Dungloe GAA
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| Founded: | 1923 | ||||||||
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| County: | Donegal | ||||||||
| Nickname: | Rosses Men | ||||||||
| Colours: | Red and White | ||||||||
| Grounds: | Rosses Park | ||||||||
| Coordinates: | 54°57′08.48″N 8°21′07.55″W / 54.9523556°N 8.3520972°W | ||||||||
| Playing kits | |||||||||
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| Senior Club Championships | |||||||||
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CLG An Clochán Liath[1] is a GAA club based in An Clochán Liath, a Gaeltacht town along the Wild Atlantic Way in west County Donegal, Ireland. The club fields both men's and ladies' teams at all age grades in Gaelic Football, Hurling, and Camogie.
History
The club was founded towards the end of the Irish Civil War in 1923. The first official formation meeting was held in the old RIC Barracks which was then newly-controlled by An Garda Síochana on the Barrack Brae of the town of Dungloe. There are only two known names who were officially present at the first meeting of the club, Garda O’Riordan, who was from Kerry, and a Sergeant Mulhall, who was from Laois.[2]
Dungloe enjoyed early success soon after the formation of the club, winning the Donegal Senior Club Football Championship for the first time in 1930, and one year later they became the first side to retain the trophy. Indeed, the team competed in 6 county finals in 7 years from 1930 to 1936, winning four titles. This period coincided with the starried career of John "Hughie" O'Donnell. O'Donnell had the privilege of captaining Donegal during their successful Ulster league campaigns in 1936 and 1937, [3][4][5] which included a league match played in Dungloe.
An Clochán Liath would wait seventeen years before winning the senior championship again, as their bitter rivals in Gaoth Dobhair dominated the club scene in Donegal. The rivalry reached a violent peak during a Championship meeting between the two sides in 1957 when fights between supporters spilled onto the field during a Championship replay when Dungloe were leading leading to an abandonment. A bread boycott ensued over the following weeks where Gaoth Dobhair supporters refused to buy bread milled in the Rosses. [6] The match was re-fixed in a neutral venue, where Dungloe finally got the upper-hand over their rivals from Gaoth Dobhair.
In total, An Clochán Liath have won the Donegal Senior Football Championship title on seven occasions, the last coming in 1958.
The club has had two players selected to the All-Ireland SFC All Star team: All-Ireland winning full forward Tony Boyle in 1992 and Adrian Sweeney in 2003.
Three men who have represented An Clochán Liath have won All-Ireland Senior Football Championships: Tony Boyle, Adrian Hanlon, and Paddy Prendergast (for Mayo).
Notable players
- Tony Boyle: 1992 All-Ireland SFC winner; two-time Ulster SFC winner (1990, 1992); All Star winner in 1992.
- Adrian Hanlon: member of 2012 All-Ireland SFC winning panel.
- Noel McCole: 123 appearances for Donegal. two-time Ulster SFC winner (1974, 1983).
- Mark Curran: Ulster SFC winner in 2024; Sigerson Cup winner with UCD in 2020.
- John "Hughie" O'Donnell (1910-1954): Four-time Donegal Club Championship winner (1930, 1931, 1933, 1936); first Donegal man to win the Sigerson Cup - back-to-back champion with UCD (1930, 1931); captain of the first Donegal team to play in Croke Park.
- Adrian Sweeney: 136 appearances for Donegal. All Star winner in 2003.
- Paddy Prendergast: Won All-Ireland Championship with Mayo in 1950 and 1951. Last surviving member of the 1951 "cursed" Mayo All-Ireland winning team.
- Gerard McElwee: Ulster SFC winner in 1974.
- Raymond Sweeney: All Star nominee in 2003.
References
- ^ "CLG An Clochán Liath". Facebook.
- ^ "Dungloe GAA celebrates 100 years with launch of club history book". 22 November 2023.
- ^ "Death of Popular Donegal Man". Derry Journal. 16 January 1954. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
- ^ Mac a'Ghoill, Padraig A (2004). Idir Peil agus Pobal - A history of the GAA in the parish of Ardara (PDF). Black Lion Press. pp. 36, 53, 60, 62, 76, 80. ISBN 0-9539372-2-4. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
- ^ Gael's Commentary (11 March 1933). "A Great Game". Derry Journal - Donegal News: 2. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
- ^ "Oral History Naul McCole" (Interview). 18 November 2011.