Cookstown Fr. Rock's GAC

Cookstown Fr. Rocks

An Chorra Chríochach Ath Mac Con Carraige
Founded:	1938
County:	Tyrone
Nickname:	The Rocks
Club colours:	Navy & Blue
Grounds:	Paddy Cullen Park
Coordinates:	54°38′32.77″N 6°45′02.25″W / 54.6424361°N 6.750625°W / 54.6424361; -6.750625Coordinates: 54°38′32.77″N 6°45′02.25″W / 54.6424361°N 6.750625°W / 54.6424361; -6.750625
Playing kits
Standard
Senior Club Championships
All Ireland Ulster champions Tyrone champions Football : - - 2

Cookstown Father Rocks is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the town of Cookstown in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. In recent years Owen Mulligan and Raymond Mulgrew have both won All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medals with the Tyrone senior team. The club also had five players who won All-Ireland Minor Football Championship medals in the same day in 2004.

History

The year 1889 marks a significant point in the history of Gaelic games in Cookstown and Tyrone. It was then that the first ever G.A.A club in the town was established. Cookstown Owen Roe's as they were subsequently called were the pioneer club in county Tyrone, paving the way for the spread of Gaelic games elsewhere. Looking back from a modern perspective this was undoubtedly a momentous achievement for Cookstown gaels. When set amongst the social and political backdrop of the time, the emergence of a G.A.A club in the town was even more remarkable.

The Gaelic Athletic Association had been established on 1 November 1884, and gave birth to a rise of 'new nationalism' throughout Ireland. As the call went out for gaels to join the banner which had been hoisted by Cusack and Co, it was answered throughout Ireland and in Tyrone the first to align themselves to the fledgling association were from Cookstown.

In 1889 the prevailing political climate was one in which association with the G.A.A was not something to be sought. Numerous files from Dublin castle can bear testimony to this fact. Despite this it was Fr. John Rock, who during his curacy in Cookstown initiated efforts to form the Owen Roe's club, and they were soon to fulfil fixtures with teams from Armagh, Derry and Belfast. Indeed from the files of the magazine, 'Sport', comes an article which refers to a game between the Owen Roe's and Armagh Harps, played on St Patrick's Day, 1889. It is quite possible that this was the first competitive outing of a team from Tyrone.

Toil and Trouble In 1890 the membership of the club stood at forty - all of whom were described by the 'R.I.C as A.O.H suspects'. The year however was to prove an historic one. On October 12 that year, Owen Roe's represented Tyrone in the Ulster senior football final, thus earning for the town another first, as they were the first Tyrone side to compete in a provincial final. By 1891 however, the club had all but disappeared as political tensions swept throughout Ireland.

In 1905 the Gaels of Cookstown regrouped and out of the vacuum emerged a new force in Gaelic football, known as the Brian Ogs. The new club played their first game against a team from Coalisland in what would prove to be controversial circumstances. Whilst travelling to the game, the club was attacked near Tullyhogue by a hostile crowd of about 300. Stones were thrown and a brake carrying Cookstown players was driven unto a fence injurying several players. The team eventually played the game in Coalisland where they spent the night and were only able to return after an urgent request to Dublin for police reinforcements, was answered when over 100 police escorted the Brian Ogs home the following day.

Despite such incidents the club continued to flourish and a minute book from the period 1907 to 1910, highlights the goings on at the fledgling club. The book still remains in the hands of the club and is the oldest first hand record of the early days of the G.A.A in Tyrone.

In 1907 the club went out of existence for a short period of time and this led to the emergence of a club called the Cookstown Emmetts, however by November 1907 Brian Ogs were back in business and continued to carry the standard in Cookstown for the next thirty years, becoming the dominant force in Tyrone football along the way.

The Double Within ten years of its formation the new club defeated Kilskerry McDonaghs by 3-1 to 2-1 to capture the senior championship, the following year they were in the final once more when they defeated Omagh after a replay. The Brian Ogs thus earned another first for the town by becoming the first side to win successive senior titles.

Fr Rocks In the 1930s another club emerged in Cookstown called the Geraldines. For the next few years the clubs existed side by side, boasting teams from all age groups. In 1928 however the end of an era drew to a close as following a suggestion from a local curate, Fr Taggart, it was decided that the two clubs amalgamate and on March 6, 1938, Fr Rocks G.F.C were formed. In the first year in existence the club qualified for the county final.

Achievements

• All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship Winners 2010
• Ulster Intermediate Club Football Championship Winners 2009

Notable players

External links

• Cookstown Fr Rock's GAA

Preceded by St. Michael's/Foilmore

All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Champions 2010

Succeeded by -