Our Complete History

Éire Óg GAC was formed in 1969 to promote Gaelic football and Gaelic culture in the central Craigavon area, known as Brownlow. The first recorded meeting took place in Arthur Campbell’s house in Meadowbrook. Those present were Frank Kennedy, Arthur Campbell, Jimmy Bogle, Pat Richardson, Jim Connolly, Brendan Curran and Peter McKeever.

Arthur Campbell was appointed the first official senior team manager and Peter McKeever the team captain. New committee members included Joe Brennan and Pat McGahan, who both had an interest in establishing an athletics club.

Meetings were also held in a wooden hut in Moylinn that served as a post office during the week and a church on Sundays. Eight men from Gaelic backgrounds attended with the parish priest, Fr C. Murray. A committee was formed and the name Éire Óg—Young Ireland—was adopted.

Brownlow then had only two estates and club membership was small. The first set of jerseys was purchased second-hand from a Gaelic club in Lurgan, with a weekly raffle run to meet the cost.

The first club AGM was held on Friday 21 August 1970 in Moylinn Community Hall. Brendan Curran was elected Chairman, Sam Canning Vice-Chairman, Peter McKeever Secretary, Pat Richardson Assistant Secretary and Arthur Campbell Treasurer. Committee members were Brendan Connolly and Pat Christie, with “Big Pat” also elected football captain. Jim Connolly, Jimmy Bogle, Eamon McCourt and Terry McGinnity joined shortly afterwards.

Éire Óg began playing at Monbrief in Division 4 of the All-County League in 1970, managed by Pat Richardson. Early opponents included Maghery, Ballymacnab and Tír na nÓg. Neighbouring clubs supported the new organisation: Clan na Gael donated the first skip, Clann Éireann and Wolfe Tones supplied equipment, and St Peter’s provided its hall for Tuesday-night training.

Brownlow had expanded to six housing estates by 1970. Two new primary schools allowed the club to field under-12 and under-14 teams in the North Armagh leagues, while senior and underage home matches continued at Monbrief. Women became involved from the outset and a Ladies Committee was established in September 1970. Jimmy Bogle was the driving force behind early underage football.

Fr Murray became Club President in 1971. York Smith managed the senior team in 1972, with Dessie Rogers helping at underage level. Arthur Campbell was named Referee of the Year in 1972.

In 1972 Craigavon Council opened a community hall in Tullygally and created playing fields, including two Gaelic pitches at Taghnevan. The club used the hall for Monday-night bingo and Friday-night underage discos. These ventures funded a second-hand bus, a new senior strip and two underage strips in the club’s registered green, orange and amber colours. The hall closed in 1973.

With Brownlow and Lismore Comprehensive School growing, Éire Óg was soon fielding under-10, under-12, under-14, under-18 and minor teams in North Armagh competitions. The club hosted Scór in Tullygally Hall in 1973, and Frankie Bogle, Kevin McGibbon and T. Connolly joined the committee.

Promotion to Division 2 came in 1974. A ladies subcommittee established camogie teams at senior, under-11 and under-13 level, and the club’s involvement in Scór developed. Dessie Furphy joined the committee, while Dessie Rogers became Secretary in 1975. Eugene Quinn served as Vice-Chairman and Dessie Furphy later managed the senior team. Patsy Donnelly joined the senior selection committee with Christy Reid in 1978; Kieran McGurk and Bob McEvoy joined the committee in 1979.

By 1975–78 the pitches at Taghnevan were heavily used. The club erected goalposts on land between Carrigart and Pinebank that had received soil from the building of the two estates. The space between two soil mounds became an underage pitch and was also used by the camogie team.

In 1979, after years trying to establish ownership, the club levelled and soiled the land to create a full-size playing field. The ambition was already clear: purchase the ground, build permanent brick changing rooms and youth facilities, and extend the playing and spectator areas.

PJ Lawless was appointed B Team manager in 1980, while Patsy Donnelly and Peter McKeever jointly managed the senior team. Kieran McGurk was Player of the Year, Malachy Rogers Most Improved Player and George Sewell Player of the Decade.

The Camogie Club was formed in 1981 with help from Brendan Beattie. Mickey Catney and Danny Trainor were co-opted at the AGM, joining a committee that included Willie McConville—Chairman in 1982—Seamus Curran and John McConnell.

Éire Óg won the 1985 Armagh Junior Football Championship, defeating Collegeland. Mentors in this period included Seamus Curran, John McConnell, Jimmy Bogle, Peter Morris, Willie McConville and Frank Hendron.

Eugene Quinn served as Treasurer and John McConnell as Secretary in 1987. Joe Berry ran the Youth Club, Jim Burns managed the senior team in Division 2 and planning permission was granted for the pitch and clubrooms. Danny Trainor became senior manager in 1988. Joe Clarke joined the committee and assisted the minor teams in 1989, when Sean Rogers was Chairman.

The decade saw Éire Óg progress from the fourth to the third division, win the Junior Championship, finish runner-up in the Intermediate Championship and achieve significant underage success in North Armagh under-18 championships and leagues.

Pat Christie served as Chairman. The club recorded under-12 success and runners-up finishes, an under-21 win and a senior runners-up finish around 1990–91. Kieran Corr became Chairman in 1993 and Bobby McVeigh senior team manager. The senior team played in Division 1 in 1994.

At the 1994 National Football League Final between Armagh and Meath at Croke Park, Éire Óg county players included Ger Reid, Terence O’Hagan and Damian Horisk.

Club facilities development

In 1998 Craigavon Council told the club it had six to eight weeks to buy the pitch or leave, with housing proposed for the site. Chairman Seamus Curran and Treasurer Jim Greene needed funds to meet the legal costs of securing an option to purchase the land.

