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The origin of Gaelic Games in Castlewellan
The first Castlewellan Gaelic football team, known as the Red Hands, was a schoolboy team formed by Martin Cafferkey in 1903. Martin Cafferkey, from County Mayo, was an enthusiast for everything Irish. He helped found the Newcastle Feis in 1902 (later to become Feis an Dúin in 1906) when he came to Castlewellan as the local schoolmaster and was its year Secretary and inspiration for many years. Although more concerned with the language-and history, he recognised the importance of Gaelic games, and until he retired from teaching in 1939, always had a Gaelic football team in St Malachy’s Public Elementary School in the Town’s Circular Road overlooking what is now St Malachy’s Park. One pupil recalls stitching the red hands on the jerseys, in Mrs. Cafferkey's sewing class!

In a Sunday Press column ‘The Story behind Ulster GAA Clubs’ dated April 25th 1954 the author credits the ‘Master’ with organising Gaelic football in Castlewellan after he and his wife game to teach in Castlewellan’s Public Elementary School.

“The picturesque little market town of Castlewellan has been a stronghold of the GAA since 1903 and most of the credit must go to the late Master Cafferkey. In face of stout opposition from other branches of sport the Master at the beginning of the past century endeavoured to get the youth and the young men of the parish interested in the national pastimes. His efforts failed but he had another try this time with his own schoolboys. In 1903 the seed was sown with the birth of “Red Hands’ a school’s team and matches were organised with other schools in the area. Soon the enthusiasm and devotion to the games was clearly evident and when the schoolboys of 1903 branched out in 1910 to form a junior team named the “Hearts of Down” the games were on a sound footing in Castlewellan.”

The year 1903 marked a significant milestone in the history of the GAA in Down; that year saw a new beginning, the organisation of an affiliated Down County Board, as we know it today. Gaelic games were being organised throughout the County, although there were still very few clubs. In that same year the feast of the National Apostle was celebrated in Castlewellan, and the newspapers reported "there were demonstrations in a field off the Newcastle Road" (probably the meadow) "and included Gaelic football and hurling clubs from Backaderry, Drumaroad and Burren Castlewellan. There was as yet no adult football team in Castlewellan as a town team did not affiliate to the new County Board until 1905 – the birth of the Castlewellan Club The first round Championship draws made by the newly formed County committee in 1903 were made as follows:

3rd May – Cuan, Portaferry v Hearts of Down, Killard
10th May – Burren (Castlewellan) v. Red Hands Killief.
17th May – Leitrim, v Clanvaraghan.
Faugh-a-Ballaghs, Newry v. Downpatrick

After the to the formation of the Hearts of Down junior team in 1910, the “Master” carried on with the “Red Hands” to act as a nursery for the new junior team. At the helm of the team was Willie Ferguson, Father O’Des (the Leinster hurling and football star) the Toner brothers, Pat Dorrian, Pat Burns, the Jennings brothers, “Bonnie and Joe O’Flynn, Jimmy Scullion (who owned a grocer shop in the lower square), John King, Mickey and Barney Cunningham, Hugh Joe Murray, as well as a Leeson and a Rice from Annsborough. A 1916 minute book contains a register of 54 Castlewellan players including 4 Cunnighams, Pat, James, Mick and Bernard, 3 O'Flinns, James, John and Pat, and 6 Toners, Joe, John Joe, Frank, Hugh, Thomas and James, and 3 Grants, Patrick, James and Jim. Bernard Morgan was Club Secretary. The Heart’s of Down GFC as it was known then continued to flourish and in 1918 Master Cafferkey put up a Perpetual Cup to be played in the local schools in the area.

Early successes - the Twenties
Master Cafferkey continued to do tremendous work in the background and around 1919 a junior side “O’Rahilly’s” sprang up under the leadership of Pat O’Hare (Father of Ulster Railway Cup goalkeeper John O’Hare), Dan McCartan and P.F. McCabe (later to become Club Treasurer). Matches at that time were played in Maginn’s field at Bunker’s hill (St Malachy’s Ave/Drive was built in Maginn’s field in the 1960’s). The O’Rahilly’s team contested the Down Junior Championship in 1920 and although beaten in the County final played in Newcastle against Newry side the ‘Young Irelanders’ Castlewellan protested and were awarded the match on a technicality as the Newry team had played an illegal player.

By 1920 the War of Independence at its height. The Black and Tans were terrorising the country and any prominent GAA man was liable to be a suspect. County Down was not spared with many arrests of prominent GAA men. None more so than Castlewellan born John Henry King (mentioned above). In both the 1918 and 1921 general elections he acted as de Valera’s election agent in the constituency, declaring that ‘he was loyal to the Parliamentary Party as long as he believed that they were loyal to Ireland but when they put the interests of the Empire before those of Ireland he transferred his loyalty to Sinn Feinn’. In 1918 also at the request of a number of GAA Clubs in the county, he accepted the office of Chairman of the Down County Committee and held the position during the troubled years of the early 1920s.

Like many advocates of sovereign independence and a united Ireland John Henry King suffered for his political convictions during the War of Independence and the bloody birth pangs of the Northern 6 County state. He was arrested by the British Army in April 1920 and served 3 months imprisonment until he benefited from a general release following a hunger strike. He was again arrested by the new Northern Unionist Government following partition on February 22 1923 and interned in Larne Workhouse along with 500 nationalists from all over the six counties. The spurious reason given for King’s arrest by the RUC is recorded in his internment file at the Public Record Office in Belfast. “This man was one of the pioneers of Sinn Fein in South Down. He has ample means and is believed to have financed several rebel schemes, notably the (IRA) attack on Castlewellan barracks in May 1922”.

King vehemently denied any involvement in the Castlewellan attack and it was believed that a much more likely reason for his internment was his active support for the inclusion of South and East Down in the new Irish Free State under the Boundary Commission provided in the 1921 Treaty. In September 1921 he had led a Down nationalist deputation to the Dail on the issue, and in January 1922, as violence escalated in the North he was in secret contact with Michael Collins on the need “to ensure that these territories (South and East Down) remain in Ireland”. In a personal letter Collins assured him that “if handled properly we can make the Treaty go towards unity” King was released on 6th May 1923 on condition he left the North and in 1925 the Unionist Government let him return on bail. . The leading Down Gael died suddenly at his Newcastle home on 30th September 1942.

In spite of all the unrest shootings and reprisals of the early twenties County and Divisional Boards met regularly and competitions continued. Castlewellan O’Rahilly’s, Newcastle Rangers, Cabra Harps, Leitrim fontenoys and Moneyscalp Emmets played in the mid-Down League then. Despite the wealth of talent which the “Master” kept turning out, however, honours were slow in coming to Castlewellan. A senior team was formed and Castlewellan were now playing in the meadow at Circular Road. The meadow had been leased by the Parish from the Annsley Estate for a nominal sum and was later purchased by the parish, and in the 1970’s the Parish leased the meadow to St Malachy’s GAC and it became Pairc Naomh Mailahoig in 1978.

