History
Castleblayney Faughs - A brief history
The Beginnings
Castleblayney always had a strong sporting reputation and Gaelic football had been part of the local sporting culture within a year of the founding of the Cumann Luthchleas Gael. There are a number of references to clubs in the area such as The Gladstonians, The Smith O’Brien’s and by the end of the 1880s there was the Castleblayney Faughs. But with the splits and power struggles that raged through the GAA in the mid 1880s the early version of the Faughs was a casualty. In spite of the early days enthusiasm it all petered out and Association Football or Soccer as it is better known, came to the fore in Castleblayney. In 1905 The Castleblayney Soccer Club had won the County Monaghan Championship and went on to make a name for itself further a field defeating the then very well known Belfast Celtic Football Club.
A New Dawning
But 1905 was to be a turning point and new dawning for the GAA in Castleblayney.Under the leadership of local curate Fr Clinton the Castleblayney Faughs got off the ground. Fr Mark Clinton CC, who had come as a curate to Castleblayney three years earlier was the man who turned things around He persuaded many players from the Castleblayney Soccer Club to switch to Gaelic Football and thus in November 1905 the Castleblayney Faughs GAA Club as we know it today was born or reborn, depending on how you look at it. But no matter which way you look at it, the club has continued ever since and has achieved unrivalled success in Ireland winning 37 senior championships. Added to that are 3 Ulster club titles and numerous other accolades.
Fr. Clinton was the first chairman of the club and he held that post for those early embryonic years. He was also chairman of Monaghan county board from 1906 to 1909. He was eventually elevated to Canon. He died in the Parish of Dromore, County Tyrone where he is interred. As part of the Faugh’s centenary celebrations in 2005 the club with the cooperation of the Dromore GAA club held a special wreath laying ceremony at his grave in Dromore. Another name synonymous with the club in those early days as club player, club officer and county board officer was that of Castleblayney Town Clerk Willie McGrath. In recognition of his contribution tot the community a new road in the town McGrath Way was named in 2007.
Worn With Distinction
Those who have worn the famous colours of the Faughs Club with distinction over the years have been numerous, many of them household names. Some of them are still well remembered long after they have gone to their eternal reward. The club has had players play with their county, province and country. They have played in the once famous Tailteann Games, The International Rules Series and it has also numbered among its ranks a three times awarded All Star. The Faugh’s contribution to the GAA on the field of play has been immense also. In the area of administration their contribution has also been to the fore and in 2008 Paraic Duffy was appointed Árd Stiúrthóir (General Secretary) of the GAA.
The Breakthrough & First Ulster Club Title
Within two years of their formation the Faughs made the breakthrough. In 1907 the Faughs took their first senior championship defeating Monaghan Harps in the final. The 1907 final was actually played in 1908. But it was a victory not without controversy. An objection was lodged regarding the eligibility of some players which was subsequently dismissed by the County Board.
Faughs Host Ulster Final
While things went quiet on the playing field the club was making it’s impact in other ways and in 1912 Castleblayney hosted it’s first Ulster Final in which Antrim defeated Cavan. The Faughs were back in the county final in 1915 but went under to Magherarney. But the following year it was a very different story.
In 1916 they won their second senior title defeating Clones in the final. The final was actually played in 1917. The Faughs then went on to play in the National Aid Tournament which was the forerunner to the Ulster Club championship going on to win it, defeating Derry Sarsfields in the Ulster final. That was an extraordinary season for the Faughs in other ways. They had played twenty three matches without defeat, winning twenty two and drawing one. That winning streak also included retaining their senior title in 1918 where they defeated Clontibret O’Neills in the final.
Return to the Top
Throughout the War of Independence period or “The Troubles” as it was called, the County Board was in disarray and no senior championships were played in 1920 or ’21. There had been lean years for the Faughs too. But by 1923 the Faughs’ star was beginning to rise again. Their main rival in the county was Monaghan Harps and in 1924 they met in the county final. (It was in the 1923 championship which ran into the following year). Castleblayney Faughs came out on top and took their fourth senior title. In that campaign there was to be a lot of talk about a young up and coming player and his name was Christy Fisher. The Tailteann Games of 1924 saw Faughsman Thomas Mason selected for the Ulster Selection.
