Newry Bosco GFC

Newry Bosco GFC

Cumann Naomh Eoin Bosco
[[Image: |100px]]
Founded:	1963
County:	Down
Nickname:	Bosco
Club colours:	Yellow and Blue
Grounds:	Jack Mackin Park
Coordinates:	54°10′54.58″N 6°20′42.42″W / 54.1818278°N 6.3451167°W / 54.1818278; -6.3451167Coordinates: 54°10′54.58″N 6°20′42.42″W / 54.1818278°N 6.3451167°W / 54.1818278; -6.3451167
Playing kits
Standard colours

Newry Bosco GFC are a Gaelic Athletic Association gaelic football club from Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland.

The team play in the South Down league. Known for a talented youth system, the under 16s were runners up in the 2006 all-county league.

History

St. John Bosco Gaelic Football Club, was originally founded in 1952 by members of the St. John Bosco Youth Club. The original squad was managed by the late Gerry Brown. It included such names as Paddy Lambe, P Grant, P McAleavey, F McCaul, A Ruddy, E Campbell, J Pearce and J Bannon. An enthusiastic backroom staff included Maurice Mathers and John McAleavey. The club won its first silverware shortly afterwards, when an under 21 team entered and won the Fitzpatrick Cup, a competition run by the Dromore Diocesan Youth Council.

However, in 1956, because of age restrictions at the Youth Club, it was decided to change the name to John Mitchel GFC and remove any connection to the Youth Club.

The name of St. John Bosco was missing from Down football for a number of years. However, in 1963 the club was reformed under the inspiration and guidance of the then Youth Club Chairman Father Bradley. To mark its resurgence the Bosco organised a first class inter-county tournament at the Gaelic grounds (now Pairc Esler), with teams from Tyrone, Monaghan, Armagh and Down competing. The newly-formed club also enjoyed success in the Newry and District Schoolboys Gaelic Football League, capturing the League and Championship. Managed by the late Jack Mackin, after whom our present pitch is named, this squad included the likes of Frank McDonald (now a GAA inter-county and FIFA referee), Con Davey, Francie Rafferty, Sean Flanagan, Martin McConville and Kevin Woods.

The new club had men like Jimmy and Eddie Heaney, Joe Fearon, Peter McParland (RIP), and Jack Mackin (RIP) at the helm. Other players included Paddy Fox, Tom Tumilty (former club Chairman), Seamus O'Hare, George McAteer and Eddie Rocks. Bosco won the Junior League in their first year of football and were promoted to the Intermediate League. Around the same time the club committee purchased land from Henry Cole (RIP) with the intention of building a Youth Club and pitch. Unfortunately, only the Youth Club was built and the football field was never developed. Jenning's Park was the Bosco's home pitch until Jack Mackin Park was developed by Newry and Mourne District Council.

Success on the field eluded Bosco until the 1970s.

The South Down Under 16 League was won for the first time in 1972. Three years later, 1975, St. John Bosco GFC had it's most successful year to date on the football field. Managed by the great John McCann, our minor team won the County Down Minor Championship for the first time beating a strong Burren team at Newcastle. A few weeks later they completed the double by defeating Warrenpoint to win the South Down Minor League. Interestingly, the sons and nephews of several members of this team repeated the success in 2002, but more about that later.

Many of the 1975 minor team also helped the Under 16 team complete their double of County Championship and South Down League. Two members of this team, Raymond Tumilty and Francie Rooney, who both also appeared on the club's minor team, helped Down to All Ireland success at Minor level in 1977.

Unfortunately, St. John Bosco failed to build on this unprecedented success. More years in the wilderness followed until the Under 12s stepped forward in the early 1980s by claiming the South Down Championship in 1980 and 1981 and the County Championship in 1981. Many players from this team, such as the Jackson brothers (Brendan, Collie and Raymond), the Rooney brothers (Raymond, Colin and Maurice) Neil Patterson and Brian Irwin provided the backbone of the Senior team, managed by Aidan Mulvanney, that uniquely gained promotion from Division 4 to Division 1 in three consecutive years in the late 1980s.