Hugh McAleenan was most helpful to the ‘Hearts of Down’ GFC as the Castlewellan team was then known and after they moved into the meadow he placed his carpenter’s shop in his yard adjoining the meadow at Newcastle Road at the team’s disposal for changing and also he provided the first Gaelic goalposts. Hugh’s brother Joseph had been President of the County Board in 1916, with Hugh as Secretary and Treasurer. Hugh, who died in 1977, was a life-long GAA enthusiast, and the carpenter’s shop in McAleenan’s yard, was used as changing rooms by Castlewellan teams for generations. Like the professional services that Hugh McAleenan gave so willingly to Club and County there was no charge. The McAleenan tradition continued by his son Patrick, former player, and Club trustee (Hall of Fame) and his grandson John who played for the Club senior team in the 1980s. Incidentally, it was a McAleenan from Castlewellan (great great uncle of Paddy McAleenan) along with the McCartans of Leitrim that founded the famous Laitroim Fontenoys.

Also in 1920 the Hearts of Down GFC held the first annual Athletic Sports on Sunday 13th June 1920. The annual sports day became an integral part of GAA life in Castlewellan for the next 50 years often run in partnership with the parish. It became an important fundraiser for the Club and the Parish and became an event looked forward to each year by the entire community with many happy memories of the sports day and the keenly competed seven–a-side football that followed in the evening. Gaelic football was now thriving in the town in spite of the prevailing political situation and curfews introduced by the new Unionist Government at Stormont. Football was been played at schoolboy, junior, and senior level but despite the wealth of talent which Master Cafferkey kept turning out from the Primary school, honours were slow in coming to the town and it was not until 1924 that the Club won their first County Senior football Championship beating Mayobridge in the final at Hilltown. Some of the players in that final were Jim Doherty, Pat McEvoy, Joe Toner, Jimmy McAnearney, Mick Lambe and Fr. Cullen. Joe Toner, uncle of Pat Rice, who brought the first All-lreland Senior Championship to the Club, was a County hurler and footballer. He was also a noted soccer player with Arsenal, and gained many international honours as an inside forward.

Mayobridge's best player was "Briny" McCartan, father of James and Dan (of Down 60’s fame) and grandfather of James (of Down 90s fame). During the game he was struck by a free kick from Pat McEvoy and had to retire. Pat McEvoy had returned to Ireland from Scotland where he had played for Glasgow Celtic. The year 1927 was also a good year on the football scene, as Castlewellan won the East division S.F.C. but lost to South Division champions Kilcoo in the final. However as with previous teams, for some reason, the Castlewellan team again dropped out of the GAA scene the following year.

The Thirties - The Golden Years
By 1927 a Gaelic football Club was organised in Aughlisnafinn and this club quickly developed a Gaelic football team. Frank Lennon the oldest surviving Castlewellan player in our Club’s Centenary Year of 2005 played on the team and was also the team secretary. It was with this ‘Finn’ team where Frank won his first GAA trophy in 1928 an East Down runners –up medal. By 1932 a new parish priest by the name of Fr. Mc Alea had arrived in Castlewellan, and he was anxious to form a Parish team. He approached the ‘Finn men to join with the town and a new St Malachy’s team was formed in 1933. Along with Frank Lennon came John O’Hare (Hall of Fame), Seamus Lenaghan, Mick O’Donnell, Hugh McMullan, and Hugh McClean. Under the guidance of Father McAlea a new Club Committee was formed. Its members were Dr Patrick Conway C.C. Patrick Cunningham, Hugh McCann, Bernard McAlinden, Michael Lamb(the team trainor). The first Castlewellan team to be called St. Malachy's, soon became a force and the five succeeding years can be termed the golden years. With men like John O’Hare and Tom McCann the new Club swept the decks. Apart from the two men mentioned sterling service during those years was given by John King, the Steele brothers, Teddy and Tom, Hugh McNabb, Tom Hannity, “Mouse” Hanna, James Maginn and Frank Lennon.

Schoolboy football was still very strong in Castlewellan at this time thanks to the continuing efforts of Martin Cafferkey. The Frontier Sentinel of 16th January 1932 reported on a match between St Malachy’s PS Castlewellan and De La Salle School Downpatrick. This match followed a County match between Down and Antrim in the National League at Moneybot Downpatrick. Down won 2,3 to 0.2.

“….Apart from the senior match, the result of which of course gratified all supporters of the GAA in Down, a field day was arranged for the school boy Gaels. Master Caferkey Castlewellan arrived with a splendid troop of Boy Scouts who with their piper at the head, led the inter-county teams unto the field, and subsequently escorted the teams from St Malachy’s Castlewellan and Christian Brothers Downpatrick. The match provided by these lads give the spectators a real treat and everyone present was impressed by the splendid football played by these youngsters. The Castlewellan boys with their greater experience won after a hard struggle but they were the first to admit that the Downpatrick lads, with more experience will be very serious rivals to any schoolboy team in the county….” Fr. McAlea had also formed a Boy Scout troop in the town in 1932 (the first Catholic Boy Scout troop in County Down) and the troop went to the Eucharistic Congress in Dublin in 1932, camping out in the Phoenix Park). Such was the popularity of the Boy Scout movement (Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland (CBSI)) in Castlewellan that a second Boy Scout troop was formed in the Town a few years year later (1st and 5th CBSI Down). Dan Rooney and Gerry Brannigan became Scout Masters and the close association with the local GAA Club continued down though the years with Club members and former players Des Keown Paddy Burns Gerard McAlinden and Ciaran Crilly as Scout Leaders in the 1970’s and in the 1980’s Liam and Patrick Hardy and Oliver and Sean Rooney.

Also in 1932 a Castlewellan and District schoolboys league commenced “to encourage young boys to play their national games” Castlewellan boys never lost a match in the league that year but were beat in the final of the schoolboy’s Championship which preceded the Senior Championship final between Kilclief and Newry on 11th September 1932.

A special convention of the Down County Committee was held in the AOH Hall Circular Road Castlewellan (later to become ‘The Star Cinama’ and demolished by the IRA in the 1970s – the site is now an all-weather Council playing pitch opposite St Malachy’s Park) in October 1933 for the purpose of (a) defining the areas for league and championship contests and (b) to regrade teams. Hugh McCann (proprietor of McCann’s Grove Bar on Castlewellan’s Main Street – now closed)and Bernard Kelly represented St Malachy’s Club at the Convention and Castlewellan were placed in the Junior League for weaker teams (and newly formed teams). The Castlewellan Junior League area included the parishes of Leitrim, Clanvaraghan, Newcastle, Gargory, Kilcoo, Cabra, Castlewellan and Dundrum.was the first year of the All-County Senior League which consisted of only one senior team in each parish. The following year 1934 Castlewellan entered the senior section of the league while retaining a junior team St Malachy’s in the Junior League

During the early 30's the Castlewellan O'Rahillys five-a-side team was practically unbeatable, County Down has always had a large number of seven-a-side tournaments. The forerunners of these were the five-a-side tournaments, which were an important feature of every sports day. Over the years Castlewellan has had a strong tradition of success in the "small number" games, and this tradition was established by the O'Rahillys five-a-side team. The players were the brothers Johnny and Hughie "Nacker" Toner, John "Darkee" Toner, Jimmy Jennings and Willie Ferguson. Darkie’s son Jim was a committee member for many years and his grandson, Brendan (Bengy) won a National Football League, title with Down in 1983 and was a prominent member of the Club senior team during the 70s and early 80s winning SFC medals with the town in 1979 and 1982. Jimmy Jennings sons Jim and Peter were Castlewellan stalwarts while Willie Ferguson's son Des was the Dublin, All-Ireland hurler and footballer of the 50’s/60’s.

