History
of Warrenpoint
One of the oldest clubs in Down,
St. Peter's came into being in 1888 as John Martin's
and retained that name until the late 20's when the
club went into the wilderness for a couple of years.
It reformed in 1931 some months after Glenn John Martins
was founded, and donned the parish name of St. Peter's;
which it has retained to the present day.
Life began at Dan Ward's field on
the Lower Dromore but Moygannon at Connolly's, The
Brothers and the present spacious playing field purchased
in the 60's has been home for most of 60 years.
While it is one of the prouder boasts
of the club that it won the first competition ever
organised in Down in 1989, major success on the playing
field has eluded 'The Blues' in the last thirty years.
The golden period was in the 40's
and 50's when three senior championships were won
and the club made a major contribution to Down's senior
side. As many as seven Warrenpoint representatives
fielded on the same fifteen on occasions. Terry McCorrnack
captained the first Down side to contest an Ulster
Senior Final and Gerry Carr captained the first All-Ireland
Junior success in 1946. Another product of the period,
Barney Carr, managed the Down team in their break
through to All-Ireland success in 1960.
In all of Down's successes senior
All-Ireland medals came to the club through Peter
Rooney in 1968 and Miceal Magill in 1994. Over the
years all grades of football have been catered for
in the club and in recent times hurling is being nurtured
at under age and adult levels. Hurling has been a
part of club activity in the 30's and 40's but had
faded for a whole generation.
In the early 60's St. Peter's were
one of the first clubs in the county to develop a
community centre and modest as it was it still opened
up new areas of involvement. Their language classes
had a permanent home. Dancing, drama, boy's club and
then in 1971, a silver band catered for a wide variety
of interests.
St. Peter's has played a key role
in the latter day revival of set dancing in the country.
Its dancers won an All-Ireland Scor title as have
its junior representatives in Scor na nOg.
Over the years the club has provided
a number of very capable administrators for the Down
executive among them Fr. Alex McMullan and Donal McCorrnack
who made very positive contributions as county chairman
and is the present County Secretary.
