A GOOD BLEND OF ENTHUSIASM AND REALISM
Pages 2 & 3
SLIGO TO ATHBOY VIA SYDNEY
Page 4
WOMEN COMPLETE LEAGUE AND SHIELD DOUBLE
Page 6
ATHBOY CELTIC - THE HISTORY OF A CLUB
Pages 8 & 9
BERNARD O’BYRNES AMBITIONS FOR ATHBOY
Pages 10, 11 & 14
EAMON MAHON’S JOURNEY
Pages 15 & 16
JAMIE McGRATHBREAKING NEW GROUND
Page 20
Athboy Celtic Captain Aoife Gath with the NEFL Div 1 Winners Cup A MEATH HERALD SUPPLEMENT
BY CONALL COLLIER
Athboy Celtic secretary Senan Edwards has lots of enthusiasm for the club he joined soon after he moved to the Royal County in 2006 with his wife Petrina, a Sligo native, and the couple now have two children Aaron (15) and Rebecca (11).
A Dublin native, Senan played in the Leinster Senior League with top clubs Verona and St Mochta's and soon after he arrived in the Meath town he joined Athboy Celtic and played in the North East Football League for two seasons.
“When we moved to Athboy I joined the local club and enjoyed two seasons as a player and after that I maintained an involvement with the club,” stated Senan.
“As our son got older and started school, he then wanted to start playing and I started to help out as a coach with the under-age for a few years.
That gradually progressed to a place on the committee and eventually the
role of secretary and I was aware that the club had ambitious plans for a new pitch and other facilities.”
“Mick Ennis and James Bird were on the committe at that time and it just evolved that I would take the position of secretary and I knew Bernard (O'Byrne) prior to my involvement with the club.”
“We had a few discussions about the club and the plans they had and Bernard was willing to assist us. We knew that his experience would be vital in helping to realise those plans and take the club to the next level.”
“The official opening of the Cowpark in 2022 was a great occasion, not just for the club, but for the community in Athboy, it's a super facility,” he added.
However, Senan and the Athboy Celtic committee are not content to sit on their laurels and there are more plans in the pipeline for an expansion that will be required to cope with the demand.
Continued on Page 3
“It's not all about the adult teams, we have what we call the mini-kickers and they progress to the under-7s for boys and girls and we have all the age groups up to adult level,” explained Senan.
“I'd say we have more than 50 coaches involved and Ross Geddes is the man in charge of that, he is the club's Director of Football and does an excellent job in that role.” “We have two senior men's teams and the women's senior team as well as the under-age teams in the local leagues.”
“Our real challenge in the shortterm will be space and playing pitches although, as I said earlier, the club has plans for further development of facilities. Some of the younger players are progressing through the Emerging Talent Programme (ETP) and we want to retain as many of them as possible”
“We have a strong team at Youth level and I also have to mention the assistance we receive from Jamie McGrath whenever he is back here in Athboy, he is a great role model for the under-age players. The next onthe-pitch target for the club is to get the men's team into the NEFL Premier Division, the women are there now after this season's success and they should be capable of maintaining their status next season,” he concluded.
Athboy Celtic goal keeper
Davina O’Garry spoke to CONALL COLLIER about the tremendous progress made for a team that was formed in 2023.
From Tubbercurry in Sligo to Athboy in Meath via Sydney, Australia, a lengthy journey that took all of 15 years for Athboy Celtic’s title-winning goalkeeper and coach Davina O’Garry, a teacher at St Michael's, Loreto in Navan.
Davina's nine-year-old daughter Keelin is an enthusiastic player with the Athboy Celtic under-10 team while her son Fionn concentrates on Gaelic with local club Clann na nGael under16 and minor teams.
Davina also has three brothers, Keith, Alan and Eamonn, and they keep a close eye on the achievements of their sister and congratulated her on the double success she achieved this season with Athboy Celtic.
“I was in Australia for 15 years, I was teaching there and I also was involved with various schools teams in a coaching capacity in Sydney, mainly under-age boys teams, but I came back to Ireland about three years ago,” she stated.
