Having won the intermediate double in 2006, they went into the new year on something of a high. But 2007 was always going to represent a steep climb on Carrickmacross' learning curve and their brave bid for a SFC semi-final spot twice fell marginally short. However, it's hard to shake a winning habit and silverware was still forthcoming in the guise of a Division Two reserve football league triumph. Carrickmacross Emmets competed well on all fronts in 2007 but, by and large, silverware proved frustratingly elusive. Arguably the highlight of the year for the Emmets arrived when they toppled Tyholland on a 0-10 to 1-4 scoreline in the reserve football league Division Two final replay on Saturday November 17 - a full four months after the drawn game! The first team dealt well with their rise into senior football and could consider themselves a little bit unfortunate not to reach the last four of the blue riband 'knockout' competition. After accounting for Scotstown, they lost successive quarter-finals to Inniskeen and 'Blayney but they maintained their senior status and the year can certainly be termed as 'one in the bank'. However, this time it was the reserves who stole the show with their Division Two league heroics culminating in that early winter replayed final win over Tyholland - the fourth and most decisive meeting of those two sides in '07. The match was held in climatic Clontibret and Carrick' were on top in the vital sectors for most of the hour. They played as a unit and allowed their opponents little time or space. Torrential rain made conditions treacherous but the town side coped best to take the spoils at the second attempt. Given the elements, the Carrick' bench wisely deployed a direct approach on the day. This worked as a treat though, in fairness, both sides did manage to produce some good football in the face of blustery, wet adversity. The winners were very strong around the middle of the pitch and they settled quickest to the task with three points on the board inside the opening eight minutes courtesy of top scorer Seamus Mulholland (free), Paddy Lonergan and Paudie Swinburne. Tyholland replied with a Barry Farrelly free but Ronan McMahon quickly restored the Emmets' three-point cushion. Though the losers managed another first-half point, Carrick' took the game by the scruff of the neck in the closing moments of the opening period and went on to lead by five points at half time with quick strikes in the 29th, 31st and 32nd minutes from Swinburne, Lonergan and McMahon. The interval scoreline read: Carrickmacross 0-7, Tyholland 0-2. Carrick' weathered a Tyholland storm (as well as a literal one) in the third quarter and, as conditions worsened, there were no scores in the final quarter as they held out for a three-point success. Andrew Callan took charge of the team and was assisted on the sideline by selector Jim Connolly and assistant Peter Conlon. The management team was unsure what to expect at the outset but things worked out really well, the lads responded superbly and a great, enjoyable year was had by all. For the most part, the first team and reserves trained together but the reserves had a few sessions on their own in the run-up to major games, including two key workouts in the lead-up to the league final replay. The original decider had been played the evening before Monaghan's Ulster final clash with Tyrone and finished Carrickmacross 1-10, Tyholland 2-7. Other competitions then took priority before the reserve league was finally completed in mid-November. Carrick' had a squad of about 23 reserves, six or seven of whom were involved with the seniors. They played seven games in the league stage of the competition, winning four and drawing one to finish joint-top of their division. This qualified them for a semi-final joust with Drumhowan, away. Carrick' did extremely well to win a very tough, physical game by a point. Tyholland also provided a stern examination in the final. Seamus Mulholland's last-minute goal snatched a draw for Carrickmacross in the original encounter but Andy Callan's charges fully deserved their win the second day, when they demonstrated superb determination as well as phenomenal work rate and heart. In the reserve championship, divisions one and two were joined together. Carrick' won two of their three group games to emerge for a quarter-final tilt at Drumhowan, which they unfortunately lost. But they would have the final say with a magnificent league success. Carrickmacross, 2007 Monaghan reserve league Division Two winners: Niall McCarthy; Gordon Marron, Paul Rafferty, Christopher McEnaney; Darren Martin, Terry Kiernan, Padraig Keenan (0-1); Declan Finnegan, John G Conlon; Ronan Gollogly, Paddy Lonergan (0-2), Paudie Swinburne (0-2); Seamus Mulholland (0-3), Diarmuid Kelly, Ronan McMahon (0-2). Subs: David Marron for D Finnegan, Mark O'Reilly for R Gollogly. Meanwhile, the first team began their senior football championship campaign in stellar style with a stunning victory over Scotstown, before falling to successive defeats at the hands of neighbours Inniskeen and Castleblayney. A semi-final place beckoned if Mickey McConville's charges had managed to win either of those contests, but it wasn't to be. A focused, fluent and organised Carrickmacross side deservedly progressed into the winner's section when they proved too strong for Scotstown (1-14 to 0-12) in their first-round SFC contest in Castleblayney on Sunday May 27. The Emmets were the dominant team for long periods of the game, though they started slowly and trailed by three points at the end of the opening quarter. When Scotstown did try to force the issue, they found centre back Gary McEneaney and full back John Conlon in immovable mode. While the spectacular fielding of James Conlon was a key feature of