In 1934 the Fels had been revived and the 5-a-side competition became a 7-a-side. First winners of the Feis sevens (GAA Golden Jubilee year) were St.Malachy’s represented by John King, Hugh McClean, John O’Hare, Seamus Lenaghan, Frank Lennon, Mick MeDonnell and "Mousie Hanna". They defeated Clonduff in the final refereed by Geordie Nash of Belfast. Incidentally the Feis was held opposite St. Patrick’s Park in what was know then as Thornton’s field.

The 1934 season was a particularly brilliant one in the Club’s history. In addition to winning the league the St Malachy’s team also won the Senior Football Championship for the second time in the Club’s history giving the Club a treble which was completed again in 1936. The Frontier Sentinel in it’s report of the final wrote:-

“one of the most closely contested games ever played at Hilltown was witnessed there on Sunday by almost 2000 spectators. Glorious weather favoured the fixture and large contingents travelled from all parts of the County.” The paper reported that Castlewellan started out on top:-

“ Castlewellan were having the best of the exchanges and Hanna, O’Hare and Steele combining well, forced play again into the opponent’s territory for the latter to place his side further ahead with a goal. Ballymartin seemed unable to settle and lost many nice opportunities through bad catching and lifting. Castlewellan’s catching and lifting was superior by far to that of Ballymartin and their attacks were more dangerous.”

At the interval Castlewellan were leading 1 goal and 1 point to Ballymartin’s 2 points.

“ The second half opened in favour of Castlewellan who got away from a free from which J’O’ Hare pointed. During the next five minutes, both defences were vigorously tested and Castlewellan was the first to fall, for a point leaving the score at this period, 5 points to 3 in favour of Castlewellan. The next moment Doran from Ballymartin missed a score by inches when from a free; he struck the crossbar with a vigorous drive. Play now became very keen and Ballymartin time and again forced into their opponents defence only to be sent back by O’Hare and Co. Fitzpatrick sent the Ballymartin forwards away and Byrne, receiving, passed on to T. O’Hare but the latter delayed too long in trying to lift the ball from the ground and lost possession. Hawkins receiving from Steele give to Maginn, who shot for goal but Fitzpatrick caught beautifully and cleared. After a spell of midfield play Castlewellan came back again, but McNabb sent past. At the other end Kelly saved from Byrne, who was playing a splendid game in the Ballymartin forward line. The Castlewellan forwards attacked vigorously but the Ballymartin defence was at the top of it’s form now and was hard to penetrate. Intense end-to-end play marked the closing stages of the play but both sides playing very strenuously, failed to add to their score. Result Castlewellan 1 goal 3 points, Ballymartin 1 goal and 3 points. The replay of the Down Football Championship has been fixed for Hilltown on Sunday October the 7th. Ballymartin and Castlewellan will again fight for honours and judging by the display they give on Sunday last, a very keen encounter is anticipated”.

Castlewellan Team – B. Kelly, J. King, H McClean, T. Hannity, P. Steele, M. McDonald, F. Lennon, S Leneghan, P. Hanna, J. O’Hare, T. Steele, H. McNabb, P. Hawkins, J.Maginn, P. O’Boyle

Admission to the County Finals was 6d (about 2 pence) with sideline seats an extra 6d.

The Forties
From 1905 till 1940, the Castlewellan club had operated in fits and starts, and in 1940, although the Meadow was as crowded as ever with potential players, there was no club and no team. A meeting was announced and was held in the Meadow after second Mass. Peter King was the moving spirit, and when it was decided to re-start the club, he became Chairman, with Tom Fitzpatrick as Secretary, Pat Savage, Treasurer - (Hall of Fame) and Teddy O’Hare as Captain. The Club had enthusiasm, but lacked experience but it was this beginning in 1940 which was the forerunner of many achievements. Gradually the more experienced men returned from other clubs, and John O’ Hare became Secretary. - (Hall of Fame). John was a legendary figure even then-an outstanding athlete, a County team regular, and almost an automatic choice as Ulster goalkeeper until he retired. John had the distinction of being the first Down man to play on an Ulster railway Cup winning team. He was not the first town man to play for Ulster however; that honour had already been achieved by his fellow townsman, Tom McCann - (Hall of Fame) who was a member of the 1943 Ulster team.

Frank Lennon a member of the successful Town championship team of 1934 and 1936 had moved to Aughlisnafin when the team broke up in 1937. Frank was one of the few town players whose loss to the town was another teams gain, as he remained with his native ‘Finn where he gave many years service. It was to be another generation before another Lennon would play for the town, when Frank’s late son Pat donned the green jersey in the late 60’s. Another member of the famous 1937 team that left the town for another club after the town break up was James Maginn (see Hall of Fame). James was a Ballymartin man born and bred and he had played for the ‘Lily Whites’ before joining the town club fter he acquired the now well known Maginn’s Bars in Castlewellan’s Main street. Like Frank, James never returned to the town team after it reformed and remained with his native Ballymartin team for the remainder of his playing career. In 1937 James won a 3rd SFC medal with Ballymartin. James is the father of Club members Gerard, Patrick and Brendan (Brendan is the present proprietor of Maginn’s Bars) all of whom played their Gaelic Football with town teams in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

Under the guidance of John O’Hare the Club began to find its feet, and its players began to receive County recognition, reaching two
SFC finals in 1945 and 1946, only to fall to Clonduff and to Newry. In 1946 when Down won their first All-lreland in junior football, town players Willie McKibben, and Pat Rodgers were two of the successful squad. P. F. McCabe, who had been associated with previous teams became treasurer, a post he held for over 20 years. P.F.’s role in the Club’s development cannot be overestimated. In times when less attention was paid to club organisation, the treasurer’s "book" was made up every Monday night, and the club knew exactly where it stood- usually in the "red", but here again the overdraft was often "carried" by the treasurer. P.F. sons played for Castlewellan and Dermot was a member of the town senior team that won the League in 1964 and the SFC in 1965. His grandsons Paul, Ciarán and Cormac played senior football and hurling for the Club fom the early 1990’s into the new millenium. Ciarán has won two SFC medals with the town in the famous back to back double of 1994/95. Ciaran also was a member of the 1994 All-Ireland winning Down team.

Another Club stalwart, of the period was Tom Ward of Lower Square. The Club was Tom’s only interest. On one occasion when he had a bout of sickness, and was unable to attend the weekly meetings, the meetings were transferred to his house, at his request, until he recovered. Tom was a much-loved patriarchal figure – solid and unflappable. By contrast another famous local character Dan McCartan was a colourful official, who thrived on controversy, and was at his best when defending "the town." Dan’s barber shop in the town’s main street was the scene of many an argument, and it was he who, secured the Club’s entry into the first All-County Senior League in 1950. Another famous Castlewellan barber, John Ward, took over Dan’s shop when he retired, and he too loved nothing better than to argue about the towns fortunes and misfortunes. His shop in the Upper Square (where Yvone’s barber shop is in the year 2001 and previous to that in the premises used by ‘Town Cars’ in the town’s Main Street) was the meeting place for all the town players in the 60’s and early 70’s before the opening of the new clubrooms,. It was the scene too of many a lively argument, and many a hand of poker was played late into the night. No physios then, an hour under john’s ancient lamp and a rub cured all player injuries.

