Barney McKenna

Bukey has asked me to make a contribution on my Lámh Dhearg Journey which I will attempt as briefly as I can. It’s a great idea during these trying times. Constantly we have heard that we are all in the same boat, but I just hope the boat wasn’t built in the Harland and Wolf. Stories like these, help us through the rough seas and put a smile on our faces. 

They Say, a picture paints a thousand words so I have attached a photograph which in our family’s case, says it all. The Photo was taken at the Rock over 60 years ago. I borrowed this photo from my cousin Frank(nickname-Cooter) who along with Tom Mulligan are the two oldest living Lámh Dhearg players. Frank says that Tom is Older but carbon dating doesn’t go back that far. Frank is still a very colourful, charismatic character who calls a spade a spade and it was fantastic to catch up with him and his memories. Frank’s wife Phyliss was a Jordan to her maiden name and a cousin of Hugh Jordan (Senior). Unfortunately, Phyliss is in poor health at the moment.  They both have worked extremely hard throughout their lives.

The players in the Photo and their mentors all lived in the Parish of the Rock and Hannahstown. All of the players in the team at that time, were Pioneers (alcohol free). Frank along with his brothers John, Oliver and Harry all played for the club as well as my brother Hilary and Gerald (who are in the photo). Frank McCague, Ginger John and Harry coached the team at that time and the colour of the Jerseys was black and amber. According to Frank, Harry was the brains of the outfit and as we know served the club and County his entire life. Colm, Gary, Colm Og and Caoimhe are all still involved with the club and Colm, with many others has helped steer the club to where we are today. Frank commented that they gave the ball to Stephen Mulligan for the Photo’s, as he didn’t see much of it during the games. 
I asked Frank who was the best player on the team at that time and he said that it was Stackey Donnelly(Austin) and Doc Halliday (not in the Photo).
Austin’s grandchildren,( Niall, Eoin, Lauren and Leigha) Paul and Connie Donnelly,s children, all play for Tullylish in County Down. 

The lad at the end of Front Row, Con Donnelly, worked as a gardener in the wealthy suburb of Dunmurry. Thanks to him, I received my first boots, rescued from a bin in a house where he was working. I can still see them now. They were hard toed and laced up to the top of your ankles. They were the ‘bees knees’ to me. My first memory for playing for the club was at minor level.  We walked up the hill to the ‘rendezvous point’, in Charlie Waters Carpark, myself, Tony Ferris and our very own J.P. O’Kane. On most occasions, we hitched a lift up the road, with either Felix, Jimmy Finnegan, Shanty and often as not, Billy Gilmore, in the Bedford Lorry. Billy was married to the lovely Alice Rooney and to say the least, he was yet another one of the many colourful characters we have all encountered on our Lámh Dhearg Journey. 
Billy played a huge part in the transportation of players to games as well as doing handbreak turns in the Lorry. Liam O’Kane (Man Sir) organised the team at the time, along with Hugh Jordan. Hugh drove a lorry as well which many times doubled as the changing rooms. This was before Shanty got his Van. At the time, we played in Red shirts. We never won much but the crack was always good.

I landed at the CBS Glen Road from Hannahstown school as green as the grass but was very quickly brought into real world. On the second day we were out on the all weather pitch with the Wavin hurls under the instruction of Brother Nannery, and so the journey began. The Brothers mostly had uncomplimentary names and ran what you might call a ‘Dictatorship’, where they spoke and you listened. If you were good at Football or Hurling, your life was made that bit easier. When I say Football, I mean Gaelic Football as the game soccer didn’t exist and was never spoke about. I could write a book on the CBS Experience but in brief, I enjoyed my time there. I made life long friends and played with and against the best hurlers and footballers of that era. The CBS team won many Antrim and Ulster titles. A lot of the CBS players made up the backbone of the St Teresa’s team. My good friend Martin Brunty has been posting many old team photos from that period. Most if not all, the lads played for the CBS. To mention a few , the infamous McKiernan brothers John and Paul, along with Sean and Paul McGoldrick. One of my favourite players was Paul Growcott.
 
