GAA Memories From Ballinlough

Michael Fitzgerald was born in Willsborough, Ballinlough in 1944 & resided a short distance from the current Michael Glaveys Club. He spent many childhood years on the Grounds that was then an ancestral home overlooking Lake O'Flynn. On a recent visit to  Galway, on his way home to Dublin,he returned to Ballinlough & retraced his steps around his native homeland and a visit to the Club prompted this narrative and his telling of his GAA journey. 

"Tommie Brady from Cloonlee, also born in  1944, & I both started Secondary School in the Christian Brothers in Roscommon Town in 1958.We travelled daily to & from Roscommon on the train from Ballinlough Station. Joe Finnegan from Williamstown was also a student at the CBS boarding the train in Ballymoe. Both Stations closed in June 1963.Our GAA journey commenced with the various school teams. Tommie was an outstanding Player & was on the1962  Roscommon Minor Team. Work took both of us away from Roscommon. There was no football Team in Ballinlough in 1957 but Williamstown had a Minor GAA Team. Our former classmate from Williamstown, Joe Finnegan, asked both of us ,if we would come and play on the Williamstown Minor Team. Both of us accepted the offer & were illegal. As Williamstown was so remote from  Co. Galway & Players were not well known, there was no issue. We were collected on the day of a match & returned in the evening. That was in 1960.The Team played a number of matches, not winning any titles, but acquitting ourselves well.

In April 1961,while waiting in Ballinlough, to be collected, with our gear, standing outside Wallace's Shop, we were approached by a man unknown to us. He introduced himself as Brendan Walsh. He was the new Garda in Ballinlough. He was a Kerry native & he asked where the football Club was located. This was something we had not prepared for and we had no alibi. Under interrogation, we had to admit to illegal practice. We were embarrassed but he thought it was funny.( Never before in all of our young lives had we found ourselves in such a pickel )

We were not found out by the GAA, but by An Garda. As it turned out, Brendan was a true gentleman with everybody's good in mind. He said he would have to get a Club going locally. He was effectively the catalyst in getting things moving towards the involvement of Ballinlough  & Michael Glaveys. He started asking questions and I believe he got people to do something.

Michael Thomas Mitchell, Paddy Fitzmaurice, & Brendan Kelly did get involved. Brendan was a Teacher in Clooncan adjacent to Peadar Earley. From my memory, John Doherty, was one of the main people in getting things done. He had just finished his Leaving Cert. He had started to work in his Father's business. He was a good footballer and a great organiser. Loughglynn was involved with Gorthaganny and Clooncan. We cut ties with Williamstown. There were some practice matches played between Ballinlough and Loughglynn. I think we had some players from Clooncan. There were, I remember, some very good Players from Cloonfad and Granlahan. The Club took off from there.

Both Tommie Brady and I left in 1964. I joined An Garda and found myself in Drogheda where I played with Oliver Plunkett's Club for a number of years.

Brendan Walsh died in 2018. He was married to Mary Lyons from Granlahan. The moved & lived in Ballaghaderreen.

The Club got off to a great start and captured the 1963 U-15 Juvenile County Title. The Final was against Roscommon Gaels with the final score 5-15 (30) to 3-07(16). Dermot Earley was the outstanding player on that Team."