1972

The 1972 Annual General Meeting was held on the 16th January in the Parochial Hall. Officers elected were:

President: Rev Fr H. McFaul PP
Vice-President: Rev Fr P. Mullan CC
Chairman: P.J. McDermott
Vice-Chairman: Eamon McAleer
Secretary: Brendan Morris
Assistant Secretary: Sean Clarke
Treasurer: Peter Keenan
Committee: Peter Tracey, Jim McCrory, Francis Ward, Kevin Morris, Peter McDermott. Team Captain Francis Ward. Vice-Captain Jim McCrory.

This was a year when emigration tore the heart out of the team, losing players like team captain Francis Ward, Seamus Leddy, Peter Tracey and Paddy McKenna to the USA. However, the team took each game as it came and eventually came out on top of their section of the league. In the final of the league, Omagh was the opposition. The panel of players for that game was: Jim McCrory, Perry McCrory, Francis Keenan, Bernard Keenan, Sean Clarke, Sean Teague, Mickey Heagney, Peter Teague, Dominic McCullagh, Gerry McCullagh, Colum Devlin, Paddy McCullagh, Mickey Haughey, Peter McDermott, Anthony Keenan, Brendan Morris, Des Tracey, Mickey Fox, P.J. McDermott and Francis Clarke. The following article is a copy of the Ulster Herald report on this League Final.

GREENCASTLE WON JUNIOR LEAGUE (Report from Ulster Herald)

Greencastle are the 1972 winners of the West Tyrone Junior League, when at Pomeroy on Sunday they beat Omagh by 1-8 to 0-3. In spite of enjoyment a far greater proportion of the play than their opponents, Greencastle made heavy weather of defeating this young Omagh team.

Good defensive work by the Omagh backs, Harry Barbour and Sean Healy, and Brian Curran in goals, plus some bad misses by the Greencastle forwards before M. Heagney opened the score with a point after 18 minutes. Further points by P. McCrory and Peter McDermott (2) left the half-time score 4 points to nil in favour of Greencastle.

The second half started with Greencastle on the attack. Points per P. McDermott (free) and P. McCrory left Greencastle leading by six points entering the final quarter. Omagh then took up the running but found scores hard to come by due to the great defensive work by Sean Clarke, Peter Teague, Gerry McCullagh and Brendan Morris. Michael O'Neill opened Omagh's account with a point. A Peter McDermott point put Greencastle further ahead. Mickey O'Neill pointed a free for Omagh. Anthony Keenan, the Greencastle goalkeeper, turned a fine effort from P. Kelly over the bar, which turned out to be Omagh's last score. A point per Bernard Keenan and a fine goal by Peter McDermott - who had a two great efforts saved by Curran the Omagh keeper in each half - closed the scoring.

It would be hard to single out any Greencastle player, but I think Gerry McCullagh and Brendan Morris, wing half backs, were the best players on view, ably assisted by Sean Clarke, Colum Devlin, Peter McDermott, McCrory brothers and M. Heagney.

Omagh were best served by a great young goalkeeper, Brian Curran, Michael O'Neill, H. Barbour, G. Turbett and D. Butler. A special word of praise for the man in the middle - referee Mick McCullagh.

The 1972 Championship run concluded with defeat against Clogher after a replay. The reason for that defeat seems to have been that a total of 18 wides were recorded during the game. Despite that defeat, the strength of the team was shown by the successful league campaign and outings such as in the Camus Cup against Senior Club Aghayaran, when they were defeated by a single point on a scoreline of 3-08 to 3-07, even though short as many as five regular players.