The famous Tullyallen ‘immortals’ of 1886

IN looking for details on another subject, I came across a report on the Glen Emmets dinner dance of 1966, held in the Neptune in Bettystown.

On the night, they had produced a piece on a famous day in Tullyallen’s history.

Here’s the report:

‘ The night was notable in that it produced a list of the twenty one players from Tullyallen who took part in a very remarkable match—EIGHTY YEARS AGO- the first match under the C.L.C.G. rules, played In Louth.

For this great bit of research work, the club is indebted to a staunch G.A.A, follower from the Parish, Mr. Peter Downey, well known farmer from Waterunder, and brother of the former chairman of the County Board, Very Rev. P. J. Downey, P.P., Tallanstown. . It is on record that the match In question (Tullyallen v. Dundalk Young Irelands) was played at Tullyallen on April 11th, 1886, with Michael Cusack in attendance. The result was a scoreless draw. Here are the names of the Tullyallen ‘immortals’—Joseph Carter (capt.), Thomas. Brannigan, Jonn Leonard, Thomas Halllgan, T. Morgan (goalman), P. McGuinness, S. Pentony, John Devin, Matthew Berills, Thomas Doggett, Peter Leonard, Patrick Bellew, John McGuinness, John Pentony, William Moonan, Patrick Tuite, William Farrell, N. Colgan, Owen Russell, Patrick Taaffe, Peter Berrlls. All are deceased.

Rev. Fr. Quinn, making the above disclosure, requested the club to regard it as a duty to preserve all the information possible from other days. It was something which would be greatly appreciated by the coming generations.

In proposing a toast to the Glen Emmets Club, the County Board Secretary, after dwelling at some length on the famous ‘first* match at Tullyallen, said that some had it that the game was refereed by Michael Cusack. What was certain however was that he was in the attendance. The night was tinged with sorrow ( for him to some extent as a man with memories of this particular engagement, in the person of Paddy Dowd had only recently gone to his reward. He had known Mr. Dowd personally, and there was no one who would have been prouder to be in attendance at the celebration.’