I was reading the Loughinisland Story recently and there is some amount of clubs that don't exist any more. Some of these clubs won Junior and even Senior Football championships. Who do players from these areas play for now?

Here's a list that I came up with. It's a very long list. Can anybody add to it or tell us anything about them?

Annalong
Annsborough
Ardtole

Bangor
Ballyhackamore
Ballynahinch
Ballyculter
Ballyhornan
Ballylough
Barnmeen
Burrenbridge

Cabra Harps
Clann Uladh
Crossgar

Drumnaconnor
Drumnaquoile
Drumaroad
Dunsford

Faugh-a-Ballagh, Newry

Gargory
Gilford Geraldines
Glenloughan
Greencastle Wolfe Tones

Killough
Kilkeel
Killyleagh
Kilwarlin

Laurencetown
Lisnacree

Maghera
Magheral (Monteith)
Magheralone

Newcastle

Rathfriland
Rossglass

Scollockstown
Scrabo Harps
Sheeptown

The Square
Tyrella

Frank Mitchell (Down) - Posts: 1082 - 17/12/2009 10:04:51    516267

Glenloughlin, Greencastle, Kilkeel and Lisnacree would be generally An Riocht area's with a few players playing for Atticall. Not sure why these clubs disbanded probably had a lack of player resources.

tullyframerover (Down) - Posts: 276 - 17/12/2009 12:28:57    516397

An Riocht was formed around 30 years ago through an amalgamation of the Lisnacree and Greengastle football clubs and Kilkeel hurling club. Annalong, for fairly obvious reasons, never had a GAA club, but is within Glasdrumman's catchment area. Many of the other places mentioned have featured in name changes and amalgamations over the years. For example, Ardtole and Dunsford are part of Ardglass, Drumaroad and Drumnaquoile are part of St John's, Kilwarlin is St Michael's, Laurencetown is Tullylish, Maghera and Newcastle are Bryansford and so on.

Faugh a Ballagh and Clann Uladh both disappeared decades ago, but clubs like Bangor, Scrabo Harps (Newtownards) and Ballyhackmore (on the Upper Newtownards Road in east Belfast) only folded around the start of the troubles in the late 1960s. The last three would now be covered by St Paul's of Holywood.

MourneRising (Down) - Posts: 238 - 17/12/2009 13:51:07    516469

'Gargory' players would play for Liatroim, while 'Rathfriland' players should be playing for Drumgath or Annaclone, depending on which side of Rathfriland they are on.

ajdoyle78 (Down) - Posts: 520 - 17/12/2009 13:58:32    516479

was there a team that played in div 4 or 5 a number of years ago called St Colmans who were a breakaway for a short time from St.Michaels?

playanywhere (Down) - Posts: 41 - 17/12/2009 14:32:48    516505

That's some list alright. Off course Ballycran, Ballygalget, Portaferry and Ballela all played football at various times; before they saw sense :)

Seannie Og (Down) - Posts: 952 - 17/12/2009 14:33:30    516506

sorry just remembered(how could i forget)-Ballela football team!!

playanywhere (Down) - Posts: 41 - 17/12/2009 14:36:12    516507

did the gilford geraldines and laurencetown not join up together?

banker (Down) - Posts: 36 - 17/12/2009 15:25:33    516555

I've made a few more inquires this morning after reading some of your posts.

There was a team called Annalong long before Glasdrumman or Longstone were founded. Rathfriland beat Annalong in the Junior Feis Football final in Newcastle in the 1940s.

Rathfriland and Barnmeen joined up under the Drumgrath name in the late 1960s.

Cabra Harps split from Clonduff and then rejoined them in the 60s.

Ballynahinch were strong in East Down in the 1950s/60s. When they folded the players joined Drumaness who had just started out.

Magheralone is between Drumaness, Loughinisland and Teconnacht so God knows who they play for now. There's no room for a 4th club in that area.

Magheral (Monteith) rejoined Annaclone after a row in the Parish was sorted out by a new PP.

Kilwarlin & Magheralin amalgamated under the St Michaels name in the early 60s. Kilwarlin went out on their own again for a while in the early 1980s but they hadn't the numbers and soon folded.

The Square were an off-shoot of Kilcoo and Burrenbridge were an off-shoot of Castlewellan. With Kilcoo and Castlewellan fielding 3 adult teams each there's no room for separate clubs in these areas any more.

When Annsborough folded a few years ago Aughlisnafin started up agian with some of their players.

I'll keep digging for more info. The auld fella knows more about this than most historians.

Frank Mitchell (Down) - Posts: 1082 - 17/12/2009 15:32:10    516563

rossglass were senior championship winners at one stage they are now replaced by bright. Hard to believe rossglass and ballykinlar were once a stronghold of down football

heartandsaul (Down) - Posts: 112 - 17/12/2009 19:51:29    516800

Frank
Your research is pretty good but I don't think Annalong ever had a team- I think it's a misprint for Annaclone in the feis sevens in 1940

dubhdriocht (Down) - Posts: 3 - 17/12/2009 20:02:53    516811

likes killough would now be bright
ballyhornan would be either bright or ardglass
cabra harps would be hilltown
crossgar players would play for tecconnaught or darragh cross

and im pretty sure annalong never had a team before longstone or us were formed

dj27legend (Down) - Posts: 641 - 17/12/2009 21:22:48    516904

don't think annalong ever had a team.are you sure your weather watching camera just wasn't down that way

gaa.egghead (Down) - Posts: 35 - 17/12/2009 21:48:31    516941

Frank Mitchel, what are the chances of a white Christmas?

blu (Down) - Posts: 1240 - 17/12/2009 22:06:34    516975

Ballyhoran players would represent Ardglass & Kilclief not Bright.

saulgael (Down) - Posts: 553 - 17/12/2009 22:50:23    517080

Frank you a couple of teams from the turn of the century. Red Hands was a team from Strangford/Cargagh area and Hearts of Down from Killard.

The rivalry between the Hearts and Hands became intense and discord reigned for some years. It was only through the efforts of Fr. O Kane P.P. that the teams were brought together under a new name - Kilclief Ben Dearg (1909).

saulgael (Down) - Posts: 553 - 17/12/2009 22:56:37    517104

laurencetown and gilford geraldines are now tullylish

i think they tried to start a team in crossgar in the early 90's after the county senior all ireland success but darraghcross objected saying it would seriously reduce their numbers, might be different now as they were a dual club back then and it probably would have stretched them too far

WestDownGael (Down) - Posts: 207 - 18/12/2009 09:31:37    517315

It looks to me like a lot of these clubs are just the same local people setting up clubs under different names at different times. Like Dunsford, Rossglass and Bright wouldn't have been on the go at the same time would they? Ballynahinch fold and Drumaness are set up. Magherlone fold and Teconnaght start up.

At any one time there would have been nowhere near that number of clubs playing in the county.

Seannie Og (Down) - Posts: 952 - 18/12/2009 17:22:09    517828

Frank - There was an article bout this in the Down Yearbook in the late 90s I think with many of the names above - might be a couple there to add to your list. I think Ballyhaffrey (Bryansford) fielded at one time too?

sliabhnaslat (Down) - Posts: 93 - 18/12/2009 18:04:37    517878

seannie og i think rossglass and dunsford would have been around at the same time alright they wouldnt really be neighbouring parishes. rossglass would be the ballykinlar side of bright and dunsford would be between ardglass and kilclief.

heartandsaul (Down) - Posts: 112 - 18/12/2009 20:32:35    517986