GAA: How Cullyhanna rose to become All-Ireland champions

Welcome to Cullyhanna, south Armagh - population 500 or thereabouts.

With a pub, church, primary school, shop and pharmacy it's comparable to any other village.

Its most famous resident? Probably Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiaich, the former head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, born here in 1923.

Until now, that is. The village is now home to a squad of All-Ireland champions.

Last weekend, St Patrick's won the Gaelic football intermediate club championship by beating Cill na Martra of Cork at Croke Park.

For team manager Stephen Reel this was a success built on much more than players and coaches.

"It's sponsors, statsmen, cooks, kitmen," he said. "The club, the committee, everything from underage - everything has to be done right so it's not just a group of players.

"The club is 138 years old and I think it's the first time we've had anything like this so it's great to be a part of that. It's great to see the older generation in tears when that final whistle goes.

"That's the power of football, that's what it can do."

Pass through the village and signs of the community's passion for the club, and its championship run, are unavoidable.

Signs, banners and flags - black, yellow and red - hang from every lamppost, in every window and on every car.

"We probably have Belgian and German flags up because the club shop couldn't keep enough in stock last week," said club chairman Jim Sheridan.

"I'd say people were buying whatever they could in the club colours and it was amazing to see those hoops out on Croke Park."

In the local shop, the big win remains the main topic of conversation.

"The buzz has been unreal," said Denise Hoey, from behind the hot food counter.

"We are all just so proud of them. My brother-in-law plays and my first cousins as well."

Shopper Pauline Donnelly was also brimming with pride.

"I'm a very fair weather football fan but I had four nephews on the squad so it was massive," she said.

"I was told they were training for 64 weeks so they've put in so much work to get where they are. They missed out on so many of the festivities because they've all been working so hard.

"The club yesterday was like New Year's Eve."

Since the final whistle went on Sunday the clubhouse on the Tullynavall Road has been the focal point.

Sitting upstairs in the club gym, overlooking two pristine pitches, club president Ciaran McConville said current facilities are a far cry from those of the past.

He remembers when the club didn't have a pitch and had to rent one from a local farmer.

"We didn't have exclusive rental of it because we shared it with the cattle. Before a game we had to politely ask them to move to the side - and I'm afraid they'd have left some of their possessions behind.

"We created this field in the 1980s and these buildings as well. It's been a big achievement to provide these facilities from nothing."

Former chairman Frank Lloyd also remembers a more basic time and how it required a community effort for the club to build what it has today.

"This is a great building," he said. "It was erected mostly voluntarily. There would have been bricklayers, plasterers in helping, joiners in.

"I think the only thing we paid for was the plumbing. It's not impossible when you've a good community of people interested in helping and last Sunday can take us on to another level."

The idea that everyone has a role is also at the heart of the club's success.

For Paddy Savage, this meant accepting his most productive outlet would not be on the field.

"I wasn't much of a footballer - our esteemed president Ciaran McConville told me when I was 18 before a game: 'Your future in this club lies in an administrative capacity.'

"And within a few weeks I was on the committee."

Now he wears a few hats - public relations officer; statistician; video analyst.

"There's always something to do. Small things can make a big difference. Everything is worth it when you get that wee bit of success."

That success was undoubtedly aided by the reversal of an all too familiar trend - rural emigration.

"We were badly hit by emigration about five years ago when we lost something like 17 players," club coach, and former Armagh star, Ciaran McKeever said.

"Six came back this year to play. Obviously without them I don't think we'd be in this position. That's how important it is, when they went we were struggling.

"They were the key to getting the boys across the line. We still have three or four who are away who flew home for the match - you could see them talking about potentially coming home and asking could we win an Armagh senior title."

Another key component of any village is the blow-in. But for those who've moved to Cullyhanna, how do they view the success?

"I'm originally from Monaghan, Castleblayney," Teresa Nugent said.

"And I think people often say that if you move somewhere it can be hard to get involved in things but I think football is great for that - especially when your children get involved.

"That's how I got involved. They all played. Two of my sons are involved in the management team of this as well. It's amazing. Magic moments."

In the village pharmacy, Emer Geoghegan is offering congratulations through gritted teeth.

"I'm from Middletown and they did beat us earlier in the year so I'm happy for them as much as I can be. One of my colleagues is from Crossmaglen, is she celebrating?

"She's not saying but inside I'd say she's happy enough for them!"

For any rural community, enrolment numbers at the local primary school are closely monitored as a barometer of future prosperity.

And for the headmaster at St Patrick's Primary School, Paul Quinn, the 238 children spread from nursery to P7 is a positive sign.

"We've had jersey days, poems, pictures and we recorded our own song," he said.

"Cullyhanna is all about the club and it's not just about football. There's always something on up there, whether it's wellbeing, gathering people together, traditional music, card nights."

For P7 students Niamh, Senan and Jayden it's been an exciting time.

"The players have been in the school quite a lot and brought some of the trophies in," Niamh said.

Jayden added: "Hopefully that can be me some day."

Senan was particularly proud as his father is the club's kitman.

"My dad put in a lot of hard work cleaning the jerseys and making sure they were ready," he said. "It's unreal. My village winning an All-Ireland. It's too good."

Interestingly, all three said they would prefer another Cullyhanna All-Ireland victory to an Armagh one.

Older members of the community will advise that any success should be treasured.