Carrick's display, their attack was on fire with the quartet of Stephen Gollogly, Sean Downey, Mark Downey and Andrew Callan contributing 1-11 between them. Carrickmacross led by 1-6 to 0-7 at the break and always looked in command, even if it was only in the closing stages that they finally put the issue to bed. Carrick' seemed to have done enough to secure a semi-final place when they met Inniskeen in the next round but the concession of four unanswered points in the closing six minutes consigned them to a 1-13 to 0-13 defeat at Pearse Park, Ballybay on Saturday September 8. The town side had plenty of chances but their finishing wasn't accurate enough and a missed penalty from top scorer Andy Callan (0-6) on four minutes just about summed up their luckless day. Ronan Meegan contributed 1-7 for Inniskeen. The goal arrived four minutes from the break and gave the rural outfit a 1-5 to 0-6 interval cushion. Carrick' had levelled by the 39th minute and appeared to be on course for victory until staging a dramatic late fade-out. Defeat came as a massive disappointment as it was a match that Carrick' genuinely believed they could win. Due to the back-door format, a second chance to reach the last four presented itself. In what was effectively another quarter-final, Carrickmacross faced Castleblayney, again in Ballybay, a fortnight later. A disappointing display ensued and it was the Faughs who prevailed in a hard-hitting match to win by 1-15 to 0-11. The 2006 intermediate champions started brightly and held an early lead but Ryan Tracy's 25th-minute goal gave the Faughs a 1-7 to 0-7 interval edge. Ultimately, the concession of five points on the trot in the middle third of the second half sealed Carrick's fate. Once more, a great deal of effort was invested in the club's juvenile section in 2007. Unfortunately, the controversy surrounding the club's removal from both U12 championships put a real dampener on things. Carrick' qualified for the U12 'A' and 'B' deciders and were due to play Emyvale and Inniskeen respectively. However, they were short a number of players due to holidays when the finasl were fixed and were unable to field. As a result, the club's young lads were harshly thrown out of both competitions and the silverware was awarded to the opposition. The club as a whole was extremely disappointed with the manner in which this situation was handled by the County Board. Eugene and Paul O'Hanlon are doing tremendous work with the juvenile section. Over the winter months, they are running a superb juvenile training programme at weekends in the Phoenix Centre, catering for all age levels from U8 up to minor. Having restored the club's senior status and helped bed them back into the top flight, Mickey McConville has moved on after two years at the helm. Reserve team boss and first team player Andrew Callan notes: "The players would like to thank both Mickey and PJ O'Hanlon for their hard work and dedication over the past two years." On a sad note, Carrickmacross Emmets had a dark cloud cast over their year by the passing of one of their most popular and dedicated members. Denis Connolly had played a massive role in juvenile coaching in the club for the past two decades and he will be a massive loss not only to the club but also to his family and many friends. Hopefully the players he nurtured with such energy will honour his memory with many great performances in the years to come. CARRICK EMMETS: AN ON GOING LOVE AFFAIR Carrickmacross may not be up there among the leaders as far as senior championship titles are concerned but the town holds a very special place in the annals of the GAA in Monaghan as it was in the South Monaghan stronghold that the first Monaghan County Board was formed back in 1887. Prior to that football had flourished in Carrickmacross and the surrounding area with a proliferation of teams and accounts of many stirring tournaments, friendly or challenge matches. The fact that Carrickmacross was close to Co Louth and the Young Irelands club in Dundalk would have had an influence on that and there are accounts of meetings between teams from Carrickmacross, Inniskeen and Killanny with Louth opposition. The two most notable teams in Carrickmacross in those early years, prior to the setting up of the current club in 1903, were the Carrickmacross O'Briens and the Carrickmacross Sexton's. Both of those clubs were represented at the meeting that set up the first Monaghan County Board in O'Neill's Hotel in Carrickmacross in December of 1887. Back in those days names like Gartlan, Downey, Finnegan, Connolly and Marron were prominent and those names are still prominent in GAA circles in Carrickmacross with successive generations of those families playing vital roles in the survival at one stage and the progression and development of the club over the years. The Parnell Split of 1891 had caused many to defect from the GAA nationally and Carrickmacross was no exception and they had only one team between years of 1891 and 1903. 1903 though was the landmark year with a meeting in the Foresters Hall on the 26th of September setting up the present Carrickmacross club, the name Emmets being adopted as 1903 was the centenary of the death of Robert Emmet. The early years were difficult but by 1908 Carrickmacross was becoming one of the strongest teams in the county and in that year they won the club's first ever senior football championship defeating Inniskeen in the final by 1-3 to 0-1. 