St. John's G.A.A Club Notes

St. John’s G.A.A  Club united in grief

It was a sense of great sadness when news came filtering through last Friday of the unexpected and untimely death of Michael “Mick” Galvin son of our club President Paddy and founder of St. John’s G.A.A. Club in 1987. Michael packed more into his short 46 years of life than most of us would in two lifetimes.  His family and G.A.A were his life and where he was happiest. Michael’s early playing days was spent with St. John’s before becoming a member of the St. Mary’s club winning a number of underage titles and a County Senior Football Championship in 1996

The following year he was appointed Sligo senior football captain by Mickey Moran but missed out leading the County out in the Provincial final against Mayo later that year due to injury.

Later in 2008 he led the Sligo hurlers to their first ever Nicky Rackard title in Croke Park.

He also played and acted as mentor to the Calraigh Naomh Iosef hurling teams and in more recent times managed Glencar-Manor to win their first ever Leitrim hurling titles.

The St. John’s G.A.A. club members travelled en masse with heavy hearts to the removal last Saturday evening to Manorhamilton. Despite the monsoon like conditions members provided a guard of honour bravely fighting the elements heads bowed, shoulders slumped against the driving sheet like rain standing together silently, wearing black armbands as the cortege inched its way slowly from his home and up the steep entrance to St. Clare’s Church. Following the cortege family, relatives friends, sympathisers all huddled closely under a myriad of umbrellas providing protection from a dark unremarkable & miserable winters like evening in Manorhamilton. His coffin gently carried by members of the Glencar Hurling G.A.A. Club. 

Inside Fr Oliver Kelly P.P. glowingly praised Mick for his involvement in the G.A.A and his devotion to his family and work as Sergeant in Ballyshannon Garda Station. The following day hundreds more thronged the church on the hill united in grief for the funeral mass and burial in St.Clare’s Churchyard.

 Today, the clouds over Carraroe are not the same not the bright sky blue colours of the Parish Club that his father Paddy proudly founded but a more misty grey monochrome texture.

We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife Colette and his children, Conor, Kate and Emma. Also in our thoughts at this sad time are his father Paddy; his sisters Helen, Patricia and Geraldine and his brothers Peter and John.

May the Leitrim sod rest lay lightly over him.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dilis

St. John’s G.A.A. Club

St. John’s secure win

St John’s under 12B team put in a thrilling display to defeat Shamrock Gaels at Shamrock Gaels Park on Tuesday evening last. With weather conditions ideal both teams gave incredible displays of football.

With just one point separating the sides in the first quarter. St. John’s were well served with good scores from free kicks and sideline balls from Ciaran Quinn together with fine scores from play by Liam Lee & Ray McCarney.

At the heart of the St. John’s defence was the rock solid Ronan Hegarty & Brendan Korniychuk who stymied and shackled the Shamrock Gaels forwards throughout .

St. John’s pulled well clear in the second quarter with the excellent James Derwin to the fore and with an incredible strike rate from John Hanbury, Josh Davey & David Elliott the Carraroe boys were soon out of sight.

In the final two quarters the team management rung the changes bringing on the players of the calibre Ryan McLoughlin , Reece Wallace & Aine Gorman all excelled when coming on.

The St.John’s starlets drove on and ran out deserving winners in the end by 0-17 to 0-6

Best for St John’s on the night were Liam Lee, Marc Lyttle and Ronan Hegarty.

The team is progressing well and with skills shown & being perfected by the young boys & girls just eleven years of age it augurs well for the club’s future success.

Sligo’s singing priest returns to Carraroe

Sligo’s singing priest Fr. Kevin Fallon returns to his native Carraroe on Thursday 11th June for a special evening of musical entertainment all in aid of St. John’s Hospital Patient Comfort Fund. Molly Fultons Pub & Restaurent will be the setting for the eclectic musical mix. Special guests for the evening will also include Taby Callaghan of X-Factor fame. Together with Tony Marren, Padraig Fox and a host of other music stars giving their time free for this worthy cause.

Fr. Fallon is the Parish Priest in Kilglass Co. Roscommon since 2011 and serves three churches in the one parish Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Rooskey, Sacred Heart Church Kilglass and St. Anne’s Church Slatta.

The Carraroe native recorded a CD entitled “Twice the Catch” in the studio of Paul Gurney Longford last January. The album is titled 'Twice the Catch', coming from Fr. Kevin's dual role on the CD. He plays the flute on five tracks, and sings with the guitar on the other seven tracks.

Anyone who listens to the CD gets to hear him twice hence the title of the CD “twice the catch”

There are five sets of traditional songs, while the remainder range from Irish ballads to gospel music and country and western music.

There is no admission fee and the CD will be on sale at €10 each. All proceeds will go towards the St. John’s Hospital Patient Comfort Fund & Kilglass Parish Churches.

The show begins at 9.30 p.m A raffle will take place and light refreshments will be served.

Yours support will be very much appreciated.

IRISH TV look set to be in attendance.

Supervalu Kits for Kids Promotion

Please support St. John's GAA Kits for Kids. Collection Boxes in Whitesides Supervalue Ballisodare. For every €40 spent a voucher will be given to the St. John's Club and just drop into the Club collection box in store. Closing date is July 5th. We need 2,000 vouchers. Please support

Upcoming fixtures:

Tuesday 2nd June in Cleveragh at 7.00 p.m.

U-12 Fl Div 4 Rd 5: St. John’s v Tourlestrane

Friday 5th June in Cleveragh at 7.00 p.m.

U-14 Fl Lg D2 Grp 2 Rd 7: St. John’s v Calry St. Joseph’s