A Gala Ball in November showed just how much the club of Killeevan means to those far and wide in a year when real progress was made on the field of play. By JP Graham. Sponsorship and major fund raising events have now become part and parcel of everyday life in the GAA as the association moves with the times and keeps abreast of best practice in whatever aspect of its affair they are addressing. The advent of the corporate sector in Croke Park did raise some eyebrows among the traditionalists in the association but those entrusted with planning the future of the organisation saw that as a basic integral part of the way forward and so it happened irrespective of the reservations and the objections. Clubs too have embraced the corporate sector and major black-tie events are now the order of the day. This year the Killeevan club joined those ranks when they held their big Gala Ball in the Kilmore Hotel, Cavan, back on Friday, November 9th. The idea was the brainchild of a special club development subcommittee that was set up under the chairmanship of Darren Greenan and the idea when first mooted was enthusiastically taken on board by club chairman Gerry McGuigan. "There were obviously some reservations as to whether a small rural club like Killeevan could muster the neccessary support for such an event but initial enquiries in the business and corporate sector elicited such a positive response that the idea soon took hold. We had a fantastic response when we asked local businesses and some other major business interests in the county about sponsoring tables and that sort of thing but the whole thing took off when we got four major sponsors in place and that really was the sheet anchor of the whole venture," explained McGuigan. "Without the support of Dan's Bar, The Stag Inn, David Wright of Wight's Quarries and Town of Monaghan CO-OP coming in and giving us a great base on which to build we would not have been able to proceed with what was a fantastic occasion and a great fundraiser for the club. Once those sponsors were in place we went out then to our own members who contacted the various business interests and other interested parties and in a very short time the event was sold out". The committee also produced a special brochure for the event that outlined the very colourful tapestry that is the history of the club picking out major events in each decade since the Killeevan Sarsfields club was founded back in 1915 but also taking into account the clubs and teams that had existed in the parish in years even before the GAA itself was founded. "There was a lot of work put into getting the brochure together especially in selling the ads and then putting the whole lot into order for printing and I want to thanks all the committee for their efforts". The fund raising capacity of the event was also further enhanced with an auction and a raffle where there were some fantastic prizes on offer. "Some of the top items in the auction were pieces of art by local artists, weekends for two for next year's hurling and football finals in Croke Park, Tommy Freeman's signed Railway Cup jersey, a signed hurley stick stick from Henry Shefflin and signed Kilkenny and Monaghan jerseys as well as a couple of holidays while the top prize in the raffle was a weekend for two to Prague which was jointly sponsored by Quinn Direct and O'Hanrahan's Travel, Monaghan. "Our special guest on the night were Brian McEniff whose father hails from Killeevan. Brian keeps in touch and in fact came in to help us with our championship preparations this year. Other guests on the night included county panel members Dick Clerkin and Shane Mulligan but county captain Damien Freeman was absent as he was off to other parts on his stag night. We wish Damian a long and happy married life. "Monaghan County board was represented by county treasurer Marion Donnelly who complimented the club on organising such an event and paid tribute to them for their contribution to the GAA in the county over the years. The success of the Gala Ball though is only a jumping off point for the club but it has helped to create a financial base from which we can begin to progress our plans to provide further playing and training facilities for our young people. "We have been in Sarsfield Park now since the early 70s and it has served us well but the potential for development is very, very limited so we may have to look elsewhere to develop at least training facilities. Such a venture is very costly as anyone involved with a club will know but it is necessary if we are to retain the loyalty and the hearts and minds of our young people and give them the type of facilities that they need to remain involved meaningfully in gaelic games in the years ahead. "Provisional plans are being drawn up on a number of ideas by Jim Graham and have been discussed by the committee but nothing has been finalised yet although now that we have something to build on things can move far word quickly. We need at least one more pitch if only for training and juvenile matches because the one pitch we have will not sustain the level of use that it is subjected to at the moment. It's a long road but other clubs have done it. The gala ball could have been the culmination for the club of a year that promised much but just didn't deliver from the point of view of silverware although as people went to the Gala Ball the club was through to the semi-final of the junior football league. "We finished in top spot in the junior foot ball league after going out of the championship at the quarter-final stage before making the final. "The only other success that the club enjoyed was at under 14 level where we joined with Aghabog and we won the U14 division 2 Shield final by beating Latton in Cremartin. That was down in large part to the great work of Enda Kilpatrick. Everyone played their part but special mention also has to be made of young Christopher Kilpatrick who was a joint captain of the team and Gerard Graham both of whom underpinned that the winning sequence. Our reserve team also got to the final of the reserve football league division 3 where we met Clontibret but on the day we just did not do ourselves justice and we were beaten by the narrowest of margins in a game we led right from the start. It was a very disappointing thing to see the team beaten like that in injury time but if we had taken