The All County Reserve Championship was collected for the first time in 1990 in the same year that the senior team finally reached the top flight in Down football. The senior team, containing several members of the 1975 Minor and Under 16 teams (such as Aidan Mulvaney, Gerry and Francie Rooney, Aidan Shields and Raymond Tumilty) managed to retain a foothold in the top two divisions for a decade. The county Intermediate Championship was won for the first time in 1996, making up for the defeat in the previous year's final. Two members of the senior team, Brian Irwin and Kerry McVeigh, were squad members in the Down All-Ireland winning team of 1991.

Naomh Eoin Bosco 2011

As mentioned earlier, the Minor double success of 1975 was repeated in 2002. The County Championship and South Down League were won in convincing style. The County League was added for good measure. The connections to 1975 are as follows: the 1975 captain was Aidan Mulvanney, the 2002 captain was his son Rory; two Rooney brothers (Gerry and Francie) played in defence in 1975, two Rooney brothers (Mark and Neil, twin sons of Francie) played in defence in 2002; finally, Raymond Tumilty starred for the 1975 team, while his nephew Neil starred in the 2002 team.

Bosco's under-age development programme, started in the 1990s, is now finally beginning to pay dividend. Since the start of the new millennium Bosco has attained success at Under 11, 12, 14, 16 and minor level at South Down, County and provincial level. The county under 16 champions of 2001 followed up that success by becoming Ulster Under 17 champions in 2002. The minor team of 2002 narrowly failed to match this achievement by losing in extra-time to the Tyrone champions in the 2002 Ulster Minor final.

Bosco Ladies Football

Iveagh Ladies GFC were part of the first Down Ladies league that started in 1994. Prior to this Down clubs played in the Armagh league since a Down league did not exist. Initially Iveagh started out wearing the red & black colours of Down. Their name derived from the Iveagh townland between Glenn & Saval since most of their players came from this area or had contacts there. The majority of Iveagh's home matches were played in either Glenn or Saval and this continued when Iveagh joined the Down league.

In 1998 Iveagh linked up with the St. John Bosco club in Newry and began playing as Iveagh Bosco. They played all home matches at Jack Mackin Park and continued to play in the red & black. Soon after collocating to Bosco the ladies designed a new strip to represent the various home clubs of the players on the team - the new colours were yellow, red, green & black. A new crest was also designed.

In 2002 the ladies team amalgamated fully with the Bosco and dropped Iveagh from the name. Then the team played under the Bosco colours, blue & yellow, and the rest as they say is history.

County representation

Bosco Ladies provided 8 players to the Down County Ladies panel who were then competing in Division Three of the National League. Bosco always provided players to the County panel, most notably, 9 players who were part of the 2000 Junior All-Ireland winning team.

And two of the Bosco senior ladies' team, Michaella and Aoibheann Downey, have been selected to represent Ulster in the Senior Ladies Inter-Provincial Tournament.

New Bosco Social Club

Off-field

Off the field Bosco obtained a new playing field developed by Newry and Mourne District Council, named Jack Mackin Park, after the much respected Warden of the Bosco Youth Club.

The social club moved to new premises in the 1990s, relocating to the former St Catherine's Band premises in Upper Water Street.

