History
of St Michael's
St. Michael's, as
they are today, stemmed from the old
St. Colman's Club and St. Patrick's,
Magheralin, who amalgamated in 1961-62
and the above name was agreed on.
This club lasted until 1984 when,
after strong protests from the committee,
the County Committee granted Naomh
Cholmain permission to affiliate and
play in Division IV of the All County
League for a two year trial period.
Although things were
very difficult then for St. Michael's,
they decided to stay on in Gaclic
football. With the parish divided
in two, prospects looked bleak, but
with a newly found committee under
the guidance of Jimmy Furphy and Eamon
Wright the club was successfully reorganized.
Adrian McAulfeld
stepped into the breach as manager
and coach of the Senior team and with
Chariie McCullagh and Byrne as selectors,
the team was brought to successive
Junior Championship Finals before
they captured the title in 1987. Adrian
MeAulfield and Marlin McCann won Minor
All-lreland medals with Down in 1977
and U-21 All-lrelands in 1979 and
Adrian was a stalwart on the Down
Senior team for many years. Brian
Robinsonn also won a medal in 1977
as sub goalkeeper on the final team.
The club is now on
a firm footing and locks forward to
a successful future.
St
Michael's History in Details
THE EARLY
YEARS
The earliest recollection
of Gaelic Games being played in the
Parish of Magheralin is of a team
called “The Harps” which
played football on Mc Donald’s
farm, just off the Ballymacbredan
Road in Magheralin as far back as
1917. It is known that the Harps were
operative from 1914 – 1918.
Amongst their leading members at that
time were Dan Corr and Jimmy Devlin.
At that time, the house of the Timothy
Gracey, of Ballymacbredan Road, was
used as changing rooms by the Harps.
From 1918, there was a wait of 6 years
until the next club was formed. Under
the guidance of Master McCreanor,
Jimmy Devlin, Johnnie McCreanor and
Jack Kavanagh, this new club, Magheralin
Celtic, was formed in 1924 and operated
until 1930.
THE RISE
OF KILWARLIN
Football was also
known to have been played in Kilwarlin
during these era’s mentioned
above. However in 1948, the Kilwarlin
club was reformed due to the initiative
of newly appointed curate, Fr. Frank
Treanor, who was already highly regarded
for his coaching ability. Fr Treanor
recruited young players and trained
them himself.
Backboned by the McClure, Heaney,
Catney and Lavery families, each of
whom had three or four members in
the squad, the team entered the Lurgan
and district league, winning it twice,
as well as the Conor Cup, Cafolla
and Davitt trophies. Considered too
strong for the Junior Championship,
they were promoted to Senior ranks,
and in 1955 and ’56 won the
North Armagh Senior League, but were
beaten in the All- County decider,
first by Armagh Harps and then by
Crossmaglen Rangers.
Although playing in the Armagh League,
Kilwarlin were also entitled to a
draw in the Down Senior Championship,
thought they had never won the Junior
title. In 1956, they reached the Down
Senior final, only to be beaten by
Newry Shamrocks.
THE DASHING
FIFTEEN
THE
DASHING FIFTEEN (AIR MASTER MC GRATH)
Nineteen fifty five been the date
of the year,
At the top of the ladder our lads
did appear,
At the top of the ladder our brave
boys were seen
when the league it was won by the
dashing fifteen.
Now lets say a word for these mem
of the Gael,
who proved themselves masters in every
detail,
their methods are perfect, their tactics
are clean,
They're the pride of Kilwarlin, the
dashing fifteen.
There's the great Geordie Lavery,
the County Down star
His fame on the field is well known
near and far,
for tackling and catching he stands
out supreme,
he plays centre full back for the
dashing fifteen.
Now there's Sean and Dessie and Raymond
also,
theres Robbie McClure and his big
brother Joe
theres the great Hughie Wilson who
played at midfield
and when they're hard pressed sure
they never will yield.
And now let me mention Jim Heaney
and Dick
theres Noel and Bill, John-Eddie and
Mick
and their opposite equals have yet
to be seen
theres a tower of strength in the
dashing fifteen.
