1987 Paddy O'Donoughue
Paddy O’Donoughue will probably be remembered as one of the best-known and able administrators the club has ever produced. Paddy’s parents were both schoolteachers. His father Gerry was a Kerry man, who came to Co Down in the early 1900s to teach in Clanvaraghan primary school, a few miles from Castlewellan.
Paddy’s father Gerry was a renowned hurler and Gaelic scholar and he instilled in his pupils a love of Gaelic sport and culture. Paddy’s mother taught in St. Malachy’s primary school on the town’s Circular Road. The O’Donoughues resided in the town’s Newcastle Road opposite the police barrack, beside another prominent Gaelic family, the McAleenans. Paddy inherited from his parents a love for everything that was Irish and at an early age played Gaelic football for Castlewellan. It wasn’t long before Paddy’s skills earned him a place on the town senior team winning senior Division 1 league medal in 1955. The 1955 team which can be viewed in our history gallery section (when posted) was:-
All-County Senior League 1955: J. Rice, P. Rice, S. Young, M. Guinness, B. Corrigan, C. McCabe, J. Rodgers, P. Jennings, B. McCart.an, Rev. J. Fitzpatrick, P. O'Donoughue, B. McAlinden, D. Roonev, P. Rooney, K. Rodgers.
Paddy also excelled at hurling and as the town did not have a hurling team in the forties and fifties both he and his neighbour and colleague Paddy McAleenan (Hall of Fame), and others players from the town including Pat McVeigh (brother of Henry from Clanvaraghan) and Dan McElroy hurled for Leitrim Fontenoys. Paddy played hurling with the Fontenoys for many years winning 5 junior championship medals during the forties. He also played hurling for the Down Minors from before graduating to the Down junior hurling team (Down did not have a senior hurling side then) were he played into the mid – fifties.
As a primary school teacher Paddy, like his father Gerry before him passed on his skill of hurling and football to his pupils when he taught along with Dan Rooney (Hall of Fame) in the town’s primary school during the fifties. That was before the new Intermediate Secondary School was built and boys and girls had to remain in the primary school until they were 14.
The primary school on the Circular Road was busting at the seams then, and as that was in the days before Portacabins or mobile classrooms, the older boys were taught by Paddy and by Dan in the Parochial Hall or Corncrane as it was know. From that older crop of boys both young teachers fashioned many a good footballer and numerous successful underage teams for the town. This was the start of the town’s underage football and coaching, policy that would pay dividends in the late 50s and early 60s. Along with Jimmy McEvoy (see Hall of Fame), and Cyril Wells (see Hall of Fame) Paddy and Dan organised and prepared a team for the first under-16 championship in 1953. The town reached the final against Downpatrick. The first two matches were drawn and Castlewellan emerged victorious in the third game. The team was D. Feggan, F. Rooney, D. McCabe, E. Magorrian, T. Rice, J. McVeigh, G. Poland, 0. Brannigan, M. Doran, P. C. McAleenan, 1. McMullan, G. McVeigh, J. McGreevy, J. Rice, 0. Rea, E. Toner, B. Magorrian, D. Kearney, T. McGrady.
When Paddy moved on to become the principal of Maghermayo primary school a few miles from Castlewellan, he continued to foster Gaelic games there also.
Paddy’s father Gerry served as Co. Chairman for numerous years in the 30’s and 40’s and as in his choice of career, Paddy also followed in his father’s footsteps into GAA administration. During the late fifties and in the sixties he was on the East Down Committee and on the County Board where he served two separate terms as Down Co. Chairman. During one of his terms, in 1968 Down won the All-Ireland seniors title for the third time.
He was also the County delegate to the Ulster G.A.A. Council where he was tipped to be its next President. Prominent officials have often said that had it not been for his untimely death Paddy O’Donoughue would have acceded to the Association’s highest office as President of the Gaelic Athletic Association. Although involved with GAA affairs at a very high level Paddy still made time to serve on his club committee during the fifties and early sixties were he also played an active role in the administration of the club.
Paddy was also involved in the Civil Rights movement of the late sixties and his sense of justice and fair play prompted him to enter politics, He was one of the founder members of the SDLP and was part of their negotiating team at the Sunningdale Convention in 1976 that saw the setting up of the new N.I Executive under Brian Faulkner and Gerry Fitt. He was appointed as Minister of Education in the ill-fated Executive where he remained until the whole lot came tumbling down a short time later.
He was also a member of the Sports Council of Northern Ireland from 1977-79 & 1980.
He was Chairman of the Down District Council from 1980-1981.
He was also an important member of the South Eastern Education and Library Board between 1981-1985, 1985-1989. He was nominated again for the period 1989-1993 but unfortunately his health was failing.
There is no doubt that if he were still living, Paddy would have been a prominent politician here today and would have been to the foremost in the political negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement.
But it is not for his political achievements that Paddy is remembered for in his home club of Castlewellan. It is as a young and enthusiastic Gaelic sportsman and an able administrator whose last and perhaps proudest official role in his capacity as County delegate was to participate in the official opening ceremony of St Malachy’s Park in 1978.
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