One of my fondest memories was representing Antrim in the Vocational schools-All Ireland U16 Hurling Final against Offaly in Croke Park.
We drew the game and were beaten by a point in the reply in Birr, the week later. I have to add, that John Crossey is a player and a person, I have always respected and admired as a true Gael. There is a photograph of that team in the County Arms Hotel in Birr.
(The new Ground) At the time , I was part of the committee and it was a very exciting period , I think at the time we acquired, what we now know, as our home ground and club house. I remember the day we broke the sod on the new development with Liam Patterson and Charlie Connelly, doing what they do best on their Earth Moving machines . There was also a lad from the White Rock on a digger that day. I asked him as to how they got all the levels etc for the drainage of the field, expecting a very technical explanation. He told me, “That water runs down hill”. I didn’t ask any more question.
A huge amount of people were involved in the building of the club and also gave their time freely. To mention a few: Ian Boylan, Cyril and Raymond Jordan, the Lynch Family, Big Paul McQuillan, Joey Murray, The Beast and Marie, Jim and Kate Agnew, Fitzy and Shanty, Maguire, Wee Joe and many, many others. The rest as they say, is now history.
 

Looking back I feel that one of my biggest achievement regarding our Club, was helping establish Camogie and later on Hurling. The Camogie, although it has gone over a few bumps on its way, it is now an integral part of the club along with ladies football. The Camogie brought women into the running of the club, which I felt was vital for it’s survival. I have always kept in touch with the girls from the team and many of them have sons playing at Senior/Junior level for our club now.
The famous Reid sisters are an Integral part of the Glenavy Camogie setup. 

Our club today, embraces all sections of the community and it is amazing to see all the under age boys and girls teams, with their own coaches and mentors. To mention a few, Fionnulla Crilly and young Francis McKenna, as two great examples. Fionnulla herself is a great role model and deserves a serious mention . Jim Ferguson is another man that I admire for his work within the club, as well as Maura Tubridy. Maura makes us all welcome and looks after all who visit and participate in the club.

Our Club was blessed with so many great footballers and Hurlers. Dominic(Banana), JPO Kane, Cyril Jordan, and Paddy Cunningham(Senior). I personally loved playing with Seamus Fitz and Kavanagh as they always passed the ball at the right moment, especially when you had six men marking you. My Lámh Dhearg Journey, is a journey worth remembering and even more importantly, to be passed onto the generations to come. 
NB. The shooting at Budore which we thought was carried out by the Loyalists was the work of four disgruntled husbands looking for Raymond Jordan. Source(Kavanagh/Maguire @fakenews.com)
My Australian Journey started on July 17^th 1986 . Although it has been very good to me and my family I always look upon Ireland and the club as home . 

Since arriving in Australia I have been attached to the Saint Finbarr’s GFC and more recently with the Western Swans Hurling / Camogie Club . I Played for the Barrs for 12 years and have coached the Ladies for 3 Years again through our games making life long friends .I have represented the State Hurling Team on 6 occasions and we are the current Australasian Champions .

We had no established hurling when I arrived but with the assistance of many great men over the years we have now established a formidable hurling / camogie league and championship Competitions.
It is only when you emigrate you really respect and appreciate the benefits and importance of the club in your life. Therefore on my numerous visits home it is fantastic to catch up with my club peers but more important to see a new generation administering and playing for the club. 
I get a great buzz and satisfaction to watch games at different levels and codes and even help out coaching underage Camogie and Hurling teams. You feel very proud to see how our facilities have developed incredibly over the years and that’s a testimony to many dedicated members.

It was an absolute privilege to have watched the Senior Footballers win the c’ship in 2017 and Hurlers win the Ulster Junior c’ship. I even sang a few songs as we celebrated the 2 super achievements and my favourite guitar and passion for singing is always welcome in the club or around the houses of Hannahstown and the Rock.

Barney – with his much travelled and played guitar, entertaining in the Murray household in Hannahstown