Ballycumber GAA Club.

Bridge House Hotel Under 13 A Football Final.

St Rynaghs  4—10 St Manchan Gaels  2—7.

The boys from Ballycumber, Doon, Erin Rovers and Tubber gave an excellent exhibition of football in their game against the boys from Cloghan and Banagher in Bord na Mona O’Connor Park on Saturday.

In a game of end to end football, the teams were level at three points each after 25 minutes. There were only two frees in the first 12 minutes and some outstanding defending by the defenders kept the forwards from getting clear shots on goal. St Manchans took the lead with a point from a free and minutes later extended the lead with a goal after  great build up and the initial shot was saved but the rebound was driven to the net. St Rynaghs replied with a point from a 45 and another from a free to leave the half time score at 1—4 to 0—5 in favour of St Manchan Gaels.

The second half produced the same standard of play with brilliant defending and forwards working hard for scores. St Manchan Gaels further stretched their lead with another well worked goal. The St Rynaghs team quickly reduced the lead to one point with a goal and a point. They drew the match level with a point from their fourth 45 of the game at 2—4 to 1—7.

St Manchan Gaels regained the lead by two points but St Rynaghs got through for another goal to take back the lead with eight minutes left.  They extended the lead by a point before St Manchan Gaels got their last point of the game. With two minutes left St Rynaghs were leading by two points but with players getting tired the stronger St Rynaghs players got in for two goals and a point to claim the title.

All the St Manchan Gaels players and management deserve great praise for the effort they put in during the year and for their display in the final. This display, together with the displays of many of those players in the Feile Peile nOg final in Louth and Meath in the summer augers well for the future of football in the four Clubs.

The Grand Canal Walk.

Club Faithful officially launched the Grand Canal Walk at the Faithful Fields in Kilcormac on Friday night. The walk will take place on Saturday 27th October and will start and finish in Bord na Mona O’Connor Park. Walkers will have the option of completing a 5k, 10k, or 25k along the Grand Canal either towards Edenderry or Ferbane. All Clubs are asked to participate in this fundraiser which will raise funds for Crumlin Childrens Hospital and Offaly GAA. Registration is 25euro and further information from www.grancanalwalk.ie or 0877043681.

Dinner Dance.

In the lead up to the 50th Anniversary Celebration Dinner Dance in the Bridge House Hotel on Friday 19th October it is interesting to investigate the origins of the Club.

The first recorded G.A.A activity in Ballycumber was on August 3rd 1896 when a Sports was held in Morgan’s Field under G.A.A and I.C.A rules. The Sports was mainly made up of cycling events, with cyclists coming all the way from Dublin by train to compete. There may have been a football game played as well. The Field became established as a suitable venue for staging GAA Games and was the location for a Senior Championship game between Tullamore and The Island in that year. A County Board meeting was held in Morris’s Hotel in Ballycumber on the 14th August 1896. Morris’s Hotel was situated where Gussie’s is today. The Offaly Senior Football County Final was held in Ballycumber on 8th May 1904,when Ferbane played Geashill.                                                                                                                     This GAA activity whetted the appetite of the local young men to get involved and set about fielding a team. Records are very scarce but it is known that Ballycumber reached the County Junior Football Semi Final in 1923, only to lose out in the Committee Room following an objection by their opponents Cloneygown.                                                                                                                 The men who steered the Club through those early days were Pat Healy [ later to become County Secretary at 21 years of age and whose untimely death at 48 cost the Club and County of his remarkable drive and passion for the Association]. John Lehane, a Cork man who came to teach in Leamonaghan in 1904,[ having already won an Offaly Senior Football medal with Cloghan.]  set about improving the Association’s affairs in Ballycumber and devoted every spare minute to the task. He also became County Secretary in 1905. Peter Lambe, who was responsible for organising the Club through the early days. Paddy Geraghty and Jim Kenny also devoted much of their time to the formation of the Club and succeeding generations owe those men and many more a huge debt of gratitude.

The Junior Team of 1923 included many men who would leave a lasting impression on their successors, Pat Daly [Cornafurish[ Danny, John and Joe Horan[Boher] Joe Murray [Bellair] and Tim Buckley.

The young Club continued to grow and even through some difficult years, i.e. World War 1, the formation of the new State, Civil War and emigration, Gaelic football was played.  Master Sean Doherty and Fr. Frank Reynolds spent some time in Boher and luckily for the Club, they realised the importance of sporting activity in the lives of young people. They spent a lot of time talking and encouraging the young players and this advice bore fruit when the Juvenile team of 1931 eventually won the first County Title in 1933.Many players on that team would achieve further success in the following years and many of their descendents are still involved in Club affairs. Bill and Farrell Dunne, Eddie Larkin, Jim McCormack, Frank Currams, Bill Egan, Louis Galvin, Joe Clancy, Monsie Corcoran, Tommy and Sonny Quinn, Con Lehane.  With so much talent around it was obvious that a serious attempt could be made to win the Junior Championship. A Kerry born Garda Sergeant named McElligot who was stationed in the Barracks in the Village was an enthusiastic leader and with men like Jim Kenny, Paddy Geraghty and Jim O’Meara willing and able Club Officials, the necessary preparation was put into preparing for a serious onslaught on the 1935 Junior Championship. Because of the Kerry connection the team wore green jerseys with a gold hoop and just like their colleagues in the Kingdom would do, they won the championship.

Dance Classes

Learn how to Waltz, Quickstep, Foxtrot and Line Dance. Classes held every Monday night in Ballycumber Community Centre. Beginners classes from 8.30pm to 9.30pm. Intermediates from 9.30 to 10.30. Dancing for all afterwards.

Lotto.

The numbers drawn this week were 5,8,14,31. No jackpot winner, one match three winner. Next week’s draw will be held in Gussies on Monday night at 10 o’clock for a jackpot of 8350euros.

Play lotto on line at https://www.locallotto.ie/localhome.asp?LL_ID=415 until 8pm on Monday or buy tickets from local shops, pubs and from usual lotto sellers.

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