DONAL REID COLUMN: Red Hughs - 100 years old - hold very proud memories

When my editor, Peter Campbell rang to ask me to write about Red Hughs’ centenary from a personal perspective, I was reluctant initially because I’m too young to go back 100 years and thus not qualified to write about such a massive milestone.

But I am almost six decades old, played most of childhood and adult football with the club as well as managing the team on three different occasions, so I accepted the challenge. I have to thank Kieran Bradley, former Red Hughs and Robert Emmets ‘great’ and now historian, for his help. So, let’s take a trip down memory lane.

1919 was a pivotal year in Irish history and in the GAA. Eamon de Valera became President of the Dail and Red Hughs were formed. The new Ireland and the GAA were in their infancy. We were picking ourselves up after World War l and the 1916 rising.

Finn Valley Co-op was formed in 1898 and opened a milk separating plant the following year. In 1970, Finn Valley Co-op merged with other creameries in Donegal to become known as Donegal Creameries which became and still is the largest employer in the area. The majority of Red Hughs players throughout history would have been employed by the company at some stage.

Long before Donegal Creameries got off the ground, the McNulty Bakers in Killygordon village was a thriving business. Some readers may recall a night club called the Bakers Corner, thus the name. The village boasted a tailor, a cobbler, pubs, grocery stores, a haberdashery shop and a post office.

In 1919 we had a sitting MP called Edward Joseph Kelly. After his election in the seminal General Election in 1918, Kelly chose not to be a member of the first Dáil but to remain in the House of Commons representing East Donegal.

Killygordon also had a railway station which opened 1869 on the Strabane to Stranorlar line. It unfortunately closed in 1960. A dirt road ran directly from Enniskillen to Raphoe which carried horse-drawn coaches passing through The Cross and Killygordon on the way. We who live in the vicinity, know The Cross and Killygordon as two distinct and different villages. The are separated by the River Finn. When Red Hughs was formed in 1919, most of the founding members and players hailed from Killygordon. When the club reformed in 1980, the demographics changed to The Cross where the population density was higher.

Obviously, I remember only the second part of Red Hughs 100 years history. As a youngster at Dromore National School, Master Cullen (deceased) introduced Gaelic football and hurling to me. I was nine years of age when Killygordon/Castlefin won the juvenile championship in 1970. Later that year Killygordon and The Cross players played under the Robert Emmetts banner which lasted for ten years.

I was active in many sports back then including my favourite, athletics. Both areas struggled for numbers but these were still great and successful times for us as youngsters. In 1975, we won the county U-14 championship. It wasn’t graded then and all teams were piled in together. Even back in those days, I was committed to the cause, hitching lifts or walking to McCumhaill Park for minor trials at 15 years of age. My efforts paid dividends. During my days as a Donegal minor footballer, we won nothing but it was a fantastic experience.

Red Hughs won their second Junior title in 1981. This was the beginning of a new chapter for the club. I transferred to Bundoran GAA later in 1981 and came under the tutelage of Mr. Brian McEniff having secured the position of Assistant Manager of the Great Northern Hotel. Even playing for Bundoran for the next three years, I was always a Cross man at heart and knew that I would return to my native club one day. In 1982, as a Bundoran player but still having Red Hughs in my bones, I was a member of the All-Ireland U-21 winning team, something that my home community was thrilled about.

From the early ‘80s, Red Hughs went from strength to strength, winning all four divisional league titles culminating in the senior league title in 1994. In the intervening times, we lost two senior championship titles in 1986 and 1991 respectively.

Last year’s Ulster Junior title is the club’s best ever achievement to date. For me personally, I was particularly honoured to come back to Killygordon and The Cross in 1992 with the Sam Maguire Cup. It was a special night for my family and Red Hughs.

The name John Hannigan is synonymous with Red Hughs as John was the first Red Hughs player to wear the county senior colours and was one of the founding members. Many Red Hughs players represented Donegal at senior level and our current man is Stephen McMenamin. It would be remiss of me not mention George Callaghan (deceased) who was chairman in 1981 and Hughie Gillespie (deceased), both who did so much for the club down the years. For a full history of the Red Hugh’s club, you can visit our website.

Gabhaim comhghairdeas go chumann Aodh Rua, Choill na gCuirdeán agus Ádh mór oraibh sna leathanta agus na bliana amach romhainn!