1909, the only time ever a Monaghan final was played outside the county
December 31, 2009Late on in that year, at a meeting of the Central Council in Belfast, the first ever to be held in Ulster, on 9th October 1909, Frank O'Duffy of Donaghmoyne Fontenoys represented Monaghan, but a lot of 'field action' had taken place within the county long before that event. 1909 would also become the only year in Monaghan's GAA History that the County Final was played outside the county.
Early in the year, Monaghan played Louth in a challenge game at Carrickmacross, where the Monaghan team (all Carrickmacross), as printed in the 'Dundalk Democrat' newspaper, was:- Goal:- L. Jones; Fulls:- Jess Connolly (capt), Jas. Downey; Halves:- J. Gartlan, J. Slevin, Ignatius McCaffrey; Quarters:- T. Finnegan, Pat McKeown,
J. Devine, J. Duffy; Forwards:- J. Finnegan, J. O'Brien, T. McCaffrey, M. Keelan, W. Flood and A. Murray. Louth won that game by 0-5 to 0-3. The game was a 17 a-side affair, but only sixteen Carrickmacross players are listed.
Carrickmacross was the dominant club team in the county at the time. Originally there had been three clubs in the town - Carrickmacross O'Brien's, Carrickmacross Sexton's and Carrickmacross Emmets, but these amalgamated as one - Carrickmacross Emmets, in 1902. Over the next five or six years they improved immensely and blended into one of the most potent forces in club football ever known in Co. Monaghan. They became practically unstoppable, and their neighbouring south-county clubs were simply no match for them. They took their first title in 1908 with this team:- Pat McKeown, Michael Keelan, J. Downey, N. Murray, 'Nig' (short for Ignatius) McCaffrey, J. Flood, J. Farrelly, O. Sherry, J. Finnegan, 'Jess' (short for Joseph) Connolly, J. Duffy, Thomas Finnegan, J. Devine, J. O'Brien, J. McCabe, J. Slevin, J. Costello and J. Gartlan.
That Final was not played until well into 1909 when they were well on their way to retaining the title for a second year in succession. They would retain it again in 1910 for a three-in-a-row, and win it yet again in 1913 and 1914. Had it not been for the fact that there was no competition in either 1911 or 1912, it is very probable that they would have set up an all time Monaghan record of 'seven-in-a-row' of county titles, something that would probably never again be surpassed, or even equalled.
On the county scene, eight counties took part in the 1909 Ulster Senior Football Championship (Donegal were the only absentees), and, in the first round, Monaghan met Armagh in Castleblayney. With Monaghan leading, the game was abandoned when an Armagh man refused to leave the field, and a plethora of objections and counter-objections followed. A replay was ordered and took place on 1st August with Joe Ward of Dundalk as referee. Monaghan won by 1-7 to 0-3, but, in his report, the referee from Dundalk castigated everyone concerned - players, officials and supporters alike.
However, this was mild stuff in comparison to what happened in the semi-final when Monaghan met Antrim at Monaghan town on 12th September. This turned out to be a very rough game with the home side proving to be the main culprits, thus 'earning' much criticism for themselves in the local press ('Anglo-Celt' and 'Dundalk Democrat') reports afterwards. Antrim were Ulster kingpins at the time and were in the process of setting up a new record of six-in-a-row of Ulster titles (1908-1913), as well as becoming the first Ulster county ever to reach the All-Ireland Final (1911), only to lose heavily to Cork at that stage.
As worthy champions Antrim led by 0-7 to 0-1 at the halfway stage. Monaghan were represented by thirteen from Carrickmacross Emmets, two from Drumboorey Geraldines and two from Donaghmoyne Fontenoys, and they were best served by Jess Connolly, Nig McCaffrey, J. Devine (capt), James Downey and McCabe. The referee, Charles McCann from Armagh, reported the Monaghan players for 'disgraceful conduct and filthy language', and added that he felt 'that if he had sent any of the Monaghan players to the line, there would have been a riot'. As a result of this the Ulster Council suspended the entire Monaghan team for twelve months, which resulted in uproar, principally in Carrickmacross. An appeal to the Central Council was upheld, however, and the suspensions were lifted. Carrickmacross, who had provided the backbone of the side, duly went on to win three-in-a-row of Monaghan titles (1908-1910).
The Monaghan team had lined out (17 a-side):- J. Devine (capt), J. Costello (gls), James Downey, J. Ward, McCabe, Ignatius McCaffrey, Pat McKeown, J. Slevin, T. Finnegan, J. O'Brien, Jess Connolly, P. Farrelly, W. Flood, M. Keelan, J. Gartlan, J. Flood and J. Finnegan.