And now theres Bill Kearney plays
top of the right
theres Brendan and Gerry their future
is bright
Yet theres another from the land of
the Foyle
that evergreen veteran Jimmy O' Boyle
Now they've played up at Lurgan, they've
played at the Bann
won medals and tropheys in every townland
and their watchword is forward and
let us not fail
and they proved they were champions
when they beat Clan Na Gael
And now the leagues over their task
is well done
but let us look back on the games
they have won
for their speed and persistence has
carried the day
from the steep slopes of Mourne to
the shores of Lough Neagh
And now heres good health to these
glorious men
they've done what they can and they'll
do it again
and when next season opens its plain
to be seen
there'll be fame and more laurels
for the dashing fifteen.
1960'S TO
1980'S
The 1960’s
witnessed a new era for Gaelic Games
in Down, with the Senior County team
winning 3 All-Ireland Titles, aided
by Kilwarlin’s own Geordie Lavery
for two of these successes.
Football was also to change in the
Parish. First of all, with Jack McCool
as Chairman, Phil Goodfellow as Secretary
and Hugh Byrne as Treasurer, St. Patrick’s
Magheralin came into being in 1960.
The committee at this time then began
to rent the present playing field
for a sum of £31 and 10 shillings
per annum.
However in 1961/62, the biggest decision
to date was made. It was decided that
the two clubs in the Parish, St. Colman’s
Kilwarlin and St. Patrick’s
Magheralin were to amalgamate. The
new club formed was that of St. Michael’s,
the name being proposed by the then
Curate Fr. Tom McConville.
The decision was to prove dividends
as in 1966 the newly formed St. Michael’s
club was to reach the Down Senior
Championship Final, only to be beaten
in controversial circumstances by
Burren.
In 1969, the current playing field
on Ballymacbredan Road was purchased
for just under £700 due to the
help of Hugh Hamill being a great
facilitator and the fundraising of
Eamon Wright.
Although further success was not forthcoming
on the club scene, various St. Michael’s
players did have success at inter-county
level.
In 1977, Adrian McCaufield, Martin
McCann and Brian Robinson won All-Ireland
Minor Medals with Down. In the same
year, Sean Lavery was a County selector.
Two years later, Adrian and Martin
also won All-Ireland Under 21 Medals
with Down. Adrian went on to be a
fixture in the Down Senior team for
many years.
In 1985, members of the club from
the Kilwarlin area, decided once again
to have two clubs in the Parish. From
1985 to 1988 the St. Colman’s
club was reformed but yielded little
success.
At the Magheralin end of the parish,
things looked bleak. However, the
never say die attitude of various
committees under the guidance of Charlie
McCullough, James Furphey and Damien
Furphey helped the Magheralin club
back on its feet. The never ending
fund raising of Eamon Wright put them
back on an even keel and the appointment
of Adrian McAufield as player/manager
kept things going culminating in the
winning of the Down Junior Championship
in 1987.
As already stated, the St. Colman’s
club only survived until 1988 and
since then only the one club has served
the whole of the Parish.
1990's TO
PRESENT
Football in the Parish
was given a lift in 1991, when not
only did Down win the All-Ireland
title again, but just a week earlier
the club had won the Down Junior Championship
for a second time.
Under the guidance of Laurence Austin
and Mickey Lavery, the club also won
the Division 4 League Title a year
later (1992).
During the mid-1990’s, the club
opened up its new clubrooms and maintained
Division 3 status for a number of
seasons. In 1995, after finishing
second in the table, promotion to
Division 2 of the All-County League
looked to be on the cards. However,
due to the new play-off structure
introduced by the County Board, promotion
did not happen as the club ended up
finishing behind Darragh Cross and
Annaclone.
This seemed to put the club back a
peg as the following season, St. Michael’s
were relegated back to the fourth
division.
With a shortage of under age players
coming through the ranks, St. Michael’s
amalgamated with Tullylish at underage
level in 1997. This proved to be successful
as in 1998 the South Down Minor and
U-14 Leagues were both won. This amalgamation
still exists to the present day.
In 1999, current goalkeeper, Peter
Cunningham, won an All-Ireland Minor
medal with Down.
Into the new millennium things now
seem to be on the up for St. Michael’s.
In 2001, the club won the Division
4 League again. However due to some
inexperience, the club was relegated
a year later. 2001 also seen the formation
of the St. Michael’s Ladies
team.
The club won the Down Junior Championship
for a third time in 2004 under the
management of Pat McDade, John Hamill
and George Hanna, and for the first
time in the clubs history, they took
part in the Ulster Football Championships
only to be beaten by Stewartstown
of Co. Tyrone.
With the Junior Championship being
won and narrowly missing out on promotion
to the third division, things are
now looking bright for St. Michaels.