From Street Leagues to Provincial Championships
One of the nurturing homes of many a great Faughs player was the Street League and 1925 was the year in which the Street League was inaugurated. It was a relatively short competition as there were very few streets in Castleblayney at the time. This paid dividends with the introduction of Minor Football in the club.
The following year saw Castleblayney take their fifth senior title beating Clones in the final. That year the club also affiliated a junior team such was the developments within the club. They made the final in 1927 and it ended all square. They later lost out to the up and coming Killeevan team in the replay. 1927 also saw the inaugeration of the Railway Cup inter-provincial competition with four Blayney men, Jimmy Duffy, Joe Farrell, Christy Fisher and Billy Mason line out with Ulster. That same year, these four players and Benny Leavy also won Ulster championship medals with Monaghan. Fisher, Mason and Farrell went on to win Ulster championship medals again in 1929. But for the Faughs the cupboard was bare.
Concra Pitch and First Three In A Row
1929 saw the club develop a new playing ground at Concra. It was at the time one of the finest playing grounds in Ulster. The pitch was officially opened in 1932 with a match between Kerry and Dublin.
In the curtain raiser Blayney defeated a County Down selection. The omens had been good for Blayney with the coming of the new decade, having three players, Fisher, Mason and Farrell playing on the Monaghan team that retained the Ulster championship of 1930. Monaghan reached their one and only All Ireland final that year and again Blayney were well represented with Fisher, Mason and Jimmy Duffy lining out. Though Monaghan went down to Kerry in that All Ireland final, things were looking up for the Faughs.
The opening years of that decade saw the Faughs get off to a cracking start and make an indelible mark on the history of Monaghan football winning three senior championships in a row in 1931, ’32, and ’33 equalling the record set by Carrickmacross when they won senior titles in 1908, ‘09 and’10. Blayney now had eight senior titles under their belt. In ‘31and ‘32 they defeated Killeevan in the finals and in ’33 final, they defeated Inniskeen. That same year Fisher and Mason once again lined out with Ulster.
Faughs Take Senior and First Minor Title
While Blayney lost their title the following year the club did the have the distinction of having Joe McElroy selected to play with Ulster in the Railway Cup series. Then in 1936 they came storing back to take their 9 senior title. There was no actual county final that year, as the competition was played on a league basis. That year also saw them take their first minor title. For the town of Castleblayney things were looking up with the opening of the Castleblayney Shoe Factory. Emigration from Castleblayney slowed down and this was an important factor in ensuring the ongoing success of the Faughs club. This success manifested itself in the 1937 when Blayney retained the championship and notched up their 10 senior title at the expense of Donaghmoyne. That year also saw Blayney host the Ulster Final at their Concra pitch in which Cavan beat Armagh.
First Senior League Double
While they lost the senior championship in 1938 they did have the distinction of the being the first club to win the Senior League Double taking the Ward Cup and the Hackett Cup which was then also a senior League competition.
1938 also saw Monaghan regain the Ulster championship after a gap of eight years and no less than six Blayney men won Ulster championship medals, Pat Hughes, Frank Kelly, Jack Burns, and among the subs Christy Fisher, Jack Conlon and a youthful Eddie O’Connor.
Riot At Concra – Blayney’s last Ulster Final
On the 6th of August 1939 Castleblayney hosted their fifth Ulster final. It was between Armagh and Cavan and a lot of preparatory work had been done at the Concra pitch. The crowds had earlier on managed to breach the newly erected sideline barriers and were seated along the sideline. All was going well until late in the second half when Armagh’s Jim McCullough was struck along the sideline by a spectator. Within minutes the crowd invaded the pitch. Eventually the game was abandoned and was re-fixed for Croke Park a week later The replay was, incidentally, won by Cavan. Castleblayney was never again considered for an Ulster final.
