St Cuthberts C L G

Two under 14 triumphs by
Bohermeen in the ‘60s

Juvenile teams wearing the black and amber of Bohermeen began to make an
impression in the ‘50s and they reached the Under 14 Championship final in
1958 only to lose out in a very low scoring game, St Martin’s winning by
0-3 to 0-2,

Peter Brady, Fr John L Conway, Andy Smith, Peter Smith, Tom Connell, Tony
English and Tom Kerrigan were among thos

e helping to run underage teams in
the parish in those years and the efforts were rewarded when the Juvenile
Championship (under 14) was won for the first time in 1960. John
Reilly, Sean and Seamus Bennett, Jim Flanagan and Rogers were among the
stars of the success. Bohermeen also won the Curran Cup in 1960, overcoming Yellow Furze in the
final. The tables were turned in the 1961 championship decider when Yellow
Furze won out after two replays. Bohermeen won the Under 14 FC for the second time in 1962 when Rathkenny
were defeated on an odd 2-1 to 0-3 scoreline in the final. That team was
spearheaded by lads like Ken Rennicks, John Daly and Tom Ward. The following year Bohermeen and Rathkenny again qualified for the juvenile
final but because they had a key player injured, the men in charge of the
Bohermeen team decided, on a majority vote, not to fulfil the fixture and
Rathkenny were awarded the title. There were a number of lean years before the St Cuthbert’s club was formed
in 1983 and Paddy Kavanagh said the organisation of underage football in
the parish was hit and miss for a few years before that. The Bohermeen and Oristown parishes had been operating at minor level under
the title of John Mitchells. The then Minor Board secretary Fintan Ginnity
helped to form the new club, chairing a few meetings. St Cuthbert’s GFC was founded in Bohermeen National School on February 25,
1983 when representatives of the three adult clubs in the parish,
Bohermeen, Harps and Cortown were in attendance. Liam Brady was elected as the first chairman and Paddy Kavanagh gained the
key position of secretary. Mickey Smith was elected as vice-chairman with
Sean Higgins the assistant secretary. The initial committee also comprised
of James Mallon, Mattie Allen, Dickie Allen, Tommy Murray, Tom Browne, Ken
Rennicks, Jimmy Keenan, Ciaran Keating, John Joe Higgins and Albert
Battersby. The name St Cuthbert’s Bohermeen was decided on. Boyerstown Church in the
parish is dedicated to St Cuthbert. Remarkably when the club celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2008 Liam Brady
was the chairman and John Kavanagh, son of the first secretary Paddy, was
in his fourth term in the position. Five minor successes top
the list of victories

It did not take St Cuthbert’s long to make their mark and in the second
year (1984) the first of three successive MFC titles was annexed. After
losing out in the ‘83 Delany Cup decider, players from Dunderry parish won
the black and amber at minor level and that arrangement worked well for a
few years. St Cuthbert’s proved an invaluable nursery for players to go on and achieve
success at higher levels and Dunderry lads like Tommy Dowd, Sean Kelly from
the successful 1984 to ’86 teams went on taste Meath SFC glory in 1996. A
year earlier Dowd achieved the proud distinction of leading the Royal
County to a Sam Maguire Cup triumph. Many of the underage footballers who represented St Cuthbert’s helped
Harps, Cortown and St Ultan’s to junior/intermediate championship
successes. The ‘90s was a particularly successful decade for the Bohermeen underage
club with two more MFC titles gained and under 14 and 16 championship
successes also being celebrated. Over the last 25 years many people, players, officials and supporters, have
played their part in making St Cuthbert’s so successful. In 2008 the club
catered for up to 250 boys and girls from under 10 up with the Bohermeen,
Martry and Cortown pitches being used for training and playing games. The first 25 years were very successful, here’s to the next 25! Cuthbert was soldier before
becoming a bishop

Although tradition says that Cuthbert was the son of an Irish king, it is
most likely that he was born in the vicinity of Melrose, in present day
Scotland, of poor parents. Certainly we know that he tended sheep on the
hills above the abbey when he was older. The young Cuthbert, who was born in 635, may have been influenced by the
nearby monks of Melrose Abbey in his choice of vocation. At the age of 16
he received a vision of the soul of St. Aidan being carried to heaven by
angels. This vision may have convinced him to enter holy orders at Melrose,
but he did not rush to fulfil his calling. Instead, Cuthbert spent several years as a soldier, probably in the service
of the Kingdom of Northumbria against the attacks of King Penda of Mercia. After that conflict had ended, Cuthbert entered the monastery at Melrose,
where his devotion earned him high praise. When the monastery at Ripon was
founded, it was Cuthbert who acted as master. These were years of conflict between the traditions of the Celtic rite and
the Roman rite in the Catholic Church. In 661 Ripon adopted the Roman
approach, and Cuthbert and his followers returned to Melrose. In 664
Cuthbert became prior of Melrose after the death of Biosil. His reign as prior did not last long as in the same year of 664 the Synod
of Whitby settled the ongoing dispute between Roman and Celtic Christianity
in favour of the former. Cuthbert acquiesced with the Synod's decision and
adopted Roman rule. He was sent to the Priory of Lindisfarne to ease the
transition to Roman tradition in that house. Cuthbert was a perfect choice for such a sensitive role, because of his
reputation for devotion and sanctity and the fact that he himself had been
raised in the Celtic tradition and now supported Roman rule made his gentle
leadership ideal for the job at hand. He spent a great deal of his time at
Lindisfarne evangelising among the people of the area, and exercising the
tact and patience for which he was renowned to lead the conversion to Roman
Christianity. Cuthbert's time at Lindisfarne was short, however. He desired the peace of
a life of contemplation, and in 676 the abbot granted him leave to retire
to take up the simple life of a hermit. Just where Cuthbert chose for his
retreat is uncertain. Some traditions say that the rocky islet of St. Cuthbert's Island, near Lindisfarne, was the spot. Other traditions place
him in St. Cuthbert's Cave, near Howburn. In any case, he did not stay long
and soon moved to Farne Island, opposite Bamburgh. After several years of austere life on Farne, Cuthbert was reluctantly
persuaded to return to a more active role in the church, and became Bishop
of Lindisfarne. His consecration was held at York on Easter, 685. He
returned to Lindisfarne, but his time was short. By Christmas, 686 he felt
his death approach, and Cuthbert resigned his see and returned to Farne
Island. He died on March 20, 687. But the story of Cuthbert does not end there. He was buried at Lindisfarne
Priory, where his tomb quickly became a magnet for pilgrims. Miracles were
reported at his grave; in fact, so numerous were the reported miracles that
Cuthbert was called the ‘wonder-worker of England.’
In 875 the monks of Lindisfarne became alarmed by the threat of Danish
invasion. They fled the island, taking with them their most precious
possessions, including the relics of Saint Cuthbert. The monks of
Lindisfarne wandered for a full seven years, lugging the saint's bones
about with them, until in 883 they were given a church at
Chester-le-Street, near Durham. Ironically, their benefactor was a Danish
king who had converted to Christianity. In the late 10th century a fresh Danish invasion threatened, so the bones
of Cuthbert were moved again, this time to Ripon, over 300 years after he
had first come to the great abbey as a master. After only a few months at
Ripon, the remains of Cuthbert were once more carted off. The intention was to return them to Chester-le-Street, but on the way the
bones lay at Durham, where apparently signs were shown indicating that this
was the place the saint wished to be buried. A series of churches were built to house the relics. The first stone church
was built on the site of the present cathedral, and was consecrated in
about 999. During William the Conqueror's ‘harrying of the north’ in 1069
the bones were moved to Lindisfarne for safety, but soon returned to
Durham. In 1104 they were finally moved to the new cathedral of Durham, where a
suitable shrine had been prepared. During this final move the body was
found to be incorrupt (perfectly preserved) as was the head of St Oswald,
which had been placed with Cuthbert's body for safety. It is from that
point that the head of St Oswald was adopted as the symbol of St. Throughout the Middle Ages the shrine of Cuthbert remained one of the most
popular places of pilgrimage in the north of England. During the English
reformation the tomb of Cuthbert was plundered, but it seems that the monks
had warning, and had hidden Cuthbert's body. In 1827 a secret tomb was
found in the Cathedral. Was the body contained therein the body of St. Cuthbert? The question has
never been adequately settled, though the bones are now displayed as
authentic within the cathedral. Saint Cuthbert is also associated with the Lindisfarne gospels. This
illuminated manuscript was produced by Eadfrid, Bishop of Lindisfarne, in
the eighth century. It is without question one of the best surviving
examples of traditional Celtic calligraphy and illustration. The gospel was
placed by Eadfrid on the shrine of Cuthbert where it stayed until the monks
fled the priory. In a delightful tale, which ought to be true even if it is not, the gospel
was lost overboard as the monks crossed the Irish Sea. As the monks
despaired, a vision of Cuthbert appeared before them and told them where to
find the book. It was found on the shore three days later, in the spot
foretold by Cuthbert, intact save for some minor staining from the
seawater. When the gospel (now in the British Museum) was later analysed, it was
found marked with stains that seem likely to be from salt water. So the
romantic tale contains more than a bit of truth.Three MFC titles in
successive years

