Search the site >

The Donegal Democrat Archive - 1953

March 13, 1953 edition
The Annual General Meeting of the Ballyshannon new Gaelic Park Committee will be held in the Market house at 12 O'Clock on Sunday next. The balance sheet issued by the treasurer Sean McDermott and Miceal O Sleibhin and certified by the auditor, Liam Mac Daibheid, Dublin shows that there was a surplus for the year on the capital account of £868-8-6. There was a profit of £12-17s from buses. Games netted £117-15-10 and the annual collection amounted to £56-9-9. On 31st December 1952 sundry creditors were due £279-31-0. The value of the Park due to work done was increased from £2,672-9-6 to £3,967-13-9.
March 20, 1953 edition
Ballyshannon's New Gaelic Park.
With the goal that they have striven for with energy and enthusiasm for the last four years in sight members of the new Gaelic Park Committee were told by the chairman Mr. Michael Melly and the treasurer Mr. John McDermott that a super-human effort must be made this year to have the work completed if the Park is to be opened in early autumn or early summer.
March 27, 1953 edition
Ballyshannon GAA Park Committee at a meeting~ on Monday night Mr. M. Melly Chairman presiding reviewed the progress made towards the completion of the Park which it is hoped to have officially opened in the Autunm. Over £1,000 is urgently needed by the committee to carry out essential work if the park is to be completed this year and arrangements were made to raise this amount. In addition it was decided to organise another non-stop draw starting on April 19th.
Present were: Messrs J. McDermott (Treasurer), P. O'Neill (secretary) F. O'Neill (Trustee) P. McIvor, S. Slevin, B. Gallagher, J. Kerrigan and H. Daly.
The chairman stated that the committee would receive a further £1,000 in grants from the Ulster Council, but that it would be spread over a period and they would not qualify for the next installment until the end of the year.
April 24, 1953 edition
Exit Donegal from McKenna Cup
Donegal 0-6 Armagh 1-5.
Few of the one thousand eight hundred spectators who travelled to the Gaelic Park, Bundoran on Sunday to see Donegal and Armagh cross swords in the first round of the Dr. McKenna Cup competition could have been dissatisfied with anything except the poor shooting qualities of the respective forwards.
Ballyshannon Players were: J. Mc Dermott, J. Gallagher.

People from as far apart as Derry city and Sligo were present in the Abbey Ballroom on Friday night last for the Annual Ceili of the Aodh Ruadh Hurling and Football club. Approximately 300 dancers gave a warm reception to the famous Vincent Howe Trio who supplied the music for what proved a thoroughly enjoyable Irish-Ireland night.
May 1, 1953 edition
Donegal and Sligo share honours in An Tostal challenge.
Donegal 2-5 Sligo 2-5.
Unfavourable weather conditions did not prevent a good attendance of supporters travelling to the Pearse Memorial Park, Ardara, on Sunday to see old rivals, Donegal and Sligo meet in An Tostal challenge game.
Ballyshannon players: J. Mc Dermott, J. Gallagher.
Much interest has been aroused by the announcement that an open-air céilí will be held at the Handball alley, the Mall on Sunday evening. The event is being sponsored by the Aodh Ruaidh, G.A.A Club in conjunction with Civic week.
There will a nominal charge for adults. The programme opens at 7.30 p.m.
May 8, 1953 edition
Donegal "Democrat Cup" games provide rousing fare.
Resurgent Ballyshannon score fine home win
Ballyshannon 2-11 Kilcar 1-10.
Playing with all their traditional dash, finesse and enthusiasm Ballyshannon senior footballers put in a rousing finish to their game with Kilcar on the home-pitch on Sunday to record a four point victory in the first round of the county league competition.
Ballyshannon Team: S. Cleary, P.J. McDermott, T. Gallagher, S. Flynn, P. O'Donnell, J. Gallagher, M.·Gerrard, J. Mc Dermott Jas Gallagher, S. Dunleavy, Jack Gallagher, D. Moriarty, S. Drummond, E. J. Gonigle, H. Ward, P. Boyle, D. Kane.

Ballyshannon juniors fall heavily to Abbey Shamrocks.
At Legaltion on Sunday week Abbey Shamrocks gave Ballyshannon Aodh Ruadh juniors an unpleasant surprise in the junior championship tie when they knocked up a score of 5-4 to the Ballyshannon lads' 1-7.
Ballyshannon Team: S. Kane, M. Dolan, P.J. McDermott, S. Hc Hugh, P. Boyle, P.J. Patton, E. Rooney, T. Gallagher, S. Dunleavy, M. Murray, P. J. Gallagher, D. Kane, C. McCready, S. Martin, P. McCready.
May 15, 1953 edition
Mixed fortunes - Donegal "Democrat" Cup Games.
Ballyshannon 4-11 Donegal 0-1.
Ballyshannon people showed their solidarity towards the Gaelic ideal on Sunday when no fewer than seven hundred and fifty two men, women, children boys and girls from the surrounding districts travelled to the Rock to see the Ernesiders throw down the gauntlet to their old rivals Donegal town.
Ballyshannon Team: S. Cleary, P.J. McDermott, D. Moriarty, T. Gallagher, P. O'Donnell, J. Gallagher, M. Gerard, Jas Gallagher, J. McDermott, S. Dunleavy, Jack Gallagher, M. Ward, S. Drummond, E.J. Gonigle, P. Boyle.

