Back to the future
December 31, 2009
"You can't really go forward if you don't know where you come from" - Emmet Flanagan reflects on what commemorating Cremartin's 75th anniversary last October meant to him.
Down Cremartin way, it was business as usual at all levels in '09. The club were unlucky in their bids for silverware but all that glitters isn't gold.
Remembering a golden age for the Shamrocks was what concentrated minds in mid-October last when the local gaels recalled their glorious past.
Ireland in the 'thirties wasn't exactly a font of economic prosperity but Cremartin folk were rich in one sense.
They had a tremendous sense of their own identity. Their recognition of a shared tradition and a precious heritage was all-consuming.
That sense of who they were; their core beliefs, faith and aspirations became manifest in the establishment of Cremartin Shamrocks GAA in 1934.
And so it was that the tail end of autumn 2009 would see the present custodians of the Association in Cremartin commemorate that epochal era.
"We were aware for quite some time that the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the club was coming up and, coupled with the 125th anniversary of the founding of the GAA itself, we felt we'd make a special effort at acknowledging those two events," Emmet Flanagan explains.
"It was important to recognise the vision and generosity of the founding fathers of the club because they got things together when they had nothing.
"I think those who have gone before us and who were involved in the setting up of the club would have been smiling down on us on the day of the commemoration.
"They were living in times of great hardship and there were no facilities of any kind but they had the foresight and the ambition to make things happen.
"There's a special pride and a deep sense of gratitude among everyone at the Cremartin Shamrocks club for the legacy that we have inherited .
"The occasion on October 18th was one for remembering the great players and the great club men who carried on the work over the years and those who are there at the present time.
"We also felt that it was important to remind the younger generation in the club of the history of the club and how it had progressed over the years.
"It's very important that the youth enjoy their Gaelic games but they don't always be aware or appreciate all that went before them at the club.
"I think doing what we did to remember the club's past helped give the younger lads a greater sense of pride in their club."
With Flanagan to the fore, Cremartin's commemorations were carried out in a memorable fashion at the club's ancestral home at Gunshion.
It was at Gunshion that matters football kicked off for Cremartin in 1934. But, according to former long-time chairman Flanagan, "three-quarters of the club's membership wouldn't have been aware of Gunshion so we had to put that right."
Originally owned by Packie Atkinson, the field at Gunshion is now owned by his son Patsy Atkinson who was only too delighted to accomodate the club's commemorative wishes.
Current club President and former Cremartin player of the 'thirties, John Kerr (93), was on hand to unveil a commemorative stone - replete with inscription and club crest - at the entrance to Gunshion on October 18th last.
"The fear of being forgotten with the passage of time will not be a factor for the men of 1934," Emmet told the attendance on the day.
"They wrote their names in history on the football field here in Gunshion and we have now carved it in stone lest we forget.
"Gunshion may always be remembered as the spiritual home of Cremartin and while it is no Croke Park or even Shamrock Park it is where it all began."
Later at Gunshion, a challenge game took place between Cremartin's under ten team and their counterparts from Doohamlet which was apt given that that the first ever match the Shamrocks played was against Doohamlet. Suitably, Cremartin triumphed on their debut.
Prior to the game, the teams were led around the temporarily refurbished field by the Lisnagrieve Pipe Band in true Croke Park style.
Among the healthy attendance was Paddy Duffy, a professor at NUI Maynooth and son of a founder member of the club, Patsy Duffy.
Mr. Duffy spoke eloquently of the club's history, quoting from diaries his late father kept during his time as Cremartin's first Secretary.
Cremartin chairman Vincent Boyd spoke of his admiration for the club's founding fathers and his joy at celebrating the club's 75th anniversary.
Vincent detailed the imput of GAA clubs in their local communities and their influence even on far away lands across seas.
Monaghan County Chairman John Connolly also spoke at the unveiling and made reference to the "uniqueness" of the event at Gunshion.
He paid due tribute to the Cremartin club for their work on behalf of the Association and the youth of the community in general.
"We were very pleased with the way things went at the unveiling and again afterwards at the (Shamrocks) Centre where we had a display of photographs and other memorabilia from down the years," Emmet enthuses.
"The events to mark the 75th anniversary celebrations were then concluded by a Dinner Dance on October 27th which was an enjoyable night for everyone and a good way to bring our commemorations to a close."
Cremartin Shamrocks have certainly advanced their cause some distance since its genesis in '34 and even since '72.
"We were going from pillar to post, looking for a half-decent field to play on until we bought our grounds in 1972 from Lough Egish Co-Op," Emmet explains.
"Peter Duffy was chairman of the club at that time and he made great work in seeing that the club bought the ground and the old grain store for two thousand pounds, a lot of money in those times.
"The Co-Op guaranteed the club's loan from the bank and we were able to pay it back in five or six years. It's that kind of foresight and ambition that we were celebrating last October as well.
"We have a proud history and that was recognised by all that happened at Gunshion, at the Centre and at the Dinner Dance.
"The club was one of the first of the rural clubs in the county to have dressing-rooms when we opened them in 1976 and, in company, with so many other clubs in Monaghan, our facilities stands comparison with clubs in any other county in Ireland.
"We have also applied for planning permission to develop two more dressing-rooms and a kitchen downstairs in the Centre so it's not a case of us sitting on our laurels.
"Having said that we don't envisage any other plans for the development of our infrastructure other than the repair of our stand which was blown down during the year.
"For the forseeable future, the major part of our investment will be in time and energy spent on getting our teams on the field of play and helping them to enjoy their football and, hopefully, maybe win some cups along the way."
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