1984 – First Delany Cup triumph

St Cuthbert’s celebrated the centenary year of the GAA by bringing the
Meath MFC title to Bohermeen parish for the first time with a 1-9 to 1-3
final victory over Slane at Pairc Tailteann. The previous year St Cuthbert’s, in their maiden season, reached the under
18 championship final but lost out as St Colmcille’s, spearheaded by Robbie
O’Malley and Bernard Flynn, triumphed on a 2-5 to 1-3 scoreline. Slane won the IFC title in 1981 and three of the ‘84 side, Des Lane, Mattie
O’Brien and Ray Wogan, were part of that year’s intermediate squad which
gained championship honours. However, the side coached by former Meath great Ken Rennicks rose to the
occasion better and led by 1-3 to 1-1 at the break, Derek Hickey scoring
the goal. St Cuthbert’s were under pressure during the second half but with P***y
Henry, Tommy Allen and Hickey kicking good points and Phil Fay, Sean Yore
and Frankie Higgins also showing up well, they finished up six points to
the good. Mattie Yore was the winners’ captain. The St Cuthbert’s team and scorers in the 1984 MFC final : Patrick
Kavanagh; Peter Murphy, Phil Fay, Paul McLoughlin; Christy Coogan, Colm
Smyth, Mattie Yore; David Lynch, Sean Yore; Derek Keating, Frankie
Higgins, Sean Kelly; Derek Hickey (1-2), P***y Henry (0-5), Tommy Allen
(0-2). Sub – James Keenan for McLoughlin.

1985 – Goals prove decisive

It’s not often that a team wins a Gaelic football final by scoring more
goals than points but that was the case in the 1985 Meath MFC decider as St
Cuthbert’s retained the title by defeating Oldcastle by 4-3 to 1-4 in
Kells. All of the goals were netted in the second half after the sides were level
(0-2 each) at the break, P***y Henry and captain Derek Keating having put
over the points for Cuthbert’s. Oldcastle restarted strongly to go into a 1-4 to 0-2 lead. They must have
felt confident at that stage but then did not score again. The north county lads were hit with a four-goal blitz between the 49th and
53rd minutes. Donie McGourty and Tommy Allen edged the Bohermeen side into
a narrow lead before
P***y Henry netted twice and Derek Keating shot the winners’ only point of
the second period. St Cuthbert’s had an up-and-coming youngster called Tommy Dowd in goals. The St Cuthbert’s team and scorers in the 1985 MFC final : Tommy Dowd;
Philip Cregan, Philip Cahill, Peter Murphy; Christy Coogan, Phil Fay, Terry
McDonagh, Sean Kelly, James Keenan; Donie McGourty (1-0), Derek Keating
(0-2), Tommy Allen (1-0); Andrew Rennicks, P***y Henry (2-1), John Henry. Subs – Mattie Yore for McDonagh, Paddy Keenan for J. Henry, Tony Coyle for
Rennicks.


1986 – Kelly the star of show

St Cuthbert’s were comfortable winners of the 1986 MFC final as Oldcastle
were defeated for the second successive year at Kells and the Bohermeen
club became the first three-in-a-row recipients of the Delany Cup. Sean Kelly was the star of the show in the 4-9 to 0-3 victory with the
outstanding midfielder and team captain scoring 1-2. He scored the goal at
the end of the opening quarter and with Paddy Keenan netting the second
goal, it was 2-4 to 0-2 at the interval. Oldcastle only managed one point from play for the hour and Leo McEnroe
drove a penalty kick wide in the second half. Donie McGourty and Keenan also did well in attack and both added goals in
the second half as the lead was increased. Tommy Dowd was at left corner
forward and put over two points. James Keenan, Philip Cahill and Ray Rennick were others to impress for the
winners. The St Cuthbert’s team and scorers in the 1986 MFC final : John Brady;
Philip Cregan, James Keenan, Ray Rennick; Vincent Keating, Philip Cahill,
Mattie Yore; Peter Murphy, Sean Kelly (1-2); Tommy Brady, Donie McGourty
(1-2), Terry McDonagh (0-1); Paddy Keenan (2-1), John Henry (0-1), Tommy
Dowd (0-2). Liam Brady a man
of many parts . Liam Brady, the first chairman of the St Cuthbert’s club back in 1983 and
holding the same leading position 25 years later, has contributed much to
the GAA in his own area and at county level over the last half century. His first playing involvement was in goals for the Bohermeen under 14 team
and he recalled being on a league winning team when Kilskyre were beaten in
the final played in Kells. In 1961 Liam filled the number one berth on the Meath minor team which lost
to Longford in a Leinster championship clash at Croke Park. Around that
team he played his first adult football with Martry because Bohermeen had
not fielded a junior team for a few years. The Bohermeen club was reformed in 1963 and there were junior championship
successes for teams from the parish in each of the next two years with
Martry and Bohermeen winning out. Liam Brady was at centrefield alongside brother Brian on the ’65 winning
team which beat The Commons in the junior B final before accounting for
Oldcastle in the overall junior decider. He was in the full back position when Bohermeen beat Moylagh in the 1973
IFC final and when the black and ambers lost narrowly to Summerhill in the
following year’s SFC decider. The man from Greetiagh had the distinction of playing for Meath against the
visiting Australians in 1968 and also lined out for the Royal County
against Mayo at Wembley. He also represented Meath at junior level. For a few years Brady combined playing with refereeing. On a particular
Sunday in 1973 he helped Bohermeen defeat Dunshaughlin in an IFC semi-final
at Pairc Tailteann before going under the stand, changing his jersey and
going back out to handle the SFC final between Navan O’Mahonys and
Ballivor. He also handled the 1980 SFC final between Walterstown and Syddan as well
as officiating at IFC and JFC deciders. Liam Brady followed in the footsteps of father Peter, who also contributed
massively in the promotion of football in Bohermeen, and held a number of
positions with adult and underage clubs in the parish. He was chairman of the Bohermeen and St Ultan’s clubs as well as serving as
secretary of St Ultan’s. This year he combined the chairmanship of St
Cuthbert’s with the PRO duties for St Ultan’s. Liam was secretary of the Meath Juvenile and Minor Boards in the ‘80s and
‘90s and held the former position when the national Feile was held in Meath
in 1991 and ’92. Paddy Kavanagh ….. All-Ireland ‘gig’ among
Kavanagh career highs

Paddy Kavanagh, who was the first secretary of St Cuthbert’s GFC, has
contributed to the GAA on a number of fronts and as well as serving as an
official at club and county levels as being a strong defender and rising to
become one of the top referees in the country. The man from the Well Road, Bohermeen was a late starter as a player, not
lining out until he reached the under 16 age stage and age playing in the
minor grade. Those were lean years for tea\ms representing Bohermeen parish
and Paddy’s first success was enjoyed when wearing the colours of
neighbouring Dunderry. He was among the substitutes on the Dunderry team which defeated Flathouse
by 2-9 to 1-3 to take the IFC title in 1970. Three years later Kavanagh
gained a second intermediate championship medal, this time with Bohermeen. Paddy was left full back and captain (younger brother Jim was at
centrefield) on the black and ambers who defeated Moylagh by 0-13 to 1-7 in
a thrilling IFC final in 1973. The following year he filled a similar role
when Bohermeen lost narrowly to Summerhill in the SFC decider. Paddy went back to play with Dunderry after that before finishing his
playing career back in the Bohermeen colours. In 1981 he was on the
Bohermeen team along with Jim and son John with another son, Patrick, a
substitute as they reached the Junior 3 FC final only to lose to Cortown. By then Paddy was making a name for himself as a referee, having officiated
at the previous year’s Leinster senior and under 21 finals. The high point
of his ‘whistling’ career was being in charge of the 1985 All-Ireland SFC
final between Kerry and Dublin. He also handled the 1983 All-Ireland MFC final between Derry and Cork and
the
following year’s All-Ireland MFC decider between Cork and Mayo. Another big
game on his refereeing CV is the 1985 Leinster SFC final between Dublin and
Laois. On the local front Paddy Kavanagh took charge of his first Meath SFC final
in 1978 when Walterstown defeated Summerhill to take the title for the
first time and he went on to handle seven Keegan Cup deciders up to the
Seneschalstown v Skryne final in 1994. Overall he was refereeing for around 30 years and was the ‘man in the
middle’ for county finals in a number of other grades. Paddy served as the Meath County Board PRO in the ’80 and was secretary of
the leagues committee for a while as well as being chairman of the Meath
Referees’ Committee. Ken Rennicks …. Ken Rennicks was one of
Bohermeen’s best ever

