The words of the famous poet John Donne, that "no man is an island" could well have been written about the Gaelic Athletic Association given the fact that as an organisation all those involved and all the units that go to make it up are to a certain extent inter-dependent on each other. There are very few counties or clubs where people have not come from another part of the country and become involved, some leaving an indelible mark by virtue of their contribution whether as a player, administrator or a team mentor. Some outstanding examples of this are the involvement all of the famous Mick O'Dwyer who left his native Kerry for the greener pastures of the plains of Kildare, Martin McHugh was draughted into our neighbouring county of Cavan and repaid their faith by ending an almost thirty year Ulster championship famine, Mick McCormack, a native of Longford helped steer Monaghan to National Football League promotion in successive seasons, Larry Tompkins left Kildare as a player and has made a huge impression on the game in his adopted county of Cork and these are just a few of the more a high profile people who have moved around in the family circle that is the GAA. Within Monaghan this particular phenomenon has been evident right down the years and while in times past the regulations governing the movement of players in particular were not as strict as they are now the trend of "guesting" was quite prevalent particularly in tournaments when that type of competition was popular a couple of decades back. Indeed the question of players from outside the county helping a club reared its head in Monaghan as early as the first county championship back in 1888 between Inniskeen Grattans and Clones Red Hands with charge and counter charge as to the legality of both teams but in the end centering on how a certain Mr. Rogers of Kilkerley, Co. Louth was eligible to play in Monaghan and the matter was the subject of some fairly testy exchanges in writing as the extract from the letter of John Connolly, secretary of Clones Red Hands GAA will illustrate. "Dear Sir, In connection with the football match for the championship of County Monaghan played between Clones Red Hands and the Inniskeen Grattans I have a word or two to say that may interest those who admire fair play and justice. Previous to the match being played our President was requested by the referee, Mr O. Cahill and the Rev. Fr. McKenna to furnish them with a list showing the names and residences of the men who were playing in our club, advancing as a reason for this statement which had gained currency and for which there was no foundation whatsoever - that we had four men from Dublin engaged to kick in our team." The list of names was supplied by Clones who then felt it was their "privilege to ask for the names of their team, (Inniskeen) but in reply to this request we were told that they were all right, that O. Cahill knew all the men in the field and that there was no man playing in the Grattan's team who was not a member. This assurance was accepted without a hint of objection and we depended upon the honour and integrity of the Inniskeen men for justice and impartiality. We played the match firmly convinced that we were playing only against the Grattans and not against a combination of the best men of several clubs and we accepted our defeat understanding that we were defeated by the Grattans of Inniskeen. Since the match, however, matters have developed a new phase and it transpires that the Grattans did not win the match unaided. Information from some of the most respectable inhabitants of Carrickmacross and Dundalk has urged us to make enquiries and as a result we find that the Grattans had in their team persons who did not belong to the club. As an instance I mention the name of Mr. Rogers of Kilkerely. This man it seems is captain of the Kilkerely (Co. Louth) branch of the G.A.A. and kicked for the championship of that County this year. On Sunday week last he kicked for the Grattans against the Clones Red Hands and this is contrary to the rules of the Association which specifically lay down that no man can compete for two championships in the same year. Now Sir, we merely want justice in this matter. The case has been laid before the County Committee with what result remains to be seen. If the Grattans had a bona fide team let them furnish to "The Advocate" ( a local paper of the time) a list as we have done for publication and then it will be seen by the men of Cavan, Louth and Monaghan whether the Clones Red Hands were fairly treated. Faithfully Yours, John Connolly. Secretary, Clones Red Hands G.A.A. At that time of course there was not the same movement among the population that there is now but as the infrastructure of the country and communications were developed this particular aspect of peoples involvement in the games became more popular. The development of the railroad brought people from other parts of the country to Monaghan but the biggest single element in this regard was the setting up of the Irish Free State and the partition of Ulster, with the setting up of the border bringing a new breed of people to the county, the Customs & Excise men. Most of these came from the West and the south of Ireland, strong GAA counties but by and large strong hurling counties which led to rapid growth of the game of hurling in Monaghan at that particular time. Later the start of the troubles in Northern Ireland saw extra Gardai and army drafted into the area bringing more young GAA men to the clubs particularly those that were situated along the border with Northern Ireland, clubs like Clones, Eire Og, Monaghan Harps, Emyvale, Tyholland, Clontibret and so on. Indeed such was the proliferation of people from outside the county on certain teams that one victory ballad back in 1974 talks about a club "beating their neighbours and the Gardai too". But it wasn't just all on the