The Fifties
Perhaps the man who made the greatest contribution to the evolution of the Club was Dan Rooney - (Hall of Fame) who became Club Secretary in 1947, and held the post for 25 years. He was also Club Chairman from 1976 to 1986. Not only was he an outstanding player, but he has been a wonderful official and enthusiast at Club, Divisional and County level. He was the funnel through which all the Club’s activities passed. In 1953 the first under-16 championship was established and Castlewellan organised by Dan, Jimmy McEvoy - (Hall of Fame), Cyril Wells - (Hall of Fame) and Paddy O’Donoghue - (Hall of Fame) reached the final against Downpatrick. The first two matches were drawn and Castlewellan emerged victorious in the third game. The team was D. Feggan, F. Rooney, D. McCabe, E. Magorrian, T. Rice, J. McVeigh, G. Poland, 0. Brannigan, M. Doran, P. C. McAleenan, J. McMullan, G. McVeigh, J. McGreevy, J. Rice, 0. Rea, E. Toner, B. Magorrian, D. Kearney, T. McGrady. Also in 1953 a schoolboy hurling team was formed and remained unbeaten in the schoolboy league for a number of seasons.

It was Dan who pioneered all the success’s of the 50’s- the County Championship in 1950, the Feis sevens in 1950 and 1956, the Minor League and East Down junior Leagues in 1951 and 1955, the All-County Senior League in 1955, and the Club’s first Minor Championship title in 1957. Dermot (Chum) McCabe (father of Ciarán of Down 1994 fame) was captain of the victorious minor team and other team members included James McKenny, Frankie Rooney, Joe Mcveigh, Jackie Fagan, Eamon Magorrian, Paul Hillen, Sean McMullan, Ned Rooney, Raymond Jennings, Oliver Brannigan, Eugene McKelvey, Gerry Poland (uncle of Simon Poland of the 2001 Down and town senior team), and Dessie Toner. The successful minor team met Glenn in the final and beat them 6-3 to 3-3.

But the biggest achievement of this decade was winning our fourth Senior Football Championship in 1958 after a lapse of 22 years.

As in previous decades, there was a large "family" influence on the Club with the Rooneys, Guinness, Rodgers, Jennings, Corrigans, McGreevys, Rices and Burns families contributing to club teams, as the Steeles and Toners had done in former times. That family influence continues to day, and many grandchildren and great grandchildren are playing or involved in running the Club at the start of the twenty-first century. Perhaps one other name should be recorded here although not a town man born and bred like the aforementioned. Ronnie Crosier from Annsborough joined the town club in the late forties and was a member of the victorious SFC side of 1950. Another couple of ‘Annsborough men’ that joined the town club during this decade. Gerry Hawkins (uncle of club members Dermot, Michael Paul and Moira Hawkins as well as Frankie and Garry Toner) won a SFC medal with the town in 1958. But perhaps the greatest asset to the town team that had previously played for Annsborough was Malachey McAnerney (Big Moc). His towering strength and presence helped the to the ‘B’ league in 1963, the ‘A’ league in 1964 and the SFC in 1965.

The Sixties
The outstanding event of the Sixties in Castlewellan, as in the County as a whole was the winning, of the first All-Ireland S.F.C. For Castlewellan it was a tremendous occasion, for in Pat Rice (see Hall of Fame) they had a favourite son perhaps the most popular and sporting player ever to don the Castlewellan jersey. Pat had played in all grades for his club always giving full commitment and loyalty. And in 2004 Pat Rice is still a full working member of thew Club Committee and senior team mentor. He also takes great pride in ensuring that his beloved St Malachy’s Park is kept in tip-top condition as well as the new changing facilities.

Also in the sixties the club won it’s sixth SFC in 1965 and were Division B winners in 1963 and Division ‘A’ winners in 1964. This team was one of the most talented teams ever fielded by the club and featured some of the greatest clubmen to ever don a town jersey (see major club success’s page)

The Castlewellan Club’s policy of paying special attention to under-age players brought its successes in the 60’s with the winning of the minor championships in 1966(2nd) and 1968 (3rd). Success also came at U-14 and U-16 level, with U-14 team winning the 1973 East Down U-14 League and Championship, and the same team winning the U-16 league and championship in 1975. The team was: H. Toner. L. Hardy, D. Rooney. P. Rooney, M. Crilly, F. O’Kane, D. O’Kane, S. Harrison, M. Rooney, P. Cleland. M. McCartan, K. McBrien, J. MeVeigh, Eamonn Toner (Capt.), J. Toner. R. McAlinden, B Mooney.

Towards the end of the decade the club suffered a temporary setback when the Finn lads who had played and won juvenile and minor honours with the town club were asked to return to there native Finn to help reform the Finn Club and establish a senior team there. This they obligatory done and the Finn gain in terms of the McGeowns, the Flanagans, the Walshs and the Mckibbens was indeed a loss to the town team. However when the Finn Club once again folded in the early seventies the same players were happy to re-join the town club again and remained with the town team for the remainder of there playing career. As we write this history in 2004 we learn that the Aughlisnafin Club has once again been resurrected and a senior team formed. We wish them well as they enter Division 4 of the East Down League in spite of all the banter they have to suffer from their town colleagues.

The Seventies
The Dawn of the Modern St Malachy’s Club
As the swinging sixties drew to a close a number of younger men were beginning to make their presence felt about the Club and were calling for radical changes to the traditional concept of Gaelic Clubs. None of these men were more prominent than a 20 year old senior footballer by the name of Trixie Dougherty who had already claimed his first SFC medal a few years earlier. Trixie joined the Club Committee in 1968 and in 1969 at the Club’s AGM stood for Secretary when Dan Rooney decided to step down after 23 years in the post (1947 – 1969). Trixie was elected with ease and there followed some dismay by a number of older Committee members who had served the Club well for many years but were not ready to move in the direction that Trixie was calling for. Gradually these older Club servants retired to make way for younger men who supported the direction in which Trixie wanted to go. There was also other club stalwarts who shared the vision and enthusiasm of the young Trixie and proved to be valuable allies to the ambitious new Secretary. Together with men such as Oliver McStravick( who was curate in the parish at the time and a great GAA man), Pat Keown, Pat Rice, Dan, Pat and Frank Rooney, they decided that the club must be developed both on and off the field. Trixie Dougherty was to continue as Club Secretary for a record 25 years (1970 – 1994), and later became Club Chairman from 1997 – 1999.

Their plans for the development of the meadow and the development of a senior championship winning side would take almost a decade to achieve. This development programme began in earnest in 1975 with the purchase of a 75 year lease of the meadow from the parish for a cost of £1000. This had been preceded a few years earlier in 1973 with the purshase from the parish of the disused bus depot that lay adjacent to the meadow for a cost of £4000. The bus depot was converted into the first GAA Social Club in County Down, (click here for social club story) and completed in 1996 at a cost to the Club of £15,000, and a year later a new heating system was installed at an additional cost of £7,000. In 1978 the lifetime’s dream of many a dedicated Castlewellan Gael was finally fulfilled with the official opening of Pairc Naomh Maolmhoig. The old boggy meadow was gone for ever and at last the club had a first class playing pitch, as well as, for the first time hot and cold showers and state of the art changing facilities. The total cost for the development of the new Park and facilities in 1978 was a staggering £82,000.00, and adding the costs of the new Social Club, the Club now found itself in debt to the tune of just over £100,000.00, and at a time of extremely high interest rates. But Dan Rooney who had retired as Club Secretary in 1972 after a spell of 20 years was now back as Club Chairman, Gerry Dougherty, one of the Club's players-young and energetic was Club Secretary, and with Frankie Rooney as Treasurer and an enthusiastic committee, the many frustration’s and disappointments encountered in such a major scheme were overcome. But it would take 20 years and a lot of hard work and sweat before the club would be finally out of debt again.