Ken Rennicks, who has been along the sidelines with a number of St
Cuthbert’s teams, notably the MFC three-in-a-row sides from 1984 to ’86,
was surely one of the greatest footballers to emerge from Bohermeen parish. The youngster from Durhamstown, the oldest son of former footballer and
referee Francie, began to show that he was above the ordinary when wearing
the black and amber at under 14 level. He was on the Bohermeen team which won the Meath Juvenile Football
Championship in 1962 and was very disappointed the following when it was
decided not to travel for the final against Rathkenny. Looking back to that
year, Ken said, “I have no doubt we would have won that one too and not
being let play was a big disappointment.”
After representing Meath in the minor grade and being on the county junior
team in 1969, Rennicks made his competitive senior inter-county debut in a
National League game against Louth at Drogheda in the autumn of that year. Ken recalled being marked by Paul Kenny in that game and for the Bohermeen
man, it was the beginning of a memorable few years during which he became a
big favourite with Meath supporters. The year 1970 was a memorable one for Rennicks as he was on the Meath team
(at right full forward) which defeated Offaly in the amazing Leinster final
which finished 2-22 to 5-12 after the Micheal Campbell-coached side came
from a deficit of 11 points to record a fantastic minimum margin victory. After defeating Galway, Meath faced Kerry in the Sam Maguire Cup decider
and the Kingdom side sporting famous names like Mick O’Connell, Mick
O’Dwyer, Johnny Culloty, Donie O’Sullivan and John O’Keeffe won by 2-19 to
0-18 in the first 80-minute All-Ireland football final. One of the high points of Ken Rennicks’ inter-county career was playing a
starring role in the 1975 National League final against the great Dublin
team of the time, who were the reigning All-Ireland champions, in which
Meath turned in a tremendous team display to win by 0-16 to 1-9. Ken gained a ‘player of the month’ award for his display in that game and
later in the year he was selected as centre forward on the Allstars team. In 1974 he was honoured as Meath’s first Footballer of the Year and helped
Leinster win the Railway Cup. He played in the Railway Cups in four different years and took part in four
Leinster finals overall, losing three of them to Dublin. Although troubled
by injuries, Ken continued to wear the green and gold up to 1982 when his
last game for Meath was a losing one as Longford defeated them in a
Leinster championship clash in Tullamore. On the club front Ken Rennicks enjoyed two intermediate championship
successes, with Bohermeen in 1973 and Harps in ’85. Although turning in
another brilliant display, defeat was his lot in the 1974 SFC decider
against Summerhill. Ken continued playing up to his early 40s and in the first year of the St
Ultan’s club he played in the Junior B FC final won by Trim. While Ken Rennicks is mostly remembered as a brilliant and inspiring player
(one of the best from Meath not to win an All-Ireland medal), he also
contributed well as a sideline mentor. He played his part in the success story of St Cuthbert’s and a number of
future stars learned from him. Some of those were on those three MFC
winning sides in the early years of the club. Tom Lynch worked closely with Ken Rennicks with a number of St Cuthbert’s
teams. A teacher in the Beaufort College, Navan, he has been living in
Bohermeen for a number of years. Another man whom Ken Rennicks praised for his contribution to the club is
Jimmy Keenan, who served as chairman and a team mentor over the years. Minor goalkeeper went on to
become popular forward

When St Cuthbert’s defeated Oldcastle in the 1985 MFC final nobody in the
Kells attendance could have envisaged that the winners’ goalkeeper would go
on to captain Meath to All-Ireland senior football glory 11 years later. Tommy Dowd was eligible for the minor grade for three more years when
filling the net-minding role in that game and when St Cuthbert’s again
proved too strong for Oldcastle in the 1986 Delany Cup decider. He had been
‘promoted’ to left corner forward. Tommy Dowd went on to become of Meath’s most popular players, making his
senior championship debut at centre forward in the 3-15 to 0-12 Leinster
first round win over Longford at Pairc Tailteann. He wore the number 12 jersey for the Leinster final victory over Dublin and
was in the same position for the penultimate round success over Donegal. Although dropped for the All-Ireland final against Cork, Tommy came on as a
substitute as the Royal County lost by two points. Dowd figured in all 10 games in the marathon 1991 championship during he
established himself as a top inter-county forward, gaining the first of his
four Allstar awards. Figuring in the four-match saga with Dublin that year
was obviously a career highlight and after gaining the second of his four
Leinster medals, there was disappointment at the end of the long road as
Down claimed All-Ireland honours. When Sean Boylan brought out a new-look team in 1996 Tommy Dowd was the
captain and what a year that turned out to be. After dethroning All-Ireland
champions Dublin in the Leinster final, Tyrone were overcome before Meath
got the better of Mayo at the second attempt to take the Sam Maguire Cup
for the sixth time with the man from Dunderry an inspiring centre forward. While there was much talk about the row in the replay, there was also some
brilliant football and a well-taken goal from Tommy Dowd in the second half
before a sensational late point from Brendan Reilly left the final score
2-9 to 1-11. Three years later came the fourth All-Ireland triumph under Sean Boylan
and, affected by a back injury, Dowd made an emotional appearance at the
end as Cork were defeated by 1-11 to 1-8. Five years earlier he was full forward on a National League winning side
when Armagh were defeated in the final. He was also in the number 14
position for a Railway Cup success in 1997. Tommy had the distinction of being honoured with Allstar awards in four
different positions, left half forward in 1991, full forward in 1994, right
full forward in 1995 and centre forward in 1996. Dowd also enjoyed wonderful success at adult club level. In 1995 he was the
star man in Dunderry’s SFC triumph at the expense of Kilmainhamwood with
other former St Cuthbert’s players like team captain John Brady, Sean
Kelly, Barry Callaghan, Philip Cahill and Donie McGourty on the winning
side. After moving to live in the Gibbstown area a few years later, Tommy
switched to the Wolfe Tones club and joined a small band of players to have
sampled Keegan Cup with two clubs when Navan O’Mahonys were defeated in the
2006 final. He also won championship honours in the intermediate, junior B, junior C
and junior D grades but those minor successes with St Cuthbert’s two
decades ago were the launching pad for a playing career in which he gained
so much and gave an awful lot.1989 – Ballinacree beaten in
under 14 league decider

There was an Under 14 FL Division 2 success for Bohermeen in 1989 with St
Brigid’s being defeated by 3-8 to 0-7 in the final in Kells. The first half was close enough but the side coached by Liam Keane held a
narrow 1-4 to 0-5 at the break. Alan Coffey, Michael Reilly and Mark Rogers
scored the goals and Colm Fitzsimons put over four points. David Ball, Aidan Donaghy, Barry Callaghan, Francis Smyth, Martin O’Brien
and Sean Yore were among the stars of that triumph with Frank Coffey the
juvenile chairman that year. The Bohermeen team and scorers in the 1989 Under 14 FL Division 2 final :
David Ball; D McLoughlin, Aidan Donaghy, John Bennett; Alo Doherty, Barry
Callaghan, Francis Smyth; Sean Yore (0-1), Martin O’Brien; Ivan Coyne
(0-1), Colm Fitzsimons (0-4), Martin Henry; Michael Reilly (1-1), Alan
Coffey (1-1), Mark Rogers (1-0). Subs – Liam Reilly, Martin Keane, Alan
Ball, John Casserly, Colm Conaty.

