THE motto on the wall of the home dressing rooms at O’Rahilly Park reads “Glorious Clonoe - first in the field and last to leave.”
That proud boast is taken from an inscription on a headstone in the graveyard at St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Clonoe. The headstone marks the sacrifice of three men - John O’Neill, Hugh O’Neill and John Ritchie - who died defending the church from attack on July 13 1829, plus those who are said to have defended the church on that day.
And now, in this their centenary year, Clonoe O’Rahilly’s, named after Kerry man Michael Rahilly, who died in the 1916 rebellion, are also taking the lead with an initiative thought to be the first of its kind in the GAA and which showcases the best of the organisation.
This Saturday, the club will host a nine-side tournament to which all known clubs named after The O’Rahilly on the island of Ireland have been invited. In addition, a team from Corby O’Rahilly’s in England are also flying in. That club was founded by a former Clonoe O’Rahilly’s player, Brian Bannigan, who captained the club to their first O’Neill Cup success in 1958.
Also taking part, alongside two teams from the host club, are two teams from Kerry, namely Ballylongford (the birth place of the O’Rahilly) O’Rahilly’s and Kerins O’Rahilly’s, Latton O’Rahilly’s from Monaghan, Collegeland O’Rahilly’s from Armagh and Belcoo O’Rahilly’s from Fermanagh.
The other two clubs are Drogheda O’Rahilly’s of Louth and Gusserane O’Rahilly’s of Wexford. The former begin their league campaign on Sunday and the latter were unfortunately unable to make the tournament.
Nevertheless, with eight teams, split into two groups of four, taking part, former club chairman and one of the organisers of the tournament Aidan McVeigh says there is great excitement around the club about the event.
“We are really looking forward to it,” said McVeigh.
“It was an idea that arose when a few of us were sitting around talking one evening. We knew that it was our centenary year and we thought it would be a great idea if we could get all the O’Rahilly teams together in Clonoe for a tournament. We just wanted to do something that had never been done before. We didn’t even know how many O’Rahilly teams there were, so we Googled it to see and there were nine altogether, counting ourselves, who came up.”
From there, it was a matter of making contact, seeing who was willing to take part and making the necessary arrangements. It should be said at this point that a lot of lip service is paid to the notion of GAA clubs being the ‘building blocks’ of the association and of how volunteerism is the ‘lifeblood’ of it.
This is undoubtedly true, but to encounter at first hand the people who make clubs tick and keep the wheels turning on a daily, monthly and yearly basis is a salutary reminder of just how important they really are. For instance, anyone who has been involved with a GAA club and who has ventured on a trip to another club will know of the time honoured tradition of being ‘put up’.
Clonoe are no different and, with two clubs arriving from Munster and one from England, some 60 people in all will be housed by club members in 30 different houses. The visitors can be certain of the best of hospitality.
It is the GAA way at club level and, as McVeigh says, there was no difficulty in finding people to take guests in: “We just want those travelling big distances to feel as welcome as possible and our own people have rallied around brilliantly in that regard.
“I know that we, ourselves, have been to various clubs down through the years and have always received great hospitality wherever we went.”
The teams will battle it out on Saturday for a specially commissioned O’Rahilly Plaque and with three clubs - Belcoo, Collegeland and Latton - also having their centenaries next year, there may be a chance for the winners to defend it in the future.
When the action concludes, Clonoe Community Centre will play host to the players before three of the club’s most famous footballing sons - Kevin McCabe, Harry and Mickey McClusre, who all played in the 1986 All-Ireland final in Tyrone’s defeat to Kerry - will take to the stage to reminisce and chat.
The Clonoe men will be joined by three-time All-Ireland winner Owen Mulligan and, McVeigh assures, “some other special guests”: “It will round the whole event off nicely,” he said.
“Everybody is talking about it and we haven’t really advertised it. But on behalf of the club, I would just like to say that anyone who wishes to come along and see a good bit of football and have a bit of craic can be assured of a warm welcome in Clonoe this Saturday.
“We throw-in at 10.30 in the morning and the group games will take place at the pitch of our neighbour’s Derrylaughan and we are very grateful for their help.”
O’RAHILLY CLUBS
Clonoe O’Rahilly’s (Tyrone); Ballylongford O’Rahilly’s (Kerry); Belcoo O’Rahilly’s (Fermanagh); Collegeland O’Rahilly’s (Armagh); Drogheda O’Rahilly’s (Louth); Gusserane O’Rahilly’s (Wexford); Kerins O’Rahilly’s (Kerry); Latton O’Rahilly’s (Monaghan); Corby O'Rahilly's (England)
