C.L.G. Na gCealla Beaga

C.L.G. na gCealla Beaga[2] is a GAA club based in Killybegs, County Donegal, Ireland.

C.L.G. na gCealla Beaga
Na Cealla Beaga
Founded:1924
County:Donegal
Nickname:The Fishermen[1]
Colours:         Red and White
Grounds:Eamonn Byrne Memorial Park
Coordinates:54°38′17.62″N 8°29′05.29″W
Playing kits
Standard colours
Senior Club Championships
All Ireland Ulster
champions		 Donegal
champions
Football: - - 6

They have won the Donegal Senior Football Championship six times, most recently in 1996.[3]

History

Founded in 1924,[4] the club have had teams break up several times in their history.[4] They play football only, though — in the past — played hurling too.

From 1967, the team played at the coastal venue Fintra Park, subsequently renamed McDevitt Park; that year Donegal and Mayo played a game to mark its opening.[5]

They contested the Donegal SFC decider seven times between 1988 and 1996, winning five of them.[1] The first of the five was the defeat of local rivals Cill Chartha in the 1988 decider.[1] It ended a 36-year wait for the Donegal SFC and was only the second time the club had won the competition.[1] Of that team Manus Boyle, Barry Cunningham, John Cunningham, John Bán Gallagher, Barry McGowan and Conor White had won the 1987 All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship the previous year, while Mark Boyle, Stephen Burke, Barry Cunningham Jnr and David Meehan had played for Donegal in the Ulster Minor Football Championship and also the Donegal under-21 football team.[1] Boyle, Barry Cunningham, John Cunningham and McGowan would go on to win the 1992 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.[1] John Joe O'Shea, a Kerry native teaching at Killybegs Vocational School, was manager of the senior team in 1988 after a fruitful spell as underage manager.[6] The second final of the seven was a loss to Naomh Columba in 1990, the third a 2–11 to 2–9 victory over Red Hughs in 1991.[6] The fourth of the seven finals occurred in 1992 and involved Naomh Columba again, though this time Naomh Columba lost.[6] The fifth final was in 1993; Cill Chartha defeated them.[6] They then won consecutive Donegal SFCs for a second time in 1995 and 1996.[6] Jimmy White took over as player-manager from O'Shea at the beginning of 1991; he had no selectors and Michael Gallagher trained the team.[6]

In the midst of this successful run, the club reached the final of the 1991 Ulster Senior Club Football Championship.[1] Denis Carberry was team captain that year.[1] However, one third of the team were absent for the Ulster campaign due to employment in fishing in the North Atlantic: these were Carberry, Conor White, David Meehan, Rory McNelis and Mickey Campbell.[1] They were the away side in both the quarter-final and semi-final, defeating Derry champions Dungiven (featuring Joe Brolly) in the former and Down champions Downpatrick in the latter.[1] Ahead of the final in Omagh, John Bán Gallagher got injured.[1] Carberry, Meehan and White were flown back to the mainland to compete in the game.[1] However, the team lost to Castleblayney Faughs by a scoreline of 0–8 to 0–6.[1] Tony Hegarty had a late goal chance that would have won the game but it went inches wide.[6] Declan Boyle and Peter McGinley, who would later play under-21 and senior football for the county also emerged aged 17 in 1991; Boyle played in all the club's games during the 1991 Donegal and Ulster Club SFC campaign, while McGinley only played in the three Ulster Club SFC matches.[6]

The club were thrown out of the 2002 Donegal Senior Football Championship at the semi-final stage after breaking the rules.[7]

They came from nowhere to reach the final of the 2010 Donegal Senior Football Championship, with Manus Boyle even coming out of retirement at the age of 44.[8] But Naomh Conaill defeated them, following a series of injuries in advance that made competing in that game all the more difficult for the Peter McGinley-managed team.[9][10] A further final appearance came in the 2013 Donegal Senior Football Championship; this time they lost to Glenswilly.[11]

Notable players

Managers
Years Manager
1924–1980s?N/A
c. 1988–1991John Joe O'Shea[6]
1991–199?Jimmy White[6]
c. 1996Pauric McShea[13]
c. 1996–200?N/A
?–2008Manus Boyle and Barry McGowan[14]
2008/09–?N/A
c. 2010–?Peter McGinley[10]
201?–presentN/A

Honours

References
  1. Craig, Frank (30 April 2020). "A Grand Old Team To Play For: When the boys from Killybegs battled to the Ulster decider". Donegal News. p. 52–3. Also published in Gaelic Life.
  2. "killybegsgaa". Retrieved 9 May 2009.
  3. "Roll of honour". Archived from the original on 12 July 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2009.
  4. "Club history". Retrieved 9 May 2009.
  5. "Incredible photo of old GAA pitch with the most beautiful backdrop". Hogan Stand. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  6. "Killybegs 1991, one of the greatest Donegal teams". 14 October 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  7. Foley, Cliona (19 September 2002). "Furious Killybegs thrown out of championship". Irish Independent. Retrieved 19 September 2002.
  8. Boyle, Donnchadh (2 October 2010). "Boyle looks to defy logic and inspire injury-hit Killybegs to shock title success". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2 October 2010. The 44-year-old started training for a marathon, but the hard road was unforgiving and reignited a few old injuries. The sod of the club's field was more forgiving… Incredibly, he has featured off the bench in recent matches and he's likely to do the same tomorrow.
  9. "McLoone proves too hot". Irish Independent. 4 October 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  10. McNulty, Chris (5 October 2013). "SFC: Jason Noctor and Killybegs aiming to make up for 'wasted chance'". Donegal News. Retrieved 5 October 2013. …Peter McGinley's injury-ravaged side were well beaten by Naomh Conaill… Matthew Smyth is just after a year training with the county squad… Noctor dabbles in soccer and has been on the books of both Finn Harps and Sligo Rovers in recent seasons… He was on the Donegal panel in 2011 himself, but pulled the pin after a season of little gametime.
  11. "Donegal SFC final: Murphy delivers man-of-the-match display". Hogan Stand. 21 October 2013. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  12. McNulty, Chris (18 July 2015). "Donegal's 1990 Ulster winners will be honoured tomorrow — here is their story". Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  13. Moran, Sean (9 July 1997). "[P. J.] McGowan calls it a day with Donegal". The Irish Times. Speculation as to [McGowan's] successor has already begun… Selectors from '92, Seamus Bonner and Micahel[sic] Lafferty have also been mentioned, as has Padraig[sic] McShea, a close associate and former playing colleague of McEniff's, who impressed when coaching Killybegs to a county title last year.
  14. Foley, Alan (8 January 2009). "The heroes of '92 - Where are they now?". Donegal Democrat. Archived from the original on 18 December 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2009. Along with Manus Boyle, McGowan co-managed Killybegs until last year.
  15. "Donegal SFC final: Murphy delivers man-of-the-match display". Hogan Stand. 21 October 2013. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
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