With facilities the envy of the County now in place the Committee’s attention now focused on achievements on the field of play, team building and a SFC title. Victories in the 70’s included the 1973 East Down League (U-14), 1974 All-County "B" League, 1976 first Minor Feis sevens. Team: E. Toner (Captain), M. Crilly, D. Rooney, L. Hardy, D. O'Kane, C. Keown, 1. Russell, H. Toner, P. Rooney and D. McCombe. 1977 a repeat win in the Feis Minor Sevens. 1976 East Down League Cup and 1977 East Down Reserve League.
Just as the Club had shared in the 1946 junior All-Ireland, and the 1960-61, '68 Senior All-lrelands, so it also shared in Down's first All-Ireland Minor success in 1977 through Eamon Toner and Liam Hardy.

1977 was also a very special year for the Club in other ways too. That was the year that the great Colm McAlarney transferred to the town club from Leitrim (click here to view the McAlarney story). Other great footballers arrived about the same time. Fermanagh man Kevin McElroy, a bank official by profession was moved to a kilkeel branch of his bank and through his friendship with senior player Leo Flanagan, decided to play football for the town. Kevin was following in the footsteps of other bankers who had played football for the town down through the years. In the 50’s Derry footballer Sean Young was transferred to a Castlewellan branch and played for Castlewellan winning an All-County League medal with the town in 1955. Sean was also a member of the Derry county team during the same period. Perhaps one of the greatest GAA men and a great club man too who came to the club in the early sixties was Tyrone man Aidan O’Neill. Aidan worked for the Allied Irish Bank and when he was posted to the Castlewellan Branch he took lodgings in Pat and Mary Lavery’s in the town’s Circular Road overlooking the meadow. Aidan was a top class footballer, and soon became involved with the local club lining out for our senior team and winning a SFC medal with the town in 1965. He had already won his first SFC medal with Newry Mitchells in 1963 before moving to Castlewellan and he won his third SFC with Mitchels after being moved back to Newry for a time about 1968. When he married a local lass he settled in Newcastle, and joined the town club once again and became a dedicated club committee man as well as County treasurer.

Kilkeel men Barney McAleenan and Liam Sloan were another two exceptional footballers (Liam Sloan was a member of the 1968 Down All-Ireland winning side) that arrived in the 70’s both having married local girls and settling in the town to live (we have a lot to thank the local girls for) Sean Gallagher who had previously played for Annsborough also joined the town club at that time. Little wonder then that we were maligned the length and breadth of the county. The Club was accused of poaching players and indeed of paying players to join the club, and in the case of at least two of the above players, it was even whispered that the club had bought houses for them in the town. All of this of course was total rubbish, but the rumour mongers still had a field day, and thirty years later there are still some people that like to believe that it was true. It was different personal circumstances in each case that had brought all of these players to the town during the seventies. In any case the club was very heavily in debt at this stage having purchased the meadow and the garage that was to become our social club and having embarked on a huge development programme. All of this was to keep the club in debt for the next twenty years. Other great players had joined the Club in earlier years too but without the same commotion, George Glynn from Galway had joined the club about 1964 when he came to teach in the new St. Malachy’s Intermediate School, as had Armagh man Des Farley (later to become school principal and senior team manager). Another teacher and Fermanagh man who came to the town in the late sixties was Eamon Keavney. Eamon’s son Cillian played on the senior team in the late nineties and into the new millennium.

Colm McAlarney recalls that when he joined the club in 1977 Castlewellan were already a very strong side. Colm also recalls that there were other important individuals that joined the club at the same time as he did and who were to prove very important additions. They were Kevin McElroy, Barney McAleenan, and Sean Gallagher. In the words of Colm they all added much character, heart and steele to the side which were crucial qualities in any team. Of Fermanagh man Kevin McElroy, Colm says that he was the best team captain at either club, or county level he ever played under. And of Barney McAleenan, Colm says that as well as being a very skilful player, he was also a trainer and coach away ahead of his time. Colm credits Barney McAleenan with being the first Gaelic coach to change the scene for fitness training, away from the playing field utilising the parks and sand dunes for stamina training. There was also other great town stalwarts of that period that made an enormous contribution to the success of the team. Men like Bengy Toner, Danny Keown, Colm Crilly, Lawrence McAlinden, Paddy McGeown, leo Flanagan, Gerry Dougherty and Ned McCartan. Younger men too were just coming onto the scene. Lads like big Ned and Harry Toner, Miceal Crilly, Liam Hardy John McAleenan and Donagh O’kane. Danny Hillen was the manager of this successful squad and Colm also makes special mention of Danny Hillen’s great man management skills that knitted this unique squad of men from different club backgrounds into the championship winning side that it was.

The seventies had indeed been a progressive decade for the club in development terms, but as the 70s drew to a close it began to look, as if a SFC win in that decade would elude the town. In 1978 the first National title was won by the club – the Kilmacud All-Ireland Sevens. This was a huge honour for the club and celebrated as such. The winning panel was Lawrence McAlinden, Kevin McElroy (capt) Danny Keown, Eamon Toner, Gerry Dougherty, Brendan toner, barney McAleenan, colm McAlarney, and Colm Crilly. Then in 1979, under the management of Danny Hillen and Anthony King gold was struck when the senior team lifted its seventh County Championship title beating Rostrevor in the final The town did the double that year also winning the League. Both men stepped down after the town were defeated in the Championship in 1981.

Hurling
About 1974/1975 the County board had called on all clubs in the county to become more involved in the promotion of hurling. In answering this call the club decided to enter a junior team in the new East Down Hurling league. About that time too a very experienced Antrim hurler by the name of Art. McClone from the Belfast club St John’s, had arrived in town to work for Rodger Bros. Building Contractors. One of Art’s first jobs with the Bros. was on the new social club. Art quickly became involved with the club and in particular the fledging new junior hurling team. Art along with Tom McGrady (from Bunker’s Hill) and Dermot (Chum) McCabe were about the only three experienced hurlers, although many of the others had played at college, so knew something about the game. The club wasn’t as big then as is today so most of the new hurlers also came from the ranks of the senior and junior football teams (has anyone out there got a photograph of this team). Trixie Dougherty was the team goal-keeper and also on the team was Brendan (Bengy) Steele, Mickey and Danny Keown, Colm and Ciarán Crilly, Eamon, Donagh and Fergal O’Kane, Dessie and Colm McGreevy and Michael Nugent (Strand Bakery). The team did enjoy some success but unfortunately our inexperience led to multiple injuries and fractures, so much so that it left our junior and senior teams greatly depleted for important games and regretfully we had to withdraw from the league in only our second or third season. But not before knocking holder’s Kilclief out of the championship in 1975 in a memorable game in the old meadow (the last game of hurling ever played in the meadow). The club decided then to concentrate on juvenile hurling and to progress with the young lads to junior and then senior hurling. It took a number of starts and stops before this goal was achieved. But under the guidance of men like Dermot McCabe and Mickey McCann in the 1990’s hurling eventually began to flourish culminating in the junior hurling team winning the league in 1999 and gaining promotion to the higher Division (click here for a photo of the winning team)
In 1993 three of our senior hurling team made Club history as the first members to win ALL-IRELAND Hurling medals when they played on the Junior Down Team that beat London in the All-Ireland final. The players were Gary Cairns, Peter Jennings, and Neil McVeigh.