1990 – Style turned on in
impressive final showing

There was an outright success for Bohermeen in the 1990 Under 14 FC
Division 2 with an impressive final display enabling them defeat Kilbride
by 1-17 to 1-8 in a Sunday evening clash at Pairc Tailteann. Kilbride had overcome Castletown in their penultimate round outing and
after getting the better of Ballinabrackey in their semi-final, the lads in
black and amber took control from the early stages of the decider. With John Bennett, Alan Coffey, Barry Callaghan and Ivan Coyne in
outstanding form, a 0-10 to 0-2 interval lead was built up. The advantage
could have been more but for a fine save by Kilbride netminder Shane McCann
to keep out a Coyne goal attempt. Six minutes into the second half any lingering doubts about the outcome
were quashed when Ivan Coyne scored a fine individual goal. Bohermeen were
the physically stronger side and also had fine contributions from corner
backs Martin Keane and Brendan English. Also playing second fiddle to their opponents, Kilbride kept battling to
the end and were rewarded with a goal from Brian Coyle. The Bohermeen team and scorers in the 1990 Under 14 FC Division 2 final :
Liam Reilly; Martin Keane, John Bennett, Brendan English; Ian Butler, David
McLoughlin, Andrew Watters; Oliver Conway (0-2), Barry Callaghan (0-2);
Andrew O’Brien. Alan Coffey (0-3), Patrick Brennan (0-4); Alan Ball (0-2),
Patrick Monaghan, Ivan Coyne (1-4). Subs – M waters for Butler, Aimee
Bennett for Ball, D Casserly for Coyne.


1991 - Blacks blitzed in
under 12 final replay

St Cuthbert’s took the outright honours in the 1991 Under 12 League
Division 2 with a victory over Walterstown in a replayed final at Pairc
Tailteann. The sides had finished level, St Cuthbert’s 0-7, Walterstown 1-4, in the
initial clash which prompted the newspaper heading, ‘Blacks let it slip.’
It was another stalemate around the time of the famous Meath-Dublin
Leinster championship saga and it was described as “the game which had
everything.”
Although Walterstown had a few chances to wrap up the title in the second
half, it would have been an injustice had Cuthbert’s lost. Glen Loughran
missed a penalty kick in the early stages and after that the Bohermeen side
conceded a sloppy goal when Ronan Barry finished to the net. The Bohermeen side’s goalkeeper Colm Travers brought off two fine saves and
at the other end Eddie Ball shot over the bar three times and Cian Rennicks
pointed twice. Two misses by Ronan Barry at the end let Cuthbert’s off the
hook and they took full advantage in the replay.
\The drawn tie was played at the county ground on a Saturday evening and in
the replay four days later St Cuthbert’s won by 2-14 to 2-4. After Glen Loughran opened the scoring with a point, Walterstown struck for
their first goal with Anthony Coogan netting. But with goalkeeper Colm
Travers and full back Sylvie Skelton giving little away, the Blacks did not
have many subsequent scoring opportunities. Gordon Codd and team captain Brian Newman having the better of the midfield
exchanges and full forward David Callaghan shooting their first goal, St
Cuthbert’s led by 1-7 to 1-2 at the break. That advantage was doubled after the switching of ends with Gordon Codd
putting his name on the winners’ second goal. Although a similar score from
Ronan Barry gave Walterstown hope, their opponents comfortably kept in
front. David Callaghan took the individual scoring honours with 1-3 and Glen
Loughran and Eddie Ball also showed up well in attack. The St Cuthbert’s team and scorers in the replayed 1991 Under 12 League
Division 2 Loughran (0-4), Eddie Ball (0-3); Cian Rennicks, David Callaghan
(1-3), Keith final : Colm Travers; Ken Fagan, Sylvie Skelton, Pat
Fitzsimons; Brian Casserly, John Duffy, Gerard Brennan; Gordon Codd (1-2),
Brian Newman; Roger Loughran (0-1), Glen Callaghan (0-1). Sub – Conor
Martin for Rennicks.

1992 – Four titles won in
four different grades

One of the most successful years in the history of the St Cuthbert’s club
was 1992 when four titles were annexed in four grades, minor, under 16,
under 14 and under 12. UNDER 14
The memorable summer sequence of success was initiated by the under 14s
when on a Saturday evening in early July they emerged victorious by 3-11 to
3-7 over Moynalty in the Division 2 championship final at Pairc Tailteann. The encounter was described as one of the best finals played in the county
that year and is remembered for both sides having a female Bennett in the
left half forward position. Aimee was the number 12 for the Bohermeen
parish side while Gillian (later to become a prominent inter-county senior
star) was her counterpart for Moynalty. St Cuthbert’s started well with a goal from Brian Newman but the concession
of a penalty goal left them behind by 1-4 to 1-5 at the break. The
Bohermeen side dominated the early stages of the second half and a goal
from Jarlath Burke helped them forge into what appeared a commanding lead
of six points. But Moynalty hit back for two goals to go into a lead of one point in the
closing minutes. Newman levelled matters from a free before Glen Loughran
gave Cuthbert’s the advantage by the narrowest of margins. With time ticking away Burke netted his second goal to clinch a thrilling
victory and bring his own total to 2-3. Newman and Bennett also impressed
in the winners’ attack and further back Gerard Casserly, Damien English and
Keith Callaghan also showed up well. Johnny Casserly was the under 14 team manager with Kit Henry the coach. MINOR
St Cuthbert’s won the Minor League Division 3 title with a 2-11 to 0-11
final victory over Summerhill at Trim, having overcome Longwood at the
semi-final stage. After showing some impressive form in the earlier rounds, the Bohermeen
side did not have matters all their own way against the lively lads from
Longwood who held a 1-6 to 0-8 lead at the interval. However, St Cuthbert’s stepped up a gear in the second half with a goal
from Alo Donaghy boosting them to a 1-11 to 1-7 win. Six points from Barry
Callaghan was a vital ingredient for that success. Summerhill booked their place in the final with a 2-10 to 1-10 success over
Nobber and despite an unsteady start, St Cuthbert’s took control to lead by
2-7 to 0-3 at the interval. Derek Brady and Barry Callaghan were their top
forwards, finishing with 1-2 and 0-5 respectively. Derek Brady grabbed the first goal after a penalty attempt by him was kept
out and the second goal came as a result of a mix-up in the opposing
defence. Although Summerhill reduced the deficit from 10 points to six in
the second half, St Cuthbert’s regained control with points from Alan
Coffey and Barry Callaghan (long-range free) to finish up six to the good. Apart from Callaghan and Brady, captain Paudie Travers, Martin O’Brien and
Francis Smyth were others to impress for the winners who were coached by
Pat Duffy. UNDER 12
Title number three for St Cuthbert’s in 1992 was gained with a minimum
margin 2-7 to 3-3 final victory over Walterstown in a thrilling Under 12
Division 2 final at Pairc Tailteann in which the eventual winners led by
0-6 to 1-0 at the break. The concession of two goals and point in the early stages of the second
half left the Bohermeen lads chasing the game. However, they struck for two
goals with Glen Loughran and Cian Rennicks the scorers. When Walterstown
put over an equalising point, a replay looked likely but a point from Ivor
O’Halloran gave Cuthbert’s another title. Brian Mulroe, Colm Travers, John Duffy, Robert Duffy, Glen Loughran and
Cian Rennicks were most impressive for the winners. Juvenile Board secretary Liam Brady had the pleasant task of presenting the
cup to winning captain Colm Travers while Eddie Ball was the successful
manager. UNDER 16
The fourth title for St Cuthbert’s in 1992 came in the Under 16 FL Division
2 with the side coached by Pat Duffy scoring a 3-11 to 1-5 victory over
Seneschalstown in the final at Pairc Tailteann, having defeated the Yellow
Furze lads by 4-6 to 2-7 earlier in the competition. The Bohermeen side went into the decider as warm favourites and by
half-time, they had built up a lead of 10 points, 2-5 to 0-1, with Ivan
Coyne and Alan Coffey netting the goals. Even though Coffey was sent off early in the second period, St Cuthbert’s
remained in control with Oliver Conway netting their third goal. Coffey had
been impressing at midfield and Martin Keane, Mark Watters, Stephen
O’Rourke and Barry Callaghan were also prominent. Winning teams and scorers : MFL Division 3 – David Ball; Paudie Travers
(0-1), John Bennett; Francis Smyth, Martin O’Brien, Chris McGrath; Michael
Reilly, Stephen O’Rourke; Stephen Yore (0-1), Alan Coffey (0-2), Martin
Henry; Derek Brady (1-2), Barry Callaghan (0-5). Under 16 FL Division 2 – Liam Reilly; Martin Keane, John Bennett; Alan
Watters, Mark Watters, Brendan English; Alan Coffey (1-0), Stephen
O’Rourke (0-1); Patrick Monaghan, Oliver Conway (1-2), Ivan Coyne (1-1);
Barry Callaghan (0-5), Brian Newman (0-2). Subs - Andrew O’Brien, Patrick
Brennan, John Fay. Under 14 FC Division 2 B – Mark Boyle; David Callaghan, Gerard Casserly,
Padraig Coyne; Brian Casserly, Damien English (0-1), Keith Callaghan (0-1);
Brian Newman (1-2), Ronan Butler; Cormac O’Halloran, Gordon Codd, Aimee
Bennett; Roger Loughran (0-2), Jarlath Burke (2-3), Glen Loughran (0-2). Sub – Sylvie Skelton. Under 12 Division 2 - Justin Donaghy; Ken Fagan, Brian Mulroe, Tomas
Coyne; Kieran Watters, Colm Travers (0-1), Conor Martin; John Duffy, Robert
Duffy; Robert Corcoran, Eddie Ball, Gary Rogers; Cian Rennicks (1-3), Glen
Loughran (1-0), Ivor O’Halloran (1-3). Sub – G Kavanagh. ‘Third time lucky’ in under 14
victory over Simonstown

