‘We never had any borders in Corlea’ - the rise and fall of the border club

Bejasus, a bit of Karma is an ojus thing! And even though our late great father Willie “The Kid” McLaughlin would not have a bull’s notion what such an exotic title meant, he always enjoyed getting even and, in a way, he did through his sons. 

And he never recognised any frontiers. He was a skilful Gaelic footballer, an All-Ireland medal winning actor - who never stopped - and who coached by the great Tomas MacAna, a marksman, a fisherman, a balladeer, a seanchai and the heartbeat of a unique Donegal/Fermanagh cross border GAA club called Corlea which was founded with the blessing of the Ulster Council in 1932. 

Corlea was a small border townland that had its own ‘Ballroom of No Chance” opened in 1932 and they fought from the Hall to the Crooked Bridge - a distance of 100 yards in honour of the affair - according to the 12 year-old Willie. 

The club held their meetings in the Hall and also put on plays and were allowed to pick players from Belleek. They were unique but had a powerful neighbour in Aodh Ruadh Ballyshannon, who were not too happy about this young upstart on its doorstep. 

The club progressed and had county stars from booths sides of the border, like Patsy Rooney, who played for Donegal and Fermanagh, Eddie John Gonigle (Donegal), Yankee Jimmy and Yankee Tommy Gallagher (Donegal) John Doogan (Fermanagh), Jimmy Mulrone (Donegal) Kevin McCann (Fermanagh) and Paddy Gonigle (Fermanagh) 

Willie hit the frees and was also club secretary and treasurer at different times. In 1946 a young Corlea team reached the Donegal SFL final but were well beaten by a great Gaoth Dobhair team. 

They won a Donegal JFC title in 1947 before what Willie called “the pygmy amateur politicians of the GAA shafted us”. 

It was a three-pronged attack.  The Fermanagh County Board wanted the likes of Rooney, McCann, Doogan and Gonigle while Donegal wanted Eddie John Gonigle and the giant Yankee Gallaghers. 

And it also suited Aodh Ruadh Ballyshannon and a new Mulleek/Belleek combination who went on to win a double Fermanagh League and championship. 

A disgusted Willie refused to have anything to do with either club and went to play for a neighbouring junior club called Cashelard.  But there were a few individuals, long deceased, who also benefited in their GAA careers in the carve up and Willie remembered that too. 

He tried to save the club by suggesting that the respective county boards take the players they wanted for county duty but leave the unique small club intact. But those who mattered said no and Willie fumed in silence. 

“We would have won a Donegal county title but the Ballyshannon big wigs in Aodh Ruadh would not have that, it was a terrible tragedy, and it ripped the heart out of the club and the townland and we looked after the players well, we even bought their boots”. 

Willie McLaughlin's two Donegal-based sons, Liam, who captained Fermanagh senior footballers to a NFL Quarter Final in 1980 and Gerry, who captained the hurlers in 1982 and 1985, on the Battery in Donegal overlooking their home village of Belleek

Willie singlehandedly revived the club in 1951 against a lot of odds and brought in ringers from everywhere, to add insult to injury Ballyshannon won the Donegal SFC with many of Willie’s former comrades on board. 

“I brought them in from everywhere but there was no work, the Hall closed in 1952 and it turned into a townland of trees. 

“But that oul Corlea team would have tightened the jacket on any outfit” he would say as he nonchalantly threw back a Powers in a local pub called “The Congo'' in our townland of Cloghore. 

As the eldest boy I heard all these stories when Willie would be digging spuds on the family farm in Corlea in the 1960s and 1970s. And I often wondered why he did not go to too many club matches (we played football and hurling for Erne Gaels Belleek and we were from Donegal) or to see Liam and I playing for Fermanagh.  

It was only when he was in his 90s and frail that he told me he was so proud of us, and I found out later that he secretly bought the Irish News to follow Liam’s and my hurling and later journalistic career but we were not playing for Corlea, his Shangri La. 

“But bejasus I am even more proud of yiz for captaining Fermanagh and the two of yiz from Donegal. Liam captained Fermanagh senior fotballers in 1980 and I captained the hurlers in 1982 and we were both “illegal”. “We never had any borders in Corlea”