The Eightties
Those Crazy Festival years
The idea of an outdoor festival was nothing new. It had been mooted in the Club years before but nothing ever came of it. Everyone back then could remember the outdoor ‘Carnivals’ of the swinging sixties when all the big showbands of the time had played in every parish up and down the country often in makeshift marquees erected during the summer months. But that was before the outbreak of the ‘troubles’. Since the ‘Miami Showband’ murders of 1979, very few top class bands would travel north and except for the disco scene there was very little good quality live entertainment in the north during the 1980’s. But that did not deter one very enthusiastic club member from keeping this dream alive. Ciarán Crilly had already got a taste of the entertainment scene with the opening of the social club in 1976, and shortly afterwards was asked to take charge of the club entertainment. Ciaran achieved some remarkable success in persuading reluctant southern based acts to travel north for cabaret nights that he had arranged for the social club, and to him the formula was simple. If you can secure top acts, regardless of the cost the entertainment-starved punters will pay the asking price.

This proved true as all these acts played to packed houses and the club was reaping the reward. However the social club only held 300 punters whereas a marquee would take 2000 people to fill. Everyone knew of course that there was one group in Ireland then that would have no trouble filling the marquee and that was of course the popular ballad group the ‘Wolfetones’. Oliver Barry was their manager then and he was unimpressed when approached by Ciarán in 1984 about the Castlewellan concert. He said at the time that even if you flew them in and out by helicopter they still wouldn’t be playing a northern gig. The relentless Ciaran told him that that didn’t present any problem for the club and from then on negotiations took on a different light as the promoter seen that the club meant business. It took a further two years of persuasion beforeBarry finnally relented, and a deal was finally struck when the ‘Wolfetones’ agreed to play their first northern gig in 10 years. Finding a suitable size of a marquee was another huge problem because strange as it may seem now there just wasn’t any business for marquee hire firms in the north during the seventies and eighties. After a lot of enquiries the Fahy family from Co Galway were tracked down. They were then the biggest suppliers of outdoor marquees in the south of Ireland, but for obvious reason did little business north of the border.

Nevertheless they agreed to supply and erect the marquee for the weekend of 19th and 20th July 1986. When all the festival costs were totted up including the cost of the acts it was announced to a nervous committee that the total cost for the venture amounted to £15,000. This was a huge figure indeed (the cost of a semi-detached house in the mid eighties). The club was then in financial debt of over £80,000 and if this failed, to quote one committeeman of the day ‘ it would put our lights out altogether’. But the committee held their nerve and all human resources in terms of club members rallied together to ensure that this venture would be a success. Bagatelle another big Dublin based group (‘remember that summer in Dublin…’) were booked to play Saturday 19th and the ‘tones Sunday the 20th. As it turned out both concerts were a huge success both financially and in terms of crowds attending and all the other logistics. Of course even after the tones had agreed to play they still had to be ferried over the border from Dundalk and back again after the show. That was hairy enough back then and Ciarán’s biggest fear was been stopped either going or coming with these four ‘subversives’ by a UDR, or RUC checkpoint and spending the week-end in Gough Barracks.

The annual week-end festivals continued with increasing success for a further three years until 1999. Each year the top act was the ‘Wolftones’, and other acts that also played included the Furey Brothers and Davie Arthur, Stockton’s Wing, and Joe Dolan. A monster bingo session was also held on the Sunday afternoon of the weekend festival and a kiddies disco was also added to cater for all age groups. The festival numbers grew each year also and in what was to be the final year 1989 there were almost 2,500 people at the Wolfetone concert. By this stage the club was well out of debt and had a healthy credit bank balance for the first time in more than twenty years, After the concert there was some trouble involving the RUC and rubber bullets were fired at the crowd. The committee felt then that this could lead to further trouble and possible injuries if the concert was to continue the following year. For this reason the successful outdoor festivals were shelved. It was to be another eight years before another outdoor festival was held by the club in 1997. This time it was totally open-air in the beautiful setting of Castlewellan Forest Park between the castle and the lake. The artistes that appeared on that occasion were Sharon Shannon, Dolores Keane, Bagetelle and Eleanor McEvoy. This concert was again hugely expensive to put on but only enjoyed minor financial success, so sadly it was felt to be too great a financial risk to repeat on an annual basis.

So ended the Clubs flirtation with concert promotions. But like other fund-raising ventures undertaken before and after by the club it did prove financially rewarding, great fun for all the participants as well as a great club-bonding exercise, as it involved every member of the club from the very young to senior players and committee men and women. Other Clubs in the locality have learnt from the Castlewellan experiment and they too have run successful festivals bringing in much needed finance to their club coffers as well as adding greatly to the summer entertainment scene in this part of County Down.

Back on the football pitch success continued when Mickey Keown and Liam Sloan took up the senior team management baton, after Danny and Anthony stepped down, and in 1982 the town lifted their eighth SFC beating Clonduff in the final. During that same period the town won 3 All-Ireland sevens competitions (Kilmacud’s in 1978 and 1981, Belfield 1980). Also in 1980 the town team were the first winners of our own All-Ireland sevens competition that commenced in that year.

After Liam Sloan and Mickey Keown stood down from senior management and many of the older and more experienced players retired, Dessie Farley and Gerry Dougherty held the reigns for a couple of years 1984/85. Then Colm McAlarney took over the job as player manager, and during the rest of the eighties Colm, Barney McAleenan and Leo Flanaghan worked at rebuilding a team. Colm continued to play on the club’s senior team until he was 44 years old, and in 1991 when he played in his last championship final, his son Colm Og was also on the team. This remains a special memory for both men, and is probably the first time in Down Club football that a father and son played in a senior county final together. Also just as the decade was coming to a close our senior Scór team who one the County and Ulster titles in the Ceilie Dancing section made it to the All-Ireland final where they were just beat by a few points. A great achievement for the Club team. They were Caroline Duggan, Mary Gallagher, Cathy Hardy, Ciara Warnock, Fergal O’Kane, Conal McQuoid, Shane McQuoid and Anthony McKay. Anthony McKay and his wife Geraldine had a long association with both the Club and the town itself as they had a very successful Irish Dancing School ‘McKay Shool of Irish Dancing’ in the Parocial Hall and then in the Clubrooms for close on twenty years from the early seventies right through to the late eighties. Their dancing school won many team and individuals competition both at County and National level and travelled all over the Country with their faithful band of followers made up mostly from the parents of the young dancers. The Club bus was the mode of transport for many of their weekend trips.

The Nineties
Unfortunately the town senior team were piped at the post in the SFC of 1991 by a very strong Downpatrick side. By 1993 Colm to use his own words said that he took stock and felt that things were getting a bit stale. "I had worked with these players for over six years and felt they needed a change". Colm also remembers saying to the players when he was telling them of his decision that they would probably go on and win the championship the following year. In fact the team went on to win the SFC in both 1994 and 1995, the first time in the Club’s history that a Castlewellan team has won back to back senior championships. In 1994 the team beat Downpatrick in the final, and in 1995 the town again beat Downpatrick in the final. But the new management duo of Danny Keown and Paul Duffin were quick to point out that it was Colm who had been responsible for ‘blooding’ many new players. They also credited Colm for his involvement in their training, managing and coaching over the previous six years which culminated in the historic back to back victories of 1994 and 1995.