It was a case of ‘third time lucky’ for St Cuthbert’s in the 1993 Under 14
FC final as they defeated Simonstown after losing to the Navan lads in the
Feile decider and the Under 14 League final. The championship campaign for St Cuthbert’s began in early June with a win
over Kilcloon at Martry and victories over St Colmcille’s and Oldcastle
assured them of a semi-final tilt with Ballivor
With Colm Travers travelling back from a holiday in Wales and Brian Newman
lining out after playing in a schools hurling final with St Patrick’s,
Navan earlier in the day, the Bohermeen side got over the Ballivor hurdle. Next up was the league final against Simonstown and that turned out to be a
bit of a disaster for St Cuthbert’s as they lost by 10 points. The
Bohermeen lads, however, knew they would have the chance to reverse that
result in the championship decider. However, an appeal by the Round Towers club held up the game which was not
played until October when St Cuthbert’s won by 2-8 to 2-5. Expected to
repeat the Feile and league victories, Simonstown went into the
championship decider at Pairc Tailteann as firm favourites.
‘’Even though there was a long stretch between the semi-final and the
final, we made sure to keep the players in good condition with training and
playing challenge games, so by the time the final came around we were well
prepared,’’ recalled coach Pat Duffy. Despite a dream start with a goal from Brian Newman after three minutes,
and Glen Loughran increasing the lead with a point, St Cuthbert’s trailed
by 1-4 to 2-3 at the break with Derek O’Brien and John Lunney netting the
Simonstown goals. On the restart the Bohermeen side gradually took control and with Jason
Coffey netting and Gordon Codd (three) and Keith Callaghan putting over
points, they went five points clear. The winners endured the nervous moment at the end when Michael Brennan
fired a low shot against an upright but they held out to take the honours. St Cuthbert’s became the first recipients of the Mattie Rogers Cup, a
trophy which remembered a famous Meath forward of a few decades earlier. Mattie’s wife, Brigid, was on hand to present the trophy to winning Captain
Gordon Codd. Juvenile Board secretary Tommy, son of Mattie and Brigid, was delighted
that his parish team were the first recipients of the handsome cup. ‘’We
won with the Gods smiling on us, especially when that Mickey Brennan shot
hit the post,’’ he said after the game. The victorious St Cuthbert’s team and scorers in the 1993 Under 14 FC was :
Gary Rogers; John Duffy, Colm Travers, David Callaghan; Neil Burke, Brian
Newman (1-0), Sylvie Skelton; Keith Callaghan (0-1), Gordon Codd (0-5);
Robert Duffy, Brian Casserly, Jason Coffey (1-1); Roger Loughran, Ivor
O’Halloran, Glen Loughran (0-1). Also in 1993 St Cuthbert’s won the Feile under 13 competition with a final
victory over St Martin’s to qualify to represent Meath in the national
event the following summer. The St Cuthbert’s team in that final was: Conor Callaghan; Ken Fagan,
Kieran Watters, John Watters; Robert Corcoran, Colm Travers, Shay
McLoughlin; Brian Mulroe, John Duffy; Tomas Coyne, Eddie Ball, Robert
Duffy; Ivor O’Halloran, Gary Rogers, Glen Loughran. Sub – A Rogers for
O’Halloran.

1994 – Under 14 league success
was consolation prize

After winning the Under 14 FC the previous year, St Cuthbert’s had to be
satisfied with a consolation prize of the Under 14 FL Division 1 title in
1994. The Bohermeen side defeated Walterstown by 2-8 to 0-10 in the final played
at Kilberry. The foundations for the victory were laid in the first half
when building up a two-goal advantage, leading by 2-4 to 0-4 at the break. After Glen Loughran gave them an early lead with the first of his three
points, goals from Colm Travers (a fine individual effort) and Eddie Ball
left Cuthbert’s in a strong position. Although Walterstown reduced the arrears with a couple of points from Paddy
Woods early in the second half, St Cuthbert’s kept their noses in front to
the finish. The St Cuthbert’s team and scorers in the 1994 under 14 FL Division 1 final
: Gary Rogers; Ken Fagan. Brian Mulroe, Shay McLoughlin; Kieran Watters,
John Duffy, Conor Martin; Colm Travers (1-2), Robert Duffy; Glen Loughran
(0-3), Gary Kavanagh (0-2), Robert Corcoran; Ivor O’Halloran, Eddie Ball
(1-1), John Watters. Sub - Trevor Coyne for J Watters. The bid by St Cuthbert’s to retain the Under 14 FC title in 1994 ended at
the semi-final stage ended at the semi-final stage when
Kilcloon-Batterstown scored a narrow victory over the holders in a Skryne
clash. Kilcloon-Batterstown operated in Division 2 of the league that year. Simonstown Gaels defeated them by 2-12 to 2-4 in the championship final and
future county senior Seamus Kenny became the second recipient of the Rogers
Cup.

1995 - Benny Caffrey Cup
won for first time in replay

St Cuthbert’s gained the Under 16 FC title in 1995 with a final replay
victory over Simonstown Gaels in a Friday evening clash at Pairc Tailteann. In the initial encounter played in unpleasant conditions the Bohermeen side
appeared to have the game won at half-time when leading by nine points,
having been 10 to the good shortly before that. Simonstown had just two
scorers with Derek O’Brien, later to be team mates with some of the
Cuthbert’s players when playing with St Ultan’s, putting over 11 points and
John Lunney getting 2-1. In the first period with players like Brian Casserly, Keith Callaghan,
Gordon Codd, Glen Loughran and Brian Newman, who was brought home from
America for the game, all in form, the Benny Caffrey Cup seemed to be
heading for Bohermeen for the first time. It was 0-7 to 0-1 after a quarter of an hour, Newman having struck a
splendid long-range point and Casserly sent a 45 over the bar. Loughran
netted the first goal on 21 minutes following a pass from Eddie Ball and
the board read 1-11 to 0-5 at the break. It took St Cuthbert’s 12 minutes to score in the second half with a Newman
point following five points by O’Brien, nine of whose scores came from
frees. It was 2-12 to 0-10 coming up to the end of the third quarter after
Newman’s fortunate goal. But then two Lunney goals, the second from a penalty, brought Simonstown
back into contention and after a 20 minutes scoreless spell two late
O’Brien points left the final score 2-12 each. St Cuthbert’s made no mistake in the replay, winning by 2-13 to 1-8,
turning on the style in the second half after being in arrears by 0-3 to
0-5 at the break. The Bohermeen side played against the breeze in the first half and it only
took them three minutes to go into the lead on the restart. Midfielders
Brian Newman and Gordon Codd both sent over points before Glen Loughran
edged them into the lead. It was 0-8 to 0-6 in favour of the Pat Duffy-coached side at the end of the
third quarter before Loughran netted the first of his two goals after a
Robert Duffy shot came back off the bar on 47 minutes. Between the 50th and 55th minutes Cuthbert’s scored 1-4 and the destination
of the title was definitely decided. Loughran fi**ed over a Sylvie Skelton
free and then set up substitute Conor Martin for a point. Gordon Codd (a
terrific long-range effort) and Skelton (free) added points before Loughran
blasted in his second goal. The Bohermeen side’s ‘keeper Neil Burke brought off two fine saves before
John Lunney beat him for a late consolation goal for Simonstown. St Cuthbert’s team and scorers in the 1995 Under 16 FC final replay – Neil
Burke; Ken Fagan, David Callaghan, Brian Mulroe; Kieran Watters, Brian
Casserly (0-1), Sylvie Skelton (0-1); Gordon Codd (0-2), Brian Newman
(0-2); Gerard Brennan (0-2), Keith Callaghan, Eddie Ball; Roger Loughran,
Glen Loughran (2-3), Robert Duffy (0-1). Subs – John Duffy for Mulroe,
Conor Martin (0-1) for R. Loughran, Jason Coffey for J. A few weeks after the Benny Caffrey Cup triumph St Cuthbert’s gained the
MFL Division 3 title with a final victory over Donaghmore, having disposed
of the Oldcastle challenge at the semi-final stage. In their ‘semi’ in Kells St Cuthbert’s won by 2-17 to 2-5 and then they won
the final on a 4-11 to 1-8 scoreline. In the decider Pat Duffy’s charges
recovered from the concession of a penalty goal in the early stages to lead
by 3-8 to 1-5 at the break. Roger Loughran netted two goals in the first half and Glen Loughran also
raised the green flag. The Bohermeen side remained in control after the
switching of ends and Brian Casserly put his name on their fourth goal. Casserly, Damien English, Padraig Coyne, Anthony Lowry and the Loughran
cousins were most impressive in that success. The St Cuthbert’s team and scorers in the 1995 MFL Division 3 final – Neil
Burke; Brian Casserly (1-0), Gerard Casserly; David Callaghan, Damien
English,. Padraig Coyne; Mark Watters, Anthony Lowry (0-1); Sylvie Skelton
(0-3), Keith Callaghan (0-1), Gordon Codd; Roger Loughran (2-2), Glen
Loughran (1-3). Subs – Conor Martin (0-1) for K. Callaghan, Ken Fagan for
D. Callaghan, D Corcoran for Skelton.