“Initially, when I returned to Ireland, I spent six months teaching in Athboy Community School where Ruth (Fitzgerald) is a PE teacher and she mentioned about the women's team and my involvement developed from there. “
”Then, I got a permanent position in Loreto in Navan, I have been there now for two years and it's a great place,” she added.
The success this season for Athboy Celtic represents tremendous progress for a team that was formed in 2023 and affilaited to the North East Football Women's League Div 1 for the first time in what was an ambitious move by the officials of the club.
A LEARNING PROCESS
Davina suggested that the inaugural season for the team was mainly a learning process and there wasn't too much focus on silverware.
“Last year was the first season for us and we did okay, it wasn’t anything great, but for a first season I suppose it was a matter of getting through the schedule of fixtures,” said Davina.
“We were trying to work out the best positions for the players and it was more of a learning process for everyone”.
Davina further commented by saying “This is the second season and we are all very excited at this stage that we have won the North East Women’s
Division 1 title, it was a tremendous achievement by everyone, on and off the pitch. This season was important for us and it’s a long season really, the league started off as a 12-team division, but then one team pulled out and that left us with a 20-game season”.
TRAINING STARTED IN FEBRUARY AFTER THE MID TERM BREAK
“We started training after the midterm break in February and we are still going, there was a break in June for the exams and we also have to cater for our dual players in the GAA, but that’s nearly finished at this stage as well”
“We entered a Leinster Cup competition that was played on Sunday 20th October, we were lucky enough to get a home tie against Ballymurn, a team from Wexford and we had a great win by 5-0.”
“It will be a big step up for us to the Premier Division for next season, but we will just have to adapt as best we can.”
Davina concluded by saying “We have very good players and I’m sure they will be relishing the prospects of the higher grade, it will be a big challenge for us, but we are looking forward to it,”
By CONALL COLLIER
Ruth Fitzgerald was persuaded to get involved with the Athboy Celtic club two years ago when the chairman Bernard O'Byrne extended an invitation to assist with the newly-formed women's team that would affilaite to the North East Football League for the 2023 season.
Club officials were eager to add an adult women's team to cater for the young players who were coming through from the under-age girls teams and the Limerick woman agreed to assist.
Ruth, a Limerick native, is a PE teacher in Athboy Community School, a role she has had since 2004 after she returned from England.
She has a big interest in sport and played hockey for Navan for a number of years in the Leinster Hockey League and is now involved with coaching teams with Athboy Celitc.
“I’m from Limeerick and my father is a Kerry man, my mum Lelia is a retired PE teacher, I have two sisters Clair and Gillian and one is a PE teacher as well, so it runs in the family,” commented
Ruth as she reflected on a successful season for the team in only its second season.”
“I got involved with the club two years ago, Bernard (O’Byrne) had asked me a few times if I would be interested and I eventually agreed to help out in any way I could. The task was to help with the new senior ladies team, the club had under-age girls teams, but they wanted to add an adult team as a kind of natural progression”.
“I look after the training of the team usually on a Wednesday night and I’d also be at the games as I can also take care of the first aid as I have an extra qualification from UCD specifically on sports injuries.”
“I am pleased that I was asked to get involved as I have always been involved in coaching as I previously coached Navan Ladies Hockey team for about seven years and I also played for a short time with them”.
“One notable issue for the Navan Hockey Club was, and still is I believe, there is no astro turf hockey pitch in Meath and what they have in Navan doesn’t really do them any favours,” she added.”
“Facilities is not an issue with Athboy Celtic and for the 2024 season the women's team produced some excellent performances on the way to winning the Division 1 title and the Shield”.
Ruth acknowledged the contribution of the overall panel of players who displayed the necessary skill and determination on the way to completing a memorable double.
The task was to help with the new senior ladies team, the club had under-age girls teams, but they wanted to add an adult team as a kind of natural progression
“We have a great panel of players, lots of talent, and we are all looking forward to next season,” she said.
“The first year was a learning process and this year we had a big panel and that enabled us to cope with injuries and hoidays, if we can keep the players together I think we will do okay in the Premier”.
