CLG Ghaoth Dobhair[1][2] is a GAA club based in the parish of Gaoth Dobhair (anglicised to Gweedore) in northwest County Donegal, Republic of Ireland. They are one of the strongholds of Gaelic football in County Donegal.[3]
Early records of Gaelic football played in Gaoth Dobhair date back as far as 1918.[4] The sport of association football was a dominant rival in these years, with locals who worked in Scotland being influenced by the emergence of Celtic Football Club in Glasgow in the late 1880s.[4] Then the Great War came and with it the influence of association football was greatly diminished in the locality.[4] The scene was set for the re-emergence of Gaelic football.[4]
Two teams existed in the parish until the late 1920s — one comprising players from the east of Derrybeg church, the other comprising players from the west of the same building.[4] Matches drew enormous herds of people, an official record for one of these, played in 1928, indicated a gate collection of £12 from the passing of a cap among the crowd.[4] However, an official club was yet to emerge.[4]Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Ghaoth Dobhair was founded one night in November 1931, rather accidentally. Following the production of a play, a meeting had been held to form a drama group; at the meeting it was suggested by a man named Charlie Owenie that a Gaelic football team might as well be formed as well.[4] A man by the name of Jim Size agreed and the club's first chairman, Dan Maloney, was appointed.[4]
The first official team was established at the end of 1931 or start of 1932.[4] A minor county title provided the parish with its first success of note in 1933; Gaoth Dobhair defeated Ballyshannon by a scoreline of 1–04 to 0-02.[4] Gaoth Dobhair retained their title, winning against Letterkenny in 1934 by a scoreline of 3–10 to 1-04.[4] A first senior title followed in 1935, with a defeat of Bundoran by a scoreline of 1–08 to 0-03 made possible by the progression of many of the minor players of the previous two years.[4] Players on that 1935 side included Paddy Coll, John Chit, Hughie Dunlop, Danny Neddy (Gillespie), Nial Mac Aoidh, Con McLaughlin, Jimí Ó Baoill, Jimmy Phádaí Bhig, Eoghan Ellen Ó Baoill and Owenie Phádaí Pheadai.[4]
Gaoth Dobhair's first championship meeting with Glenties (later Naomh Conaill) occurred in 1941; the clubs would play each other nine more times in the championship during the twentieth century (1941–1979), with Gaoth Dobhair winning all ten of those games.[5]
However, a long barren spell at senior level was experienced when the club went without a single senior county title from 1961 to 2002.
The club also went more than two decades without a player starting a senior inter-county championship game, until Martin Coll played for Donegal against Cavan in the 1998 Ulster SFC semi-final.[6]
Joseph Sweeney, who later co-founded the construction and engineering recruitment company Falcon Green, was a member of the panel that won the 2002 title.[7]
Gaoth Dobhair are known for their physical handpassing and "never say die attitude" style of play.
The club is also famous for its Thursday night discos during the summer which has been running since the 1970s.[citation needed] This is a massive income provider for the club and people travel from as far as Downings and Killybegs to attend due to its good reputation and unique setting.[citation needed]
After a decline following the club's 2006 senior championship win, underage development began to improve during the mid-2010s, with successes in the under-14, under-15, under-16 and under-21 levels after a considerable drought. This success was attributed largely to coaching plans and an underage structure put in place by a number of members in the early 2000s. These underage teams have provided five senior players, eight under-21 and eleven minor players for their respective county teams in the past three years.
In the summer of 2012, Gaoth Dobhair won the Donegal and All-Ireland Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta on their own pitch.
In the summer of 2012, after years of planning and development, a new pitch was built beside the clubhouse. In 2016 plans were laid down to replace the old pitch with a brand new one featuring a small stand opposite the clubhouse.
A delegation of coaches from the club visited La Masia (after FC Barcelona's youth farmhouse overtook the Ajax Youth Academy) to see if they could apply its techniques to their young players.[8]
Mervyn O'Donnell took over as manager in 2017. The following year Gaoth Dobhair their first Donegal Senior Football League since 2006.[9] They then won their first senior championship, also for twelve years.[10] They followed this with an historic first ever Ulster Senior Club Football Championship.[11][12]
Despite dominating the local football scene, only two Gaoth Dobhair players have ever played in any of their county's All-Ireland Senior Football Championship-winning finals: these were Eamon and Neil McGee, both of whom started and finished the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final when Donegal defeated Mayo. Eamon McGee received a yellow card during that game but was allowed to remain on the field of play. Peter McGee was also a squad member that day but had no part to play in the final. Meanwhile, an additional one of the club's players has contested a losing final: Odhrán Mac Niallais played for Donegal in the 2014 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final.[13]
Stadium
Gaoth Dobhair's stadium is Áras Mhic Eiteagáin, which is located in the Machaire Gathlán area.
