Devenish GAA will embark on a year of celebration on Saturday night, January 28, when its players, members and supporters come together to launch the club’s centenary year.
Founded in 1917, the club was affiliated to the Fermanagh GAA County Board in 1926 with the club’s first official match away to Derrygonnelly in August that year.
Throughout its 100-year history, the club has enjoyed many milestones including lifting 10 senior championships and 13 senior league titles. It was the Devenish club that took the initiative to introduce ladies football to Fermanagh and the Garrison ladies played their first match against Maguiresbridge in June 1993.
From what were humble beginnings, the club completed the development of its first playing pitch in 1948 before the first club dressing rooms were erected in 1962. Devenish embarked on a large scale development programme in 1990 with the first phase on completion, providing the club with a building equipped with four dressing-rooms, a meeting room, referees room, kitchen and toilets. A new state-of-the-art complex was officially opened in 2000.
Former GAA President Peter Quinn will be the guest of honour at the centenary celebrations and it will be the Teemore clubman who will be called upon to officially launch what will be a year-long programme of events.
The evening will begin with a special centenary Mass in Mary Queen of Peace Church, Garrison at 7pm. Proceedings will follow directly after in the Gillaroo Court with the annual presentation of the club player of the year awards. Medals will be awarded to the U12 boys and U13 girls who enjoyed success in 2016. A surprise guest chosen by the pupils of St Martin’s Primary School will be called upon to present the awards.
Speaking ahead of the launch Devenish GAA club chairman Peter Carty said: “100 years is an amazing achievement and is testament to the work of our founders whose vision in difficult times brought the club to its fruition. The club has grown and flourished in the past century and that’s due to a combination of factors, not least the pride that comes with wearing the Devenish jersey. Off the field of play, the club has always been fortunate to have had a dedicated team of administrators whose work has enabled us to develop and nurture our players, our structures, and our facilities.”
Gerard O’Brien, centenary committee chairman, outlined what people can look forward to in 2017: “This is an important year for Devenish and we will unveil a wide programme of events during Saturday’s launch. Among the highlights will be the Club hosting Feile na nOg in June, a homecoming weekend in July and a centenary dinner in December. We will also be hosting many smaller events throughout the year, focusing on health and well-being initiatives and our Scor na nOg culture. We will be engaging with our supporters across the globe and constructing a granite work feature to commemorate this latest milestone in the club’s history.”
Key Milestones
1917 A Gaelic football team is formed in Garrison
1926 Club becomes affiliated to the Fermanagh GAA County Board
1926 First official match away to Derrygonnelly on 29 August
1927 Garrison Swifts, as Devenish was first known, wins the Whyte Cup (junior championship)
1928 Sometime after 1928 the Club changes its name to Saint Mary’s Devenish
1937 Devenish wins the Fermanagh Junior league for the second time
1946 Devenish wins the junior league and championship
1947 Devenish fields two adult teams for the first year – a junior and a senior team. This becomes the first time the club fields a senior team
1947 Five acres of Johnston's Farm purchased at a cost of £350
1948 Club completes development of a new playing pitch considered to be one of the best in the county. The Park is named Saint Mary's and all labour is voluntary. Opening ceremony performed by GAA President Daniel O'Rourke
1949 Around this time the colours of blue and white are adopted as Club colours
1952 Minor players from Devenish and Belleek play together under the name of Saint John’s
1952 Fr Victor Marron brings a new impetus to the club with a focus on underage football. He becomes the first person to organise ‘practices’
1957-1958 Fr Marron’s good work lays the foundation for the winning of back to back Minor titles
1960 A Devenish/Mulleek amalgamation enters the senior football championship and takes everyone by surprise by lifting the county title
1962 The first club dressing rooms are erected
1962 Senior team wins the league
1963 Devenish wins the senior championship once again and the league
1964 Senior team wins the league and becomes West Ulster champions beating Donegal’s McCumhails and Tyrone champions Saint Enda’s, Omagh. Devenish plays in the first Ulster Club Final (unofficial) where they controversially lose out to Saint John's, Belfast