1996 - Ten-year gap is
bridged with minor win

A 10-year gap was bridged by St Cuthbert’s in 1996 when the Delany Cup was
regained with a 0-12 to 0-7 final victory over Dunboyne at Pairc Tailteann
with an up-and-coming youngster called Damien English the winning captain. The Bohermeen side proved too strong for holders Simonstown Gaels in their
semi-final clash at Kilberry, winning by 3-13 to 1-6. Goals from Damien
English and Glen Loughran in the opening 10 minutes sent up Pat Duffy’s
charges for a comfortable success. Full forward English netted the first of them following a cross from Sylvie
Skelton and then Brian Newman was taken down for a penalty which Loughran
converted. Just before the break Loughran grabbed his second goal to leave
the scores 3-5 to 0-4. Loughran finished up with 2-3 and Newman, David Callaghan, Colm Travers,
Brian Casserly and Anthony Lowry also played significant parts in earning a
final place. Brian Newman was the star of the final and the classy forward, who kicked
five points in the second half, was described as ‘’the next Tommy Dowd’’ by
an enthusiastic supporter. While Newman did not go on to live up to that billing, he was in brilliant
form that Sunday evening after the entertainment value in the first half
had been quite poor. The sides combined to hit seven wides before Glen
Loughran put over the first score after 10 minutes. Dunboyne held a 0-5 to 0-3 lead at the interval before a number of switches
helped the Bohermeen side get on top after the switching of ends. Glen
Loughran went to midfield and Damien English to centre forward. But it was Brian Newman who stole the show. After Robert Duffy reduced the
arrears in the first attack after the restart, two Newman points had the
eventual winners back in front. With Keith Callaghan working well at
midfield, Cuthbert’s got stronger
It was eight to six at the three-quarter stage before the Bohermeen side
outscored their opponents, who had future Meath and Ireland goalkeeper
David Gallagher between the posts, by 0-4 to 0-1 on the run to the finish
line. The St Cuthbert’s team and scorers in the 1996 MFC final : Neil Burke;
Kieran Watters, David Callaghan, Gerard Casserly; Colm Travers, Brian
Casserly, Sylvie Skelton (0-1); Keith Callaghan, Anthony Lowry; Roger
Loughran, Brian Newman (0-5), Gordon Codd (0-2); Robert Duffy (0-1), Damien
English, Glen Loughran (0-3). Sub – Conor Martin for R. Loughran.

1997 – Bran Casserly hits
minor title jackpot

In the captains’ fact file in the official programme for the 1997 Meath MFC
final St Cuthbert’s captain Brian Casserly said his main ambition outside
football was to win the Lotto. While Casserly has yet to capture that big prize, he hit the Delaney Cup
jackpot as his side outscored Walterstown by 0-20 to 2-9 to take the title
for the fifth time. In the penultimate round St Cuthbert’s repeated the previous year’s final
victory over Dunboyne on a 4-11 to 1-7 scoreline while Walterstown
defeated Simonstown by 1-11 to 0-8. Glen Loughran took the individual scoring honours with a contribution of
2-5 in the ‘semi’ success. One of the goals came from a penalty and Robert
Duffy and Keith Callaghan also found the net. However, Callaghan was sent off along with Dunboyne opponent Paul Watters
10 minutes into the second half and missed the final after being given a
one-month suspension. As in the semi-final, Glen Loughran was the main marksman, this time with
an impressive 10 points, six of which were struck from play. St Cuthbert’s
looked to be in trouble in the early stages as their opponents went into a
1-2 to 0-0 lead with captain Paul Callaghan getting the goal. However, the Bohermeen team soon settled and after Loughran put over their
first score, he went on to finish the opening half with six points. With
wing back Sylvie Skelton kicking three points, they led by 0-12 to 1-4 at
the break. The lead was extended to seven points three minutes after the restart as
Loughran and Gordon Codd shot over. Then in a nine-minute spell Callaghan
was on target with four frees to reduce the arrears to three points. In an exciting contest the young Blacks got on level terms with a goal from
a penalty netted by Callaghan and a point from substitute Barry Reilly. However, St Cuthbert’s regained control with a long-range free from Brian
Casserly, three more Loughran scores and a closing effort from Codd to
leave five between them at the finish. Unfortunately Brian Newman, the ‘man of the match’ in the previous year’s
final and county minor team captain in 1997, was ‘sent off’ by referee Jim
Smith following an incident after the final whistle. The St Cuthbert’s team and scorers in the 1997 MFC final : Neil Burke;
Brian Mulroe, David Callaghan, Shay McLoughlin; Kieran Watters, Brian
Casserly (0-1), Sylvie Skelton (0-3); Brian Newman (0-1), Gordon Codd
(0-3); Gerard Brennan (0-1), Robert Duffy (0-1), Colm Travers; Ivor
O’Halloran, Glen Loughran (0-10),Tomas Coyne. Sub – Gary Rogers for Coyne. UNDER 17 SUCCESS

After winning the 1997 MFC title, St Cuthbert’s took the 1996 Under 17
League title when defeating Dunboyne after extra-time in the replayed
final at Skryne. In the initial clash Dunboyne led by 1-4 to 0-1 after 21 minutes before
the Bohermeen side rallied to trail by 0-4 to 1-4 at the break. Although
Dunboyne restored their two-goal advantage soon after the restart, Pat
Duffy’s lads battled back and points from Glen Loughran, Gordon Codd and
Sylvie Skelton left it 0-11 to 2-5 at the end of the first hour. St Cuthbert’s won the replay by 4-11 to 1-10 but such a scoreline was not a
true reflection on the game as Dunboyne led by eight points after 45
minutes. The Bohermeen side trailed by 1-2 to 1-7 at the break. But with Keith Callaghan, who returned from suspension, and Brian Casserly
inspired another comeback and goals from Gerard Brennan and Gordon Codd
helped to level matters at 3-4 to 1-10 after the second 60 minutes. Then the switching of Codd from midfield to full forward proved decisive as
he scored 1-3 in extra-time. The St Cuthbert’s team and scorers in the replayed final : Neil Burke;
Ciaran Watters, David Callaghan, Shay McLoughlin; Colm Travers, Brian
Mulroe, Conor Martin; Gordon Codd (2-3), Sylvie Skelton (0-1); Gerard
Brennan (1-0), Robert Duffy (0-1), Glen Loughran (1-4); Ivor O’Halloran,
Keith Callaghan, Eddie Ball (0-2). Subs – Brian Casserly for O'Halloran,
Gary Rogers for Brennan. St Cuthbert's Part 6 …

