Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Club Focus: The future looks bright for progressive Shandonagh

They are a club steeped in history and the area has a proud tradition of bringing Gaelic games to the local community it serves since the early days of the 1900s. There were the inevitable breaks and interludes that seem to have affected most rural GAA clubs, but Shandonagh, like a phoenix, rose to win that precious Junior title in ’79 (following defeats in the ’68 and ’77 finals) and from there things developed as more and more dedicated people got involved.
That victory over Castledaly (1-7 to 0-5) in a replay on 4 November, ’79, was one of the club’s finest achievements until more recent times. They also captured the ’87 Junior Championship by defeating Delvin, again following a replay, after a late Gerry Hickey goal salvaged a draw.
There was always a great Gaelic tradition in the Walshestown area and they won a Junior title in 1952 and after a stint in senior football, a new Shandonagh club emerged in ’68. It had been disbanded back in the 1920s but after its re-emergence, Shandonagh grew and today the club retains its proud place in the senior grade where they are anxious to remain as a bright future beckons.
Significantly, Shandonagh celebrated its 50th year with a famous victory in the Intermediate Football Championship in 2018, their first ever title at this grade. They had came close in 2007 and again 10 years later in ’17 (losing to both Ballinagore and St Mary’s, Rochfortbridge in games that could have gone their way) but the breakthrough two years ago was a highly significant one for the club.
They looked comfortable at senior level last year and with an abundance of players streaming through from quality minor sides of 2015 and ’16 (the former a defeated finalist, the latter a championship winner), the future looks secure. An under 16 title was also secured in 2014, which shows the kind of incremental progress the club has made as it now serves a growing population base on the outskirts of Mullingar.
Shandonagh is now firmly established on the Westmeath GAA map.
Over the years some prominent people have been associated with the growth of the club, names like Gerry Hickey, Tom Duffy, JJ Scally, Ollie Brennan and Ollie Reilly. The names of Mick Hewitt and JJ Cummins are associated with that Walshestown success in ’52 and Mick went on to play for Shandonagh in the Junior Football Championship finals of ’68 and ’77.
The breakthrough came for that team in ’79 and players such Tom Creagh, Tom Duffy, John Lyons, John Smyth, JJ Scally, Ned Tynan, Richie Kavanagh and Ciaran Conway were prominent.
They also tasted success in the Junior Football Championship of ’87, a team that included names likes Mick Lynn, Gerry Hickey, Frank Conway, Tom Smyth, Tommy Carey, Joe Tynan and JJ Lynch.
The Shandonagh panel of 2018 was: Damien Fox, Conor Craig, Daire Conway, Maitiu Scully, Ben Treanor, Aaron Craig, Gareth Carr, David Duffy (Capt.), Alan Hickey, Ciaran Shanley, Kevin Boyle, Conor McCrossan, Mickey Boyle, Brian Kavanagh, Tom Molloy, Cathal Craig, Luke Tynan, Eoin Conway, Barry Sheridan, Christy Coyne, David Scahill, Jeremiah Scully, Philip Smyth, Jenson Nagle, Damien Moran, Alan Hughes, Martin Flanagan, Barry McWade, Ryan Norris, Sean Reville, Tommy Brennan, Aaron Flanagan, Daniel Allen, Ronan Ward, Conor Hayden, Cathal Bane, Zane Carroll, Brendan McVeigh, Cormac Coyne, Kevin Duffy.
The team was managed by one of its own, Kevin Hickey, making the breakthrough success all the more sweeter. Kevin was a member of the Westmeath minor football side that won the county’s only All-Ireland minor football title in 1995, playing a very prominent role at full back on that famous team.
David Duffy, who captained Shandonagh to that famous 2018 victory over Milltownpass, was a regular midfielder for Westmeath for many years in the noughties, while Tom Molloy also featured for the county and other players such as Brian Kavanagh and Gareth Carr have been part of Westmeath panels. Several younger players have represented the Lake County on different occasions.
Looking back to the 1980s, Ned Tynan was a regular on Westmeath senior football teams.
THE FUTURE
Looking to the future, Shandonagh has a very successful underage structure which serves a growing community and they are planning a major development at their present grounds in Kilpatrick, which includes securing over six acres. The major development will come at a cost of approximately €1.4m.
The very sagacious Brian Cody was a guest of honour in Shandonagh some three years ago as the club celebrated underage success, which included their first ever minor football title. The legendary Kilkenny man’s advice was pretty straightforward.
“Everyone talks about being the best you can be, but I honestly believe you can never get that far. Because no matter what level you get to there’s always another level there to reach. You can never say, I can never get better. You can never say, ‘I have this game cracked’, there’s nothing, nobody can stop me now’. If you ever go out with that attitude you’ll be gobbled up,” he told the gathering.
“Always go out with that drive, determination, that attitude that ‘there’s nothing going to stop me’. You’re forever looking to improve, to improve, to improve. That’s the attitude to have,” enthused Cody.
Clearly the club took that advice on board as a year later they were celebrating their maiden success at intermediate level. This year’s activities have been interrupted by the Covid-19 emergency which has led to a cessation of competitions, but its hoped there will be a return to action at some stage.
The Shandonagh GAA Club has been at the heart of Gaelic games in the county for many decades and their future certainly looks bright for this progressive organisation which contributes very positively to the local community.

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