Club History >> Newry Shamrocks GAC, Co Down 1940 to 1950

Newry Shamrocks 1940 to 1950

Newry got to their first final in 1942. The seniors reach the final of the county championship before going narrowly under by 3 pts to Bryansford, the venue being at Mayobridge. Four years later, they reach the SENIOR, JUNIOR and the MINOR finals. The senior’s had a great win over Castlewellan but the juniors were well beaten by Saul the minor’s beat a much fancied Ardtole team. This was the year, 1946, DOWN won their first ever All Ireland title, the juniors taking the honours, on the team was Newry men. They were Gerry Brown and Malachy Short while on the senior team was Jackie Short, Malachy Small and Bill Campbell.

League Champions 1946-47

In 1947 once again we were back in the final but were beaten by Clonduff, but we got one over them we beat them in the final of the league. In 1948 our minors were back in the final and they beat Kilkeel after a replay. [An interesting point of the ’42 final was the arrest on Saturday night of Oliver Keenan the Newry goalkeeper, his only crime being the love of our National games-luckily he released on Sunday morning and went on to play his part in the memorable final].

The ideas of Fr Esler had been successful in football in Newry, however things were not easy but for the great effort made by the committee who, along with G. Brown, F McGreevy that trained the team, Alfie Mattews who represented both Meath and Louth in his early days secured the services of his personal friend Peter McDermott to coach them.

The first Down team that won the Dr Lagan cup had three members of the club they were the two brothers Fr. Jackie Shortt and Malachy Shortt and Gerry Brown.

Jack Brady a Shamrocks minor playing with Down minor team in 1940, playing in Newcastle in the Ulster minor championship against Tyrone scored a goal from the fifty direct and in the same game he scored a second goal from outside the fifty yard line. Jack came from Home Avenue in the town and played with the senior team in the mid forties at the club.

The men from the club who won on two separate occasions meet with the President of Ireland. The first was the team that won the Junior All Ireland in 1946 with Fr Jackie Short and Gerry Brown. The second photo has the young Eddie Burns with the famous 1960 team members with Eamon De Valera that won the first senior title and the first team to take Sam across the border also in the team was Tony Hadden.

A Unique Achievement

Proudest men of the Shamrocks1956 winning team were, of course, T.P. Murphy and Tim McCoy. Both of these men figured on the Shamrocks teams, which won the championship on two previous occasions 1946 and 1951. These were two players who made their mark, not only in the club football but also played for their county. To have the distinction of three senior championship medals was only the deserved honour for such a unique effort. Both men seen here with Bro. R Southwell who was a hurler and Fr H Esler at his golden jubilee. He was presented with a painting of Park Esler.

Tim McCoy, Brother Southwell CBS, Fr Esler and TP Murphy

Larry Beattie

Larry Beattie you might say was involved with the club from the beginning, eventually becoming Chairman in the late 50s. He alone was the man responsible for the present financial standing of the club. Everything that the club now owns can be traced to his foresight.

It all began in humble beginnings at the Old Scout Hall in River St, and culminated with the building of our Shamrock’s Hall in Boat Street in 1969. Larry made it all happen with Bingo, being first to introduce it to Newry, and running excursion trains to Dublin during Downs Glorious years at headquarters and also being responsible for many non-stop draws.

Larry had every aspect of our culture at heart, not content with his work for the club and the Association, he was deeply involved in the Green Cross fund, and when the troubles came and with it internment, Larry was to the fore in this project and was instrumental in alleviation the hardship in many families, and his house was an open door to everyone. In between all this, his loyalty to Shamrocks remained unbowed and he even held down the job as County Registrar for many years. Larry was a remarkable man dedicated to the cause he cherished, one wonders how he managed it all, alas everything must come to an end and Larry’s death at an early age was a great loss not only to the Shamrocks club which he helped to build, but to the Gaels of Down and to various Charities in which he was involved. Shamrocks had lost one of its greatest Clubmen and

Ireland

, one of its finer sons.

A legend in our lifetime

A Motivator with strong

Integrity and Commitment

An example to the young