maginn, P. O’Boyle
Admission to the County Finals was 6d (about 2 pence) with sideline seats an extra 6d.
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