“Once the players get some enjoyment out of it we will keep them together and we have a relatively young team. Many of them are pupils in Athboy CS, so they can’t really get away from me,” she concluded.
By CONALL COLLIER
Athboy Celtic claimed the North East Football Women's League Div 1 title with three games to spare following a remarkable 17-game winning run in a 20-game campaign. It marks an amazing rise for the team that was formed in 2023 and during that inaugural season gained a lot of experience with the League title and the Division 1 Shield now sitting in the impressive clubhous in Athboy.
The Division 1 trophy was presented to Athboy Celtic captain Aoife Gath following the team's 2-0 win at home against Duleek, but the title had been officially clinched earlier after a 5-0 victory away at second-placed Parkvilla.
A large crowd turned out at the Cowpark to celebrate the occasion as the team gained a big following from the local community in recent months.
The match was a cagey affair, with Athboy dominating much of the ball, but struggling to break down a resolute Duleek defence, and the teams went in at the break scoreless.
However, half-time Athboy substitute Susie Dolan finally broke the deadlock and top-scorer Karen Larkin ensured all three points in the 90th minute to keep up her incredible goal-scoring run.
Joint-manager and goalkeeper, Sligo woman Davina O'Garry, said the season has gone better than the team could have ever imagined.
"It just shows what a great panel we have to be able to consistently do that, with injuries during the year and with holidays. to constantly win our games, and win most of them well, it shows the strength in the squad and it's exciting for next year, because we'll build on that," said the Sligo woman who is a teacher in Loreto, Navan.
Athboy Celtic chairman Bernard
O'Byrne said the players are great role models for the many young girls teams coming through at the club.
"The achievement of our ladies team in winning two trophies in such emphatic style is not only a great sporting moment for the club, but also a fantastic example to our growing number of young girls who now have role models of the highest calibre to look to and emulate," he said.
ATHBOY CELTIC Squad and mentorsSenan Edwards, Helina McElroy, Lauren Casey, Megan Dolan, Gemma O'Sullivan, Nea-Stina LiljedahlMartinez, Hollieanne Farrow, Claire Regan, Erin O'Neill, Annie Ryan, Karen Larkin, Susan Dolan, Arlene McAnarney, Sophie Kennedy, Aoife McCormack, Ella O'Toole, Jessica Mullen, Leigha Greer, Davina O'Garry, Aoife Gath, Meghan Ennis, Hannah Ivory, Ruth Fitzgerald.
The Athboy Celtic girls won the North East Under-12 Cup in September with a 1-0 victory at the MDL against Kells Celtic Youths.
The only goal was a super effort that was worthy of winning any game Lucy Donnelly hit the target early for her side.
Emily Donnelly, Janine Nicol, Aine McConnell, Abbie Jackson, Ellie Mullen were just some of the other Athboy players who threatened to find a way through.
Defensively Athboy Celtic absorbed whatever was thrown at them including a superb save from Hazel O'Connor.
Athboy Celtic - Hazel O'Connor; Brigid Quinn, Lily Mai Hickey, Emilija Norvaisaite, Angie Nicol, Janine Nicol, Ellie Mullen, Alanah Nugent, Aine McConnell, Aoife Phelan, Lucy Donnelly, Emily Donnelly. Mentors - Ronan O'Connor, Michael O'Connor, Saoirse Lane.
By CONALL COLLIER
From the outset, as Athboy Blues in 1982, there was a fierce determination, initially, to keep the show on the road, and, as progress was maintained, to develop facilities for the adult and under-age male and female teams inAthboy and the surrounding areas.
Some 42 years later and the club has expanded substantially in termsof teams, male and female, and membership. This season has been a tremendous success for the recentlyformed senior women's team with a double title success, League and Shield, in only its second season.
That's all a long way removed from the tentative first steps back in 1982 when a determination to succeed was necessary for the newly-formedAthboy Blues.
