The Glen-Kilcar Division 1 rivalry - back after 22 year gap

This Sunday will see a renewal of one of the fiercest rivalries in club football in Donegal when Kilcar travel to Pairc na nGael in Glencolmcille for their first clash in Division 1 club football in 22 years.

It’s hard to believe that the clubs have not met in the top flight since 2002, with Naomh Columba victorious by a single point, 2-11 to 2-10. They have met since in a Gaeltacht final and also in Division 2 with Kilcar the victors on those occasions, but Glen hold the bragging rights in the top flight before Sunday.

The stories and banter surrounding clashes in the past are the stuff  of legend and new Kilcar manager, Michael Hegarty, says they have a man in their backroom team, Seamus Gallagher, who was a big part of that history.

“All the boys are looking forward to it. It’s been a good while since we played them so they’re looking forward to the game and the craic that leads up to it,” says Hegarty, who when told it was 2002 when they last met, recalled hearing about it.

“I’m just thinking of that now, I wasn’t playing. My mother had just passed away that weekend. Someone told me that Glen beat Kilcar and I think Kilcar missed a penalty near the end. It sticks in my head. I didn’t think it was that long ago,” says Hegarty.

Everyone on both sides of the divide has memories of the clashes. At the weekend I met former Kilcar player Tommy McFadden and his eyes lit up when I mentioned the meeting this weekend. “You never needed a team talk when you were going in to play Glen,” said McFadden.

Kilcar team of the 1980s

The new Kilcar manager, Michael Hegarty,  recalls an incident from the All-Ireland Gaeltacht final in Glen in 2008.

“It’s unreal. We played them in the Gaeltacht (final) in 2008 and we had actually one of our supporters come in while we were togging out and having the team talk. And he started banging the table. I don’t think he remembers it. He started banging the table and going around getting boys revved up and he walked out of the dressing room then before the game started.

“It’s some craic. Some boys get carried away with it but it’s all good fun.

“The weather was great. It was a fabulous weekend and it was a massive success for them. We were in the marquee afterwards and within a matter of one or two hours the heavens opened. There was a great buzz around,” said Hegarty, who regrets that the meeting this year was not on a Bank Holiday weekend in May or June.

While the same passion might not be there with the younger generation, he still feels the players are buying into it.

“Probably not. The two teams that time and for so many generations were very strong. You had a lot of players on the border line, should they be playing for Kilcar? Should they be playing for Glen? That was embroiled into the whole thing.

“But the players of today have listened to the stories. They are mad to be part of that and to be back playing Glen again, they are looking forward to it.

“I hope that both teams can stay in Division 1 for the next 10 years to try and build up a good fierce rivalry again which would bring the players of both teams on.

“A good thing about these games, once the game is over the boys have great respect for each other. But once the whistle starts, they would take the head of each other. They know each other so well and afterwards they can go up and have the craic and have a beer or two.

“When it’s switched off, it’s switched off but when it’s switched on, it’s switched on and it is very good.”

Hegarty says that the two clubs take the best out of each other. “The Glen and Kilcar players would have played well as a team together (in Carrick VS). I think they got the best out of each other when they played for Carrick VS and Carrick would have been successful because of that.

“The younger players are looking forward to it and they will love the atmosphere and hopefully it’s a good game.”

At one time in the past there was just one club in the area and Hegarty agrees that that might be the case again, but not in the near future.

“There was a few years ago before we got strong again people were contemplating that, especially at underage. To be fair Glen have done a lot of work at underage and even in the last few years Paddy J (McGinley) was able to keep a lot of the young players playing and keep them at home.

“We were probably in the same situation a few years further back when we were definitely on the borderline of whether we would be fit to put out two teams.

“At the minute it seems to be okay and both teams seem to have loads of players and are able to field two teams. Another 10 years and there will be big changes again.

“They would have started all off together. One club would have got a bit stronger and they just moved away and then Glen gathered and pushed on.”

But this weekend it will be a battle. “There’s a great tradition and great stories, great fun stories that people will always tell that went on and the craic. And that’s all part and parcel of it.

“If you had that buzz every weekend wouldn’t football be in a great place,” said Hegarty, who has strong views on club football and feels the present club championship needs to be looked at.

“The new county board needs to  take a look at the club championship. We have to get back to the old knock-out championship, home and away. That is real championship and that’s what brings out the crowds,” said Hegarty, who is joint manager of Kilcar with Paul Devlin. Apart from Seamus Gallagher, Barry Doherty is also part of his backroom team.