Eire Og Derriaghy GAC
1948 Senior Football Champions

A Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Eire Og's first Antrim Senior Football Championship

Back in February 1998, Eire Og held a commemorative dinner in the Wellington Park Hotel, in honour of the great 1948 team who won our first, and hopefully not the last, Senior Football Championship.

Players past and present, including the majority of the 1948 squad, attended the dinner, along with the County Secretary, Eamon MacMahon.

Read the actual match reports for the Semi-final and the Final from the Irish News below.

Quarter Final Report Eire Og 3-8 v O'Connells 1-6

Eire Og’s craft and experience in team work were the factors that enabled them to beat the recently promoted Antrim Junior Football Champions (Dunloy Cuchullians) in the Antrim Senior Football Championship at Corrigan Park.

Dunloy opened diffidently, and for most of the first half were disorganized by the swift interpassing of the Eire Og forwards, with Harry Greenwood a cute leader, who received grand support from J Morgan, J Johnston and J McConville.

Cuchullians developed a strong progressive game in the second half that worried Eire Og defence which was frequently hard pressed by the skilful penetrative offences of Jim and Robert McFall, Con O’Boyle, Frank and Dan Kelly. Dunloy did not get all the results they were entitled to, but met a clever defence in Peter O’Hara (goal), K Lennon, T Roe, Wm O’Neill and T Rice.

Dunloy were slow in defence, hence much of the good work in attack was negatived when Morgan, Greenwood, Johnston and Fogarty raided to snap scores despite good defending by Hugh O’Boyle.

H Greenwood(1-4), P Morgan(1-1), J Johnston(1-0), J Morgan(0-2) and J Fogarty(0-1) scored for Eire Og who led by 1-06 to 0-04 at the interval. Jim McFall(1-4) – his brother Bob the goal home – and D Kelly(0-2) scored for Dunloy Cuchullians.

Semi Final Report - 17th June 1948 Eire Og 1-7 v O'Connells 1-3

WEAK O'CONNELLS GO DOWN TO EIRE OG

Without Geo. Watterson, Sean Gibson and Paddy O'Hara, O'Connells were outclassed by Eire Og in the first half of the Antrim Senior Football Semi-final at Corrigan Park last night. County players Harry O'Neill, Kevin Armstrong and Harry McPartland heroically, but vainly tried to stem the tide that produced a goal from Jimmy Morgan and points by P.Morgan, B.O'Kane, M.Morgan, K.Lennon, H.Greenwood and J.Morgan. J.McGuigan made several smart saves in the O'Connell goal, and Eire Og's lead of 1-6 to nil at the interval understates their predominance.

Harry McPartland moved up to centre-half for O'Connells in the second half, and the play became more even, though Eire Og were the first to score - a point per M.Morgan - at the three-quarter stage. Jack Wilson came on for O'Connells who took definite command for the first time in the match. O'Neill and Armstrong had now someone to play to, and Wilson gave his side hope by palming through a goal. Malone fisted out a grand shot by O'Neill, but Devine retrieved to point. O'Connells had four successive fifties without result. Devine added another point for O'Connells. Eire Og's defence was panicky at this period, though George Rowe and Kieran Lennon defended well. Devine got O'Connells last point in an exciting finish that saw the champions fight desperately, but vainly, to save the tie.

Final - 9th August 1948 Eire Og 2-2 v St Johns 1-4

EIRE OG SURPRISE ST JOHNS

Eire Og caused a surprise at Corrigan Park yesterday when they defeated St John's in the Antrim Senior Football Championship final.

The match throughout ruled keen, but there was little, if any, spectacular football, due to the tenacious tackling, though the winners shaped far and away the fitter, faster and more cohesive team.

The winners were well served in defence by Pat Morgan (goalie), Sean McKeown, Jimmy Rowe and Tom Rice, Peter O'Hara and Felix O'Kane, Brian O'Kane, Jim Morgan. Harry Greenwood, Matt Morgan, Liam O'Neill and John Johnston, Fogarty and John Coll played spiritedly.

St John's attack at no period revealed their erstwhile incisive and accurate combination. Despite all the ingenuity and skill of Joe McCallin and his brother Andy, together with the pertinacity of Billy Feeney and Bob Cunningham their team disappointed from a forward standpoint in particular.

In the first half St John's led by one goal (F.Campbell) and two points (F.Bonnett, T.Best) to one goal (Fogarty) and one point (Jim Morgan) by Eire Og.

During the second half Eire Og added one goal (Johnston) and a point (Morgan), St John's replying with two points (Bennett, Joe McCalin).

The 1948 Eire Og Senior Football Squad

Pat Morgan, Jimmy Rowe, Sean McKeown, Tommy Rice, Ciaran Lennon, Peter O'Hara, Felix O'Kane, Jimmy Morgan, Brian O'Kane, Harry Greenwood, Matt Morgan, William O'Neill, Jackie Johnston, John Fogarty, Jackie Coll, Ted Gilligan, Dr. Tony Smith, Dermot Denvir, Gerry Bradley