From the time Eamon Mahon took on the role of chairman and Martin Mangan
had the distinction of a managerial position forAthboy Blues in what was also a fledgling Mid-Meath League, the journey has continued with unabated enthusiasm. That first squad of players in 1982 included Ray Ryan, Bobby Connell, Bobby Mullen, Paul Whelehan, Martin Maguire, Willie Foley, Brian Connor,
Sean
Mike Ennis, Eamon Doherty, Robert Finnegan, Sean Leavy, Eamon Mahon.
Ken
They combined to win Division 2 in a memorable debut season with Ken Ennis emerging as the top scorer in that grade and Robert Finnegan took the overall Mid-
Meath League Young Player-of-the-Year award. The building blocks for the future were in place. Over the years the club also won the following adult titles after that initial success in the 1982 / '83 season. 1985/'86 - Division 4A(second team); 2009/'10 - Division 3; 2014/'15 - Division 2.
Recipients over the 40 plus years included: 1982/'83 - Ken Ennis; 1983/'84 - Brendan McGovern; 1984/'85 - Brian O’Connor / Bobby Connell (second team); 1985/'86Ken Ennis / Enda Martin; 1986/'87 - Ollie McClory / Eamon Doherty; 1987/'88Brendan McGovern /Anthony Magee; 1988/'89 - Timmy Ryan / Mick Ennis; 1989/'90 Brian O’Connor / David Magee; 1990/'91 - Willie Foley / Paul Whelehan;
1991/'92 - Brian O’Connor / Kevin McGovern; 1992/'93 - Martin Ennis / Bobby Connell; 1993/'94 - Kit Leavy / Darren Smyth; 1994/'95 - Kevin McGrath / Eamon Mahon; 1995/'96 - Martin Ennis / Bernard Mullen; 1996/'97 - Pat Foy / John Bailey; 1997/'98 - Mark Flood / Kevin McGrath; 1998/'99 - Mick Duignan / Gary Hopwood; 1999/2000 - Kenny Weymes / Pat Foy; 2000/'01 -Alan O’Connor / Pat Foy; 2001/'02 Bernard Griffin / Mickey
Timmons; 2002/'03 – Colm Timmons / Bernard Mullen; 2003/'04 – Kenny Weymes / Sean McGovern; 2004/'05Kenny Wymes; 2005/'06 -Alan O’Connor; 2006/'07 - Cyril Halton; 2007/'08 - Ken Shanley; 2008/'09 - Mick Duignan; 2009/'10 - Brendan Milligan; 2010/'11Gary Ennis; 2011/'12 - Michael Duignan; 2012/'13 - Colm Carney; 2013/'14 - Colm Carney; 2014/'15 - Mick Duignan; 2015/'16 - Brian Rispin; 2016/'17Padraig Gilsenan; 2017/'18 - Bashmil Maikanbry; 2018/'19 - Cian Quinn; 2019/'20 - Jamie Boyne; 2020/'21 - Luke Byrne; 2022.
When the 21st anniversary of the club approached in 2003, it was announced that the Cowpark facility would be developed as a major sports facility andAthboy Celtic was allocated an area for two pitches and a clubhouse/dressingrooms.
The onus was on the club to contribute significantly to the cost of this development with theAthboy Social Needs and Recreational Company Ltd playing a lead role in the project.
With the experience of Bernard O'Byrne on board, recruited soon after he became a resident inAthboy with his wife Tina, the club produced a blueprint for the future. Athboy Blues,Athboy Utd andAthboy Celtic – enhanced versions of the same organisation.
Those ambitions were realised when the development at the Cowpark was officially opened to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the club.
The ceremonial cutting of the ribbon was
performed by a famous son ofAthboy, Republic of Ireland international footballer Jamie McGrath.
Maintaining the facilities is an important aspect of the current development and the contribution by the workers from the various schemes is also crucial to the overall operation of the club.
Included in that list are people like Eamon Mahon along with Colm McKenna, Tom Rispin, Bart Cassidy and Tom Tuite. Eamon Mahon also served on the Meath Schoolboys' League committee from 1985 until 1988 and he was also a member of the Meath & District League committee during that time. Paul Whelehan served as Meath Schoolboys' League treasurer in 1985 while Frankie Brogan joined the committee of the North Eastern Counties Schoolboys' League in 2001.