Callaghan enjoyed success with
Meath in three grades

Barry Callaghan became one of the most successful St Cuthbert’s past
players when enjoying All-Ireland senior football success twice in the ‘90s
as well as gaining provincial honours in the senior, under 21 and minor
grades. After helping St Cuthbert’s to an MFL Division 3 title in 1992, the young
man from Boyerstown was on a star-studded Meath minor team the following
year with other future All-Ireland senior winners Trevor Giles, Darren Fay,
Paddy Reynolds and Ollie Murphy
also aboard. After defeating Wicklow by seven points, Meath then got the better of
Tyrone to earn a September date at Croke Park but Cork dashed Meath’s hopes
of retaining the Tom Markham Cup on a 2-7 to 0-9 scoreline. Callaghan had a very busy year in 1996 as a Meath side, sporting a number
of new players and unfancied at the start of the campaign, went all the way
to All-Ireland glory with Barry in the left full forward berth. He was also
on the county under 21 side which won Leinster honours that year. As well as Barry Callaghan, Sean Boylan introduced other senior
championship newcomers in Darren Fay, Mark O’Reilly and Paddy Reynolds and
the new mixture blended well to defeat all opposition. Louth were defeated to gain provincial under 21 honours in 1996 but Meath
lost to Cavan after a replay in the next round. Callaghan was part of
another Leinster under 21 championship success the following year when
Westmeath were beaten finalists but after defeating Kerry, Derry proved too
strong in the final. Barry Callaghan picked up another All-Ireland medal in 1999 when coming on
as a substitute in the final victory over Cork. After his St Cuthbert’s days, Callaghan played his adult club football with
Dunderry and the high point of his years in the black and white was being
part of the SFC winning side in 1995. Apart from Tommy Dowd and Barry Callaghan, other St Cuthbert’s players from
the Dunderry area went on to gain success in the Meath colours. Sean Kelly, one of the stars of the MFC successes in 1985 and ’86, played
for Meath in the 1990 and ’91 Leinster SFCs, gaining two Leinster medals
and figuring in the amazing four-match saga with Dublin in the first of
those years. In more recent years Kelly has done well in the management field, guiding
St Ultan’s to a JFC title in 2006 and being at the helm for the SFC triumph
by Navan O’Mahonys this year. Stephen O’Rourke, who starred for St Cuthbert’s in their Under 16 League
Division 2 victory in 1992, was a member of Meath’s All-Ireland SFC
winning squad in 1996 and also enjoyed Leinster under 21 success. Phil Fay, who was full back on the first St Cuthbert’s MFC winning team in
1984, filled the same position for Meath in their All-Ireland JFC success
in 1988. Philip Cahill, who was on the 1984 and ’85 winning sides, went on to play
on the Meath senior hurling team for a number of years and was on the
All-Ireland B championship winning team in 1993. Captain English went on to
represent Royal County! In the captains’ fact file page in the official programme for the 1996
Meath MFC final St Cuthbert’s skipper Damien English was asked which person
he would most like to meet, to which he replied “Minor Board chairman Benny
Gartland with the cup!”

English expressed the wish to play football for the county and while he did
not achieve that goal, he did go on to represent Meath in another field,
serving as a Fine Gael TD since 2002. After enjoying an under 14 success when filling the centre back position in
1992, Damien had moved up to full forward for the MFC triumph four years
later when Dunboyne were defeated in the final. English, whose father Eugene was a selector for the 1996 and ’97 minor
title triumphs, did not play much football after receiving the Delany Cup,
instead putting his energy into forging a political career for himself. He was only 21-years-old when elected to the Meath County Council in 1999
and in the General Election three years later he was gained a Dail seat for
the Meath constituency. On became elected the man from Castlemartin became secretary of the Fine
Gael parliamentary party as well as spokesman, as the party’s spokesman for
art, tourism and sport. English retained his seat at the 2007 General Election when elected in the
new Meath West constituency. While not taking an active part in GAA affairs
for the last few years, Damien still takes a keen interest in the fortunes
of his local teams and is a regular attender of games. Club took part in national
Feile on three occasions

St Cuthbert’s were represented in the national Feile Peile na nOg in 1991,
’92 and ’93 with Meath hosting the event in the first two of those years
and the third of them being held in Kerry. The first Feile under 14 football competitions were held in Cavan in 1981
with top referee of the time Fintan Tierney among the founders.. In the
years that Meath hosted the event Paddy Brannigan of the St Colmcille’s was
the county Juvenile Football Board
with Liam Brady of St Cuthbert’s the secretary. The Feile embraces teams from all 32 counties and in 1991 a team traveled
from London. Pitches all round the counties were used over the two days
with the finals in four divisions being staged at Pairc Tailteann. St Cuthbert’s competed in Division 3 won by Horeswood from Wexford in 1991
when Kerry’s Laune Rangers , including future All-Ireland winner Mike Frank
Russell, were the victors in the top group. Other outright winners that
year were Newry Shamrocks (Division 2) and Wolfe Tones from Longford
(Division 4). St Cuthbert’s and Dunderry joined forces to field teams in 1991 and ’92 and
in the second of those years they competed under the banner of Dunderry. New York was represented for the first time at the 1992 Feile when Clonduff
of Down were the Division 1 winners. Portlaoise (Division 2), St Fursey’s
from Louth (Division 3) and Longford’s Leo Casey’s (Division 4) were the
other victors. St Cuthbert’s had the distinction of representing Meath in the 1994 Feile
held in Kerry. Although team success eluded them, Glen Loughran won the
skills competition. Pat Duffy was in charge
of many winning sides

Former Navan O’Mahonys player Pat Duffy was the manager of a good number of
successful St Cuthbert’s teams between 1991 and ’96. During his playing days with the Brews Hill club, Duffy was involved in
seven SFC finals and gained three winners’ medals. After that he was
manager of the team which regained the Keegan Cup in 1985 after Walterstown
were the champions in each of the three previous years. . Living in the Ardbraccan area of Bohermeen parish since 1980, Pat first got
involved with St Cuthbert’s teams 11 years later and in that first year he
helped the club to gain an under 12 Division 2 success. There were outright successes in four age groups for St Cuthbert’s in 1992
and Duffy was in charge of the minor and under 16 sides as well as being a
selector with the under 12s managed by Eddie Ball. In 1993 Pat was at the helm for the Under 14 FC triumph as well as being
behind qualification for the following year’s national Feile. In 1994 he
helped bring under 14 league honours to the parish. A big achievement in 1995 was the winning of the Under 16 FC and there was
also an MFL Division 3 success. Pat Duffy was manager of the MFC winning teams in 1996 and ’97 from which a
number of talented players emerged to go on and perform with distinction at
adult levels. Also around that that time there was the 1996 Under 17 FL
Division 1 success. Eamonn Barry, who was the Meath senior football team manager in 2006,
having been in charge of the Dunshaughlin team which won three Meath SFCs
and one Leinster title between 2000 and 2003, is a member of the St
Cuthbert’s club. He has managed a number of teams in the club and his son, Andrew, played
with the under 14 side this year. Johnny Murtagh …

Bohermeen parish’s most successful sportsperson, top jockey Johnny Murtagh,
played football for St Cuthbert’s before leaving for Co Kildare to serve
his apprenticeship
The Faughan Hill lad played for Cuthbert’s in the under 14 and under 16
grades and also won titles in boxing, competing with the Navan club. Murtagh soon showed talent in the saddle and rode his first winner at the
age of 17 in July, 1987 when partnering Chicago Style to victory at
Limerick. Two years later he was Ireland’s champion apprentice and at the
age of 22 became first jockey for trainer John Oxx. In 1991 he helped Cortown to a county to a county under 21 success and
played junior soccer for a few years with Kildare Town. In 1995 Johnny gained the first of countless Group One successes when
winning the Coronation Stakes for Oxx at Royal Ascot and later that year he
was aboard the brilliant filly for the Breeders’ Cup Mile triumph at
Belmont Park in the USA. Murtagh enjoyed a number of classic successes in Ireland and abroad,
including three triumphs in the Epsom Derby. The first was in 2000 on the
John Oxx-trained Sinndar and then in 2002 on High Chaparral from Aidan
O’Brien’s stables and the third for Michael Bell on Motivator in 2005. Johnny was Irish champion flat jockey three times, taking the title in
1995, ’96 and ’98. Riding so much outside this country militated against
winning it again on latter years. In recent year he rode for trainers like Mick Halford and Ger Lyons in
Ireland and Michael Stoute, James Fanshawe and Jeremy Noseda in England. The Bohermeen-native had a short stint riding over hurdles and won a few
races. He partnered Golden Cross, trained by Halford, to finish second in
the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival in 2006. In 2008 he became number one jockey for Aidan O’Brien, partnering many
horses for the powerful Coolmore empire. He enjoyed a tremendously
successful first year with the master of Ballydoyle, winning no fewer than
21 Group One races, 19 for O’Brien and two for David Wachman. The winners included successes on greats of the turf like Duke of
Marmalade, Henrythenavigator and Yeats. After having to overcome some
hurdles along the way, Johnny Murtagh became one of the very best flat race
jockeys in the world. Cortown played big
part in club history