As the decade drew to a close and Danny and Paul stood down, the committee felt it was time to rebuild again and approached Colm McAarney asking him to once more step into the hot seat with a view to building up the team again. This was not an easy task as in the late nineties the team was plagued with serious injuries. His own son Colm Og broke his leg on 2 occassions before he was 23. There were also leg breaks to other prominent players such as Martin Laverty, Kevan Owens. There were also long term injuries to important players such as Maurice and Conor Oneill, Ruairi ONeill and to bernard McAleenan. All of these injuries took its toll resulting in early exits from the SFC and fighting league relagation in 1999. It was Colm’s controversial decision to field Colm Og just back from injury in the play-off match against Bryansford that saved the day for the town and seen Bryansford off into the second division. In the following year Colm decided to pack it in after a disappointing defeat against Downpatick in the opening round of the SFC.

Also in the late nineties the committee felt it was necessary to embark on major repair work to St. Malachy’s Park. The work involved resurfacing of the pitch including installation of a new drainage system, new parameter fencing and electronic scoreboard. A few years earlier in 1995 the club had invested heavily in a new member’s lounge and kitchen, adjoining the existing clubhouse, and in 1998 the old clubhouse too was completely refurbished into a major function hall (see social club section). The latest step in the Club’s development program has seen the completion in April 2001 of phase 1 of the new stand which features spacious new double changing rooms, toilets and showering facilities underneath. Phase 2 of the stand when completed, will incorporate new Ladies changing rooms underneath, and phase 3 will include a state of the art fitness suite under the third and final section of stand. The third phase of the work will also include roofing the entire stand. It is hoped that all of this work will be completed in time for the Club’s Centenary celebrations in 2006

There were other successes too for the club in the 1990’s as far as individual players were concerned. Four Club players, Martin Laverty, Kevan Owens Gerard Lynch, and Ciarán McCabe figured in the Down 1991 and 1994 All-Ireland SFC victories. In 1999 Damien McGrady, Fintan McGreevey and Conor Boyle were members of the All-Ireland Minor winning side. In 2000 Lisa Morgan, Maura McCabe, and Aine Keary were members of the Down side that won the All-Ireland Junior Ladies title. Also in the nineties the senior team was greatly strengthened by the transfer from Ballymartin of All-Star Award winner Gregory McCartan, when he came to Castlewellan to live after his marriage. Gregory was a member of the Down All-Ireland winning side in 1991 and 1994. Also in the late nineties another county player Simon Poland, (2000/2001 Down team) whose parents hail from Clarkhill and Ballybannon, transferred from Bryansford back to his native parish.

2000 and beyond
CLUB ACQUIRES NEW GROUND AT DUBLIN ROAD
With new ladies teams, as well as hurling and football teams numbering 18 in all, a second pitch became an immediate priority as the twentieth centaury drew to a close and we entered a new millennium. Contact was made with Down District Council to lease or purchase the Council owned Gaelic pitch at the Bann Road on the edge of the town. The Council had been deliberating for a number of years on the future of the Council owned Gaelic and Soccer playing fields at Bann Road and during the mid 1990’s had invited both the town Gaelic Club and the town Soccer Club to submit applications for leasing. The Soccer Club had applied to lease both the Gaelic and Soccer pitches while the Gaelic Club applied for lease of the Gaelic pitch only. There were a number of meetings between both the town clubs over the years to see if some accommodation could be met and if a joint approach for purchase and management of the Bann Road facility would be a feasible option. Our own Club eventually ruled this out as it was felt that the interests of Gaelic games in the town would not be best served by a joint management scheme. Both Club’s made their views known during the course of a number of amicable meetings. The Soccer Club advised us that they would have to oppose any change in the status of the playing fields that would not allow them access to both the Gaelic pitch and the Soccer pitch at Bann Road as this would mean reducing the number of teams that they fielded. However the Club maintained that it needed the exclusive use of a second Gaelic pitch and training ground to service the Club’s eighteen teams and that joint management and use of the Gaelic Pitch at Bann Road by both club’s could not be an option that the Gaelic Club could consider. Castlewellan FC were assured that the Club had no designs on the soccer pitch at Bann Road, but that we were in dire need of a second full time Gaelic pitch in the town. The Club also made it clear that it would not oppose a similar application by the Town Soccer Club for control of the soccer pitch at Bann Road or for that matter the soccer pitch at Annsborough also. St Malachy’s Park by the mid 1990’s was beyond game saturation point, training was prohibited with the exception of U12 coaching and match practise only was permitted by the other Club teams in exceptional circumstances. In addition and to discourage ad hoc usage of the playing field the goal posts were removed at the end of each season to allow for pitch recovery and repair. During the playing season as many as 3 home games were taking place in St Malachy’s Park on a Sunday and perhaps one or two every other evening of the week. During the winter months finding a training ground had become a nightmare with our teams on occasions having to travel to Downpatrick and to Newry to find suitable floodlit facilities. By the Spring of 2002 we knew that something had to be done in that year if not by the Council then we would have to find additional land in the town ourselves. It had been one of the wettest winters and springs on record. Pitches were closed all over the County on a regular basis including all the Council pitches and we knew it was make or break time.

Headed up by an enthusiastic and committed Chairman in the shape of John McCartan the hunt was on for suitable additional land while at the same time attempting to exert as much pressure as possible on Down District Council and local public representatives to do something for Gaelic Sport in the town by facilitating a second dedicated Gaelic pitch in the town. At a meeting with Council Officials and public representatives in April 2002 our needs were again outlined by the Club Chairman John McCartan and Secretary Ciarán Crilly. as well as providing details of our own proposals for the future of St Malachy's Club. We were however shocked to learn that the Council did not have a sports strategy for Down District and no plans to provide any additional sports or recreation facilities in the town. This in spite of the fact that the town had trebled in size over the previous 10 -15 years, and hundreds more houses were then under construction on the old playing fields of the former 'County' School off Church Street. The ‘County School’ playing fields were used for years by the Town soccer club and these generous sized playing fields were now a building site and lost to the town as a recreational amenity. Things were not made easier for the Club with the decision of St Malachy's High School not to pemit local Clubs to hire the new playing fields attached to the School. This was another disappointment for the Club as traditionally we enjoyed an excellent relationship with the Town School and always had generous use of all the school facilities for training and games. In return the Club provided the school with transport to travel to GAA games and for other school excursions for many years as well as providing the use of St Malachy’s Park for games and training particularly during the period that the new school was under construction.

By 2002 therefore it was felt strongly by the Club Executive that at the end of the day only our own efforts to acquire additional playing facilities would bear any fruit in the short and the long term. This didn’t take long to happen as discreet enquiries by our Chairman  yielded a willing landowner that could be persuaded to part with eight and a half acres of land on the Dublin Road (known locally as the Cut). Negotiations were not protracted and within a short time a price and a completion date of 5th July 2002 was agreed. All the Club needed now was the money - which it didn’t have because development work was still on-going in St Malachy’s Park at the Circular Road. But we could not pass this opportunity by, so the Club Executive agreed that they would attempt to raise the required figure by the completion date, (which was less than a week away). A ‘hit list’ of possible benefactors in the shape of current and former playing members and committee members was drawn up. Within 24 hours the figure required was gathered in, as personal loans from our Club benefactors and the deal was completed much to the shock of many local people who were completely unaware that the Club had been land hunting. In November 2007 the first full sized playing pitch was completed at the new Dublin Road Complex and the Club now intends to futher develop this pitch by providing floodlighting for winter training and games. It is also intended to commence a second pitch at Dublin road as funds become available.All of this will require a great deal of money and we will be appealing to members past and present as well as all GAA supporters in the town to support our endeavours to raise the necessary finance and so secure for Castlewellan top quality GAA sporting facilities for this and future generations.