THEATHBOY CELTIC 2024 COMMITTEE
Chairman - Bernard O’Byrne.
Secretary - Senan Edwards.
Juvenile Secretary - Sarah Judge. Director of Coaching - Ross Geddes
Treasurer - Brendan Darcy
Commercial Officer - Pat O’Toole
Children’s Welfare Officer - Ronan O’Connor.
Media & Communications - Ryan Nugent.
Committee Members - Johnny McClorey, Eamonn Cusack, Dan O’Shea, Football representatives: Men - Cillian Maguire; Women - Davina O’Garry.
By CONALL COLLIER
The appointment of Bernard O'Byrne as chairman of Athboy Celtic was a shrewd move by the officials of the club. The former FAI CEO and Basketball Ireland CEO was elected to the chair of the North East Football League club in March 2021. Bernard would probably accept a description as a 'sportsman' and evidence of that was delivered with his publication of 'A GAA Story: A History of Gaelic Games in the Parish of Athboy, Rathmore & Rathcairn' in 2022.
For a Dublin man who would be viewed as 'steeped in soccer', to pen the history of a Meath GAA club demonstrated his ability and versatility as does the charity quiz nights he has co-ordinated locally for more than a decade, that monthly quiz in Flood's, Athboy has raised some €200,000 since 2012.
Bernard and his wife Tina have lived in the Royal County for close to a quarter of a century.
“Myself and Tina moved to Athboy from Trim 16 years ago, we had moved to Trim about 10 years earlier so I suppose I can suggest that I might be an adopted Meath man at this stage,” suggested Bernard on his move to Athboy via Trim.
“We moved from Tallaght initially and Trim was a good place to live, I can say the same about Athboy, it’s a lovely place to live.”
Bernard continued by saying “My involvement with Athboy Celtic, I suppose that developed over a number of years through general social interaction with the local people”.
“I was involved in the local Golf Society as were others from various clubs, the Athboy Celtic members of the Golf Society were encouraging me to get involved, but I really hadn’t any great desire at the time.”
“Then there was a more serious approach. They needed some assistance with a set of ambitious plans and they viewed me as independent and impartial with some experience that they thought would be helpful”.
“I could understand that particular aspect of what they were saying and I agreed to get on board for a year or two. That was about five years ago”.
“I suppose I liked and admired what they were trying to achieve and it also gave me an opportunity to get back to basics, to where I had started my journey in the mid-1970s when I was involved with the formation of Belgard Athletic in Tallaght”.
“Getting on board with Athboy Celtic sort of completed the circle from my perspective, a grass roots football club, I felt that I could use my experience to help move the club forward,” he explained.
BACKGROUND WITH BELGARD ATHLETIC
And what about that background with Belgard Athletic, where according to club records, Bernard O'Byrne scored 208 goals in a 10-year playing career.
“I played a bit of GAA in the early days as I’ll call it, with St Mark’s GAA club in Tallaght, in fact I was one of the founder members of the club, my father-in-law was on the first
committee and he ended up as chairman,” said Bernard.
“I wouldn’t have been a great GAA player, but I was big and that helped a lot, I think we (St Mark's) might have won a Division 3 League, but that was about the extent of it”. “I met my wife (Tina) though the GAA club and when
Belgard Athletic was established it used to be hectic at the weekends in terms of playing sport”.
“There would be a bit of coaching or a game with a juvenile team on a Saturday morning, soccer on Saturday afternoon, play a five-a-side for the local pub on a Sunday morning and
then a bit of Gaelic with St Mark’s.
“On the odd occasion I might, and I stress might, have turned out as a ‘banger’ for the Belgard second team on a Sunday afternoon, that wouldn’t be a well known fact either,” Bernard admitted.
Continued on Page 14
And getting back to the the connection with Athboy Celtic and his knowledge of the sporting landscape in the Royal County.
Bernard had a good knowledge of the structures of the League, the North East Football League (formerly Meath & District League) to which the Athboy Celtic club was affiliated.