1965 The senior team wins the championship and league
1966 The senior team wins championship and league
1967 An extraordinary era peaks when the senior win the championship and league double
1973 Saint Martin's Primary School opens with Dessie Neilan as first Principal playing a key role in nurturing, coaching and encouraging the playing of Gaelic games
- The juniors win county championship final
1979 Devenish wins the County Og Sport title
1979 After a period of amalgamation for county underage competitions, Devenish decides to compete as a single club team
1980 Devenish minors win the county league and championship by taking on and beating the amalgamations. The league was retained in 1981 and 1982
- The winning of the senior championship ends a 17 year period without any senior trophies
1986 Devenish wins the senior league
1987 Devenish wins the senior league for a consecutive year
1989 Devenish wins the senior championship
1990 Devenish does the double winning both the senior championship and league
1990 Club embarks on a large scale development programme. The first phase sees the building of four dressing rooms, a meeting room, referees room, kitchen and toilets
1991 Devenish wins the senior league
1991 The juniors win championship and league
1992 The juniors win the league
1993 Devenish once again does the double lifting the senior championship and league titles
1993 The juniors win the league
1993 Devenish takes the initiative to introduce ladies football to Fermanagh. Ladies play their first league game against Maguiresbridge on 27 June
- The Club Lotto is established and run on a two weekly cycle
1994 The fate of the old dressing rooms is sealed as they are deemed to have served their purpose and are to be placed for sale at a future auction
1990s Devenish host Scor na nOg on eight occasions, claiming many county titles including the Carty Cup
1995 Senior ladies win their first piece of silverware defeating Roslea in the Division Two league
1996 The seniors win the championship
1996 The juniors win the league
1996 The U12s win the Division Two league defeating Roslea in the final
1996 St Martin’s win the Fermanagh mini sevens
1997 Devenish seniors win the league
1997 The juniors win the league
2000 A new state of the art complex is officially opened by former GAA President Peter Quinn. The new facilities win Sports Ground of the year
2001 Devenish claim the AIB Fermanagh Club of the Year at a ceremony in Croke Park
2001 The Juniors win the championship
2001 The Club is Og Sport winners
2001 The club hosts two All-Ireland hurling finals, followed in 2003 by an All-Ireland Minor C Hurling final and in 2006 by three All-Ireland finals, two of which are hurling
2002 Ladies win their first championship title defeating Kinawley in the junior championship
2002 The Club grounds are upgraded to stand by status for national league games
2002 St Martin’s win the Fermanagh mini sevens
2003 The U14's win the Division Two league while the U15's win the league. The ladies win the county blitz.
2004 Devenish play for the first time in the Ulster league
- The U12's win the county blitz.
2005 The ladies claim the junior championship and play Carrickcruppen in the Ulster Championship while St Martin’s win the Division Two final.
- St Martin's win the Girls Division 1 Schools title for the first time
2006 Peter Carty becomes the first Devenish person to be elected as chairman of the Fermanagh County Board
2008 The Seniors win the Division One league
2008 The U21 team become Fermanagh champions
2009 The U14s win the Division 5 title. The senior ladies win the Division Two title and the Mullarkey Cup. The U16 ladies win the Division Three league while St Martin's win the County P5 blitz
2009 Fermanagh ladies reach the All-Ireland Intermediate Final. Shauna Hamilton becomes the first Devenish lady to play in an All-Ireland Final at Croke Park
2010 The seniors win the league
2010 The U14's secure a double winning both league and championship.
2010 The ladies win the intermediate championship and the Division 2A league. They play Latten in the Ulster Championship.
2010 St Martin’s win the county seven aside blitz.
2010 The Club commences Gaelic Start coaching
2010 Devenish hosts a Gala Night to mark the Club’s senior championship successes, 50 years on from the first Championship winning side
2011 The Club introduces the first Garrison Five Miler
2012 The ladies win the 2a title while the juniors win the Division One league. The U12's win the P.J. Treacy Memorial tournament
2016 The U13 Girls win the Division Two league and the U12 Boys win the Division Three league
