Omagh GAA History

Ten Years of Omagh St Endas in the Tyrone senior football championship........
Through the lens of the Tyrone Herald and Ulster Herald
What a wonderful record of ups and downs kept in the files of our finest local newspaper

Over a dozen teams spanning forty years at Omagh St Enda’s are set for a very special reunion on September 27th at O’Neill’s Healy Park. As part of the “marking our past” series that has brought dozens of former teams and members together this event promises to be one of the biggest to date.
With teams and two Scor teams from 1965, 1975, 1985, 1995 and 2005 set to be reunited this will be a unique night covering several codes over four decades. From Roddy Tierney’s minor championship winning team in 1965 to the clubs grade two ladies in 2005 captained by Orla Kelly the night will be the usual mix of chat, refreshments, craic and nostalgia.
The clubs reserve champions of 1975 as well as several Under 14 and 16 teams that enjoyed County success will join teams that won the Tyrone minor football league and hurling championships with a special nod too to the 1995 Ulster minor hurling squad managed by Terry Mc Gowan.
Once again it’s an open invitation and will be free ahead of a Captain’s meeting planned for mid August to tie up lose ends and put the final touches to what will be a big club night.

Cuttings from The Ulster Herald

A little bit of July History from Omagh from 1905
Do You Know where Castle Holm was ?
Well it was across the River Strule from the Lisnanelly Demense ....Yes the pitches at the back of St Lucia's Barricks and where the new Strule Campus Pitches are being built
The Castle Holm hosted, Cycling races, Athletics, Soccer, Gaelic football and Hurling and Horse Racing as well as military training through the early years of the last century.

These from the stunning archive of The Ulster Herald

Tyrone GAA Fermanagh GAA We Are Tyrone Teamtalkmag Tyrone My Omagh

In light of Mondays U16 hurling championship win - the first since 1993, here’s the last team to win the title. The last winning team from 1993 - U-16 Hurling League and championship winners – St. Enda’s 4-13 Carrickmore 1-2: Brian O’Neill, Eamonn Eanatta, Ciaran McDaid, Kevin Cunningham, Gareth Farmer, Niall McLarnon, Conn Smith, Simon Johnston, Ciaran Cox, Rory Mullan, David McKenna, Michael O’Neill, Paul Gallagher, Terry McGowan, Stephen Taggart, Eunan Meyler, Paul Murphy, Paul Butler. Shane Loughran, Noel McClements, Lee Kearns. Conor McGirr

U16 HC winners (10) – 1965, 1966, 1967,1972, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1993, 2025

U16 HC runners-up (6) – 1971, 1981, 1986, 1994, 1996, 2016

U16 HL winners (3) – 1981, 1990, 1993,

U16 HL runners-up (4)– 1982, 1983, 1994,2025

Can you add the names an Omagh junior side 1970s

Todays Herald 80 years ago May 5th 1945
Omagh 1-4 Drumquin 1-4
West Tyrone Junior League

We of course had our own Frank (Francie) O’Neill here at St Enda’s but on this occasion our senior footballers will attempt to bring another Frank O’Neill home on Monday night when they face Ardboe in the cup competition in memory of the Coalisland native and former Ulster President who passed away in 1984.

A toss of the coin by the Tyrone CCC for venue resulted in home advantage at O’Neills Healy Park with a 7-30pm throw in. We would encourage our members to come out and support our senior footballers.

LOOKING BACK……..

Omagh St Enda’s met Trillick in the first Frank O’Neill cup final in December 1985. The cup named after former Ulster President and lifelong Coalisland gael Frank O’Neill who had passed away in the GAAs centenary year.

The open draw competition first played in 1984 returned in 1985 with this new trophy up for grabs with the profits of any gate receipts used to support the cultural aspect of the association, something that would have pleased Frank.

Division one league winners Trillick eased to a 1-8 to 0-7 win over Omagh at Dunmoyle with the reds flying throughout, although in the last seven minutes the St Enda’s rallied. Gareth Mc Crory went outfield from goals scoring 0-2 and flashing an effort at Joe Mc Grades goal.

Our Team: Gareth Mc Crory, John Mc Quaid, Eddie Duffy,Justin Doherty, Mickey Joe Flanagan, Sean Healy, Kenny Clarkes, Kieran Mc Mahon, Gerry Quinn, Sean Mac Rory, Sean Meyler, Eugene Bradley, Paul Mc Elhatton, Paul Meyler, Paddy Quinn. Subs Aidan O’Neill For Mac Rory, Dee Mc Sorley for P Meyler.

In Omagh’s second final appearance in 1995 it was a Peter Canavan inspired Errigal Ciaran who came through to claim a 2-13 to 0-8 win at Sunny Fintona in the latter part of the year after our boys beat Coalisland in the semi-final in March !

St Enda’s had topped section Four of the round robin series with wins over Dromore, Drumquin and Ardboe, the 0-10 to 1-3 win over the O’Donavan Rossa’s ensured top spot with six points and that last four spot. Errigal, Coalisland and Carrickmore joined them in the last four. Pictured is the 95 squad in the final, match details from 85 and our Own Frank O'Neill RIP

With Omagh St Endas feilding a junior team again in 2024
fifty nine years ago Omagh reached the Tyrone GAA junior football final.
Losing in the end to Kildress 3-11 to 2-4 the team was a mixture of the successful minors of 1965 and older players all under the guidance of Jackie Livingstone.
Can you name them ?

Pat Mcglinchey Omagh Heritage Forum

A Tyrone hurling team from 1970
Can you fill the blanks
Back Row (Left to Right)
Michael Coyle (Carrickmore), Brian Kelly (Carrickmore), Dan Morgan (Dungannon), Gerry Ryle (Carrickmore), Francie Grogan (Carrickmore), ????? , Martin Fahy (Dungannon), ?????.
Front Row (Left to Right)
Noel Devlin (Dungannon), Pat McCallan (Carrickmore), Peter McCaughey (Dungannon), Gerry Goodwin (Dungannon), Tommy Cushley (Dungannon), Joe Campbell (Omagh).
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