Aghabog GFC Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Acadh Bog, Co. Mhuineacháin

History and Honours

Brief Background

The club was for a long time viewed as the whipping boys of Monaghan football, a fact that owed more to a limited population than any lack of enthusiasm. While the club floundered in junior football, its supporters ensured that the club maintained its energy and Pairc Emmet was opened in its original guise in 1982.

The club's fortunes were transformed in the early nineties and success in the Dr. Ward Cup (junior league) catapulted the club from the shackles of junior ranks. Success in the Fr. Hackett Cup in 1994 (intermediate league) soon followed and Aghabog took the unprecedented step into senior football. The club has switched between the divisions of Monaghan football since then with its most recent success being the capture of the Dr. Ward Cup in 2008.

The ladies club has been to the fore of football in Co. Monaghan since the game first rose to prominence in the early nineties. The ladies can proudly boast county and provincial championship honours. The club also had a strong presence on both All Ireland winning Monaghan teams helping to establish Aghabog as a stronghold for ladies football.

The club installed a Prunty playing pitch in 1995 and is constantly developing its facilities. The opening of a new clubhouse in 2000 had a wider impact on the local community, providing the area with its first public house.

Top

Robert Emmet

Robert Emmet was born in St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin in 1778 and educated at Trinity College. His strong nationalist sympathies led him to abandon his education there in 1798. He left Ireland in 1800 and travelled to France where he sought French help in a planned uprising in Ireland. He returned to Ireland in 1802 and was to the fore in the uprising that followed in July 1803. Emmet’s march on Dublin Castle ultimately ended in failure and he fled to the safety of the Wicklow Mountains. He returned not long after to be near his beloved Sarah Curran and was captured by the British. Emmet was tried and sentenced to hanging. His impassioned speech from the scaffold of his execution cemented his place as an Irish national hero:

“My lords, you are impatient for the sacrifice. The blood which you seek is not congealed by the artificial terrors which surround your victim; it circulates warm and unruffled through the channels which God created for noble purpose, but which you are now bent to destroy for purposes so grievous that they cry to heaven. Be yet patient! I have but a few more words to say. I am going to go to my cold and silent grave. My lamp of life is nearly extinguished. My race is run. The grave opens to receive me and I sink into its bosom. I have but one request to ask at my departure from this world. It is the charity of its silence. Let no man write my epitaph; for as no man who knows my motives dare now vindicate them, let not prejudice or ignorance asperse them. Let them and me rest in obscurity and peace; and my tomb remain uninscribed and my memory in oblivion until other times and other men can do justice to my character. When my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then, and not till then let my epitaph be written. I have done."

Top

Chronological history

• 1890 ~ Aghabog Emmets is affiliated as a Gaelic football club

• 1933 ~ Club is reformed after a break in the late 20's and early 30's

• 1934 ~ Aghabog and Killeevan amalgamated team win the Intermediate Championship beating Blackhill in the final at Ballybay

• 1936 ~ Under 14 team wins McGuire Cup

• 1936 ~ Win Dr. Ward Cup beating Bawn in the final.Team

• 1939 ~ Philip O'Donaghue captains the Monaghan minor team to the Ulster Championship title. Monaghan lose the All Ireland final to Roscommon by two points with Philip playing at full back.

• 1947 ~ Club incurs a 10 year suspension for alleged misbehaviour

• 1956 ~ Suspension is revoked and the club returns to Co. Board competition

• 1961-63 ~ Lack of team numbers leads to two year abandonment

• 1965-67 ~ Club is again unable to field a team

• 1968 ~ Club undergoes a further 'fresh start'

• 1979 ~ Brendan Brady captains Monaghan to the Ulster Senior Championship title

• 1982 ~ Official opening of the club's new playing grounds 'Pairc Emmet' on 23 May. Monaghan play Derry at the opening.

• 1990 ~ The club wins its first county board trophy at any level in 54 years as Aghabog beat Tyholland in the minor league final to lift the St. Dympna Cup.Team

  The junior team are beaten by Sean Mc Dermotts in the championship final at Scotstown in front of 3,000 spectators. Final score Aghabog 1-06 Seans 1-08

  Club Wins the reserve league Crawley Cup - first adult trophy in 54 years.Team The reserve team went on to claim the reserve championship, Mc Keown Cup, with a win over Killanny.Team

  Declan Smyth named Monaghan Junior Player of the Year.

• 1991 ~ Aghabog Ladies GFC is founded.
• 1992 ~ The club Under 21 side wins the P.J Flanagan Cup beating Inniskeen in the final at Aughnamullen.Team

  The junior team beat Carrickmacross to claim the Dr. Ward Cup and the club is promoted to intermediate status.Team

• 1993 ~ Survive intermediate league relegation playoff with a victory over Truagh 2-12 to 1-7.Team

• 1994 ~ Beat Inniskeen in the Fr. Hackett Cup Intermediate league final on a scoreline of 0-05 to 0-03. The club is promoted to senior football for the first time.Team

• 1995 ~ First year in senior football sees Aghabog paired with Castleblayney in the first round of the championship resulting in an early exit.

• 1996 ~ Again draw Castleblayney in the championship and are beaten.

  Pairc Emmet is oficially re-opened on 19 May after the installation of a 'Prunty Pitch'. Monaghan play Westmeath at the opening.

