St Mary's Swanlinbar GAA Club

General information

A Kerryman called O'Connor who was an engineer in the area founded the Club in 1904. He trained the team and their first match was against Knockninny in Co. Fermanagh, which they duly won by a narrow margin. Many games were played over the next few years but football in the area had reached a low ebb by 1916 when a curate by the name of Michael Young was appointed to Swanlinbar. He immediately set about re-forming the club. The officers elected on this occasion were:

Chairman: Rev. Michael Young
Secretary: Andy Curry
Treasurer: John Young
Committee: Peter Drumm, Peter Reilly, Con & John Darcy, Tommy Burns, Pat McGrath, Hugh Leonard,
Tommy McGovern, Patrick Lunney and Francis Owens.

The team was selected from the following:
Terry McDonnell, Andy Sheridan Barney & Jimmy McAuley, Francis Owens, Jerry McGovern, P. Owen, Jimmy Murphy, Pat & Francie Greene, John & Packie Gilleece, Christy Beacom, Ted McKiernan,
Ben McHugh, and Charles Murray.

The first game was against Corlough, which they won. This team only lasted a few years due to the civil war and political struggle of the early twenties.

Some of the first club members and indeed players were:
(Big) Joe McGovern, James Murphy, James Carney, Oliver Murray, and many more who have long since passed away. The club competed at Junior level and the home matches were played in several different places including Leonards field in Uragh and in the townland of Gubrawolley.

In the mid 1920's the leading players with the club were the O'Reilly brothers, Michael, John, Joe and Tommy. Tommy O'Reilly played on the Cavan team that won the All-Ireland Junior Championship in 1927.
Another leading player in the club at that time was James McAuley who was known as 'The Athlete'. Brothers James and Patrick McGovern also played with Swanlinbar in the same year.

As was common in those times emigration took its toll and a lot of players took the boat to England, Canada and the U.S. Due to this the club was dissolved for a period of the 1930's. However, in the late 30's it was reorganised. At that time one of the best-known Swanlinbar players was the late Sean Young. He played with Cavan College (St. Pat's) and won an All-Ireland Minor medal with them in 1938.

Unfortunately once again in 1939 the club were not able to field a team. However in 1942 the club was reorganised again and the men behind the club this time were the Young brothers, James McGovern and his brothers Joe and Owen Roe McGovern plus many many more. This was a very successful period for the club and in 1944 they reached the Semi-finals of the County Junior Championship. A lot was expected of the team at this time as the team consisted of young players, but unfortunately emigration took its toll once again with 8 of 9 players going abroad. Other members were Pat McManus, the McKenna Brothers (Patsy & Ben), the Young brothers (Joe and Charlie), Paddy McHugh, Christy Crowe, Tommy Gregory McGovern, Terry Woods, Sonny McManus, Phil McBrien, and the aforementioned Owen Roe McGovern.

In 1945 Owen Roe was picked for the Cavan County panel. During his inter-county playing career, Owen Roe won two National League titles, two All-Irelands and four Ulster championship crowns. He had come into a fit and young Cavan team for the first time at the seasoned age of 27, after winning an All-Ireland medal as a member of the Armed Forces football team and impressing alongside his brothers James and Joe with Swanlinbar in the county junior championship. He was in the team that contested the only All Ireland final played outside Ireland when Cavan faced Kerry in the Polo Grounds in New York in 1947. When the victorious team returned to Ireland victory rallies were held throughout the county with every town and village buzzing with excitement and joy. Owen Roe McGovern and TP O'Reilly headed the victory celebrations in Swanlinbar and it goes down in history as being one of the liveliest nights in the town. Owen Roe sadly departed in his 93rd year on 2nd May 2011 in New York.

Sadly once again emigration in the 1950's affected the club and they found it difficult to field a complete team and their success was limited. However, some of the outstanding players around this time were Johnny McGovern, Enda Maguire, and Gabriel McHugh.

In 1957 the first title came to the club when they won the Under 14 title and the following year they won the Under 16 title. In 1962 team members included Andy Kelly, the Prior Brothers (TP & James), Jim Morris, Michael Maguire, Peter Gillece, The Cullen Brothers (Sean & Tony), McDonald Brothers (Kevin, Sean & Frankie).

Sean Cullen was the best prospect the club had at this time. He played with Cavan at Minor, Junior, Under 21 and Senior Level. The Club later amalgamated with neighbouring club Corlough to form a team due to lack of numbers. This continued into the early seventies. In 1972, the club reorganised as the Swanlinbar G.F.C. In the same year they won an Under 14 Championship. In 1977 the present day club came into existence.

The 1980's ushered the first success at adult level. In 1981 the club won its first Junior League title and another in 1984. Among those playing at this time was Sean Gilheany jnr. who later played with the County team. He also captained the Cavan team who won the Ulster Junior championship. In 1985 the club won its first Junior Championship by defeating Belturbet. Great tribute must go to Ben McHugh (Senior) and Tony Cullen who each nagged, trained and selected the team. Other selectors at that time were Pat Brennan, Oliver Prunty Snr., T.P. Prior, Sean Gilheany Snr. Michael Leydon and Pierce McBarron.