“I’m semi-retired at this stage and it’s great to have an involvement with a club that has huge potential and has been affiliated to the local league almost from the outset more than 40 years ago,” he explained.
“There is always something that needs doing, on a daily basis, and I’m glad to assist in any way I can. But it’s not just me, this wouldn’t work unless there was an enthusiastic committee and equally enthusiastic players and parents of the under-age players, it really is a team effort on and off the pitch”.
“When I got involved initially it would have been reasonable to describe the club as a little bit lacking in direction, getting through a season was the main goal and when the season finished they would then look to the next season”.
“A better structure was required because at the time, five or six years ago, Athboy as an area had an increasing population and the committee at the time was aware enough to realise that it was an opportunity”.
“The result of that initiative is evident now, the club has 35 teams, adult and under-age, 500 players and about 800 parents and guardians involved, that’s a fairly substantial club. We focus on coaching standards and facilities, both are very important, but with our success on the numbers front, there comes a pressure on the facilities”.
“There is great co-operation between the spots clubs in Athboy, the children want to play and it doesn’t matter to them whether it’s with Athboy Celtic, Athboy RFC or Clann na nGael. We all
have to deal with that and just get on with it”.
“Personally and also from a Committee perspective, we wouldn’t tolerate any type of isolationism. We want to be a good community club, our first target is to be a good football club, to get our teams playing a good type of football, but we also want to make a contribution to the community”.
“Our main problem at the moment is capacity, the recent success of the women’s team has brought a new energy to the club and the success this season, winning the North East Women's Division 1 League and Shield is phenomenal”.
“I would hope to stay involved for another year or two and then hand over the reins to someone who can take
fundraising and grants, it’s a lengthy process and it takes time, but I can say that the club is well-regarded at this stage and we will get there,” he added.
ROLE MODEL FOR FOR ALL THE UNDERAGE PLAYERS AT THE CLUB
Bernard was delighted with the reaction of the local people at the official opening of the Cowpark facilities in 2022 and had lots of praise for Republic of Ireland international and local man Jamie McGrath.
“We are lucky, in the club, to have a guy like Jamie McGrath as a role model for all the under-age players, his father Kevin has a long involvement with the club and Jamie is always willing to help us out whenever we ask him,” said Bernard.
“He was here at the opening of the new clubhouse in 2022 and there is a great interest in his career and his achievements from his days in the League of Ireland with St Pat’s and Dundalk to his current club in Scotland, Aberdeen and with the Republic of Ireland”.
“We will recognise Jamie’s achievements here in the clubhouse so that the younger players can learn about how he developed his career and it will probably inspire a new generation of talented players.
it on, to ensure continuity. We have a strategy and a vision for the future of Athboy Celtic and that’s what’s important, not any one individual”.
“It’s not that complicated, but you do have to be organised and focused and have a plan for the short-term and the long-term. I think we have that, but it’s vital that you bring people with you”.
“We have a planning application submitted for a full-size floodlit all weather pitch and that, hopefully, will progress through the various processes with the planning people and we also intend to put lights on the main pitch. “We also have the plans in place to extend our current clubhouse and dressing rooms, but to do all this we need to generate the finance through
“The professional game in England and Scotland is tough, but now young players here can look to League of Ireland clubs for both male and female players”.
“We have a former Peamount Utd player in our women’s team, Ella O’Toole, and she came to us when we established the women’s team. One task I have at the moment is to identify people that will take roles in the club to maintain continuity on and off the pitch”.
“I want to hand over the baton once the next phase of the development, the all weather pitch, the lights on the main pitch and the clubhouse extension, is completed, that should be inside the next two years or so,” concluded Bernard.
Eamon Mahon spoke to CONALL COLLIER about the changing landscape and his unending enthusiasm for his club.
More than 40 years ago, back in 1982, Athboy Blues was formed with Eamon 'Chick' Mahon taking the role of chairman as the fledgling club sought to join the equally fledgling Mid-Meath League.
More than five decades later, despite many changes and challenges, the fledgling club is now Athboy Celtic and the fledgling League is now the North East Football League.
