Fond memories rekindled of the ‘Father of the GAA’

AT THE recent civic St Patrick’s Day Festival Parade in Glasgow, there was a familiar face among all the flags being held aloft.

While Eoin Kelly (above left) is well-known for helping to form the first branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann—The Irish Minstrels—in 1957, he will also go down in history as a significant figure in the history of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Scotland, with his life of dedication to the GAA particularly within Glasgow.

Eoin served as Honorary Life President of Scotland GAA since its revival in 1984 until his death. He was involved in the GAA in Glasgow in 1953 when Pearse Park was purchased. He contributed personally to finance the deal and he helped organise the inaugural game there Glasgow vs Lancashire GAA on September 13, 1953.

Despite the purchase of Eastfield Park, Cambuslang in 1953, at a time when club football was active, there was a decline thereafter and no formally organised club football played in Scotland in the late 1960s and 1970s.

Eoin, however, took on the role of caretaker of Pearse Park and his colleagues organised special events and annual family gala days there, typically on a Sunday in the summer season with a Mass celebrated and a GAA exhibition match as part of the entertainment.

There is also a report of Eoin organising a charity fundraising game played on March 19, 1972 (St Joseph’s Day) between a team of exiles from Donegal versus exiles from the ‘Rest of Ireland.’ It was reported in that match programme that there were only three teams in existence in Glasgow—Mulroy Gaels, Rosses Rovers and South O’Hanlons.

Eoin was regarded as the ‘father of the GAA’ during this time, helping to organise events. One such event was the Pearse Park Commemoration Committee at Easter 1979. They conducted the ceremonial renaming of Eastfield Park to Pearse Park and the committee consisted of Eoin Kelly, Fr James Shiels, Sean Feeney, Rory Campbell, Fr Bernard Canning, Joseph Coyle, Rose Coyle, Margaret O Dell, Peter McAleer, Patrick O Donnell, Padraig Roarty and Lena Tierney.

Eoin—along with Fr Eamonn Sweeney—then inspired the revival of Gaelic Games in 1984, the centenary year of the founding of the GAA. In early 1985, coaching began at Pearse Park and eventually a team was comprised taking the name Pearse Harps GFC and Eoin was a member of this Club. Three other clubs, Mulroy Gaels—also from Glasgow—St Patrick’s Dumbarton and Clann na Gael from Hamilton took part in the first competitive Gaelic Football League and Championship for a generation.

This was the beginnings of the present era of Gaelic Games in Scotland, which are now on a much more sustainable footing.