St Ultan's family affair
December 31, 2002
During a period nearly a century ago, a team called Bohermeen made winning the Meath senior football title look as simple as taking sweets off a baby. They won the championship six-years in a row between 1909 and 1914. Since then no other club managed a similar sequence of success.
Indeed Bohermeen probably would have made it eight titles on the trot as they also took the honours in 1916 after withdrawing from the 1915 championship because of the death of Mick Newman, the playing brother of team captain John, who had led Meath to their 1911 Croke Cup success and later served as county chairman from 1921 to '37.
The SFC title did come to Bohermeen parish one more time with Martry triumphing in 1931. For many years Bohermeen and/or Martry fielded teams, mainly in the junior grade, and there was little success for either of the sides in what is reputedly the second biggest parish in the country.
Junior championship victories by the respective clubs during the first half of the O60s paved the way for better days and both were serious intermediate contenders in the early part of the following decade.
In 1972 Martry reached the final after a 'semi' success over their parish rivals but lost to the emerging Summerhill outfit in the decider. Then in '73 Bohermeen went two steps further with a thrilling triumph at the expense of Moylagh. Then an unusual thing happened!
The two clubs became one under the banner of Bohermeen-Martry Harps with the unusual situation of joint chairmen - Peter Brady and Jimmy Martin. Hopes were high of a senior title but Navan O'Mahonys dashed such aspirations at the semi-final stage in '75 and the new club never got their hands as close to the Keegan Cup again.
Since then there were some breakaways and subsequent amalgamations with the latest of them resulting in St Ultan's, which has become a steady ship which sailed to a junior championship in 2000 and could have a better future in the intermediate grade. Over the last number of years St Ultan's have lived in the shadow of Cortown from the far end of the parish, who lifted junior and intermediate titles and have survived well in senior ranks.
A number of clubs in Meath have surnames which are easily linked with the area. Think of names like Rennicks, Brady, Rogers, Bennett, Kavanagh, Murtagh and Martin and you may also think of Bohermeen/Martry.
Ask anyone to name a famous footballer from the area and the reply should be 'Ken Rennicks.' The midfielder cum centre forward of the '70s would be an automatic choice if you were picking a team of best Meath players not to win All-Ireland or county senior medals. Over the last few years, Ken has been helping out with local under age teams and his two sons, Shane and Keith, both of whom enjoyed under 14 success in 2001, are names for the future.
According to Liam Brady, who has probably done more for football in the parish than any other living person down the years, there is plenty of young talent on the way up with Cian Rennicks, son of former corner back Sean, one of the up and coming young footballers who could be part of future successes.
While St Ultan's eventually saved their intermediate status with a three points victory over Na Fianna in the last round, they were hit by an injury to Colm Travers, who had played for the county at minor, under 21 and juniors levels and missed most of the IFC campaign.
Another who played for the Meath juniors in 2001, Gary Rogers, did not figure much in the black and green of Ultan's either as soccer commitments with Drogheda United ruled him out of Gaelic action for most of the year. Gary is son of Dessie, who starred in Harps' successes of the '80s.
Another Rogers, Kevin, a son of Tommy, has also been mixing the two codes while a younger brother, 17-year-old Ciaran was nominated by Liam Brady as one of the most promising young players in the club.
Paul Murray, who figured on the Meath minor team which reached the All-Ireland final against Derry, is a son of Paul senior, who played for Harps and St Ultan's and coached the latter's intermediates in 2002, succeeding Benny Reddy.
There were three Martins on that side, Conor and Alan, who are sons of Ollie, and Seamus, an offspring of Jimmy. Both of the fathers gave fine service in the green and red of Martry before hanging up their boots.
Another Martry stalwart was Sean Bennett, whose son John has been a strong defender for Ultan's while Richie and Martin Gorman, two more lads on the way up through the under age ranks, are sons of former reliable defender Tommy. David Brady was another to follow in the footsteps of his father, Liam, but is presently recovering from a bad leg injury sustained while playing soccer.
Although St Ultan's proved victorious in just two of their seven IFC outings in 2001, Liam Brady remarked that they were able to match their opponents in all of them and could have picked up more points if they had more of their players available.
In the opening round against Syddan at Carlanstown, St Ultan's raced into an early 1-3 to 0-0 lead with Alan Ball netting the goal from a penalty and were 1-11 to 1-3 to the good early in the second half. But then they lost their way a bit and the former senior side rallied to gain the points on a 2-12 to 1-12 scoreline.
Then Gary Rogers went into goals to save a late penalty as a 0-16 to 3-6 victory was gained over Moynalvey in the second round. Alan Ball sent over seven points and Eugene
Brady shot five in the Monday evening encounter.
As against Syddan, St Ultan's were setting the pace from Navan O'Mahonys in the third quarter, leading by 0-8 to 0-6. But being without the suspended Gary Rogers and the exam-tied duo of Brian Mulroe and Eddie Ball weighed too heavily on them and the town team sent over seven points without a single reply to win by 0-13 to 0-8. To add to the St Ultan's woes, they had Colm Coyle and Tomás Coyne dismissed in the closing stages.
St Ultan's also put it up to Ballivor in round four, losing by just two points, 2-6 to 2-8, with Alan Ball and Tomás
Coyne getting their goals. They also lost in their next game by a kick of the ball with Donaghmore/Ashbourne denying them on a 1-11 to 1-8 scoreline, Eugene Brady getting 1-2 of the losing total.
It took the Bohermeen parish side a long time to get going in the clash with Drumree, who were 1-6 to 0-0 to the good after 15 minutes and 1-9 to 0-3 ahead at the interval but Ultan's conceded another goal soon after the resumption. After that the side in green and black made a spirited comeback and with substitutes Colm Coyle and Kevin Rogers getting 0-4 and 1-0 respectively, they only lost by four points, 1-12 to 2-13.
Intermediate survival was ensured with a 1-11 to 2-5 victory over Na Fianna and with a number of players in their early twenties, hopes are high that better results can be achieved next year. Apart from those already mentioned,
Shea McLoughlin and Kevin Galligan are others to watch out for in 2003.
The club has been very busy on the development front over the last couple of years with improvements being carried out at their two grounds, Coogan Park, Martry and Sean Newman Park, Allenstown.
Better car-parking facilities and new showers enhance the comforts at Martry while in the Bohermeen end of the catchment area, the old pitch has been brought into line with a lot of better-known grounds in the county.
The Sean Newman Park playing area, which is mainly used for under age matches, has been levelled and facilities of new dressing rooms and hall suitable for indoor games and a gym provided. The pitch is being enclosed and it is hoped to have an official opening in 2003.
St Ultan's is one of the few clubs in Meath with two grounds and they cater for a large number of teams, adult and under age. Back in the 1950s a couple of county under 14 finals were played at Newman Park while Coogan Park was a very popular venue for SFC fixtures back in the '70s when the Coogan Cup tournament also drew big crowds to Martry.
Football in the Bohermeen/Martry area has a strong tradition going back over so many decades. Numerous players have performed with club and county with distinction, there have been some tireless behind the scenes workers and there were some notable successes to celebrate.
Better days may not be far away.
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