The landscape has changed considerably, but Eamon Mahon is still as enthusiastic about his local club, now in a non-playing capacity, as he was when he ran on to the famous slope for the club's first home game all those years ago at the Mercy Convent, a
venue that has also been transformed into an impressive playing facility.
That first season brought immediate success as Athboy Blues had the distinction of winning the Division 2 title, a success that provided a platform for the formation of a second team that soon after would claim a Division 4A title.
Eamon Mahon takes up the story “I was involved fron the start so I suppose that’s a link back to 1982, other lads were very determined to keep it going, Ken Ennis, Paul Whelehan, Bobby Connell, Bobby Mullen as well as Mick Ennis, John Rice, Frankie Brogan, Brendan McGovern, they all did great work over the years to get the club to where it is now and I’m still involved,” he recalled.
“That first year, we had a great season when we won the Division 2 title and also got to the Challenge Cup final, it was played on an Easter Sunday and I can still remember it as the coldest day I ever tried to play football”.
There was no beating Moynalvey that day, but at least we got to the final and the following season we finished in the to four in Division 1.
“It wasn't all straightforward either, especially off the pitch, I suppose I can say it now, but there was plenty of opposition to the soccer team from certain quarters and quite a bit of the old verbal abuse. That just made us more determined and we used to get a lot of people out to watch the games on a Sunday morning.
“I think a lot of the spectators used to be surprised at the fact that the game would actually kick-off at the time it was supposed to kick-off.
“Another thing was the insistence by the League Committee about matching kits and things like that, and the referees were fairly strict as well, it presented a good image although we might not have realised it ourselves at the time.
“Winning the Division 2 title in the first season was a great boost and we had a second team the following season and soon after that we started with the under-age teams, I was really pleased with that as I felt it would be hugely important for the future of the club,” he added.
Eamon Mahon was also keen to stress the tremendous level of support for the club over all those years and also the significance of starting an under-age
section in the 1980s when the Meath Schoolboys' League was formed.
“The importance of the under-age 40 years on, as far as Athboy people are concerned, is reflected in the emergence of Jamie McGrath, a great success story and a tribute to his family,” stated Eamon.
“Jamie started with Athboy and is always very helpful to the club when he is home now from either club duty in
Scotland or international duty with the Republic of Ireland.
“As the club began to get established in Athboy, we developed the pitch at the Mercy Convent and we are fortunate to still have that, it’s an excellent pitch.
“The various amalgamations over the years were the correct way for the club to go, but it wasn’t all plain sailing.
“Fortunately, we managed to keep
the majority of people happy and they remained involved, I suppose the fruits of that endeavour is the new facilities that were opened in 2022 and the plans that are there now for expansion.
“I’d have a few highlights from the early years, winning the Division 2 in the first season, the second team winning Division 4A in 1985 / ’86 and the under-14 team winning a Meath Schoolboys’ League title in the late 1980s.
“Some of the guys who were on that under-14 team, they have daughters playing on the Athboy team that won the North East Women’s Division 1 title and Shield this season.
“As I said earlier, I’m a firm believer in the under-age and this season I was delighted when the under-12 girls enjoyed great success, they won the Cup after winning the under-11 League last season.
“We also have a good team in the North East Youth League, they won titles in the last couple of seasons and I just hope that we can get those players involved with the first team, that will boost the prospects of promotion in the North East Football League which has to be the target over the next few seasons.
“It’s great to see what has been achieved over all those years and I’m just happy to be still involved in a small way,” he concluded.
By CONALL COLLIER
Gerry Gorman has the distinction of involvement with the MidMeath League from the outset in 1980, the Meath & District League and the current structure of the North East Football League,
Over those 45 years the popular Kilmessan man has banked lots of experience and knowledge of what works and what doesn't work in terms of club structures.
Gerry is a well-respected official and legislator having served in various roles including chairman, scretary, treasurer, fixtures' secretary and as a referee in the early days.
He also served on various Leinster Football Association (LFA) and Football Association of Ireland (FAI) committees and is well-placed to offer a perspective on the success story that is Athboy Celtic.
