History
of Drumgath
The parish of Drumgath is divided
into three separate areas, each place being with a
church and a school.
The first G.A.A. club, formed in
1908 by a Father Greenan, C.C. and named Rathfriland's
Erin's Own, remained active until 1915. It was reformed
in the early Twenties and continued until 1945. It
was to prove quite a successful unit and apart from
club successes it can boast of having provided the
County with a hurling and football star - Pat MeGrath,
and had, as a playing member, one Paddy Smiti was
later to earn All-Ireland medals with his native Cavan.
In 1941 a second club had been formed
in the parish to be known as Barnmeen. It drew players
mainly from Drunigath and Bammeen and in 1945 Rathfriland
withdrew from all competitions and amalgamated with
Barnmeen to form a parish club. This new club lasted
until '56-'57 when the club disbanded and reformed
once more as Ratbfritand's Erins Own.
In 1959 Johnny McConville started
a club in Drurngath drawing on players from Drumgath
and Barnmeen. This meant that the parish had two teams
and both were playing in the same league. Matters
were resolved in 1966 when both clubs decided to amalgamate
under the banner of Drumgath.
In the ensuing years success on the
playing field has been lean but successes in Scor
have been many and often.
The club has in the past supplied
many administrators most notable being Gerry Fitzmaurice
and the late Felix Darby.
