Frank Lennon – an appreciation
At the time of his death on 4th May 2008
Frank Lennon at 99 years of age was the
oldest surviving former Castlewellan player
and the last remaining team member of the
Club’s famous 1934 and 1936 Senior
County Championship teams.
Frank’s introduction to Gaelic football
came in 1914 when he was a young schoolboy
attending the primary school in Auglisnafinn.
Fr.Erdley who was the parish priest at the
time started a schoolboy team and the young
Frank was picked as their captain. The next
Gaelic team Frank played for was a Ballylough
team and although only a young teenager
frank also became the club’s secretary.
In 1924 at the age of 17 Frank began his
senior football career with Drumnaquoile
a team organised by a man called Hugh McCann
and then in 1927 a team was organised in
the Finn and Frank played on the team and
was also the team secretary. It was with
this finn team where Frank won his first
GAA trophy in 1928 an East Down runners
–up medal.
By 1928 Frank’s football skills had
come to the attention of the County Down
GAA Board and that same year he was selected
to play for the County. His first game was
a challenge match against the famous Breffini
Blues Cavan team who were the reigning All-Ireland
champions. The occasion was a fundraising
game for the new St. Patrick’s memorial
at Saul and the game was played in Smyth’s
field in the townland of Moneybot. Players
then had to find there own way to games,
and Frank recalls cycling to Saul from the
‘finn. Tommy Steele from Castlewellan
was another Down player on the team that
day as was Johnny Doherty from Ballykinlar
(father of Paddy Doherty of 60’s Down
fame). As was expected Cavan won easily
although Frank insisted that the young Down
team give a good account of themselves,
against famous Cavan players such as "Gunner"
Brady, Tom O’Reilly, Jim Smith, and
a sergeant in the Guards by the name of
Devlin. After the game the champions were
treated to dinner in Hayes’s Hotel
in Downpatrick while the Down men received
Bovril and crackers, before making their
own way home. Frank also recalled playing
for Down against Antrim in Corrigan Park,
where they were beat, and against Armagh
in the Abbey grounds in Newry, a game which
they won. Frank played with both the Down
junior and senior team for a number of years.
By 1932 a new parish priest by the name
of Fr. Mc Alea had arrived in Castlewellan,
and he was anxious to form a Parish team.
He approached the ‘Finn men to join
with the town and a new St Malachy’s
team was formed. Along with Frank came John
O’Hare Seamus Lenaghan, Mick O’Donnell,
Hugh McMullan, and Hugh McClean. The new
team soon established itself as one of the
foremost in the County going on to win two
SFC’s in 1934 and 1936. In 1934 the
team beat Ballymartin in the final after
a replay as both sides drew 1.3 each in
the first match. In the replay the town
won convincingly beating Ballymartin 2.5
to just 1 point. In 1936 the final was against
Mayobridge and again the final ended in
a draw, Castlewellan scoring 6 points, to
1 goal and 3 points for the Bridge. In the
replay the town won 1.4 to 3 points. The
successful 1934/36 team was
Hugh Kelly – Hugh McNabb (Capt) –
Seamus Leneghan – John King –
Paddy Steele – Hugh McLean –
Hugh McMullan – John O’Hare
– Tommy Hannity – Pat O’Boyle
– Mousey Hanna – Tommy Steele
– Frank Lennon – Peter Hawkins
– Mick McDonald – James Maginn
– Fr. P. J. O’Hare – Liam
Ferguson – Tom McCann.
Frank was also a member of the Castlewellan
sevens team that won the "GAA Jubilee
Year" Feis 7’s competition in
1934, which was played in Thornton’s
field opposite St. Patrick’s Park
in Newcastle. Frank took great pride on
this memorable title as it was in the semi-finals
of the Feis sevens played against Kilcoo
in the meadow that Frank clinched the winning
point for the town that put them through
to the finals on Feis Sunday. Frank won
a second feis medal with the town a couple
of years later in 1936 and they also got
to the final of the Feis sevens in 1937.
Frank recalled that they should have won
the final that year which was against Ballymartin.
The town was winning when he was brought
down in a rough tackle resulting in him
sustaining a broken collarbone and the game
continued with only six town men, allowing
Ballymartin the opportunity to get back
into the game and take the lead before Castlewellan
made a substitution, which was too late
for the town.
By 1937 the team was still going well having
won the All-County League in 1935/36. But
by 1937 internal strife within the new St
Malachy’s club resulted in the team
folding but not before they won the East
Down League in 1937/38.
In 1938 however Frank had opened his first
business - a grocery shop and animal meal
store, at Ballybannon and was asked to help
form a new Auglisnafinn team. The St Mary’s
team quickly developed football hurling
and camogie, as well as Irish dancing and
a choir. A branch of the Gaelic League was
also established, and Mrs Brendan Nolan
and Mrs Dan O’Rourke (Miss Noonan)
taught Irish Classes in the old Finn School.
The St. Mary’s team went on to win
a Feis medal that same year and although
Frank was not a regular in the team, he
stood in for Hugh McClean who was not available
to play that day – thus Frank is the
proud holder of three Feis medals (two with
the town and one with the ‘finn).
The other members of the St Mary’s
Feis team were Owen McGeown (goals) Dinney
and Willie McKibben, John O’Hare,
Barney Trainor, Pat McShane.
Frank played for the ‘finn for a
number of years until the club folded again,
before finally ending his playing days for
a Rossglass team (near Ardglass) who had
asked him to help them out. Frank also helped
to form Annsborough GFC in the late forties.
Frank remained with Annsborough GFC for
a number of years and done a spell as Club
chairman before he finally retired from
the club to concentrate his time and energy
with Feis an Dúin who he had remained
faithful to since he was first asked to
help on the gate by his uncle in 1928. He
was later elected chairman of Feis an Dúin,
for two terms, from 1975 to 1978, and from
1982 to 1986. After his playing days Frank
continued to follow the fortunes of the
local Gaelic teams and the Down team whenever
he could, and remained a strong advocate
of teams participating in the Feis Sevens.
He was a familiar sight too at the many
sports events in the fifties and sixties
were he always made available his famous
PA system
Frank remained an active member of Feis
an Duin serving his second term as chairman
from 1982 to 1986 when he was in his late
seventies. After he retired from the Feis
committee he went on to form a local ‘Mass
rock’ committee whose aim is to identify
and authenticate all ‘Mass rocks’
in County Down. Also in the 1980’s
Frank was honored by Glor na nGael Caislean
an Mhuílinn, when he was made President,
and presented with a Shield in recognition
of his lifetime devotion and promotion of
the Irish language. which he speaks with
pride.
In 1993 his local St. Malachy’s GAA
Club honored Frank when he was inaugurated
into their ‘Hall of Fame’ joining
the ranks of former St Malachy’s men
and women who brought great honour to the
club in their lifetime. In St Malachy’s
Club and indeed in the wider community Frank
is fondly remembered as a true and respected
Gael who dedicated his life to the promotion
of Gaelic culture and the Irish way of life.
In the tradition of St Malachy’s GAC,
representatives of the Club provided a guard
of honour for their ‘Hall of Fame’
recipient as his remains were removed from
St Malachy’s Church following requiem
mass there on Wednesday 7th May. The Club
extends its deepest sympathy to his surviving
wife Bridie, sons Brian, Frank, Seamus,
Joseph and Laurence, daughters in law, grandchildren,
and great grandchildren and entire family
circle. His third son Pat who also played
senior football for the St Malachy’s
club in the late 1960’s predeceased
Frank in the mid 1970’s.