  Relegated to divison 2 along with Aughnamullen.

• 1997 ~ Fail to regain senior status at the final hurdle, losing by a single point to Magheracloone in the division 2 league final.

  Reserves beat Drumhowan to win the division 5 league title and are promoted to division 4.Team

• 1998 ~ Aghabog ballad group capture the All-Ireland Scor title for the club. Ballad Group members: Emma O’Donoghue, Donna Mulligan, Lisa O’Donoghue, Arlene Mc Phillips & Sheryl Kelly. The group was trained by Rosaleen Clerkin and May O’Donoghue.

• 1999 ~ Aghabog win Fr. Hackett Cup for the second time beating Tyholand on a scoreline of 0-10 to 1-06Team

• 2000 ~ Club opens new facilities incorporating dressing rooms, meeting rooms and the parish's first bar.

  The club reaches the Senior Championship Semi-final losing narrowly to Truagh.

  The season ends with relegation to intermediate ranks.

• 2001 ~ Reach the semi final of the Fr.Hackett Cup but lose narrowly to Drumhowan.

• 2002 ~ Again reach Intermediate league semi final only to lose out to Carrickmacross. Reserves are beaten by Blackhill in Championship semi final.

• 2003 ~ The club finally ends its long Championship famine by beating Doohamlet by 1-12 to 1-11 to return to senior ranks.Team

  Reserves lose out to Aughnamullen in the Reserve League Division 3 final.

  Declan Smyth is named Monaghan's Intermediate Player of the Year.

• 2004 ~ Relegated to Intermediate ranks.

• 2005 ~ Retain Intermediate status but miss out on league semi-final places.

  Club hosts a ceremony to commemorate the St. Brigid's camogie club and James Travers of Calliagh who was a noted promoter of camogie at both club and county level.

  Club hosts a reunion event for players from 1955-60.

• 2006 ~ Again retain Intermediate status

• 2007 ~ The club is relegated from the Intermediate league and will compete at Junior level for the first time since 1992.

• 2008 ~ The club makes a swift return Intermediate ranks beating Currin 2-07 to 0-09 to lift the Dr. Ward Cup

  An Aghabog/Currin amalgamation win the U-16 league and championship double

• 2009 ~ The club secures its place in the Intermediate league

• 2010 ~ Relegated to Junior ranks.

  Off the field, the club hosts Strictly Come Dancing to help raise funds for the development of new training facilities. The event is highly commended and is a huge success.

• 2011 ~ Reach Junior Championship semi final but defeated by Cremartin following a replay

• 2012 ~ Defeated by Clones in the Junior League final following a replay

• 2015 ~ The club celebrates the 125th anniversary of its foundation.
  A wide programme of events included:
  
  • Balloon launch on New Year's Day
    
  • Unveiling of commemorative plaques and new club mural
    
  • Concert featuring former Scór na nÓg participants
    
  • Special Boogie in the Bog and Sports Day events
    
  • Photographic displays and history talks
    
  The events culminated in a celebratory banquet at the Hillgrove Hotel in Monaghan

• 2016 ~ The club wins the inaugural Junior Football League Shield beating Drumhowan 2-12 to 1-13.

Recent honours

• 1990 Crawley Cup (reserve league)

  final Aghabog 0-12 Currin 0-4 Team

• 1990 Mc Keown Cup (reserve championship)

  final Aghabog 0-9 Killanny 0-6 Team

• 1990 St. Dympna's Cup (minor league)

  final Aghabog 4-7 Tyholland 3-6 Team

• 1992 Dr. Ward Cup (junior league)

  final Aghabog 0-10 Carrickmacross 0-7 Team

• 1992 P.J Flanagan Cup (u-21)

  final Aghabog 3-12 Inniskeen 2-12 Team

• 1994 Fr. Hackett Cup (intermediate league)

  final Aghabog 0-5 Inniskeen 0-3 Team

• 1997 (reserve league division 5)

  final Aghabog Drumhowan Team

• 1999 Fr. Hackett Cup (intermediate league)

  final Aghabog 0-10 Tyholland 1-6 Team

• 2003 Fr. McCormack Cup (intermediate championship)

  final Aghabog 1-12 Doohamlet 1-11 Team

• 2008 Dr. Ward Cup (junior league)

  final Aghabog 2-07 Currin 0-09

• 2016 Junior League Shield

  final Aghabog 2-12 Drumhowan 1-13

Aghabog player of the year award winners

• 1990 Declan Smyth
• 1991 Declan Cusack
• 1992 Stephen Leonard
• 1993 Seanie Mc Phillips
• 1994 Peadar Kelly
• 1995 Brendan O'Brien
• 1996 Kevin Quigley
• 1997 Eanna Carolan
• 1998 Mark McBride
• 1999 Eanna Carolan
• 2000 Brendan O'Brien
• 2001 Paul Greenan
• 2002 Gary McBride
• 2003 Declan Smyth
• 2004 Derek McCarville
• 2005 Not Awarded
• 2006 Not Awarded
• 2007 Sean O'Brien
• 2008 Declan Dolan
• 2010 Sean McBride
• 2011 Marty Fox
• 2012 Aidan Brady
• 2013 Gary McBride
• 2014 Ciaran Logue
• 2015 Stephen McPhillips

Past Club Officers

Top