In 1990 the Swanlinbar team reached the Division 3 League final where they were defeated by Kilinkere but gained promotion to Division 2. In 1996 Swanlinbar reached the Junior Championship final where they lost to Knockbride. In 1998 they again reached the Junior Championship final where they gave one of the finest displays of football seen in Breffni Park for many a year to take the cup to West Cavan after a comprehensive victory over Mullahoran. That same year the 2nd team reached the Junior C final but couldn't do the double. In June of 1999 Swanlinbar were invited to play in the inaugural Ulster Junior Sevens tournament in Ballykinlar, Co. Down. Kieran McGovern had to scour the town that wet Saturday in order to find enough players to field a team. The few he found have tales to tell of getting lost on the way and not even being sure of the rules in the first match. Despite this, Swanlinbar battled through and defeated the Armagh champions, Granemore, in the final.

On the last Div. 2 league game of 1999 club history was made when Swanlinbar defeated the then Intermediate Champions, Ballymachugh, to gain promotion to Div. 1 and claim senior status for the first time. In 2000 Thomas Prior was selected to play for the county senior team and made the full back position his own for many years. In 2004 Swanlinbar reached the Div. 2 League Final only to loose to Cuchullains by the narrowest of margins.
Swanlinbar again reached the Junior Champioship Final in 2006 where they came back from being nine points behind in the second half to draw with Muntirconnaght and force a replay. Two weeks later Swad were more focused and ran out easy winners by 18 points to 9. The team represented Cavan in the Ulster Junior Club Championship against Armagh champs An Port Mor in Crossmaglen. Despite a plucky performance they were on the wrong end of a 3:09 to 2:08 scoreline. Michael Cunningham made his inter-county senior debut in Feb '07 against Derry.
He was in the thick of the action from the off, finishing the game with three excellent points and was awarded "Man of the Match"
However, Swad didn't build on the success and went back to Div 3 and to Junior Championship soon after. It was the arrival in 2009 of coach John Joe Stewart that sparked them to the level that they always had the potential to be. John Joe, from Belcoo, had a "Bill Shankley" attitude to gaelic football - "it isn't a matter of life and death, it's much more important than that". he got the team fitter and more focused than they had ever been and managed to reach the '09 Junior final but were beaten by Butlersbridge, although injuries and suspensions didn't help their cause.
Undetered, in 2010, history was again made when Swad gained promotion back to Div 2 and secured the Junior championship and the Div 3 League Cup. The double was a first for this small club which takes up 1/3 of the parish of Kinawley. We again represented Cavan in Ulster and defeated the Derry champions, Ardmore, then defeated Drumaness (Down) in the semi-final and faced Corduff of Monaghan in the Ulster Final. Although they lost on the day Swanlinbar were awarded the game by Ulster Council after Corduff fielded an illegal player. Unchartered territory and an All Ireland semi final beckoned against the Leinster champions, Ballinabrackey (Meath). Robbie Prior proved to be the hero for the Cavan-men in a low-scoring encounter with two second-half points for the Ulster representatives. And so to the holy grail for all GAA people, an All Ireland Final appearance in Croke Park. The record will show that Swanlinbar were well beaten by St Mary's, Caherciveen. Swad were level at half time but with the experience of 9 players who played in the Kerry senior championship, most notably Bryan Sheehan, they pulled away in the 2nd half. So it was journey's end in Croke Park but what a place to end it. The experience of having played in the best stadium in Europe will live long in memory of the Swanlinbar team of 2010/11.

Juvenile football was strong from the 90's onwards thanks to dedicated work by underage coaches and mentors. In 1990 Swanlinbar won the Roinn D Under 14 title. In 1996 & 2000 the U-16's as Dernacrieve Gaels (Swad/Corlough) lifted the Div. 4 Championship title. The Swanlinbar U-12 and U-14's won their respective Roinn D League Finals in 2000. In 2001 the U-12's won the Roinn C League final and gained promotion to Roinn B. In 2002 the U-14's won the Roinn B league title and made club history by being the first juvenile team from Swanlinbar to compete in Roinn A. In 2003 they more than held their own and reached the semi-final of the league only to loose out to the eventual winners Cavan Gaels. Success continued at underage level in 2004 when the U-14's won the Roinn B Championship in an all west Cavan duel with Shannon Gaels.

In 2005 the U-16's as Dernacrieve Gaels (Swad/Corlough) lost the Div 3 Championship Final against a strong Redhills side. Dernacrieve Gaels contested the U-16 league Final in 2006 where they lost to a last minure goal against Killygarry. Also in 2006 they won the Div 2 Minor Championship with a great display of football against Belturbet.

In 2007, due to a shortage of player numbers and a change of rule where girls are not allowed to play with boys after U-12, both Swanlinbar and Corlough decided to merge underage as Dernacrieve Gaels for an initial period of 5 years. They had some success most notably winning an U-14 Championship in 2010.

Many thanks to Andy Kelly for his help and co-operation with the above article.