“I have no hesitation in stating that Athboy Celtic is one of the success
stories that has emerged from a fairly low-key start more than 40 years ago when Athboy Blues affiliated to the then Mid-Meath League as it prepared for a third season,” commented Gerry.
“The Mid-Meath League kicked-off in late 1980 with just eight teams and it was relatively short season, but at least it got the ball rolling, to use a football term. A short time before the start of the 1982 / 1983 season I was contacted by Eamonn Mahon and a group of enthusiasts who wanted join up with a team from Athboy.”
“The Mid-Meath League had enjoyed some rapid growth after the inaugural season and by the time Athboy Blues joined we had the luxury of a Division 1 and a Division 2 with 27 teams affiliated for that season.”
“The club had a pitch and that was great addition, it was at the Mercy Convent in Athboy and it became famous I suppose as there was a slope from one end to the other, but it was great to have it at the time.”
“Like a lot of the teams at the time, it was generally just a group of lads who wanted to play on a regular basis and
the weekly game on a Sunday at 11.15am proved to be very popular”.
“It wouldn’t have been accurate to
call them clubs at that stage, that came later when the organisation became more refined, but at the start it was just a group of teams in various areas”.
“You wouldn’t have needed a crystal ball at that time to realise that not all those teams would survive, but what happened was that over a period of time, many of the teams joined together and formed the clubs that we now have today”.
“It didn’t happen overnight, it was a slow process, but it’s great to see so many of the people who were involved with the likes of Athboy Blues, Spartans, Kullua Wanderers, Corbawn Utd and Riverbank, that they are still involved”.
“Corbawn Utd and Riverbank amalgamated as C&R Utd and then there was another development that saw Athboy Utd as a forerunner to the current Athboy Celtic”.
“There were lots of decent players around at the time as well and the standard was fairly good and that was all achieved with what was really minimal facilities,” added Gerry.
Gerry Gorman is obviously delighted with the way many clubs have become established in local communities and highlighted the sterling efforts of so many people who helped keep the Athboy club on right track with tremendous determination and dedication.
“Athboy
“I suppose if we just fast-forward to the present day, the sports complex that Athboy Celtic opened there two years ago, an excellent facility and a great boost for the local community with lots of under-age teams for boys and girls,” stated Gerry.
“Great credit also to the officials who also managed to develop the Mercy Convent pitch over the years and that is hugely important now for the club as well as I’m sure they have enjoyed a surge in membership in recent years”.
“What really helped Athboy in the early days was the fact that they embraced the concept of the Meath Schoolboys’ League as it was branded back in the mid-1980s and they were always very pro-active on that front.
“Athboy Blues was one of the founder members of the Meath Schoolboys’ League that later became the North Eastern Counties Schoolboys' League followed by another change recently to the North East Regional League.
“None of that progress would have been possible without the input of officials from a club like Athboy Celtic, I wish them well in their future endeavours,” he concluded.
* Gerry Gorman is secretary of the North East Football League.
By CONALL COLLIER
There is great pride amongst everyone inAthboy for the achievements of Jamie McGrath who progressed through the club's underage teams before joining Dublin club Cherry Orchard.
There followed a stint with UCD u-19s before a move to St Patrick'sAthletic where he enjoyed three seasons as he progressed to the club's first team in the League of Ireland.
That was followed by a hugely successful period at Dundalk before a move in 2020 to St Mirren in Scotland. He is currently playing forAberdeen.
Jamie made his senior international debut for the Republic of Ireland in June 2021 as an 82nd minute substitute in a 41 win againstAndorra when he replaced Troy Parrott for Stephen Kenny's side. He was the second Meath man to earn senior recognition following on from Dunboyne's Darragh Lenihan in June 2018.
He also played for the Republic of Ireland at schools, u-19 and u-21 levels. It's not too often, if ever, that a guy fromAthboy would have a football pin / badge released with his image on it.
However, Jamie broke that mould when the St Mirren-leaning Black & White Pins, a group that claims to produce 'limited edition pins of the best team in the world' produced a Jamie McGrath pin.
