Shorter wait this time around for Pettigo GAA with C Championship win

The wait has been shorter this time. Back in 2018 when Pettigo won the Junior B Championship they were bridging a 65 year gap, but on Saturday last at the Pairc Aodh Rua, Crossroads, they added another trophy, the Donegal ‘C’ Championship with a battling one point win over MacCumhaill’s.

They needed a replay and had to recover from a six point half-time deficit to defeat Red Hugh’s back in 2018 in Donegal Town, and on Saturday it was just as close, holding on for a one point win, 1-5 to 0-7.

They were a point down at half-time (1-1 to 0-5) but they unearthed a new hero in the Border club in the second half when  John Carrigan whipped over three points after Kevin Kane had got them level just 15 seconds into the half.

Carrigan, in his first year with the club, wore the No 21 jersey this year and it has been a very successful year for him, after transferring from Ederney. He explains the jersey number: 

“That’s down to Scotty (McAndrew). He gives every man a number at the start of the year and every man has to stick to the jersey,”  said Carrigan, who says he normally plays in the half-forward line “but I've been doing a bit of sweeping this year.  I was sweeping in the first half and they moved me up in the second half and it worked out well.

“Thank God  we got over the line.

Pettigo celebrate after the win Picture Thomas Gallagher

“That’s the third time we have met MacCumhaill’s. We met them in the league and scraped through by a point and then in the early stages of the championship we again won by a point. And now we have done it again, just about,” said Carrigan, who said he “didn’t know where to look” when Darren O’Leary was lining up a chance of an equaliser with the last kick of the game.

“We were slow to get going again and we have been a second half team all year. Thankfully, we got our act together in the second half.

“We got those couple of points at the start of the half and it drove us on,” said Carrigan, speaking just after the presentation of the cup.

The team returned to the Termon Centre along with their magnificent band of supporters and there was a party atmosphere in the village for the weekend.

Normality was beginning to dawn on Tuesday although members of the team are due to visit the local National School on Friday next with the cup.

Speaking on Tuesday night, captain Kieran McGee: “It was a great ‘oul weekend.”

The success came after soul searching at the start of the year whether Pettigo would be able to field or not. A new chairman, Barry Gallagher, got things together and he got in contact with Pat Gallagher, a Mayoman, who had connections to the area and was living in Kinlough, regarding taking on the management role.

“Pat was heavily involved in Kinlough and it took a couple of ‘phone calls to get him. On the first night at training there were seven or eight there and all Pat requested was some help,2 says McGee.

“He got chatting to Stephen McElrone. Stephen had been with us at underage and all along and played a few years at senior. There was always that more drive in Stephen than most of the other lads. He always wanted more. He went to Ederney as he wanted to play senior football and county football and he felt he had a better chance with Fermanagh.

“Pete McGrath was over Fermanagh at the time and he came to look at him and he took him in and he had a couple of seasons with Fermanagh and won a senior championship with Ederney.

“He had a couple of cruciate injuries then and he retired, but he always wanted to come back to Pettigo. He did an awful lot of work this year regarding training; we had Mark McHugh in with us and Marty McGrath. It was all thanks to Stephen.

“Stephen and Pat worked very well together, a sort of Good Cop, Bad Cop,” said McGee, who said it was great how it all worked out.

“Pat is a Garda in Grange and we had a couple of challenges with Grange during the year.”

The Pettigo club might be limited in playing numbers but when it comes to support, there is a great community spirit behind the team.

“Scotty (Michael McAndrew) is the secretary but he fills so many roles, including filling the ice baths, doing things nobody would do. There were a couple of training sessions in St Michael’s, Enniskillen, using their lights and Scotty went away and ordered Domino’s Pizzas for the lads after training.

“You have Johnny (Robinson) and Pauric (Colton), they are there as long as I remember, in the good days and bad days. They are two sidekicks, you never see one without the other. They are always lining the field. Nobody would ever dare take it on because they wouldn’t do it good enough. We got Johnny a paint liner this year and he loves doing it.

“It was great to see the smile on the faces on them lads in the changing rooms after. They enjoyed it just as much as any of us enjoyed it.  They were kicking every ball along with us,” said McGee.

Sean Robinson on the ball for Pettigo in the final Picture Thomas Gallagher

Jack Britton, who had injured his shoulder against Glenswilly earlier in the year, came on at half-time but unfortunately injured it again in the final. Thankfully, he was able to join the celebrations later in the evening. “He is going to have surgery on it and he is one for the future.”

McGee referenced the Division 2 league final loss to Aodh Ruadh as being a big motivation factor for the win on Saturday. 

“There was a lot of hurt after that and it wasn’t with Ballyshannon winning it; we were more annoyed with ourselves that we didn’t perform to our ability that day and even then we still weren’t far away,” said McGee, who added that there were nine or 10 of the Ballyshannon team playing in the Senior B final.

“It was great for our lads to get the taste of playing against that quality of player. That really drove us on. I know we didn’t win the league final but it held us in good stead for Saturday,” said McGee.

The captain hopes that the success will drive Pettigo on to even better days. “There are four young lads involved with Naomh Brid (Ronan Maher, Luke Kelly, Daithi Moss and Corey Monaghan). Three of them are involved at county development level and that is positive,” said McGee.

On the other side of the coin there were only three new pupils at the primary school this year with only one boy. “Numbers will always be a problem in Pettigo, but there are plans for a major development next year to build a stand similar to Ballintra with a walking track around it,” said McGee, who says that they want to include everyone in the village and have a facility for all.

They hope to have Paul Robinson, their best player in 2018, back from Australia early next year and Jarlath Leonard is due back from New York. “You would hope that last weekend will stand to us going forward for 2024.”

Aidy Britton hits the ground after winning possession Picture: Thomas Gallagher