Chats About The Past
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Paul McCarthy Full Interview
Paddy Linden Full Interview
Club History
A GAA team was founded in Ballybay in 1906. They were first known as the Ballybay O’Briens, and then the Red Hands, before settling on the name Pearse Brothers, after Patrick and William Pearse.
Ballybay played their first Senior Championship Final in 1922 losing to Monaghan.
Pearse Park was bought and developed in the late 1940’s and was officially opened in 1951 on the 35th anniversary of the Easter Rising. Ballybay started wearing the now famous maroon in November 1950.
Ballybay won their first piece of Senior silverware in spring of 1953 when they won the 1952 Owen Ward Cup. With Paddy McKearney as captain they won their first Senior Championship in 1953. This sparked a golden era for the club with Championships in 1954, 1957 and 1959. All with Paddy McKearney as captain. Jim O’Hanlon captained the 1962 Championship winning side and 1969 Sean McKearney led the Pearse Brothers to their 6th title.
In 1987, John Joe McKearney led Ballybay to their first title in 18 years. The club then endured an even longer wait before a team captained by Paul Finlay won the 2012 Championship.
Following several near misses, Eoin McKearney followed in the footsteps of his grandfather by captaining the club to a Senior Championship in 2022.
Ballybay have also won 8 Owen Ward Cups: 1952,1953,1973,1977,1986,2016,2017 and 2019.
The Club also won a Senior Hurling Championship in 1976.
Monaghan Senior Football Championship Titles : (9)
1953, 1954, 1957, 1959, 1962, 1969, 1987, 2012, 2022
Monaghan Senior Football League Titles: (8)
1952, 1953, 1973, 1977, 1986, 2016, 2017 and 2019
Monaghan Senior Hurling Championships: (1)
1976
Achievements
Winning Championship Teams
Football Championship
Sept 6th 1953, Emmet Park, Carrickmacross
Ballybay 2-8 v Donaghmoyne 0-6
C McQuade, A Smyth, P Duffy, P McNally, M Conlan, P McKearney (Capt), B Morgan, P Smyth, M Donohue, J Moen, N Ward, FN Duffy, D Ward, E McGahey, T McNally. Subs E Murphy for P Smyth
Scorers E McGahey 2-0, J Moen 0-5, P McKearney 0-2, N Ward 0-1.
Sept 12th 1954, St Mary’s Park, Castleblayney
Ballybay 2-9 v 0-5 Clontibret
C McQuade, A Smyth, W Morgan, T McNally, M Conlan, P McKearney (Capt), D Ward, P Smyth, E Murphy, J Moen, N Ward, FN Duffy, E Crean, E McGahey, P Duffy.
Scorers FN Duffy 2-1, J Moen 0-4, P Duffy 0-2, E Murphy 0-1, P Smyth 0-1.
October 13th 1957, St Mary’s Park, Castleblayney
Ballybay 1-8 v 0-4 Clontibret (Replay)
T McNally, J O’Hanlon, L Maguire, FN Duffy, M Conlan, P Duffy, D Ward, M Donohue, E Murphy, M McCaughey, J Moen, T McKearney, F Ward, N Ward, E McGahey. Subs K McBride, P Flynn, P Smyth, P Lynch, P Mohan, G Duffy.
Scorers J Moen 0-5, M McCaughey 1-0, F Ward 0-2, E Murphy 0-1.
October 11th, 1959. Pearse Park, Ballybay
Ballybay 3-7 v 0-5 Clontibret
T McNally, J O’Hanlon, T Duffy, P Flynn, S McKearney, P McKearney (Capt), D Ward, P Duffy, M McCaughey, P Smyth, N Ward, J Moen, M McEntee, P Ward, E McGahey. Subs FN Duffy for M McEntee
Scorers: J Moen 1-2, N Ward 0-3, FN Duffy 1-0, E McGahey 1-0, M McCaughey 0-1, P McKearney 0-1.
July 7th, 1963 (1962 Final) Gavan Duffy Park, Monaghan
Ballybay 1-10 v Castleblayney 1-7
T McNally, J O’Hanlon (Capt), D Ward, P Flynn, S McKearney, M O’Kane, E McAleer, M McCabe, J McCabe, J Moen, T Galligan, M Duffy, F Ward, P Duffy, C McCarthy. Subs D Marron, S O’Reilly, V Rutledge, M McEntee.
Scorers: J Moen 0-8, C McCarthy 1-0, P Duffy 0-1, F Ward 0-1.
Sept 21st, 1969. Emmet Park, Carrickmacross
Ballybay 3-5 v 0-5 Castleblayney
P McCarthy, O Cregan, F McNally, J O’Hanlon, P Kerr, E McAleer, S McKearney (Capt) , J McCabe, B Dowling, G Connolly, C McCarthy, K Duffy, T Pearse, T Campbell, B McCarthy.