Back to the local scene and, in the North of the county, Currin 'Sons of St. Patrick' was then the dominant club. One of the oldest in the county, it had also been the only club in all Monaghan in 1890. In the first decade of the new century they had improved by leaps and bounds and would soon be posing a major threat to the senior clubs of the county. By 1908 they had a very useful squad at their disposal and this carried into 1909. The late Phillip Moore, from a great footballing family, nearly all of whom wore the Monaghan county jersey with distinction at some stage or other, was also one of Co. Monaghan's greatest historians and, in his 'History of the Currin GAA Club', published in 1986, wrote (p.20):-
'Currin again affiliated a team in 1909 and did very well. The personnel of the team changed but little, and in November of this year it was: Pat Kierans, J. Donaghy, T. Kierans, Tom Burns, A. McCabe, J. Victory, P. Brides, J. Cadden, James Boylan, James Smith, Pat Monaghan (capt), Frank Kennedy and Tony Cadden. Teams were then 13 a-side.
Currin played Magherarney O'Dwyers in the Northern semi-final at Smithboro and won. The 1909 Co. Final was played in April 1910 in Foy's Green, Cootehill, between Carrickmacross and Currin, which the former won easily on a score-line of 2 goals and 12 points to 1 goal and 1 point, but it was reported - 'The Sons of St. Patrick earned for themselves a reputation of true self-respecting Gaels'.
Meanwhile, with all of their successful 1908 team at their disposal, Carrickmacross Emmets had been disposing of all opposition in the south of the county, and had little difficulty in qualifying for the final, in which they would run up against new and strange opposition (as far at they were concerned, as they had never met Currin previously) in this unique Final, played at Cootehill in Co. Cavan. The game itself turned out to be a rather one-sided affair with the Emmets completely on top all through and winning decisively by 2-12 to 1-1. The referee on this occasion was Mr. Frank O'Duffy, who was also Co. Secretary at the time and, in his report to the Monaghan Co. Board for their April 1910 meeting, he stated:-
'I beg to report that I refereed the Final of the County Championship between Carrickmacross Emmets and Currin Sons of St. Patrick on Sunday last at Foy's Green, Cootehill, Co. Cavan. The match was timed for three o'clock and both teams were punctual in attendance. Carrick won the match on the score - 2 goals and 12 points to 1 goal and 1 point. The match was finished without a hitch and it gives me great pleasure to add that I have not yet seen anywhere a game finished in better spirit. Not an angry word was uttered by either players or spectators and my decisions and rulings were never questioned. I only hope that other teams, not quite so tolerant, will take a lesson from the exemplary conduct of the finalists. I cannot help of availing of this opportunity to thank publicly the members of both teams for their exceptionally good taste and sportsmanlike behaviour and, after Sunday's good example, I have every reason to hope that rough play, threats, abuse to referee, and indifferent language, will be no longer the undesirable characteristics of our Gaelic Games. The field arrangements, notwithstanding that I had much trouble in providing goal and point posts, were complete in every sense. The gate receipts netted £7 10s.. In conclusion, it is due for me to remark that much of my success at the important gates in this division is to be attributed to the very valuable assistance of half a dozen prominent Gaels from the Bawn team, and you will permit me to add that my thanks, and I am sure the thanks of this committee, should go out to them in an especial manner for the friendly interest they have taken in the board's welfare. Mise le meas mor, Francis O'Duffy, Co. Sec..'
Compare this report with the earlier reports of Joe Ward (Dundalk) and Charles McCann (Armagh) on the 1909 county games, where most of the same bunch of players had been involved. But then, Frank O'Duffy was a Monaghan man while the others were 'outsiders' and obviously had little love for Monaghan. Nevertheless, despite this glowing report, it is somewhat surprising to find the County Board secretary practically 'canonising' our own local club players, since we all well know that, even in the quietest of games, there is inevitably the 'angry word' or some 'indifferent language' or criticism of referees - even in the best of quarters.
It is also interesting to recall the members in attendance at that Forrester's Hall, Ballybay, meeting where the referee's report was read. They were:- President:- SJ Magill VP; A. McNeill NT (Lamh Dearg); J. Farmer NT (Currin Sons of St. Patrick); W. Cash (Tir na nOg HC, Greenan's Cross); J. McCooey (Aughnamullen West), Treas.; J. Devine (Carrickmacross Emmets); PJ Finnegan (Carrick Rangers, junior); JJ Turley (Monaghan Harps); P. Duffy (Aughnamullen); Francis O'Duffy (Co. Sec.).
Monaghan played Antrim in the 1909 Hurling Championship (not played until well into 1910), but were well beaten, 4-16 to 2-3. The Monaghan team (17 a-side) was: Quigley (goals); Freeman, G. McEneaney and Smith (backs); McKenna and J. McDonald (halves); McPhillips, Kiernan and Fitzpatrick (three-quarters); SJ Magill (centre); P. Hughes, Nesbitt, Connolly, F. Macklin (captain) and Cash (forwards); Donnelly and JF Hughes (advance forwards).
Notes on some of the aforementioned:- SJ Magill, originally from Scotshouse, later had a jeweller's shop in The Diamond, Monaghan, for several years. He was also Ulster GAA Council Secretary in 1912. JJ Turley would later become Editor of the 'Northern Standard' newspaper. Frank Macklin, who captained the Monaghan Hurling team, was also from Monaghan town, but was unique in that he always wore a felt hat when playing hurling - clearly a century ahead of himself in the mater of hurling 'helmets' !!! Tweet