a few more chances earlier in the game then things might have been different. "Winning competitions is a great boost but it is not the only reason a club exists. The Killeevan club has played its role in the affairs of the GAA in the county since its foundation and will continue to play a full part in all aspects of the association's activities. One our club members and a former a secretary of the club, Gerry Freeman is currently the chairman of the Competition's Control Committee in Monaghan and I would like to compliment Gerry on the job that he does on behalf of all the clubs in running what is a very extensive fixtures programme. One of our club members, JP Graham, is also one of Monaghan's two delegates to the Ulster Council and is now probably one of the senior members of the county committee and I would like to thank him for his help in a number of areas as we prepared for our big night out. Our Treasurer, Jane Flynn is on the County Development Committee and it is great to see our members acknowledged like that. It is a sign that we have good people working for us and with that we can only progress further. Yes some silverware would be nice but if we continue to put in the work that will come too." A KILLEEVAN SPORTS DAY OF A CENTURY AGO As the Killeevan club approaches the centenary of its foundation it can look back on a century of service to the community, the colourful tapestry that is its story and a story that has witnessed some great achievements but no small measure of disappointment as well. Back in the early days of the last century the club was still central to parish life as is evidenced by a report from the Northern Standard of Saturday, June 23rd, 1906 on a Sports Day that was held at the local Gaelic Football grounds at Lislea, Newbliss on Thursday, June 14th. In 1906 there were three gaelic football clubs in the parish, Greenan's Cross Tir na nOgs, Ture Davitts and a team called Sarsfields from the Killeevan village area, a club that was formed by the great Patrick Whelan who was to become President of the Ulster Council and a signatory to the purchase of the Jones' Rd. Grounds, now Croke Park. The report read: "In beautiful weather the sports were held on the Gaelic Football grounds where the attendance was very good notwithstanding the fact that athletic sports were held on the same date at Cavan, Cootehill and Keady. The arrangements were very creditable to the committee who did their work most efficiently and left nothing undone to make the day's sports a success. The largest amount of interest centred on the horseracing events, three in number, which were contested in genuinely sportsmanlike manner. An incident which occassioned universal regret amongst all, was that which took place in the pony race, when Mr William Rusks Violet, which was leading by a considerable distance unfortunately took the wrong side of a pole, which disqualified him being the winner. It was not so much the fault of the rider Mr Rusk as that the pole was in an awkward position. An objection on the point lodged by the owner of the second horse, Mr Baker, could not be over ruled and although Mr Rusk's pony was leading by many lengths the committee were obliged to give the first prize to Baker but added a substantial increase to the second prize given Rusk. Fine running was made in the Farmers race by Mr John Finnegan's Spot the Ball which went to the front and held the course for a long distance against three other well bred animals but had to give way to Mr Wilkins Cormoy Winner which went to the front, followed by Mr W. McKernan's Pot Still. Patrick Murtagh's Newbliss Maid helped materially in making this race the success which it attained. Mr Thomas Baker's Bay Lad was also well to the front. The half mile won by Mr R. McCabe Guardhill was a well contested event as was also the furlong race won by Mr P. Carey Killeevan. Messrs John Coyle Threemilehouse and George Walker, Clones were in their usual good form as was also Thomas Stevens, Clones, who contended with the others in the high jump, long jump and walking (race). Much disappointment was felt over the absence of Mr F. McHenry, Monaghan, who in many places has made himself conspicuous as an all-round athlete. The thanks of the committee are due to the Newtownbutler Celtic football club team which travelled at some inconvenience and also to Aghabog's Rory O'Moores who attended and competed in a friendly match. Mr John Finnegan refereed the match which was won by Rory O'Moores on a score of 0-11 to 0-0. The committee are also indebted to the following bands which kindly attended and played a varied selection of non-party tunes: Lisarney Co. Cavan, Corcaghan, Scotshouse and Magherarney. The following were the officers and stewards: Judges: Messrs Laurance Murray, Wm McKernan and Michael Duffy R.D.C. Starters: Messrs Patrick Whelan JP and J Campbell. Secretaries and Handicappers: Messrs Hugh Sreenan and J Sherry. Stewards: Messrs B Connolly, P Clerkin, J Reilly, J Finnegan, T McCabe, P Landy, P Connolly, T McCarville, C Toal, F Kierans, B Brady, H ward, J Quigley, F Sherry, H McPhillips and J McCarvill. The Results: 220 yards boys under 16: 1st P Carey Killeevan, 2nd Willie O'Brien Newblis (from 10 entries). 880 Yards men's race (open) 1st Patrick McCabe Guardill, 2nd George Walker Clones (from 9 entries). Two mile cycle (open): 1st George Walker Clones, 2nd Patrick McCabe Guardhill (from six entries). Walking Race: 1st JJ Stevens, 2nd George Walker (from six entries). Horse Racing: Steeplechase 2 miles (over hurdles) open: 1st Thomas Bakers Bay Lad, 2nd Thomas Wilkins Cormoy Winner (from four entries). Farmers and Hackney Race, (confined), (one and a half miles): 1st Thomas Wilkins Cormoy Winner, 2nd Willie McKernan's Pot Still (from five entries). Pony Race, 1 mile flat: 1st Thomas Baker's Bay Lad, 2nd William Rusk's Violet (from four entries). Long Jump: 1st George Walker, Clones, 2nd John Coyle Threemilehouse (from four entries). Donkey Race, half a mile: 1st Hugh McCarville's Grey Lad, 2nd James Duffy's Malahide (from nine entries). Tug-of-War: Aghabog versus Killeevan with the former team the winner. (An addendum to the report states that there were no tents or carts allowed on the grounds and intoxicating drink was unknown). (With acknowledgements to John McCaffrey Papers). Tweet

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