1985 Patrick McAleenan
Patrick (Paddy) McAleenan from Newcastle Road Castlewellan has lived all his life at the foot of the meadow, and from an early age the meadow at the back of his home was his playground, and the place where he cut his teeth on Gaelic football and hurling.
The President of the County Board in 1916 was Paddy’s GrandUncle Joseph McAleenan, from Castlewellan, and Paddy’s father Hugh G. McAleenan, was Secretary and Treasurer. Hugh, who died in 1977, was a life-long GAA enthusiast, and a committee member of Castlewellan GAC. The carpenter’s shop in McAleenan’s yard, adjoining the meadow was used as changing rooms by Castlewellan teams for generations. It was a familiar sight then to see the home team and the visitors decked out in their strips clambering over the wall from McAleenan's yard into the meadow, before the start of a game.
Paddy’s father was an architect by profession, and his professional services like the use of his yard and shop; he gave willingly to Club and County without any charge. When the development plans for the meadow and new social club were first mooted in the early seventies, it was Hugh McAleenan, although retired and in his early eighties who arranged the transfer of property deeds from parish to club. He also prepared the plans for the meadow and obtained the necessary planning and building control approval.
This was the type of Gaelic background and generosity of spirit that the young Paddy McAleenan grew up with, and a tradition that he has willingly carried on.
Paddy commenced his playing career for the town in the barren forties shortly after the club reformed, and during the only decade in the Club’s history that the team didn’t win any major titles. From 1945 to 1949 Paddy was a boarder at St. Malachy’s College, Belfast were he played both hurling and Gaelic for the college. It was there that he developed the skills that were to earn him two SFC medals with the town and numerous hurling awards with the Fontenoys.
As the forties drew to an end the town team had together at last, a group of young men who looked and played like they could deliver a championship title for the town after a wait of more than a decade. In 1950 the team in which Paddy was a sound defender met Warrenpoint in the County final at the ‘Point (‘the year of the bust ball’!). The match ended in a draw, and the replay was held the following week in the meadow. Paddy recalls that the atmosphere was tense, and the meadow packed, as people from all over the County had turned up for the replay, which was not as common then as it is today.
The game lived up to it’s expectations as both sides were evenly matched but it was the town that won the day in a nail biting finish winning the game by a single point. The final score was Castlewellan 2.5, Warrenpoint 2 .4. This was the town’s fourth SFC title and the team that fielded (see Club successes) was as follows: -
S.F.C. (1950): C. Wells, J. Guinness, P. McAleenan, J. O’Hare (Capt.), Rev. A. Darraggh, J. Burns, P. Ferguson, P. Jennings, J. O’Neill, P. Rooney. D. McKibben, R, Crozier, J. Rodgers, D, Rooney, P. Burns, J. Jennings, F. McAlinden, B. Corrigan.
Paddy went on to win a Division 1 League medal with the town in 1955 and a second SFC medal in 1958, before he finally hung up his boots. 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 O’Donaqhue (Hall of Fame), and others players from the town including Pat McVeigh (brother of Henry from Clanvaraghan) and Dan McElroy hurled for Leitrim Fontenoys. Incidentally, it was a McAleenan from Castlewellan (great great uncle of Paddy’s) along with the McCartans of Leitrim that founded the famous Fontenoys (History of the Fontenoys by Michael McCartan is recommended reading for anyone interested in this period of GAA history). 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 1947 to 1949 before graduating to the Down junior hurling team (Down did not have a senior hurling side then) were he played into the mid – fifties.
Paddy was appointed vice principal of St. Malachy’s Intermediate and Secondary school when it opened as a new school in 1959, and following the sudden death of the school principal Danny Flynn in the mid sixties Paddy became principal. Paddy was a very popular teacher and principal with pupils and staff alike. During his time there, like his predecessor the late Danny Flynn, and his successor Dan Rooney (Hall of Fame) Gaelic games were nurtured and encouraged. This policy led to the school winning numerous honours in Gaelic football, (and in many other sports also) with many pupils going on to win All-Ireland football medals at all levels of the game. By the time Paddy retired from the school in 1985, it had grown in size and stature, becoming St. Malachy’s High. Forty years after the school opened it was demolished making way for a brand new state of the art St. Malachy’s High, which was officially opened by Education Minister Martin McGuinness in 2000. It is worth noting here that the last principal of the old St. Malachy’s High was Des Farley, who won a SFC medal with Castlewellan in 1968, his predecessor Dan Rooney won a SFC medal with the town in 1950, and Dan’s predecessor Paddy, won SFC medals in 1950, and 1958.
After his playing days were over Paddy developed a love for the small white ball, but he never lost his affection for the town club and continues to be a firm supporter. He was one of the first group to be appointed trustee to the club in the early 70’s when the club development program commenced and remained a member of the club executive committee into the 1980’s passing on his great knowledge, expertise and advice. The McAleenan football link with the town also continued into the eighties with Paddy's sons playing football for the town at various levels. Paddy's eldest son John, was a strong midfielder with the senior team during the late seventies and early eighties,and is the proud holder of two SFC medals with the town in 1979 and 1982 as well as a Division 1 League winners medal in 1979.
With the dawn of a new century, the latest generation of the McAleenan family have taken up residence further along the town’s Newcastle Road, and it may not be too long before another McAleenan pulls on the green jersey for the town.
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