10 CBS 80TH ANNIVERSARY TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017 ROSCOMMON HERALD

Championship glory and memories Remembering the first Roscommon CBS football team

Pictured are the Roscommon senior football team that captured the Sam Maguire Cup for the first time in the county’s history in 1943. The team contained a number of pupils from Roscommon CBS that had been knocking on the door of provincial success between 1938 and 1942. Back row, from left: O. Hoare, J. Murray (captain), P. Murray, J. McQuillan, F. Glynn, L. Cummins, F. Kinlough and L. Kilmar- tin. Front row, from left: J.P. O’Callaghan, B. Lynch, D. Keenan, D. McDermott, W. Jackson, W. Carlos and E. Boland. By Tony Conboy Some time ago Liam Gilmar- The 1940 Roscommon CBS team, conquerors of St. Jarlath’s in the Connacht final. Back row, from left: tin did a tape for me re- counting his football career. P. Moran, Joe Brennan (Fuerty), B. Carlos, G. Kilduff, Paddy Doherty (Castlerea), T.E. Gaffey, M. Lohan It was a short career as it and M. Rourke. Middle, from left: T. Purcell, J. Preston, Phelim Murray, Henry Fannon, Eamon Curran ended with illness when he and Tony O’Connell. Front, from left: Jim Quinn, M. O’Callaghan, Gabriel Doherty and C. Murray. was just 23 years of age. By that time he had three THE BEGINNING OF ROSCOMMON a team and eventually in it, and again we went up All-Ireland medals, two sen- CBS FOOTBALL JOURNEY: did. We actually picked the against Jarlath’s and this ior in ‘43 and ‘44 and one At this time there was a team eventually from a time we gave them a hell of a minor from ‘39 a team he small secondary school match which we had game for a long time, but captained. He could boast, built by the De La Salle amongst ourselves. It again they beat us. Again, if he wished, that he never Brothers up beside the turned out to be a good side, the same three of us were on actually played on a cham- Church in Abbey Street. But a lot better than even we the team, Carlos, Phelim pionship Roscommon team now that school was occu- thought, we surprised our- and myself and this time we that were beaten! pied by the Irish Christian selves and in actual fact we had two others, Gerry Kil- It all started in the fields Brothers. Brother Maloney went to the final that year duff and Sean Naughton and around his home in his be- was the principal. He was a but we were whacked by the they joined me on the ‘39 loved Ballymurray. It prog- Liam Gilmartin, Brendan Lynch (RIP) and John Joe Nerney, players splendid man, he was a St Jarlath’s side, the Tuam Roscommon Minor side ressed in the local national on the 1943/1944 Roscommon senior team that captured All-Ire- great teacher and a great side, and that was accept- which we won. school and got a real lift land honours, are pictured with Michael Fahey, Roscommon Coun- friend of mine. able enough for the first So it finished up at the when he attended the De La ty Board Chairman, and Tony Conboy, organising committee, at To warm things up a little year, it was ok. We were CBS in a very small school Salle brothers national the launch of the Roscommon GAA Memorabilia to commemorate he suggested that the school, very good, we felt good supplying five people to the school in Roscommon town the 70th anniversary of Roscommon’s first senior All-Ireland foot- which was a very small about it, one fact that never Minor and three to the Sen- four miles away. school then of course, dawned on us at the time, ior team and that was fair “We got structured ball final success. The launch took place in Roscommon County Li- should put in a team for the but as it happened, there performance. There was an- games, structured football, brary in October 2013. Gilmartin, Lynch, Fahey and Conboy are past Connacht Colleges Cham- were three players on that other bit to it, the man who proper togs and boots and pupils of Roscommon CBS. Pic: www.hursonphotography.com pionship. team who would subse- really hammered us from we had backs and midfields He didn’t know anything quently win All Ireland Jarlath’s on each side, that and forwards, it was real son for living was football.” After the intermediate about any of us, but he championships, back to was Frankie Kinlough. football. Afterwards Liam at- certificate examination called on the fifth and sixth back championships in 1943 He was brilliant player, “We used to play in the tended Summehill for a there he decided to return to year students. Because he and 1944. Bill Carlos, Phelim young lad, absolutely out- field in the back of the short time but then trans- Roscommon where the mooted this thing and asked Murray and myself. standing and he starred for school in Roscommon and ferred to the De La Salle Christian Brothers had just for our help and so we told We were there with the the 43/44 team and he was a play against other schools, it Monastery in Castletown Co established their secondary him as far as we could man- CBS again the following good friend of mine, he died was great fun and I was Laois. The game there was school. And so to Liam’s age it, what the names of the year, virtually the same very young, we buried him hooked. I found the real rea- mainly hurling. own words: fellows who might make it to team with just a few changes in Clonmacnoise.

Best wishes and Best wishes and Best wishes and continued success to continued success to continued success to Roscommon CBS Roscommon CBS on Roscommon CBS on on their 80th Anniversary their 80th anniversary their 80th anniversary from From Cllr Paddy Kilduff Cllr Nigel Dineen Mobile 086-2568570 Auctioneer and Valuer Cllr. Orla Leyden Email: [email protected] Tel: 086 213 0723 Constituency Office - Goff Street, Roscommon M: 087 2819918 E: [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/OrlaLeyden/ Email: [email protected]