Committee

2011

Cathaoirleach - Chairman

Seosamh Ó Rian - Joe Ryan

Leaschathaoirleach - Vice Chairperson

Gearóid Mac Muireartaigh - Gerry Murtagh

Runai - Secretary

Ciarán Mac Muirteartaigh - Ciaran Murtagh

Leas Runai - Assistant Secretary

Aodhán Ó Siail - Aidan Shields

Cisteoir - Treasurer

Colm Ó Coinn - Colm Quinn

Leaschisteoir - Assistant Treasurer

Dónal ac Craith - Damian McGrath

Oifigeach - Registrar

Máire Uí Shionnaigh - Maria Fox

Oifigeach Chaidreamh Poibli - P.R.O

Pól Mac Cormaic - Paul McCormick

Oifigeach dón Óige - Youth Officer

Pól Ó Conchúir - Paul O'Connor

Ionadaí Bhord an Chontae - County Board Representative

Réamann Mac Tomaltaigh - Raymond Tumilty

Ionadaí na nImreoirí Sinsearacha - Senior Player Representative

Caomhín Ó Fallúin - Kevin Faloon

Baill Choiste - Committee Members

Pádraig Ó Duagáin - Paddy Duggan

Feilimí Ó Fionnagáin - Felix Finnegan

Pól hAodha - Paul Hughes

Piaras Ó Maolchallan - Pearse Mullholland

Uinseann Mac Concharraige - Vincent Rocks

Muiris Ó Ruanaidh - Maurice Rooney

Awards

2011

IRISH NEWS SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD

2010

IRISH NEWS CLUB OF THE YEAR

South Down Under 14 'C' League Champions

2009

All County Division 4 League Champions (promoted with 100% league record going undefeated all season in the league)

2007

All County Junior Football Champions South Down Under 16 Football League All County Under 14 'B' Football Championship South Down Under 14 'B' Football Championship South Down Ladies Under 14 Football Championship

2005

South Down Under 12 'B' Football Championship

2004

All County Senior Ladies Football Championship All County Senior Ladies Football League All County Under 14 Football League

2002

Ulster Under 17 Club Football Championship All County Minor Football Championship All County Minor Football League South Down Minor Football Championship South Down Under 12 'A' Football Championship All County Senior Ladies Football Championship (as Iveagh Bosco) All County Senior Ladies Football League (as Iveagh Bosco)

2001

All County Senior Ladies Football Championship (as Iveagh Bosco) All County Senior Ladies Football League (as Iveagh Bosco) All County Under 16 'A' Football Championship South Down Under 12 Football League South Down Under 11 Football League

1999 Ulster Intermediate Ladies Football Championship All County Senior Ladies Football Championship (as Iveagh Bosco) All County Senior Ladies Football League (as Iveagh Bosco)

1998 All County Senior Ladies Football Championship (as Iveagh Bosco) All County Senior Ladies Football League (as Iveagh Bosco)

1996

All County Intermediate Football Championship

1990

All County Senior Reserve Football Championship

1981

All County Under 12 'A' Football Championship South Down Under 12 'A' Football Championship

1980

South Down Under 12 'A' Football Championship

1975

All County Minor Football Championship South Down Minor Football League All County Under 16 'A' Football Championship South Down Under 16 'A' Football Championship South Down Under 16 Football League

1972

South Down Under 16 Football League

Successes per age group

All County Division 4 Champions 2009 County Intermediate Championship 1996 County Junior Championship 2007

County Senior Reserve Championship 1990

County Minor Championship 1975 and 2002 County Minor League 2002 South Down Minor League 1975 and 2002

Ulster U17 Championship 2002

County U16 Championship 1975 and 2001 South Down Under 16 Championship 1975 South Down U16 League 1972, 1975 and 2007

County U14 League 2004 County Under 14 'B' FC 2007 South Down Under 14 'B' FC 2007 South Down Under 14 'C' League 2010

County U12 Championship 1981 South Down U12 Championship 1980,1981 and 2002 South Down U12 'B' Championship 2005 South Down U12 League 2001 South Down U11 League 2001

Ladies Successes

As Iveagh Down Senior League and Championship 1994, 1995 & 1996

As Iveagh Bosco Ulster Intermediate Championship 1999 Down Senior League and Championship 1998, 1999, 2002 & 2001

As Bosco Down Senior League and Championship 2004

South Down Under 14 Championship 2007

See also

• Down Senior Club Football Championship
• List of Gaelic Athletic Association clubs

External links

• Official Newry Bosco GAA Club website
• Official Down County website