Since it’s founding on the 13th.of September 1881 Strokestown GAA Club has been organising and promoting Gaelic games in the parish. Like the area itself it has experienced change but apart from different players and officials down the years and perhaps rule changes to the game of Gaelic football, the aspiration to play and represent your parish remains a constant. The ancient game is still coached to the young by those committed to handing on the skills they themselves were given, people still put themselves forward to look after under age teams and almost everyone continues to wrestle with the ageless question ‘how will the seniors do’?.
In the early years the club was very much associated with the national question and in particular the issue of land. The first captain and Treasurer of the club Mr. J. Walpole was expelled in October 1889 because of his status as a large landowner in the area. There is no record of him taking his case to any court of appeal. Maybe after eight years he felt he had had enough. It is interesting to note that despite the nationalist outlook of the club in earlier years in later times the home pitch was on grounds made available by the Pakenham Mahon family at Strokestown Park House. This arrangement lasted quite successfully until the club acquired its own grounds at the ‘Turn of Farn’ later called ‘Shevlin Park’ after one of the greats of Strokestown football Tom Shevlin. The club was reformed in 1889 and became known as Strokestown Brian Boru’s. Various other clubs formed, in Kiltruston Eireann go Breá, in Cloonfree Eamonn Ceannts and Carniska also formed their own club. Despite the various different entities emerging, Strokestown became the dominant club and is reputed to have won the first official county championship in 1890 beating Bornacoola O’Neill’s to win the presidents medals donated by County President Jasper Tully. Young men from outside the parish often played for Strokestown in particular players from Ballagh and Curraghroe before the formation of St. Faithlaechs.
The club has had its successes and failures down through the years but in the nature of things the failures are forgotten and the successes cherished. The exploits of the great four in a row county champions from 1915 to 1918 are handed down as is the successes of the 26, 28 and 33 teams. The re-emergence of the club as a major force in Roscommon football heralded by the 1971 junior championship win is fresh in the mind and that foundation lead to intermediate in 1977 and senior successes in 92, and 2002. There has been success at underage as well. The fifties were a golden era with minor championships in 53, 54 and 55 and an under 15 title in 56. A fallow period followed until 81 when an under twelve title was won. The minors won in 1990 and the under 12 team won again in 93. The latter team were the backbone of a great under 14 team that won a county title and went on to win the All Ireland Feile in 95. 2005 saw minor and under 21 titles come to Strokestown. The good work at underage level continues and last year the under eleven side won the Keenan Cup, the under sixteen’s won the championship and the under fourteen’s and under twelve’s reached finals, the latter beaten after a third replay. This year the under twelve’s and minors’ won county championship titles and the under fourteen team won a national Feile title.
While the past is remembered with affection the future remains a challenge. The country has changed since the visionaries of 1881 started the ball rolling and Strokestown has not stayed still. The requirement to provide healthy sporting activities for our young people through our native games was never greater. Thankfully we now have greater numbers participating, more games and more teams. This puts pressure on our volunteers and our facilities. More help is always required especially at underage level. The demands on the playing facilities have reached crisis point.
The struggle against the odds to maintain the present pitch in reasonable playing condition has pushed the club in a new direction. Twelve and a half acres has been bought at Lisroyne behind the Secondary School and work is well underway on developing new facilities. The new grounds have been paid for, and this was made possible by the decency of 100 individuals who bought shares to purchase the old grounds. The main pitch in the new grounds has now been constructed and dressing rooms and stand are in the planning stage. It is estimated that it will cost up to €2 million over the next three years to have the facilities developed. Over this period there will be many fundraising events alongside the 300 club draw which has been running for the past year and everyone will have the opportunity to make their contribution. The next stage in the proud history of Strokestown GAA Club has begun and the new facilities will build on the achievements of the past. We all must play a part. We owe it to our parish, to our young, to the next generation and especially to the memory of those who in bad times gave us what we have.
Over the years Strokestown GAA has had many great clubmen and players. Tom Shelvin back-boned the running of the club for 40 years. The current Club ground is dedicated to Tom. It is said that he was one of the best footballers Roscommon ever produced. Originally from Carrickmacross he moved to Strokestown in 1913.
Tom was captain of Strokestown St Patricks when they won the county title in 1915, '18 '28 and '33. He was responsible for the set up of the present club grounds in 1950. He also went on to become County Chairman. He was awarded a Hall of Fame award in 1969, the same year he died. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
We have had many famous players from the club over the years, one such was a player known as 'The Jigger' (John O'Connor). The Jigger was a county star for many years. Michael Donlon, a member of the 1992 winning team (scoring '9.5/10' for performance in the Roscommon Champion Match Report!!) and brother to a present player, Damien, was the county's corner forward for years, winning several Connaught titles. Damien Donlon, the senior teams present inspirational back, played senior for Strokestown since 1988 at the age of 18, and captained the county final winning side in '92. Damian was a member of the county panel since he was only 21, and in 1999 was nominated for an All-Star award for the position of full back. Damien was trainer/manager of the club's U-21 team in 2002. His work with this team the previous year undoubtedly contributed not only to the Junior title victory, but to the County Senior Chamionship secured in 2002 with the help of many of the same U-21's. Gerry Hagan managed the Towns junior team that won 3 titles in 4 years. During this period he also managed the Intermediate team, bringing them to Senior status, and set up the Towns third team, which he also managed. Gerry gave up countless hours to train the several teams he looked after, for which we owe him a debt of gratitude. Coman Shiel: This one I am a bit biased about. Coman managed the age group I am a member of since we were under 14. he brought us to two Feile finals, in Kerry and Mayo, and helped us win one. Still under Comans management we narrowly lost the u-21 final last year and are progressing in this years competition. It is a testament to Coman that so many players that were on the U-14 panel are still playing today, on each of the towns three teams. There are many many people who contribute to the running of the club, week in week out, were it not for people like Sean Collins, our club chairman, and the underage mentors right the way up, a victory like this years county title would not be possible. This years success is testament not only to the players and officials involved, but to the entire club network, players, officials and supporters alike.
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Written
for the Roscommon GAA Yearbook