Search Results for 'Billy Carr'

“There is nothing as Galway as Our Lady's Boy’s Club,” was how our president Michael D Higgins described OLBC some years ago at a function in the Columban Hall. It is more than 80 years since it was founded and it is the longest-running youth club in the country. It was set up by Fr Leonard Shiel SJ at a time when there were was a lot of grinding poverty in Galway and no recreational facilities or extra-curricular activities for young people in areas like the Claddagh, Bohermore, Shantalla, and ‘The West’. The club provided these and has been a source of guidance and inspiration to thousands of young men and boys since, especially those from a working class background. From that first day of nervous membership, right through their teens, and even after they had taken up the challenges of adult life, the spirit and watchful eye of the Club is ever with them.

“There is nothing as Galway as Our Lady's Boy’s Club,” was how our president Michael D Higgins described OLBC some years ago at a function in the Columban Hall. It is more than 80 years since it was founded and it is the longest-running youth club in the country. It was set up by Fr Leonard Shiel SJ at a time when there were was a lot of grinding poverty in Galway and no recreational facilities or extra-curricular activities for young people in areas like the Claddagh, Bohermore, Shantalla, and ‘The West’. The club provided these and has been a source of guidance and inspiration to thousands of young men and boys since, especially those from a working class background. From that first day of nervous membership, right through their teens, and even after they had taken up the challenges of adult life, the spirit and watchful eye of the Club is ever with them.

On a wild and wet Monday morning, a few yards from the River Corrib, John Clery sits in the splendid Commercial Boat Club to talk about one of his passions: Galway football.

Galway football is sprinkled with unsung heroes, who kept the game alive in various pockets of the city and county. In town, though, for decades a familiar sight was Michael O’Connor cycling or walking along the streets with budding players getting ready for training or a match.

Ultimately, sport is as much about memories as medals. Ollie Neary was lucky enough to enjoy success with Mervue and Galway United, but reflecting back on his career it is the friendships and relationships that count.

As a player, coach, and administrator Joe Keating has given decades of service to Galway football. Living next door to Eamonn Deacy Park means Keating remains a keen observer of the game.

“Being from old Mervue, the real part of Mervue, it started for me when I went down playing when I was seven or eight with Billy Carr and Billy McCormack,” Terry Flaherty recalls how Mervue United and football became a central part of his life.