Another Three in a Row
1939 is of course more fondly remembered in Castleblayney as the beginning of another three in a row. After relinquishing the title in the previous year the club hit back with vengeance and recaptured their 11th senior title defeating Donaghmoyne in the final. Two new names emerged from this era who were to go on and star with Monaghan and Ulster, Pat Hughes and Charlie McGrath. Another notable feature was to see Christy Fisher line out as a defender and not in his usual forward slot. Donaghmoyne also fell victim to them in the League final when they took the coveted “Double”.
The following year 1940, saw them take their 12th senior title this time defeating Inniskeen in the final. Added to this was another minor championship for the club, which strictly speaking was also two in a row, as the competition had not been played since Blayney last won it in 1937. The senior title hat trick came in ’41 when they defeated arch rivals Donaghmoyne in the final. This year also saw another “Double” with the Faughs winning the League title as well. Donaghmoyne got revenge the following year when they relieved Blayney of their senior title and Blayney were not to regain it for another five years.
Briefly at the Top Then Plummeted
Between 1941 and 1946 Blayney won no competition in spite of the fact that they had a very good team with many senior county players in their ranks. Senior football was dominated by Killeevan, Donaghmoyne and Inniskeen. Blayney reached the senior final in ’44 but went down to Killeevan. Though Blayney didn’t make the county final in ’45 there was some consolation for the club in having Charlie McGrath line out with Ulster and three young players, Eugene Marray, Brian Finn and Brian Sharkey win Ulster Minor Championship medals with Monaghan.
But the following year 1946 Blayney were back at the top when they took their 13 senior title defeating Killanny in the final. Amazingly Blayney were to wait seventeen long years before they were to win another senior title. They sat at Unlucky 13 for so long, many began to doubt if they would ever regain the title. They did reach the final the following year but went down to Ballybay. Over that seventeen year period, the only senior title Blayney won, was the Senior League (Owen Ward Cup) in 1948.
For consolation the club once again looked to county affairs with five Blayney men, Charlie McGrath, Brian Finn, Macartan McCormack, Sean Mulligan and Eddie O’Connor, playing the famous “Home All Ireland” where Monaghan met Cork in Croke Park. Unfortunately Cork won.
A New Home – St Mary’s Park
Although the club wasn’t winning titles they still continued to make their mark and the development of their new Grounds at St Mary’s Park was indicative of the dedication and commitment that still continued in the club. In 1946 the Club acquired a 15 acre holding for £1,130 (Sterling). A field development committee was put in place and on the 31 of May 1953 before a crowd of over 4,000 people, St Mary’s Park was officially opened. The opening game saw Monaghan defeat Armagh. The following year St Mary’s Park hosted its first county final in which Ballybay defeated Clontibret. Though the 1950s was dominated by Ballybay and Clontibret, there was glimmer of hope for Blayney in 1951 when they reached their only senior county final of the decade. There they went down to a very good Clontibret side who took their third senior title in a row.
Though there were no senior titles coming there was still a lot of hope in the club especially with the minors winning the minor double (Championship and League) in 1955. The most remarkable event of this period for Blayney was the Appointment of Blayney man Mick Duffy as chairman of Monaghan County Board, a position he was to hold until 1973. In 1956 the senior team found themselves and Scotstown disqualified from the senior championship after the first round. Once again it was to the county that Blayney looked for consolation and that came when two Blayneymen Ritchie Moore and Peter McGinn won medals with the Monaghan Junior team that won the 1956 All Ireland Junior Football Championship.
On Their Way Back
The return journey to the top began in 1958 with Blayney, under the management of Liam McGrath, winning the minor championship. They retained the Minor title the following year and in 1960 they made it three minor titles in a row. It was from these teams that the nucleus of the very successful teams of the 1960s was to come. There were other good omens too. A new junior competition, the Brennan Cup was inaugurated that year and Blayney were to be the first winners of this competition. A sense of success was returning to the club.
The impact of these successes was immediate. McGrath moved into senior management and Blayney reached the final of 1960 but went down to Scotstown. The same fate awaited them in ’61 and ’62. Their consolation in those three years was the winning of the Senior League and it was clear that they were on their way to greater things. Then it all came really good.