Gaoth Dobhair have won a total of 15 Donegal Senior County Championships, which makes them the county's most successful club at senior level. They are the most successful team in Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta history also, with nine wins, including one on their own pitch in 2012. CLG Ghaoth Dobhair was one of the first clubs nationally to win the Bonn Ór (gold medal) in Fondúireacht Sheosaimh Mhic Dhonncha in 2018 for their commitment to actively promote the Irish Language and making it an important aspect of the daily life of the club.[24]
Donegal Under-16 Football Championship: 1958, 1962, 2011, 2012, 2017
Donegal Under-15 Football Championship: 2011, 2012
Donegal Under-14 Football Championship: 1967, 1986, 2010, 2012
Donegal Under-13 Football Championship: 1985, 2016
Donegal Under-12 Football Championship: 1985
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References
↑ "Cassidy at a loss to explain dismissal". The Irish Times. 10 November 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2011. But the Gaoth Dobhair club man, who was only persuaded to come back into the panel by McGuinness at the start of last season before going on to win an All-Star as Donegal reached the All-Ireland semi-finals, feels no confidences were broken in the book.
↑ Note the early reference to Gaoth Dobhair as the club then the place as "Gweedore". "Eamon McGee: Ex-Donegal star fears GAA could lose out on generation because of pandemic". BBC Sport. 7 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021. 'In terms of this generation are we going to lose out on players in the GAA?' said the Gaoth Dobhair club-man… The Gweedore man says his love for the GAA was fostered by trips to places like Clones and MacCumhaill Park for matches when he was a child and he is concerned potential GAA recruits of the future are now missing out on this experience.
↑ Cullen, Damian (20 September 2012). "Final countdown". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2012. The strongholds of Gaelic football in the county — particularly since the turn of this century — such as Gweedores Gaoth Dobhair, Letterkennys St Eunans, Ardara, Four Masters from Donegal Town and Naomh Conaill from Glenties have all been well represented on the pitch this summer.
↑ Ó Gallchóir, Seán (19 October 2023). "McGee brothers approaching the ton". Donegal News. p.62. Before the McGee era Gaoth Dobhair had beaten Glenties in each one of their ten championship meetings 1941–1979. [The source previously states that Eamon McGee's club championship debut was on 8 July 2001, while Neil McGee's was on 23 June 2002.]
↑ Farrelly, Mark (22 November 2020). "1992's Cavan v Donegal Match Featured 3 Absolutely Outrageous Scores". Balls.ie. Retrieved 22 November 2020. As the first Gaoth Dobhair man to start a championship game for Donegal in over 20 years, it was a big day for Martin Coll. It didn't last long however, as he was sent off early for clattering into Larry Reilly.
↑ Bogue, Declan (17 November 2018). "Missing the medal: Best decision I ever made, says Kevin Cassidy". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. He tackled the role himself, becoming manager at 34 with an inside knowledge of the depth of talent coming through the underage structures through his close friendship with Tom Beag Gillespie, a man who gave hundreds of hours to perfecting Cassidy's shooting with endless drills in all weathers. But that year of 2014, Donegal seniors and minors went all the way to the All-Ireland final. Cassidy got his players back five days before the Championship commenced and they never got out of their group. 'I enjoyed the time but it was probably the wrong time for me to take it', he says. 'Will I ever manage again? Probably not!'
↑ McNulty, Chris (9 January 2015). "Liam Bradley looks to set bar high for Malin". Donegal News. Retrieved 9 January 2015. He is the father of Eoin and Paddy Bradley. Last year, Paddy was a part of Kevin Cassidy's backroom team at Gaoth Dobhair.
↑ Initially working with Michael Boyle as team trainer, Boyle left his position with Gaoth Dobhair ahead of the 2020 season. Ferry, Ryan (30 July 2020). "Gaoth Dobhair travel to Donegal Town". Donegal News. p.58. Mervyn O'Donnell is back in the hotseat but he won't have his trusted trainer Michael Boyle involved this year…
↑ Craig, Frank (7 January 2021). "Candid Cassidy Laochra Gael episode airs tonight on TG4". Donegal News. pp.51–3. 'Last year we probably took our eye off the ball. Before this, we had a coach in place in Michael Boyle… Then last year we opted to go without a coach, and listen, in the modern-day club game it's just a non-runner. So myself and Joe Duffy came in this year to try and give the club structure… Maxi [Curran] will operate as coach… I honestly thought I wouldn't do any more club management, I took my own club for a year and it was a bloody nightmare!'
↑ Ferry, Ryan (31 March 2022). "Glenfin gear up for Division 1". Donegal News. p.70. Meanwhile, there will be plenty of eyes on Magheragallon on Saturday as Trevor Alcorn takes charge of Gaoth Dobhair when they face St Michael's, who will be managed by Raymond McLaughlin and Cathal Sweeney this year.
↑ Ferry, Ryan (19 October 2023). "Fine first year for Mac Niallais". Donegal News. p.68. Rónán Mac Niallais has dabbled in coaching for the best part of twenty years… [and] was a quality player for Gaoth Dobhair during his playing days… starred for his club in the 2002 County Final. He spent some time in the capital but is now back home in Donegal and is the principal of Stramore National School. Mac Niallais has taken on the reins of the Gaoth Dobhair senior team and has led his team to the county final for their first time in four years.
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