Granemore GFC
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Granemore GFC is a small Mid-Armagh Club situated approx. 7 miles from Armagh City. The club competes at Under 10, 12, 14, 16 and minor levels as well as Senior and 'B'. The senior team currently participate in the County Senior Championship as well as the Division 2 League. The seniors play in the Armagh Senior Leagues.
Granemore belongs to the Parish of Cill Chluana, which brings together its neighbours Ballymacnab and Clady.
Success has been plentiful for Granemore Football Club, and this is a remarkable achievement for a small rural club. Granemore GFC was first established in 1949, although football has been played in the Granemore area since 1884.
Paddy Conroy and Mickey O'Neill were the driving force behind the formation of the club. Paddy, a young man in his twenties was the first chairman and Mickey, still in his teens was the first treasurer.When a member of the County Board, Paddy remained one of the leading members of Granemore. His dedication to the club was rewarded when he received the "Club Official of the Year" award from the County Board in 1982. Paddy played a major role in the development of Pairc Mhuire in 1984. Micky O'Neill was one of the clubs leading players throughout the 50's and in his own words he may not have been of 'All Star' quality, but it brought him a lot of pleasure. Mickey became Chairman in 1963, a position he held until the end of 1971. Mickey gave up playing at the start of the 60's but was not long out of action when he returned to the field as a referee in 1965. As a referee Mickey was honoured to have officiated at three County finals. Mickey also played a big role in the association affairs of the county when he served on the Referee's Board from the late 60's to the 80's. During this time he held the position of vice-chairman and chairman of the referee board. Mickey's dedication to refereeing was rewarded when he received the 'Referee of the Year' award in 1981. Without doubt the highlight of Paddy and Mickey's involvement with the club would have been the first Junior Championship win in 1971 as well as the U-16 County Championship 2002. Some more of Granemore GFC's achievements are shown below and it must be recognised that without the founding members these would not have been possible.
Success has been a common feature of Granemore football as far back as 1971 when the Granemore senior team won the junior championship, however success is not only in the past but also in the present. The Granemore senior team won the intermediate championship in 2005 with a fine win over Whitecross in silverbridge in a game that will always be remembered among the granemore supporters. It had been Granemores first championship win in 7 years and it was very appreciated. Granemore's past success' are noted below.
Junior Championship winners - 1971, 1990, 1998
Intermediate Championship Winners - 1991, 2005
Granemore minors have been the backbone of the recent success within Granemore GFC, the minors have however been very successful themselves. They became the first Granemore team to win the mid Armagh championship and all county minor championship.Additionally they won the division 1 league. There success in the county minor championship led them to the ulster minor championship where they got to the quarter final.
They were defeated by the eventual winners Rostrevor. This years minor team where defeated in the semi final of the championship but won the Mick Higgins Cup for the first time which is adding to the clubs history as well as winning the division 2 league.
2004 was a landmark occasion for Granemore football as the Under 14 won the Mid Armagh Championship. This success has cemented Granemore GFC's intentions for the future with proof that they have success through many age groups. This team can help ensure that Granemore GFC remain competitive and successful for years to come.
This team who have now moved on to Under 16 have great potential and excellent players who will be ones to watch for the future.
2005 brought great success for Armagh Minor football and for Granemore GFC who had 6 representatives, Kieran Toner, Tony McClelland, Jason O'neill, Jonathan Fahy and Declan Doyle. This is a great representation for Granemore football club and a huge encouragement to have so many county players at such a young age who are so successful. The Armagh Minor team won the Ulster minor championship by beating Down in the final. Kieran and Tony played brilliantly and Jason came on as a sub to good effect. Tony got man of the match which is a fantastic achievement considering he was marking Martin Clarke one of the best young players in Ireland and became the first person from Granemore to score in Croke Prk. It was a great sight to see the five Granemore men lifting the Ulster minor championship trophy aloft in Croke park. However Armagh minors where beat by Mayo who where in turn beaten by Down who won the All Ireland Minor championship, this the team that Armagh had beaten. However 2006 is a new year and already additional Granemore players have been called to trials and proceeded to the next stage, Gary Rafferty, Darren Hughes, Micháel McKenna as well as Kieran Toner who is eligible again this year.
The 2004 under 14's carried on the trend of success by winning the Mid Armagh under 12 Championship in 2004. This was a fantastic achievement for the young Granemore footballers who will surely want to taste success again. These players are the future for Granemore GFC and if they keep going the way they are Granemore success will hopefully continue for many generations to come. This team has a lot of potential and future stars such as Padraig Hollywood and others.
