In 1971, two neighbours in the newly built district of Taghnevan, Clem
McCavigan and Michael Fitzsimmons discussed at length the possibility
of forming a G.A.A club to facilitate the people of the area. Each man
was Aghagallon-born and each had played for Aghagallon Mitchells. It is
extremely difficult that Lurgan born men could ever had taken seriously
the establishment of a new local club. Taghnevan lay just a few hundred
yards from St Francis Street, Edward Street and Shankill Street, in
Lurgan, the heartland of Clan Na Gael, not just thinking and successful
G.A.A. club, but a quite revered institution as well. Cock-of-the-north
in the late '40's and early '50's county championship and league
winners many times over, Clan na Gael generated an allegiance among
people which epitomised the great loyalty so much sought after by all
voluntary associations and organisations. And along comes two men,
modest and committed footballers in their own right, family men who saw
the need for the young to have sporting facilities on their doorstep,
concerned citizens who realised that, as yet, the new housing
development of Taghnevan had no real social focus, and their solution
was - let's plan for a new football club. To Clem McCavigan and Michael
Fitszimmons, two men from the rural area of south-west Antrim, Clan na
Gael was a great club with exemplary tradition but it was somewhat
remote. The peripheral but important telling factor was that the
families who had come to Taghnevan's new housing development were from
districts throughout Lurgan, and from many surrounding rural areas. A
new club would provide the much needed focus; hard work and commitment
would generate the loyalty. The idea had been conceived. What body or
vehicle could bring it through its gestation period ?
In 1965, the first families moved into three-bedroom houses in the
Taghnevan estate. Problems arose as a result of stringent smokleless
zone stipulations and a Taghnevan Tenants Association was formed. This
grouping was to provide much tangible and moral support for the
fledging club in its infancy. Among those who worked hard for both the
tenants Association and the infant club were; Maurice Magee, chairman;
Phillip Mallon, treasurer; Danny Barr, secretary; Laurence Dempsey;
Vincent Riley; Vincent McGibbon; Jim Lappin; Desmond Smyth.
The Tenants Association members met on a very regular basis in each
others houses, with each committee member taking responsibility for a
particular aspect of tenants concerns. Drumlin Drive and Monbrief Walk,
the first built section, were the streets closely associated with
members and meetings.
The first meeting of the new St paul’s club took place in Clem
McCavigan’s house, in mid April, 1971. Whatever the ultimate vision of
each person present was of the future of Gaelic football in Taghnevan
Estate, the first step was to seek registration from the county board’s
books and to enter an U – 14 team in the Sunday morning summer league;
the view of one member present at that initial meeting was that the
exercise was a ‘summer league venture, nothing more’. It is likely,
however, that more long term aims and views sat quietly alongside,
awaiting developments. The first set of jerseys, yellow in colour, were
purchased at 4s.6d (22.5p) per jersey for 20 players; money was donated
by the Taghnevan Tenants Association to defray the initial expenses but
a small group of interested men bagan the task of raising funds for the
club viz. Eugene Horisk, the late Henry Smith and the late Frank
McConville, Denis Seeley, Jim Coleman and Leo Seeley.
The fruits of their fund raising where crystallised in the cheque for
£82.00 paid to Messrs. McGlade & Co. for the club’s brand new rig;
the cheque, the first of many to be written, was dated Febuary 23rd,
1972 and bore the signatures of Phillip Mallon and Vincent McGibbon.
The St Paul’s colours of green, white and orange were adopted as a
result of Offaly’s image of a cultured and masterful team who had won
the All-Ireland Senior Championship in style the previous year. The
mainstay of the clubs early financial drive was the weekly draw,
affectionately known as the ‘hamper’, which offered three prizes, £5,
£2 and £2, for a 10p weekly contribution. How else could a fledging
club without pitch or clubrooms survive? The hamper draw lasted for
years through the commitment and zeal of the McCavigan, Seeley,
Fitzsimmons, McConville and Mallon families.
In 1971, in the U-14 North Armagh League, the club played under the
name Taghnevan. Under manager, Clem McCavigan, and with Sean Coleman as
captain, Taghnevan was a successful team winning the league in their
very first year of participation. In 1972, the committee capitalised on
one most important contributory factor to the clubs expansion, namely,
Taghnevan as a housing estate was growing and growing, and becoming a
very pleasant place to dwell and put down roots. Young families were
moving into the district and as a result teams were entered into both
the U-14 and U-16 leagues and, for the first time, the name St Paul’s
was used as the clubs official name. This indeed was symmetry, St
Peter’s G.F.C. at one end of Lurgan town, St Paul’s G.F.C at the other,
with Clan na Gael and Clann Eireann well established and highly
respected in between. It is now acknowledged that St Paul’s, tracing
its origins to U-14 and U-16 football in both league and championship,
were the dominant force in under age football in County Armagh for
almost a decade in the 1970’s. Young player’s of that era, Jim
McCrorry, Denis Seeley and Michael McDonald, progressed quickly to
representing the county at the highest levels, displaying skill,
commitment and great services as they did so. Michael McDonald may have
summarised succinctly the nebulous factor which generated the under-age
enthusiasm and zeal which prevailed in St Paul’s G.F.C. throughout the
1970’s and beyond:- ‘I sensed a tremendous loyalty all around me when I
was a young player: I had great pride in pulling on a St Paul’s jersey’
.
On Wednesday the 8th January, 1975, Clem McCavigan and Sean Seeley
attended a county Armagh Football League meeting to press the claim of
St Paul’s G.F.C. for admission to the county’s senior league. The
application, which was accepted, was proposed by Arthur Campbell of
Eire Og and Seamus McConville of Clann Eireann. St Paul’s were now a
Division three team. The first game was an away match against St
Michael’s, Newtownhamilton: Bill McCorry was manager, and Colin Farnon
was captain, and St Paul’s recorded a victory, 2-7 to 0-3. That
occurred in late Febuary 1975. By mid-April, the football pundits were
becoming aware that a new football force had arisen in North Armagh.
Tony McGee, writing in the Sunday news of 13th April 1975, reflected
thus:- ‘St Paul’s emerged a few years ago as a force at juvenile level.
They won U-16 honours and last season reached the minor county
championship final, but lost to Killeavey. This year they made their
debut in Division Three of the all-county football league and to date
are unbeaten. But how come there’s room for a new club in a town that
already supports Clan na Gael, Clann Eireann and St Peter’s – three of
the strongest units in the Association within County Armagh.
Here is the first year team to represent St Paul’s G.F.C. at senior
level: Gregory Ruddy, Michael Heaney, Martin McAlinden, Jerome Nash,
Michael McSherry, Colin Farnon (capt), Jim Murray, Maurice McNally, Jim
McCorry, Sean Seeley, Benedict J. Lavery, Jim Green, Martin McCausland,
Gerard McCorry, Denis Seeley. Subs: Marcel Seeley, Danny Barr, Peter
Murtagh, Harry Dixon.