A Night at the Races in the Goodyear Sports & Social Club raised approximately £1,500 for those costs. This allowed the club to sell former wasteland in Gilpinstown that John McConnell had helped purchase years earlier.

In 1998–99 the Department of the Environment transferred the lease to the club. This became the site of today’s clubhouse and social club, and land beside Carrigart was also purchased.

During the decade-long development period, Derek Brennan as Chairman, together with Seamus Curran and Martin McCleery, worked on applications to Croke Park and Ulster GAA grant schemes to help build the changing rooms.

Derek Brennan served as Chairperson with Charlie McCartan, John Brennan, Andy Joe Murnin and Pat Brewster on the committee when the club launched a successful house draw. It raised more than £100,000 in the early 2000s and made further development possible.

The year 2000 became the most successful in the club’s history to that point. Éire Óg won the Armagh Intermediate Championship for the first time, earned promotion to Division 2 and received Club of the Year recognition at two separate awards ceremonies for achievements on and off the field. The club also entered an Ulster football competition for the first time.

Senior Championship football followed in 2001–02, with Éire Óg able to welcome visiting clubs to its improved facilities. In 2002 volunteers became life members at a cost of £1,000—paid at £20 per month over five years—to fund further development. Their names remain displayed in the social club.

Ladies’ games and county representation

The Éire Óg crest, with camogie hurls, reflects a proud tradition of ladies’ Gaelic games. The club had a strong camogie team in its early years; from the beginning of the new millennium, the growth of ladies’ football came to the fore.

Ger Reid won an All-Ireland Celtic Cross medal in 2002 and was part of Ulster Championship successes in 1999, 2000 and 2002.

Referees

Barney Henry and Seamus O’Neill represented Éire Óg with distinction throughout Armagh and beyond. Barney refereed the 2008 Ladies All-Ireland Intermediate semi-final, Ladies All-Ireland Minor semi-final and Ladies Ulster Minor final at Clones. Seamus officiated at Ulster League, Ulster Ladies Championship and Ladies National League matches. Ferghal Connolly has continued that refereeing tradition.

Mini Ógs

Ian O’Hagan spearheaded the development of local primary-school boys and girls through the Mini Ógs programme. It became a Saturday-morning fixture during the season, supported by coaches, mentors, children and parents. In 2008 Mini Ógs joined the North Armagh GAA Week parade with coaches Dermot McCluskey and Dougie Frazer.

Scór and Irish culture

Éire Óg has competed in Scór na nÓg and Scór Sinsear since the club’s early years, winning Armagh and Ulster honours in Irish dancing, novelty acts, recitation and solo singing. The Scór na nÓg dancers were All-Ireland runners-up in Galway in 1985, while the instrumental group reached the 2005 All-Ireland finals in Killarney. The club was named Armagh Scór Club of the Year in 2006.

A perpetual trophy is sponsored by Éire Óg in memory of Roisin Stewart, a talented young solo singer and member of the club’s Scór na nÓg team who tragically died in a road accident. The trophy is presented annually to the winner of the Armagh Scór na nÓg solo singing competition.

North Armagh Gaelic Week, 2008

Life member Stevie Moore was heavily involved as North Armagh PRO and a member of the North Board working group. Events across North Armagh were well attended. A packed Irish culture night at Éire Óg featured traditional music, dancing, recitation and novelty acts.

Children, parents and members joined a parade through Lurgan led by the Artane Boys Band. The Éire Óg parade committee included Sean Connolly, Dougie Frazer, Dermot McCluskey, Dwaine Reid, Gary Griffin, Hugh Flannery, John Brennan, Ian O’Hagan, Tony Devlin, Frank Doherty, Gerard Creaney, Peter Morris and Barney Henry. The club also fielded a recreational GAA team in 2008.

The senior men emulated the 1985 team by winning the Armagh Junior Football Championship. Éire Óg defeated Clonmore in the North Armagh derby final on 9 October 2011.

The victory added another defining team and championship photograph to the club archive.

The reformed girls’ section began in January 2015 when around 20 girls attended the first under-12 training session. Many were new to football, so the priority was developing skills and confidence. Results were difficult at first, but the girls enjoyed the experience and kept returning.

In 2016 the club entered under-12 and under-14 teams. Under-12 and under-16 teams followed in 2017. The coaches understood that establishing every age group would take time, but playing numbers and knowledge continued to grow.

The senior ladies team was re-established in 2018, attracting both new and former players. The number of coaches grew alongside the teams, improving training and performances.

By 2019 Éire Óg fielded at under-10, under-12, under-14 and under-16. The under-14 team—many of whom had begun in that first 2015 group—won both league and championship, signalling the progress being made.

Although Covid restricted the 2020 season, Éire Óg fielded girls’ teams at every age from under-8 to senior for the first time in club history. The under-12 girls won another championship in 2021 and the structure was firmly established.

Gaelic for Mothers & Others began in 2021, giving local women an opportunity to exercise, play football and enjoy the social side of the club.

By 2023 the club had full squads at every girls’ age group, committed coaching teams, players representing Éire Óg at county level and girls who had begun at under-12 now playing senior football. That progress was made possible by the volunteers, families and club members who gave their time and support.

Éire Óg remembers the dedicated men and women who built the club through difficult times and who have since passed away. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha.

Dads & Lads and Mothers & Others reflect a club in which Gaelic games remain open throughout life: “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí—praise the youth and they will flourish. The club’s boys’ and girls’ youth structures are strong, with recent underage success providing confidence for the years ahead.

The current committee and volunteer network continue to work towards enhanced playing and spectator facilities. Éire Óg honours the achievements of its past, the positive impact made throughout Craigavon and the club family that will carry Gaelic games and Irish culture forward.