THE PRESENT CLUB

By the early 1960's, the school population was rising again. Challenge games were organised on an informal basis between Crock, Greencastle and Cashel schools. The breakthrough by Down to win the All-Ireland title in 1960 and 1961 had through the medium of radio, encouraged many young boys to aim to become the James McCartan's and Sean O'Neill's of the future. These stars practiced their skills in Hugh O'Neill's field below Crock School and Eddie McCullagh's below Greencastle School and in fields in the vicinity of the other schools at Cashel and Broughderg. From these small beginnings, challenges were issued and accepted. One particular challenge brought the reward of tea for the winning team in Hugh O'Neill's house after a game between Crock and Greencastle, which Greencastle duly won. The return game brought a similar prize from the Donnelly household in Maryville. The game was won by Crock and the tea gratefully consumed. It is interesting to that that both the O'Neill and Donnelly families had a long association football in the Parish.

By the middle of the 1960's, a club in Mountfield competed in the West Tyrone Juvenile and Minor competitions. Many of the players who played were from Greencastle. In 1966 the Mountfield minor team reached the West Tyrone Championship final where Beragh beat them on a score of 3-04 to 3-01. On that team were the following Greencastle players: Sean Teague, Brendan Morris, Frank Tracey, Dominic McCullagh, Jim McCrory, Peter Bradley, Anthony Keenan, Perry McCrory and John Tracey. Other panel members were P.J. Devlin, Francis Keenan and Sean Clarke.

1967 saw the entry of that Mountfield Club into the West Tyrone Junior League where many of the 1966 Minor players tasted their first adult competition. At the same time P.J. McDermott, Peter Tracey, Frankie Clarke and Colum Devlin were playing with Gortin, where they were part of a very successful Gortin team. Indeed Colum Devlin when on to play for Tyrone minors who won the Ulster Championship for the first time since 1948. Colum therefore was the first player from the Parish to win an Ulster Medal. Tyrone also won the Ulster Minor League for which Colum also has a medal. He also became the first player to play in Croke Park in an All-Ireland Semi-Final, where Tyrone were defeated by Cork.

A panel of player for the Junior League for Mountfield would contain the following Greencastle players: Peter Keenan, Anthony Keenan, Peter Teague, Paddy J. Conway, Jimmy Coyle, Gerard Molloy, Raymond Tracey, Sean Clarke, Frank Tracey, Sean Teague, Frank Ward, P.J. Devlin and Michael Ferrity. It was also notable that E.V. McCullagh was always advertised as a meeting place.

A Mountfield minor panel for a league game with Pomeroy contained exclusively Greencastle players as follows: Sean Clarke, Frankie Clarke, Liam Ferris, Francis Keenan, Dominic McCullagh, Brendan Morris, Peter Bradley, Perry McCrory, P.J. Devlin, Tony Keenan, Anthony Keenan, P.J. Conway, Raymond Tracey, Frank Ward, Peter N. McAleer and Declan Morris.

The 1967 Junior League proved to be a low-key beginning for Mountfield. Towards the end of the year, Peter Tracey and P.J. McDermott were transferred from Gortin. 1968 also proved to be nothing exciting. During the 1967-68 period, the Mountfield committee also contained a number of Greencastle personnel, namely: Kevin Morris Treasurer and members. Malachy McAleer, Brendan Morris, Jimmy Coyle, Malachy Coyle, Sean Teague, Jim McCrory, P.J. McDermott, Peter Keenan, Sean Clarke and Peter Tracey.