FROM THE ARCHIVE: Killygarry reach senior ranks in 1970
Paul Fitzpatrick
November 1, 1970 was a famous day for the Killygarry club as they claimed the Intermediate Championship title and reached senior ranks for the first time.
There was a two-month delay between the quarter-final replay win over Ballymachugh and the semi-final against Stradone because nine members of the Killygarry side had been playing for the Killygarry-Butlersbridge amalgamation who reached the semi-final of the Senior Championship, eventually losing to Crosserlough.
The nine players were Donal, George and Oliver Crowe, Seamus and Packie McGovern, Philip Fitzsimons, Niall O’Brien and Francie Galligan.
In a local derby semi, Stradone were winning by 1-4 to 0-0 after 14 minutes but a goal from Dessie Agnew got Killygarry going and they eventually won by 2-5 to 1-5.
Waiting in the final were a youthful Cootehill side, with several county underage players plus the experience of the legendary Charlie Gallagher, whose brother Brian was manager and who had beaten Templeport and Redhills en route to the final.
“If conditions are on the heavy side, Killygarry ought to succeed but such is the talent in the Cootehill side that they could snatch victory. It all adds up to a most intriguing tie,” predicted The Anglo-Celt.
And the preview proved prescient as Killygarry won by 2-5 to 2-3 in a very evenly-contested match.
“Killygarry’s strength, experience and adaptability to the heavy underfoot conditions were three main attributes in their favour when overcoming Cootehill in the final of the Intermediate Football Championship at Breffni Park last Sunday,” read the match report.
“Not even a two-goal blitz in a two-minute spell early in the first half could deter Killygarry from gaining the initiative throughout the field, stemming from midfield, for the remainder of the game to gain a well deserved victory and put them into senior ranks.
“This was a fine open game and Cootehll in particular showed signs of talent in the early stages when opening up some fine movements and their two goals were brilliantly taken.
“Gradually, however, after an insipid start, Killygarry laid siege on the Cootehill goal for long periods without actually gaining their due rewards.
The tackling was hard through the house and there was an amount of late tackling which went on continuously without being nipped in the bud.
“There was never any real turning point in the game as the tide swung one way and then the other but Cootehill’s main weakness – which Killygarry subsequently thrived on – was at midfield.
“All the losers good work went by the board as Killygarry, who often had three players operating in this sector, went to town and the pressure finally pierced open an up-till-then sound Cootehill defence.”
Killygarry opened the scoring with a Francie Galligan free before Andy McConnell added another.
But the Celtics came roaring back with two outstanding goals from S Smith and M Duffy. Charlie Gallagher added a free but O’Brien and Francie Galligan tacked on further points to make it 2-1 to 0-4 at half-time.
On 38 minutes, an O’Brien shot rebounded to George Crowe who found the net to level the game.
O’Brien was provider again for Killygarry’s next score, a great goal from McConnell. Gallagher hit back with two points (one free) but Killygarry had the final say when McConnell landed a point on the stroke of full-time.
The reporter was fulsome in his praise for the performances of the Killygarry men.
“Killygarry had many fine players including Malo Reilly, D Crowe, Paddy Lynch and P McGovern in defence.
“McGovern in the centre half berth had a great game and blocked many dangerous attacks down the centre.
“At centre-field, PJ Galligan was in great form and got good assistance from Philip Fitzsimons. In attack, F Galligan was a tireless worker while G Crowe, Andy McConnell and Niall O’Brien were the stars.”
Elsewhere in the issue, there was lavish praise for Killygarry and a call for the three senior teams in Cavan parish – Cavan Gaels, Drumalee and now the Crubany men – to combine forces!
“In March 1969, the bonfires blazed in Killygarry to celebrate the victory of the local boys in the replay of the 1968 Junior League final. Now the bonfires blaze again and the intermediate cup will be on show in the schools of the area to stir the imagination and whip up the enthusiasm of the men of tomorrow,” began that piece.
“The rising generation must be inspired by the feats of these players just as the heroes of today were spurred on by legends told of the local Paddy Smith of the ’47 and ’48 All-Ireland team and of Pat Magee and Paddy Murray of the 1920s.
“Now Killygarry have won the intermediate title and next year must go it alone. Into the senior fray they go to try their skill against the senior teams of the county including two from the same parish, Cavan Gaels and Drumalee. If the three senior clubs of Cavan parish plus the Butlersbridge club came together, what a team they could field!
“Players from all four clubs played together on the Oliver Plunketts teams that won the U16 county title several times. They played together again with success as minors and on the U21 teams that easily won the only championship played in the county for that age group.
“Many believe it’s a pity they’re not together still. If they were, they could surely win the senior title and most probably an Ulster club title.
“Unity is strength in Cavan and in Killeshandra too. If the three clubs of Killeshandra parish – Cornafean, Arva and Killeshandra – came together, we could have clashes between Cavan and Killeshandra that would revive memories of the epic encounters between Cavan Slashers and Cornafean in bygone days, clashes that did so much to put Cavan football on a high plane.”
In the event, the clubs remained separate and Killygarry’s meteoric rise was complete when they later went on to contest the Senior Championship final in 1971, losing to Crosserlough who were claiming their sixth Senior Championship title in succession.
In time, the club slipped back to junior ranks before winning the Junior Championship in 1990. They claimed a second Intermediate Championship in 1998 and have been proudly flying the flag at senior level ever since, contesting numerous Senior Championship semi-finals and, 50 years on, they are established as one of the leading clubs in the county.
The team line-outs in the 1970 Intermediate Championship final were as follows:
Killygarry: Séamus McGovern, Malo O’Reilly, Donal Crowe, Gerry Keating, Paddy Lynch, Packy McGovern, Oliver Crowe, Phil Fitzsimons, PJ Galligan, Phil Wray, Francie Galligan, George Crowe, Seán Donohoe, Niall O’Brien, Andy McConnell
Subs: Dessie Agnew for Seán Donohoe, Pat Brady, Joey Connolly, Barry Galligan, Brendan Crowe, Pa Lee, ‘Ton’ Doonan
Cootehill: Steve McDonagh, Hugh Sherlock, John Hughes, Dermot Coyle, Tony McCabe, Seán O’Donnell, Eamonn McCabe, Mickey Duffy, Jim Bradley, Seán Smith, Brian Sherlock, Gene O’Donnell, Brendan McCabe, Loughlin Farrell, Charlie Gallagher