Aodh Ruadh win schools game.
Aodh Ruadh Ballyshannon had a fairly comfortable victory over Saint Eunan's Ballintra in the first round of the South-Donegal schools league.
Aodh Ruadh Team: M. Murray, H. Diver, G. O'Malley, B. Dorrian, P. Gallagher, O'R. O'Neill, S. Kane, M. Garvey, K. Bannigan.
There was no weak link on the team. All players were outstanding.
Score is not given.
May 22, 1953 edition
Ballyshannon and Bundoran draw in penalties game
Ballyshannon 2-4 Bundoran 2-4.
Finishing on high score note of excitement with no less than three penalties in the closing 10 minutes the junior county championship game between Ballyshannon and Bundoran at Legaltion Park, the Abbey on Sunday was a well-contested and hard-fought affair in which the exchanges Were well divided.
Ballyshannon Team: S. McHugh, P.J. Drummond, P.J. McDermott, M. Gerard, M. Dolan, D. Dorrian, P. Dorrian, P. Boyle, P.J. Patton, J. Gallagher, M. Murray, P.J. Gallagher, T. Gallagher. P Gallagher, J. Murphy, D. Kane.

Ballyshannon juveniles on top.
In a curtain raiser to the junior game, Ballyshannon and Bundoran juveniles treated spectators to a grand display of football in their first round championship tie and although the Ernesiders in this game won on the scores 6-4 to 2-2 there was little except a little more polish in forward work between the sides.
Ballyshannon Team: C. Regan, P. O'Connor, S. McHugh, O.R. O'Neill, B. Daly, C. Flynn, S. Murray, L. Masterson, M. Cullen, M. White, T. Loughlin, M. Garvey, S. Ferguson, P. McCready, M. McGovern.

Divisional honours for Ballyshannon.
Ballyshannon 2-0 Killybegs 1-0
By virtue of their win over Killybegs by the odd goal in the second round of the Donegal league competition game played at Portnason Park on Sunday last Ballyshannon have qualified to meet the Rosses Division winners in the county semi final.
Ballyshannon Team: P.J. Fox, N. Hunter, F. McCaffrey, F. Gormley, T. Diver, P. McCaffrey, F. McKeon, B. Stephens, T. Fitzpatrick, T. Connolly, P. Jones.
May 29, 1953 edition
Donegal's gallant bid for Tirconaill cup.
Donegal 6-8 Mayo 6-9.
Two thousand five hundred spectators were treated to as brilliant a game of football as one could wish to see at Tirconaill Park Donegal Town on Sunday where Mayo the famed representatives of the West had a one point victory over a Donegal team that touched the zenith of form in a thrill-packed second half.
Ballyshannon players: J. Gallagher, J. McDermott.

Ballyshannon GAA Park Loan.
Ballyshannon Gaelic Park Committee have decided to float a loan for £1,000 in order that the new park may be officially opened in the autumn offering 2.5% interest with a guarantee of payment of principal and interest in a period of not less than three years.
June 5, 1953 edition
Donegal 3-1 Ballyshannon 2-4.
True to the tradition that has been theirs upwards of half a century Donegal town and. Ballyshannon's senior footballers gave their supporters plenty of heart-throbs in the first round of the county senior championship at Tirconaill Park, Donegal Town where the teams played out a draw in a clean rousing game marked by a grand standard of football.
Ballyshannon Team: S. Cleary, P. J. Mc Dermott, B. Gallagher, T. Gallagher, P. O'Donnell, J. Gallagher, M. Gerrard, "Yankie" J. Gallagher, D. Moriarty, S. Dunleavy, Jack Gallagher, M. Ward, S. Drummond, E.J. Gonigle, D. Dorrian.
July 3, 1953 edition
On Monday night 14 tables were occupied at an open air whist drive in the Market Yard organised by the Park committee but while the attendance at the drive was somewhat disappointing organisers were recompensed to some degree by the large attendance at the open air Céilí also held there.
July 31, 1953 edition
Ballyshannon and Abbey share honours
Ballyshannon 3-l Abbey 3-1
Before a fair attendance of spectators at the Gaelic Park, Legaltion on Sunday Ballyshannon and Abbey Shamrocks played a drawn game 3-1 all in the second round of the junior football championship.
Ballyshannon team: J. Brennan, J. O'Neill, D. Dorrian, S. Martin, P. Ward, J. Boyle, M. Dolan, P.J. Patton, W. Donagher L. Masterson, P.J. Gallagher, E. Murray, C. McCready, P. McCready, P. Gallagher.
August 7, 1953 edition
MacDermott's 2-6 Ballyshannon 0-8.
In the football challenge for a set of silver medals MacDermott's had revenge over the Ernesiders whom they defeated by 2-6 to 0-8 in a game in which all the thrills were reserved until the second half when Ballyshannon were gradually whittled down.
Ballyshannon Team: S. Mc Hugh, P. Boyle, T. Gallagher, S. Cleary, P. O'Donnell, M. Gerrard, P.J. Patton, P.J. Gallagher, E. Maguire, M. Slevin, S. Drummond, J. Murphy, M. Murray.