1908 was also the year when the Carrickmacross team represented Monaghan in a game against Louth with the legendary Jess Connolly along with the aforementioned Gartlans, Downey's, Finnegan's etc all playing a part. The same Jess Connolly is mentioned with note along with a Devine and a Keenan when the club won the senior championship again in 1909. That same panel of players made it three in a row in 1910 and the club went on to win four further championships in 1913, 1914, 1918 and 1919, although some questions have been raised about the 1914 title. In that successful run the club also had a number of players who represented Monaghan and won Ulster senior football championship medals in 1916. The legendary Jess Connolly was among those as was a James Downey, an N McCaffrey and James Marron, while others who played prominent parts in the club's success were a Tom Finnegan, Johnny Slevin, and a Tom Carragher. The Troubles saw three teams represent Carrickmacross namely the Carrick Reds, Carrick Hibernians and the Emmets but with politics dominating the 1920s there was no team in Carrickmacross at all in 1923. The nucleus of the revival of football in Carrickmacross was the setting up of the famous Street Leagues in 1924 and football began to take root again to the extent that by 1928 Carrickmacross were back in the county final. They eventually lost out though when the final was awarded to Corcaghan as one of the Carrick players had breached the foreign game's ruling by playing soccer. The 1930s and 40s were a lean time for football in Carrickmacross and it wasn't until 1949 that the club was back in the senior football championship final with names like Tom Marron, Seamus Garvey and Jimmy McMahon all being cited as the backbone of the team. Into the fifties and Monaghan's victory in the All Ireland junior football championship was achieved with the final proper being staged in Emmet Park, Carrickmacross when Monaghan defeated London. Carrickmacross had their representative on that team and while he did not play in the final Jim Duddy did play a prominent part in Monaghan reaching the final with his displays at centre halfback in both games against Kerry. The 60's in Carrickmacross saw further success but at juvenile level when they literally mopped up everything in sight at U14 and under 16 level. Into the '70's and names like Brian Finn begin to dominate and there were some notable performances as the club won the intermediate football championship in 1971 and 1976, Eamonn Jones being mentioned in particular in the 1971 victory and getting a county call up. Peter Kelly while not a native of the town featured prominently in the '76 campaign and later went on to manage at county level. At this time too some of the players who had helped the club to under age success began to filter through at senior level of with names like Terry Kiernan and Peter "Jinksy" Gollogly figuring prominently. The name Patton now began to figure with Raymond having represented the club and Ciaran then coming in to establish himself as one of the best central defenders that the club had ever produced. The fortunes of the club got a boost with the arrival of Dennis Connolly in the 70s following his achievement of winning Connacht senior championship medal with his native Sligo. Sadly Dennis passed away somewhat prematurely earlier this year but as a player he contributed immensely to the Carrickmacross cause. Moving into the eighties the names of Kiernan and Gollogly were still prominent but other new names were emerging too with Seanie Murray establishing himself as a key player and Jimmy Cunningham going on to captain Monaghan to an Ulster under 21 championship title. The club though lost the services of Jimmy Cunningham shortly after that when he emigrated to the USA. At this stage too the name O'Hanlon was beginning to figure with Paul and Eugene coming through from under age ranks while James Cassidy was also beginning to feature prominently. Eugene O'Hanlon went on to win an Ulster senior championship medal and a National Football League medal with Monaghan in 1985. Two years previous to that the club lost the services of one of their most promising young players when young Gary Sheehan as a rookie member of an Garda Siochana was gunned down in the line of duty in 1983 in an incident that is still referred to as The Don Tidey affair. Into the 90s and John Conlan kept the Carrickmacross flag flying at county level when he established himself as a regular defender on the team and more recently in Monaghan's successful run a son of the great Peter "Jinksy" Gollogly, Stephen, has established himself as a regular with Monaghan at this moment in time. The name Downey too is figuring with Carrickmacross again with Mark and Sean prominent and both gaining experience at minor and under 21 county level. James Conlon similarly has come through to challenge for county recognition. Carrickmacross are back up in senior ranks now after a short sojourn in intermediate ranks and one man who helped them reach senior status again is Andrew Callan whose trusty left boot has now gained legendary proportions. The game is like the association itself, they move on with different characters moving centre stage and exiting stage left or right having done what they can for the Carrickmacross cause. Carrickmacross may be out of the major honours for quite some time but the GAA light that was lit back in 1903 when the club was first formed is burning brightly. The club too has faith in their own future and their belief that they will continue to be a force in Monaghan football is borne out by their courageous decision to sell up their current property on the edge of the town and move to a larger green field site where they can develop bigger and better facilities to cater for the needs of everyone going into the future. The faith of the founding fathers Owen Sherry, P Jones, Joseph Connolly and P Markey is reflected in that momentous decision and no doubt they will be looking down on the new Emmet Park and basking in the reflected glory. Tweet

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