Golden weekend planned to mark Davitts milestone
Colm Boyle, left, is among the several famous players who have made their name with Mayo in 50 years of Davitts GAA.
In 1974, many significant events took place, including the resignation of President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal, the iconic ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ boxing match between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali, and the debut of the popular television sitcom Happy Days. It was also the year that Davitts GAA was officially formed.
This notable achievement will be commemorated and celebrated over the coming weekend with a series of events planned by the club. The festivities will kick off on Friday evening, August 2, with a community mass, followed by presentations to those who first represented Davitts at adult level in 1974 and 1975. The founding members will also be honoured that night. The evening will conclude with refreshments and live traditional music from local acts.
Saturday will be another busy day with a host of events taking place throughout the day. First up will be underage games from 3pm followed by a treasure hunt. At 6pm Davitts face near neighbours Ballyhaunis for the Padraig Prendergast Memorial Cup. The night will finish with live music by Diesel from 10pm.
The weekend will wrap up with a family fun day on Sunday starting at 2pm, followed by a kids' disco and a BBQ for everyone. The grand finale of the weekend will feature David Connor and his band taking to the stage. All the events over the course of the weekend will take place in the Davitts clubhouse in Ballindine with a full bar available for those in attendance.
All those men and women who have donned the famous black and red jersey have achieved significant success over the past 50 years. In fact, the club was only one year old when success was achieved as the team captained and trained by Frank McGrath claimed a South Mayo Junior title and O’Mara Cup. That team in 1975 was managed by Austin O’Donnell. Both Frank and Austin were instrumental in founding the club just 12 months previously.
This initial success laid the foundation for the club's achievements over the next 49 years, during which it has continually grown and improved its facilities for the entire community. Just a few weeks ago, the club opened its new walking track and remote hub office space. These excellent facilities are a far cry from the modest 'pitch' where the 1974 team trained!
The club, which is made up of the villages of Irishtown and Ballindine, has seen many of its players over the past 50 years also go on to wear the green and red of Mayo. Some famous names include Ger Kirrane, Martin Kearns, Liam Nyland, Alan Roche, Michael Conroy and possibly the greatest of them all, Colm Boyle. This link has been maintained to the present day, with Davitts continuing to be represented on the Mayo senior panels by both Fenton Kelly and Eilis Ronayne in 2024.
These achievements and many more will be remembered, debated and recounted over the August bank holiday. While the Fonz may no longer be on TV, Davitts GAA continues to dream of a few more happy days.
