1982 Pat Rodgers
When the current club reformed in 1940 the Rodgers family from Bunker’s Hill Castlewellan were to play a major role in fashioning the future for Castlewellan G.A.C. The Rodgers brothers, Phil, Pat, John (Jock), Jim, and Kevin all played football for the town with distinction in the 40s and 50’s.
The sons of a Kilcoo man, who came to live in Bunker’s Hill in the house Pat now lives in about 1926. With five sons playing for the town, it wasn’t long before the boy’s father changed his allegiance from his home parish of Kilcoo to the town club. The brothers who were all tradesmen went on to form their own successful building firm, Rodger Brothers. The Contracting firm and workshop situated in the back way (Mary Street) provided a source of much needed local employment for the town in the 60s and 70s and many a young town player and players from neighbouring clubs too served their apprenticeship there. It was Rodgers Brothers that built the first club team changing and committee rooms when St. Malachy’s Park was opened in 1978.
Under the guidance of John O’Hare who became the first Club secretary when the club re-formed in 1940 and who was himself a County team player, club players began to receive County recognition. Pat Rodgers and Willie Mckibben were two up and coming young town players selected to play for the Down Junior team in the early forties when the club teams were still in the developing process. In 1945 Pat played for Down in a friendly game against Antrim in Corrigan Park Belfast were his talents where spotted and he was soon drafted into the Down Junior squad. The following year 1946, Pat and another talented town player, Willie McKibben were picked for the team to play Warwickshire in the All-Ireland Junior final at Croke Park. The All-Ireland final was a curtain-riser to the replay between Kerry and Roscommon and it also made broadcasting history in that Radio Eireann broadcast the second half live. The final score in the game was Down 2.10 Warwickshire 1.09. 1946 was a history making year with Down winning their first All-Ireland title. Only twice, since the inauguration of the Junior Football Championship in 1912 had the title come to Ulster, in Armagh in 1926 and Cavan in 1927. Pat Rodgers and Willie McKibben, hold the honour of being members of the Down junior football team which brought the first All-Ireland title to the County, and the first Club members to win All-Ireland medals.
Pat recalls that training with the Down squad for that memorable victory was by no means easy. They had to billet in Newry’s old St Coleman’s hall for the week before the game bedding down on the floor at night. The showering facilities were primitive too; a garden watering can with cold water was used as a makeshift shower. The team training took place in the old Abbey grounds, and their trainer then was the well-known Gerry Brown.
Another well-known Gaelic footballer of the period, Peter McDermott from Meath was brought up on a few occasions to help prepare the team before the game. For all its toughness Pat looks back on the period with fond memories and pride with having the honour to wear the Down jersey and to have been a member of that historic team.
During the early forties when the town club was still finding its feet and unsure whether or not it was going to survive Pat remained with Bryansford where he had moved with about eight or nine other town players when the town team had folded in 1938. Bryansford was a very successful team then winning 4 SFC titles between 1939 and 1942. Pat was a member of their 1941 team picking up his first SFC medal. With the exodus of town players back to the reformed town club after 1942 the ‘ford team folded ia year later and by this time Pat had also returned to the town. Although the town team was now back together again, the team saw little success during that decade. Pat was a member of the teams that contested two championship finals in 1945 and 1946 against Clonduff and Newry. The town were beat in both finals and the latter was a memorable game only for the melee that broke out on the field which resulted in Pointer Guinness decking the referee and a free for all ensuing. Pointer and a number of other players got the line before the game continued. Pat was also a member of the town sevens team that competed in the annual Feis Sevens throughout the forties but the team was unsuccessful and Pat regrets not haing won a coveted Feis medal
Pat’s hung up his boots towards the end of the forties just as a younger breed of men were beginning to make their presence felt on the team, no more so that Pat’s younger brothers Jim and Kevin, both of whom went on to win SFC medals with the town in 1950 (Jim) and 1958 (Kevin).
However Pat’s love of the game and loyalty to his club never faltered and when his playing career was completed he joined the club committee. Pat became involved in all aspects of club adnministration and also took responsibility for managing juvenile and junior teams as well as involving himself in all the important fund raising events. In 1969 Pat was elected chairman of the club, at a time when the club began its modernisation programme. He held the position until 1973 during which time all the major decisions were taken about the development of the meadow and the opening of a new social club.
Pat continued to assist the club after his retirement, and when the new facilities were opened Pat became on of the club’s first Trustee’s, a position he held until the Club was free from debt in the early nineties. In 2004 Pat received the ultimate Club honour when the Club Executive appointed him Club President for the 3 year period 2003 to 2005
Pat Rodgers is a true and loyal supporter of Castlewellan G.A.C. and will always be revered as the first ‘Town’ man to bring an All-Ireland medal to the club.
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