Club History

Club History - Gaeil Liathroma

Leitrim Gaels was the brainchild of Berney Whitney and his dream turned into a reality when an inaugural meeting of an unnamed club was called for the Leitrim Village area located in the parish of Kiltoghert, on November 3rd 1996 and it was unanimously agreed to set up a club. The first official meeting of the club was held on February 15th 1997 with an attendance of 45 people. Names were proposed and include the following: The Shannon Erne Gaels, O’Sullivan Beares, St. Josephs and Leitrim Gaels. Those present named their club as the Leitrim Gaels. Fortunately, the Kilturbid GAA club kindly agreed to the use of their facilities for our home fixtures. Encouraged and endorsed by John Flynn along with 34 others from the area, a decision was reached to form a club. The population was on the increase in the area and the case looked strong for a skeptical County Board.

With the mandate of the people and support from Kiltubrid, the officers of the club led by John Flynn attended a county Board meeting seeking approval to set-up a club in the Leitrim Village area. To field a team was the challenge that proved the biggest difficulty. It was duly noted at a county board meeting, by the secretary of Leitrim G.A.A County Board, the one and only Tommy Moran, said "they must have took the names for registration from the headstones in the local Kiltoghert graveyard" and in a sense he was right, only our players were very much alive apart from their football prowess. However, the County Board had the vision and courage to grant permission with the full blessing of the local St Marys Club, a gesture that greatly helped our cause.

Indeed it was necessary for the club to gain some finance to buy jerseys and pay for insurance and register the Leitrim Gaels with the County Board. This could not have been done without the generous support of £200 from the following recipients: The Barge – Debbie Casey Beirne; The Leitrim Inn – Michael and Maureen Treacy; Cois na Habhainn – David and Carmel Carthy; Donellans Bar - Vera Donnellan; Maxol – Gerry Donnelan; Mace – Seamus Gibbons; Brian Kane – Auctioneer; Kiltoghert Creameries; Leitrim Office Supplies – Michael and Anne Guckian and Brendan Flynn – Garda.

Certainly we were inspired by our dead and in particular by Alice Flynn beloved mother of one of the founders, who shortly before she died presented a special flower to me, who brought it immediately to O Neills who translated its colours (light green –purple ) into a jersey image that was accepted as our new colours. Because of that and other special moments we knew that the club was truly blessed and was in the right place. The first Leitrim Gaels committee reads as follows:

President Seamus Gibbons Chairman John Flynn Vice Chairman Bernard Whitney Secretary Imelda McManus Asst. Sec. Noeleen Geoghegan Treasurer Thomas Padden Asst. Treas. Willie Joe Farrell PRO Noreen Gaffney Trainers Vincent Molloy and Gerry Spellman

Background to the Leitrim Gaels Club. The club applied for affiliation to the county board and prepared a plan for the future. Among those involved in the setting up of the new club was Bernie Whitney who featured strongly in the old St Josephs club. Others heavily involved in getting the new club off the ground to name a few are : John Flynn, Chairman of the club, Imelda McManus and Vincent Molloy, Seamus Gibbons, who is President of the club, Noeleen Geoghegan, a noted footballer with Leitrim and a sister of Killian  McLoughlin and Tom Padden Treasurer of the club. Once approval was given by the county board to form the club, fund raising became a gig issue. Local people were very enthusiastic about the new venture and rowed in strongly behind the committee. The club has no ground, facilities or money but dedication and commitment from the local people kept them going. They chose a colour for the club, green and purple, and bought a set of jersey for £700. The first steps had been taken. The dreams of the newly formed club were realised on March 9th this year when they took to the field to play their first ever game. A huge effort was put in everybody for this historic occasion and hands were called to the pump, with young and old taking to the field to represent the village. Since the cub was formed the ole village has got behind it. What has gelled everyone together is the enthusiasm of the people who want to be part of it all and support it. This was very evident on May 15th last when the club held a fund raising dance in the Shannon valley Hotel, featuring country star Mick Flavin. The huge and exuberant crowd that turned out that night was testimony to the popularity of, and support for the new club Leitrim Gaels. Chairman of the club, John Flynn said that people might well ask why there should be clubs in the Kiltoghert Parish. He said that this parish has the highest growth in population all of County Leitrim and has had for the past twenty years. The 1996 census showed that there were 2,147 people living in the Carrick on Shannon area and with 587 n the Leitrim area. John Flynn aid that they can draw from the growing population and expand on the future. John insists the clubs existence is in no way a slight on St Mary’s and is not case of one part of the parish trying to show up the other. Success for Leitrim Gales is not dependant on a few older people sitting around a table and talking. Instead success lies with youth and the club have been buoyed by the growing numbers of boys and girls playing at under 12, 14 and 16 levels. Gerry Spellman, Joe Brennan and Brian Whitney spend a lot of their time preparing the teams, both young and old, and deserve a lot of credit for their determination and commitment to the cause. The club are currently looking to purchase a football field and have made an approach on this matter. All being well, they should have their field in the not too distant future. The sports weekend itself is a celebration of Leitrim Gaels existence and is sure to generate great fun and excitement in the village. On Saturday there will be a national schools football competition at 4.00 pm. Four teams have been pencilled in for this tournament. They are Leitrim NS, St Michael’s NS, Cootehall, Kiltubrid NS, and Drumshanbo NS. That evening there will be athletic events taking place in Vera Donnellans field. The athletics is being organised and run by Noeleen Geoghegan. On Sunday the newly formed Leitrim Gaels U16 team will play St. Michaels at 2.00 pm. There will also be a whole sot of novelty events, including a penalty shoot out, a toss of sheaf completion, and a tug o war competition between the pub team in the area. The main highlight of th4 day will be a challenge between Leitrim and Drumboylan. This will be a replica match of a game played on the 1950’s with all of the old players invited to play. There will be fond memories recalled when the veterans take to the playing field one more time. This game, hopefully, will get under way at 5.30 p.m. John Flynn says that this game is a “celebration of the past and the present” and will give players of old a chance to tog out and play again.” Refreshments for these two “veteran” teams will be served afterwards in the Leitrim Inn. All the pubs and businesses in the village are strongly behind both the event and the club and the craic will be mighty in the pubs over the weekend. All players and officials of the club are involved in running this sports weekend. According to John Flynn, it is exactly this sort of commitment that is helping to make the club grow and gives it such a bright future. Irrespective of the other games, the GAA still holds a very strong grip on the heart of Irish people. What our area needs is a sense of identity and spirit. This is only the beginning said John. He said that they would be delighted if people from Carrick on Shannon, Jamestown, Gowel and other surrounding areas came to Leitrim to support them over the weekend and join in the fun.

Extract from the Leitrim Observer Wednesday 16th July 1997