There has been a strong Cortown connection with St Cuthbert’s in the last
25 years with a number of those who played with the club going on to gain
success at higher levels. P***y Henry, who top scored in the 1985 and ’86 MFC final triumphs, was a
substitute on Meath’s All-Ireland winning side in 1987. The following year
he was right half forward on the Royal County team which defeated London in
the All-Ireland JFC final at Croke Park, the game being curtain-raiser to
the Meath v Cork replayed Sam Maguire Cup decider. John Henry, a cousin of P***y, who was on the St Cuthbert’s MFC winning
teams in 1985 and ’86, was a member of the Meath junior football team for a
few years in the ‘90s when he gained Leinster honours and played in the
1996 All-Ireland final won by Cork. In more recent years John has been managing club teams in the county and
this year was in charge of the Cortown squad which got to the IFC final. Kit Henry, brother of John, was assistant to Pat Duffy for the MFC
successes in 1996 and ’97 and in more recent years, he was in charge of the
Castletown team which won Division 2 League honours in 2004. He has been
manager of the Meath juniors for the last couple of years. The St Cuthbert’s minor sides of 1996 had a very strong Cortown contingent
with players like Brian Casserly, Glen Loughran, Gordon Codd, Sylvie
Skelton and Ivor O’Halloran also playing prominent roles, along with the
Henrys, in making their adult club a force in the senior grade. Glen Loughran won the skills competition when St Cuthbert’s represented
Meath at the national Feile competition in Kerry in 1994. Girls in Cuthbert’s colours

A number of female footballers wore the St Cuthbert’s colours over the
years and some of them went on to play with Meath women’s teams. One of the more notable was Aimee Bennett, who was one of the stars of the
1992 Under 14 Division 2 Championship success and in 1994 she filled the
same left half forward position on the Meath women’s team which won the
All-Ireland junior title. Bennett scored three points in the 5-13 to 1-3 victory over Donegal at
Croke Park. Another local player, Linda Fitzsimons, took the individual
scoring honours in that game by netting three goals as well as putting over
a point. Both girls took in the national Feile Peile na nOg when held in Meath in
1991 and ’92. 2005 - Nervous start overcome
for O’Brien Cup success

After overcoming a nervous start, St Cuthbert’s displayed too much
attacking potency for Trim as they won the 2005 Under 16 FL Division 2
title with a 2-11 to 1-9 final victory at Pairc Tailteann. While the winning margin was five points at the end, the Bohermeen side had
led by twice that much with eight minutes to go. Trim could have finished
up even closer as David Quirke kept out a penalty kick taken by the losers’
scorer in chief Neil Heffernan, who put over seven points. Although Richard Lynagh impressed at midfield for St Cuthbert’s in the
first half, they were only on level terms (0-5 each) at the break. After
trailing by 0-2 to 0-4, Trim battled back to take the lead before Conor
Smyth hit the last score of the first half. In the opening minute after the restart St Cuthbert’s regained the lead
with Shane Rennicks (son of Ken) converting a close-in free. With Ciaran
Coffey and Lynagh adding points, the Bohermeen side held the lead from then
to the finish. Corner forward Coffey netted the first goal following a pass from Barry
Allen on 42 minutes to leave the board reading 1-10 to 0-6. Although it
took St Cuthbert’s a further nine minutes to get their next score, that
ended the game as a contest. Mark Dunne scrambled the ball over the goal line after a free from Allen
broke towards him and it was 2-10 to 0-7. Dunne then completed the winning
total as Trim replied with 1-2. Full back and winning captain David Flanagan received the O’Brien Cup from
Emer Foley of the Health Services Executive, the sponsors. Paddy McLoughlin was the winners’ team manager with Tommy Allen the
trainer. The St Cuthbert’s team and scorers in the 2005 Under 16 FL Division 2 final
: David Quirke; Declan Clarke, David Flanagan, Niall Galligan; Glen
Flanagan, Darryl McLoughlin, Robert Dolan; Richard Lynagh (0-1), Shane
Rennicks (0-2); Gearoid Rennicks, Conor Smyth (0-3), Aidan Mallon; Ciaran
Coffey (1-1), Mark Dunne (1-1), Barry Allen (0-3). Subs – Thomas O’Brien
for Mallon, Eoin Darcy for O’Brien..

2006 - Goals the difference
in victory over Oldcastle

St Cuthbert’s were back in the winners’ enclosure in 2006 when the Under 16
Division 2 League title was annexed with a 2-10 to 0-10 final victory over
Oldcastle at Pairc Tailteann. The sides were evenly matched in the first half and they were on level
terms (0-6 each) at the break. Then the Bohermeen side took control after the switching of ends and goals
from Mark Dunne and substitute Adam Fitzsimons were the difference at the
final whistle. Daryll McLoughlin also made a big contribution, sending over
five points. John Kavanagh was the winners’ manager and in a fine team display there
were also notable displays from Niall Galligan, Declan Clarke, Shane
Rennicks and Conor Smyth. GAA president Nickey Brennan was the special guest at the club’s annual
awards night and presented the medals to the successful squad. The St Cuthbert’s team and scorers in the 2006 Under 16 FL Division 2
final : David Quirke; Robert Daly, Glen Flanagan, Niall Galligan; Jamie
Coogan, Declan Flanagan, Keith Murray; Shane Rennicks, Conor Smyth (0-3);
Conor Mulroe, Daryll McLoughlin (0-5), Ross Kavanagh; Tomas O’Brien, Mark
Dunne (1-1), Joseph Reilly (0-1). Sub – Adam Fitzsimons (1-0) for Kavanagh.


2008 - Sixty former Cuthbert’s
players on IFC final panels

When St Ultan’s and Cortown met in the 2008 Meath IFC final 60 of the 63
players togged out on the day were former St Cuthbert’s footballers. The two teams winning their way through to the final was a big boost to
football in Bohermeen parish and the local derby decider caused a lot
interest. One of the main topics of discussion was the fact that there were
brothers on opposite sides, two Coynes, Tomas for St Ultan’s and David for
Cortown. St Ultan’s had maintained an unbeaten run to the final, defeating St
Michael’s and Gaeil Colmcille in the earlier knockout rounds. Meanwhile
Cortown picked themselves up well after being relegated from senior ranks
the previous year and after an unsteady start, wins over Syddan and
Ballinlough left them one step from going back to the top grade. The spoils went to St Ultan’s who won by 1-12 to 1-9 to take the Mattie
McDonnell Cup for the first time. They led by 1-9 to 0-4 at the break,
Daryll McLoughlin blasting in the goal after 14 minutes. Although the destination of the honours looked decided at half-time,
Cortown did not throw in the towel and were rewarded with a consolation
goal by Sylvie Skelton five minutes into added time. One of the features of the St Ultan’s march to IFC glory was the
contributions of the Galligan brothers, Declan, Brian and Kevin as team
regulars and another sibling, Niall, among the substitutes. Alan Martin had the distinction of captaining the winning team but overall
it was a fine team effort which enabled the green and black side of the
parish to progress to the senior ranks in which Cortown distinguished
themselves for 10 years. Teams and scorers in the 2008 Meath IFC final :
St Ultan’s – Neil Burke; Kieran Lynch, Declan Galligan, Jason Bennett;
Darren Mallon, Alan Martin, Tomas Coyne; Brian Mulroe, Kevin Galligan;
Daryll McLoughlin (1-1), Paul Murray, Kevin Rogers (0-1); Eugene Brady
(0-3), Cian Rennicks (0-2), Brian Galligan (0-4). Subs – Gearoid Rennicks
for Mallon, Niall Galligan for Bennett, Gary Rogers for K. Galligan, Gary
Gorman (0-1) for McLoughlin. Cortown – John McFadden; Mark Casserly, Patrick Kerrigan, David Coyne; John
Casserly, Darragh O’Halloran, John McGearty; Glen Loughran, John Fagan;
Ivor O’Halloran, Brian Casserly, Michael Reilly; Gary Coyne (0-2),. Sylvie
Skelton (1-3), Gordon Codd (0-4). Subs – Colm Kerrigan for D. Coyne, Breen
Smith for McGearty, Richie Flanagan for Fagan, Justin Reilly for B. Casserly, Ivan Coyne for G. Coyne. St Cuthbert’s went on to reach the Leinster Club IFC final but Laois side
Ballyroan Abbey beat them by 2-8 to 0-8 in Abbeyleix.