Fund raising has always had to exercise the minds of Club Officials as far back as most people can remember, but particularly since the early 1970’s when the new Social Club and St Malachy’s Park development programme commenced. Since then there have been many great fund raising ventures and every year something new is added to continually generate funding. On 23 March 2001, the Club hosted its first annual GOLF CLASSIC, played on the world famous Royal County Down Golf Course in nearby Newcastle. The event, drew the maximum number of competitors allowed by the host club, and proved an outstanding financial success as well as a very enjoyable occasion. The winning team was from Kilmacud’s GAA club in Co.Dublin, and the Golf Classic has now become an annual fund raising and social occasion. In 1999 Mickey Keown devised an innovative annual fund raising draw (500 Club) which proved extremely popular and financially rewarding, bringing in much needed funds to pay for the on-going club development programme.(see funding section) . But perhaps the most successful fund raising as well fun raising was the crazy summer festivals that took place between 1986 to 1990.

The Social Club
The first GAA Social Club in Co. Down opened its doors in March 1976 to a bewildered public who did not know what to expect from this big bus garage that had lay idle on the Town’s Circular Road for the previous 30 years or more.

Neither too did the local GAA Club who had purchased the former UTA Garage a number of years previously from the then parish priest one Austin McNabb. It seemed like a good idea at the time to purchase the garage that lay a, djacent to the old meadow, which was the playing pitch for Cast, lewellan GAC. If nothing else it would do to garage the Club Bus. No doubt Fr. McNabb thought it was a good idea too when he had purchased the old garage from the Ulster Transport Authority who in turn had purchased it from the RAF or British Army where it was used for billeting trucks during the war.

Fast forward a few years to about 1973 and a young and enthusiastic Club Secretary by the name of Gerard Dougherty bombshelled a rather bewildered middle aged committee with the suggestion that the old garage should be turned into a Social Club complete with licensed bar. Following, at first apprehension and many debates the committee warmed to this novel idea. After all we were the first club in all of Ireland to own our own club coach (1954) why not first GAA CLUB, if not in Ireland, well at least in County Down to open our own Social Club.

Money and labour was required to turn this dream into reality. Money was scarce, but labour was plentiful in the form of players, their families and local well wishers many of who had the necessary trades and the experience to carry out the job. It would be impossible to name all the workers who give up their time on a voluntary basis to see the job through to fruition. But some of the more prominent volunteers included Pat Rice, Pat Keown, Dermot McCabe, Brendan Steele, Big Joe Bannon, Joe McPhilips, Gerry Dougherty, Mickey Brannigan, Baldy Corrigan, Dominic Owens, Pat and Johnny Rooney, Teddy Rice, Phil King, Colm and Ivan McGreevy, Joe McKibben, Johnny O’Neill, Teddy Hardy, Danny Keown. Perhaps the youngest skilled worker present and one who deserves special mention is Sean McPhilips who at 17 was still in apprenticeship wired the entire premises on his own. There were plenty of others about too, to provide much needed labour to the skilled workers, Butcher Burns, Colm and Ciaran Crilly, Ned McCartan, Gerard McAlinden, Jimmy Bannon, Brendan Toner, Kieran Nixon to name but a few.

The price of a pint when the Club finally opened in 1976 would have set you back a mere 28 pence and the cover charge for a Sunday night dance 20 pence. The Social Club, which opened 7 nights, a week from 7.30pm until late proved very successful particularly on a Sunday night as no other pubs were (officially) open due to the licensing laws. This brought in much needed revenue to facilitate the development of the "meadow" which officially opened as Parc Naomh Maolmhoig a few years later in 1978.

Cabaret, and folk concerts became a very popular feature of the new Club, and the Club’s young and enthusiastic entertainment’s officer Ciarán Crilly, ensured that all the major acts of the day played the Castlewellan venue in the 70s and early 80s. Folk music was very popular in the 70s, many of the top bands hailing from Belfast. "Blackthorn", "Tara Folk", "The Pikemen"(formerly "Wolfhound"), "Battering Ram", "Hoggs Eye", "Hyland Paddy", to name but a few, and of course Castlewellan’s own "Claddagh" later to become "Slainte" they were Tom McCann, Terry Cowan, Fee Dobbin, and Dermot McNamara. Perhaps the most popular of the folk bands was "Tara Folk" who became an institution in the club, playing one Sunday night a month for two or three years to packed houses. The cabaret nights too proved very popular, featuring the popular Belfast singer Bo Birch, as well as up and coming comedian, Gene Fitzpatrick, Ann Breen from Downpatrick, big John Trotter from Derry and a host of other cabaret artists, and stars in their own right. Encouraging top southern act to travel north proved a bit more difficult during the seventies, but come they did. Danny Doyle, a popular television and recording artiste of the day was the first of the southern acts to appear, followed by Johnny McEvoy who also was in his heyday then. Other acts included the Dublin City Ramblers, Paddy Reilly, Roly Daniels, and Brendan Grace.

But the Club was still heavily in debt because of the amount of borrowing required for the Club development, but more particularly because of the very heavy interest rate of about 19% or 20% which continued right through the 70s and into the 80s. It would take another 10 years of blood sweat and tears and 5 outdoor festivals before the Club would be in the black again.

As the last decade of the 20th century dawned, the social club was beginning to show serious signs of wear and tear. It was no longer the Mecca of entertainment that it had been in it’s hey day and turnover had begun to slump. Only the few loyal diehards continued to frequent the Club although that been said there were still some good memorable nights. But the place seriously required major surgery, and it was finally decided to build a new wing adjoining the old club, which would include a new modern member’s, lounge, kitchen, toilets and committee and meeting rooms. The work was carried out by direct labour under the expert supervision of local Builder and Clubman Seamus Laverty, who insured that the work was completed to a very high standard. The work was completed early in 1995 and soon after was officially opened. The old club became the function hall and was virtually mothballed until finances enabled a complete refurbishment in 1998.

This also was completed in record time and this time the work went out to contract, and was awarded to John McCartan, another local Building contractor, who later became Club Chairman.

The Club facilities today include a fully equipped kitchen which has enabled us to further expand our service to the community providing facilities for wedding and funeral receptions, christening, and private member’s parties as well as providing conference and meeting facilities. Some of the activities that take place on a weekly basis include Yoga, indoor bowls, table tennis, Irish dancing, Irish language classes, Bingo (Friday Nights), pool and outdoor skittles, plus live entertainment every weekend.

As we look ahead beyond the Club’s first one-hundred years committed Gaels, Club men and women continue to work tirelessly for St Malachy’s GAC and the community we serve. Many people form the community are involved, family names that have been synonymous with Castlewellan Club for generations and also many new residents to the town who appreciate the importance of a thriving GAA Club in the community and the opportunities and facilities which our Club provides particularly for the youth of the parish. With your help and support we will endeavour to continue to promote Gaelic games and provide the best available facilities for future generations of young people and their families and will continue to make our socuial and recreational facilities at Circular Road and Dublin Road