playing side as many other people made great contributions in the administration of the GAA in the county, a Fr Clinton who was not a native of the town was the driving force behind the setting up of the present Castleblayney Faughs hurling and football clubs and Jim Cahill, a native off Tipperary became chairman of Monaghan County Board in 1941, a post he held until 1952 when he was transferred back to his native place. Education in the county also attracted people from outside and at a certain stage members of the Christian Brothers were deeply involved in the affairs of the association, particularly in Carrickmacross with Brother Virgil Duggan, Brother Marcus Moriarty and Brother Berchmans Coffey helping the club to a senior hurling championship in 1963. Hurling in fact would seem to have benefited more from this influx of talent from other counties and down the years Monaghan benefited to the extent that at times they would not have been able to field teams in the national hurling league but for the contribution of people to their adopted place. In this regard probably the most famous name to grace the Monaghan Jersey was that of the legendary Joe Hayes of Tipperary who not only played for the county but masterminded the feat of winning an All Ireland Junior hurling championship back in 1997 as team manager and the following year he came within an ace of putting titles back-to-back. Some of the men who played a major part in that great victory were not Monaghan natives, Owen Connell a native of Galway whom he represented at under 21 level, John Harding, the hard man from Lorrha in Co.Tipperary whom he also represented to All Ireland level as an under 21 player, Gerry Curley, Dave Hanrahan, a Laois man, Hugh Cullen, a Wicklow man, Pat O'Connell a Kerry man whom he later rejoined, Robbie Healy, a Dubliner, Jimmy Hayes, a native of Tipperary who settled in Carrickmacross and has been one of the mainstays of that club for a along number of years, Pat Walsh the ace free taker and deadly finisher who learned his skills in his native Waterford while those assisting Joe Hayes in that great adventure as selectors, along with Jimmy Hayes were Sean Hahessy and Noel Mullanney, both natives of Tipperary. Indeed the whole question of "outsiders" representing Monaghan on the hurling field caused some caustic comment at times from others with a certain selector with a neighbouring county once offering on the one hand best wishes to Monaghan on their victory over his charges, but then debasing that a little by describing his team as "at least all ours are from home". On the administration front as well as the aforementioned Jim Cahill, Monaghan also had a number of others who came to the county from various parts of Ireland and got deeply involved in the affairs of Cumann Luthchleas Gael, in the relatively recent past, Gerry Gillanders came from Donegal originally and became secretary of the County Board, Mick Quigley who had both Tipperary and Dublin connections came to the county as an employee of the Department of Agriculture and threw in his lot with Currin but went on to become vice-chairman of the County Board as well as representing the county at hurling and later taking charge of the county team, Father Pat McHugh, a native of Fermanagh became vice-chairman of the County Board in the eighties and moving to the current administration Monaghan's Central Council representative, John Heaphey, is a native of Kerry and while his total allegiance is to his adopted place having also served as secretary of the County Board for a nine-year term there are those who would at times feel they can detect a hint of green and gold in his apparel at certain times of the year. John Heaphey's successor as secretary of the County Board is a Meath man, John Scully a native of Slane and the last manager of the county hurling team was a native of Wexford, Tom Walsh, domiciled in Cavan but coming on board to succeed Finian Baker who hails form Fermanagh. As well as the playing and administration side the evidence of outside influence can also be seen in the team management set-ups in a number of clubs this year, Carrickmacross recruited the services of the legendary Joe Kernan of Crossmaglen, Castleblayney brought in the expertise off Down All Ireland winning captain Paddy O'Rourke and the coaching expertise off Fermanagh man, Dominic Corrigan while Tyholland can thank, in part at least, the management skills of Malachy O'Rourke who helped them eventually make the breakthrough to senior football; and that is to name but a few. On the playing field others have made a lasting impression even going back to Cavan's Hughie Reilly training Monaghan to an Ulster SFC in 1938, the legendary Paul Russell of Kerry who was with Killeevan in 1930, coming forward a little, Nathy Cawley and Ciaran Claffey with Clontibret, Ray McCarron a former All Star who was born in Luton and of course Stefan White who won senior championship medals with Castleblayney and an Ulster under 21 championship medal with Monaghan while he was on his travels. So all of that is part of that ever expanding family circle that has seen quite a number of people come to Monaghan for a short or a more lengthy stay but of course its not just a one way street as there is also the other aspect to this particular facets of the GAA in that many people from Monaghan have gone to other places and have created an equally big impression. The transfer and movement of players and other personnel is much more strictly regulated now and there is perhaps not the same level of machination as that which in the past saw some of the best players who were shall we say employed by the state, domiciled in Monaghan, but there is still a very strong bush telegraph operating when someone of ability is moving into the area and the rush is on to obtain that certain signature. Tweet

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