How Naomh Conaill penned their first 100 years

Naomh Conaill are bidding for a fifth Donegal SFC title on Saturday night when they face Kilcar in the delayed 2020 decider.

How fitting after all the delay due to the Covid-19 lockdown, the final should be on the eve of the formation of the club 100 years ago. The founding meeting of the first GAA club in Glenties was held on August 29, 1921.

Those title winning finals were in 2005 - the club’s first - a replay win over St Eunan’s. They had to wait five years for their next title. That was the final win over surprise finalists, Killybegs, and they were crowned champions again in 2015 with another triumph over St Eunan’s.

And it took three games to separate them and Gaoth Dobhair in the 2019 decider for title number four. That was the last time the final was played.

Naomh Conaill were planning to hold centenary celebrations on the last weekend of August. But those celebrations have fallen victim to Covid-19 regulations and are now planned for a later date.

The GAA club in Glenties made an early impact on the fledgling Donegal GAA scene.A mere 10 months after the formation of the first club, Glenties Tanaiste as they were called in the early years, appeared in their first Donegal Senior Championship final in 1922.

On Sunday June 4, 1922, they faced up to Castlefin. The game was played in Ballybofey and Sean Curran, the then county country secretary, was the referee.

In the late 1980s, the club changed name to Naomh Conaill. This followed the return of Fintown players to the club after a number of years. Fintown had their own club in the 1970s and well into the 1980s.

Details on teams and the final score from the ‘22 final are not available other than Castlefin, according to Fr Sean Gallagher’s ‘The Story of the Donegal Senior Football Championship, 1919 to 2001’ won by three points. Almost 20 years elapsed until Glenties once again featured on county final day.

That was the 1941 final and it was played on September 28 in Dungloe, with Gaoth Dobhair the opposition. The gate receipts were £50.

The Democrat at the time reported it was one of the best finals played in the county. The Glenties team featured Columba McDyre, who six years later went on to play with Cavan in the 1947 All-Ireland final win over Kerry - the one and only All-Ireland final ever played outside the country, at the Polo Grounds in New York.

Despite goals from McDyre and Kevin Coulter, Glenties were pipped in the closing minutes as Gaoth Dobhair took the honours with just a point to spare, 0-10 to 2-3.

Glenties were back in the final again the following year, 1942, with Ballyshannon the opponents this time around.
It was played in Ardara with Ballyshannon emerging as the double score 2-8 to 1-4 winners.

As well as McDyre the other big name county players in the Glenties line-ups included goalkeeper Packie McNelis, Davy Brennan in the full-back line - the man who the playing field in Glenties is named after - and Danny Boyle, who was at right half-forward in both finals. McNelis also played for Ulster and Sligo Rovers.

Glenties were one of the top teams in the county at the time. But strangely they did not grace the county final day again until 1965 with Leo McLoone senior the captain, they drew the final against St Josephs - an amalgamation of Ballyshannon and Bundoran - before losing the replay by a point, 1-11 to 1-10 a game that could have gone either way.

Little did McLoone know then that his son, Leo Jnr, would be captaining Naomh Conaill in the final 50 years later.
Another link with the ‘65 team is Jeaic MacCeallbhuí. Jeaic’s grandfather Josie McKelvey from Fintown was an attacking half-back on the team. JD Boyle's grandfather Terence Craig also played.

Nathan Byrne is the only link to the teams of the 1940s. Charlie Byrne was a brother of Nathan's great-grandfather Sonny.
Naomh Conaill certainly have a story to tell from their first 100 years, with many more to come. The next chapter could be with us very soon indeed.