St. Malachys proved too good for Aodh Ruadh.
On Monday evening at the Gaelic Park, Bundoran the Assaroe Boys club had Saint Malachy's, Ballybofey as visitors in a juvenile football challenge game which the visitors won by 3-4 to 0-1.
Ballyshannon Team: T. McGowan, B. Dorrian, S. Martin, M. Mc Govern, L. Canning, S. McHugh, T. Tiernan, J. Keown, L. Masterson, P. Byrne, P. McCready, W. McAllister, P. Hoey, M. Garvey, F. Smith, C. McCready.
August 21, 1953 edition
Ballyshannon team work a telling factor.
Ballyshannon 2-7 Barnesmore 1-4.
Playing steady and consistent football except for a 10 minute period in the second half, Ballyshannon's minor representatives defeated Barnesmore 2-7 to 1-4 in the Divisional final at Legaltion Park, the Abbey on Sunday to retain leadership in this grade in South Donegal.
Ba11yshannon Team: S. Mc Hugh, P. Diver, D. Dorrian, P. Drummond, P. Ward, P. Boyle, T. Ward, P.J. McDermott, P.J. Patton, M. Murray, P.J. Gallagher, T. Loughlin, M. Cullen, J. O'Neill, C. McCready.
September 4, 1953 edition
Ardara juveniles in county final.
Ardara 4-2 Ballyshannon 0-6.
Ardara qualified for the final of the Donegal juvenile football championship at Tirconaill Park, Donegal Town where they defeated Ballyshannon 4-2 to 0-6 in the county semi-final after leading at half-time by 1-2 to nil.
November 20, 1953 edition
Ballyshannon - "Democrat" Cup quarter final.
Ballyshannon 1-2 Donegal 0-3. A remarkable second half display in which they stepped up on recent form by one hundred per cent, gained for Ballyshannon the honours of their senior county league "Democrat" Cup Divisional decider against Donegal at Legaltion Park, the Abbey on Sunday where the Ernesiders won 1-2 to 0-3 in a closely contested game.
Ballyshannon Team: S. Cleary., T. Gallagher, D. McCormack, W. Boyce, P. Boyle, J. McDermott, M. Gerard, Jas Gallagher, P.J. McDermott, M. Slevin, E.J. Gonigle, J. Murphy, P.J. Gallagher, P. Dorrian, M. Ward.
November 27, 1953 edition
Ballyshannon for "Democrat" Cup semi-final.
Ballyshannon 3-1 Castlefin 0-3.
Leading 2-1 to 0-2 at half time Ballyshannon coasted to victory by 3-1 to 0-3 in the "Democrat" Cup senior county league quarter-final against Castlefin at Tirconaill Park, Donegal Town on Sunday and so qualified to play Dungloe in the semi-final on Sunday next at Donegal.
Ballyshannon Team: S. Cleary, T. Gallagher, D. McCormack, P. Dorrian, P. Boyle, J. McDermott, M. Gerrard, Jas Gallagher, P .J. McDermott, M. Slevin, E.J. Gonigle, J. Murphy, P.J. Gallagher, Jack Gallagher, H. Ward, D. Dorrian.

Dungloe won pulsating semi-final.
Ballyshannon made glorious exit.
Dungloe 1-8 Ballyshannon 0-8.
Featured by hard fast football in which no quarter was given or asked for by either side the Dungloe v Ballyshannon senior county league "Democrat" Cup semi-final ended on a pulsating note at Tirconaill Park, Donegal Town on Sunday where a young Erne-side fifteen gave a wonderful second half display in which they almost came through victoriously.
Ballyshannon Team: S. Cleary, T. Gallagher, D. McCormack, W. Boyce, P. Boyle, M. Gerard, D. Dorrian, P. J. McDermott, . Jas Gallagner, M. Slevin, P. Dorrian, J. Murphy, P. J. Gallagher, E.J. Gonigle, M. Ward.
Sub: W. Donagher.