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By Des Glynn
In the years prior to 1971, soccer was played in many areas in the vicinity of Athenry including Caheroyan, Abbeyrow, Carnaun, Mountain North, Prospect and Tiaquin.
There was an increase in the popularity of soccer after the televising of the 1966 and 1970 World Cups. Many soccer clubs were established throughout the country around this time.
Games in ‘Sweeney’s Field’
Before a Club was formed in Athenry in 1971, soccer was played in ‘Sweeney’s field’ in Caheroyan (the present day 2014 Presentation College sports field). The lads who played there regularly included Pat, Francis and Michael Kilkelly, Juno, Joe, Paul and Kieran Barrett, the Mulkerrins brothers, Joe, Seamus and Richard. The group also included Tony, Jimmy and Leo Coffey, Henry and Gerry Doherty, Patrick, Jimmy and Eugene Corley, Gerry Hall, Des, Vincent and Joe Glynn, Sean Monaghan, Michael Gill, Johnny Delaney, Stephen Burke, Tom Carr, and Anthony and Michael Higgins from Ballydavid. Eugene Corley was later to become the first player from the Athenry Soccer Club to play for a League of Ireland team when he played for the then Galway Rovers (now Galway FC) in their first game in League of Ireland on the 28th August 1977 in the then named Terryland Park (now Eamonn Deacy Park) against St.Patrick’s Athletic.
‘Morrissey’s Field’
When a game was played in Abbey Row in what was then known as ‘Morrissey’s Field’ (just adjacent to the Abbey Row houses), the players were from the town and Caheroyan lads joined in. The town lads included; Packie , Con and Michael ‘Middie’ Flannery, Seamus and Sean Staunton, Gerry Dempsey, Lester McNamara, the Quinn brothers John, Eugene and Seamus, Michael Morrissey, Gerry Stack and the Quinton brothers, Andy, Tom and Pat.
The Caheroyan versus the Town games were hotly contested to say the least. These games were played in ‘Morrissey’s field’ beside what is now (2014) Rooney’s Memorials in Abbey Row.
Caheroyan and ‘Town’ Lads
In the Spring of 1971 lads played soccer in the ‘convent field’, where Presentation College secondary school is now situated. Those playing soccer in the convent field, were mostly Caheroyan and ‘Town’ lads and included Henry and Gerry Doherty, Gearoid and Sean O’Dowd from Park, Sean King (from near the ‘Farmyard’, now Mellows College ) and David Sweeney from Cross street. Gearoid O’Dowd from Park joined the players from the town and Caheroyan who played there. Gearoid was a colleague of Joe Bernie, a musician from Castlebar with the Swingtime Aces showband. Joe played soccer in his hometown and had won a Connacht Junior Cup medal for soccer.
‘Holian’s Field’, Carnaun and Mountain North
Soccer was also played in Prospect in ‘Holian’s field’ behind Gerry Holian’s house, where Gerry and Basil Holian, Stephen Murphy, Richie Walsh, Michael Harte and Stephen Gaughren played.
In Carnaun, Peter and Paddy Gillhooley, Paddy and Tommy Forde, Tommy Fahy, P.J.Killeen, Willie Killeen, Mikey Joe Killeen and others played.
In Mountain North, Kevin Healy and his older brother as well as Gerry Connaughton and Sean Hynes played behind Healy’s house. In Tiaquin, the lads that played included Sean and Gerry Moran, and Ossie O’Grady in Colemanstown.
Decision on St. Patrick’s Day
The decision to form a soccer Club in Athenry was taken by the group playing a soccer game in the convent field on St. Patrick’s day, Wednesday 17th March 1971.They also decided to enter the Galway and District football league. They agreed to hold a meeting to formally establish a club in the Canton Hall. The meeting took place on Saturday night April 3rd, 1971 at 8pm. Des Glynn remembers cycling to Carnaun to invite Peter Gillhooley, Tommy Fahy and the other lads playing in Carnaun to attend.
Officers and Committee Elected
The following Officers and committee members were elected; President: Fr. Martin Gleeson C.C.; Chairman: Tony Coffey; Vice-Chairman: Michael Morrissey; Secretary: David Sweeney; Assistant Secretary: Richard Mulkerrins; Treasurer: Henry Doherty; P.R.O: Francis Kennedy. Committee members: Sean Hynes, Francis Kilkelly, Leo Coffey, Sean King and Des Glynn, Team Trainer: Fr. Martin O’Grady, Junior Team Captain: Pat Kilkelly. Youth (under 18) team Captain: Gerry Doherty.
Decisions Made
After the elections, among the decisions taken at the meeting were the following: a church gate collection was organised for the next day, Sunday. A total of 61 pounds was collected at this church gate collection and 12 pounds in membership.
It was decided to organise a challenge game against West United from Galway for the following Saturday. The new Chairman, Tony Coffey, expressed the wish that the new club would work co-operatively with the local GAA club. Later, both clubs co-operated in running a dance marquee for raising funds for a few years. This proved very successful and a lot of work was done on the marquee committee by Henry Doherty (new Secretary of Marquee committee from 1972) and Leo Coffey.
First Game by a Club Team
The first game played by a club team was an under 18 game played against West United from Galway on the following Saturday 10th April, 1971. It was played in South Park in the Claddagh. The result was 1-1 when West United scored with the last kick of the game to earn a draw. In the game, David Sweeney scored the very first goal for Athenry Soccer Club.
Pitch in the Raheen Sports Grounds
The following day, April 11th 1971, soccer goalposts were erected in the Raheen grounds after permission was given by the Parish Grounds committee who were in charge of the Raheen sports ground. As a result, a section of the Raheen grounds was designated as a soccer pitch. Seamus Cullinane and Fr. Martin Gleeson were on the Parish grounds committee and Jimmy Kennedy was the Secretary.
Early Games
A junior game (over 18) was played against Ballinasloe on Saturday 17th April, in Raheen, Athenry. The game ended in a 1-1 draw with Michael Morrissey scoring for Athenry. On the 24th April, an under 15 juvenile challenge was played against West United in Parish Grounds, Raheen. It ended in a 1-2 win for West United. John O’Donnell from Newcastle scored for Athenry. This game was followed by a junior challenge against Tuam. The game ended in a 4-4 draw. Noel Redmond (Caheroyan) did some coaching with juveniles in Raheen at the time.
First Competitive Win
The first competitive win in juvenile competition came on 13th May, 1971 when Athenry overcame Claddagh Rangers 5-2 in Galway. Scorers for Athenry were John O’Donnell (3), Joe Mulkerrins (1) and Gerry Dempsey (1). Des Glynn was Manager. Transport was in Dick Walshe’s bus. The Club colours at the start of the Club were the same blue colour that Chelsea wore at the time. They won the FA cup in the same year that the Club was established in Athenry, 1971.