Scorers: T Pearse 1-3, B McCarthy 2-0, C McCarthy 0-2.
Sept 13th, 1987, O’Neill Park, Clontibret.
Ballybay 0-9 v 0-4 Monaghan Harps (Replay)
D McGregor, P Linden, PJ Finlay, S O’Neill, M Keenan, JJ McKearney (Captain), C Hand, P Ward, J O’Connell, K Smyth, F Wright, M Pearse, T Ward, P Kerr, K Finlay. Subs F Smyth for K Smyth.
Scorers: K Finlay 0-3, P Kerr 0-2. M Pearse 0-2, F Wright 0-1, M Keenan 0-1.
October 14th 2012, St Tiernach’s Park, Clones
Ballybay 1-12 v 2-5 Clontibret
S Gorman, F Smyth, D Wylie, R Wylie, M McArdle, B McCabe, B Wylie, S McQuillan, T O’Neill, T Kerr, P Finlay (Captain), F McArdle, H Malone, C McGuinness, C Malone. Subs S McGuinness for C Malone, C McAviney for S McQuillan
Scorers: C Malone 1-1, P Finlay 0-4, C McGuinness 0-3, H Malone 0-2, S McQuillan 0-1, R Wylie 0-1.
October 16th 2022, St Tiernach’s Park, Clones
Ballybay 1-11 v 1-8 Scotstown
J Sniauksta, D Caraher, T Mc Skean, C Lennon, E McKearney(Captain), D Wylie, S Monaghan, A Toner, D Ward, T Kerr, S McGuinness, C Galligan, R Wylie, C McGuinness, P Finlay.
Scorers: D Ward 1-3, C McGuinness 0-4, T Kerr 0-1, P Finlay 0-1, E McKearney 0-1, S McGuinness 0-1 .
Hurling Championship:
Nov 21st 1976, Emmet Park, Carrickmacross
Ballybay 1-6 v Castleblayney 0-8
P McCarthy, K Duffy, J O’Brien (Capt), D McBride, J Curren, K Lonergan, D Connolly, P Kerr, T Freeman, W Connolly, M Lyons, J Kerr, B Geoghegan, M Drumm, E Condon.
Scorers: M Drumm 1-0, W Connolly 0-3, E Condon 0-2, P Kerr 0-1.
Notable Players
Laurnie Reilly: First Ballybay man to win an Ulster Championship with Monaghan in 1916 v Antrim.
Tommy Bradley: Goalkeeper in the 1930 All Ireland Final. Won 3 Ulster Championship medals. Played for Ulster.
Dr. Rex Keelaghan: Won Ulster SFC with Monaghan 1938.
Paddy McKearney: Played for club and county. Captained Ballybay in 4 winning County Finals, 53,54,57 and 59.
John Moen: Stylish forward from mainly the 50's and 60's. 6 Senior Championship winners medals - a club record.
Jim O’Hanlon: Captain for 1962 SFC team. A fixture on the Monaghan team for close to a decade.
Eamon McAleer: Winner of SFC medals in 1962 and 1969. Played for Monaghan for years.
Sean McKearney: Won SFC medals in 1962 and 1969. Captain in 1969.
Paul McCarthy: Goalkeeper who played Railway Cup for Ulster.
Paddy Linden: 3 Ulster SFC (first Allstar Goalkeeper from Ulster), won Save of the Year 1979.
Damien McBride: Won Owen Ward Cups in 73 and 77. Won Ulster Championship with Monaghan in 79. Part of Ballybay senior management in 1987 and 2012.
Kieran Finlay: Held scoring record of 1-9 from 1979 Ulster Final for many years.
PJ Finlay: Played for Ulster in 1979. Won SFC in 87 when his last-second catch v Monaghan Harps gave Ballybay a draw in the first game (Ballybay won the replay). Won Ulster Championship in 88 at midfield.
Paddy Kerr: Captained UCD to win All-Ireland Club Championship in 1974.
JohnJoe McKearney: Centre-back and captain of 1987 Co. Championship winning team.
Paul Finlay: One of the most stylish players of his era - Two Ulster SFC's with Monaghan, Ballybay captain 2012 - Kieran Finlay's son.
Drew Wylie: All-star nominated full-back - two Ulster SFC's with Monaghan.
Ryan Wylie: All-Star nominated corner back two Ulster SFC's with Monaghan, current Monaghan Senior captain, only Ballybay man to captain a team in an Ulster Final.
Chris McGuinness: Two Ulster SFC. Last Monaghan man to score a goal in a Senior Ulster Final.
Dessie Ward: Strong running half back and half forward on Monaghan Senior team