Rosses CSC…Fergus McCann and the sod of turf for Paradise
Founded in 1988, the exact date of foundation is not known and will be disputed over the counter, be it on the ferry across to Scotland, Sharkey’s in Annagry, or any other place where good after-match debates take root.
Hughie Pat Sharkey from Calhame and Brian Boyle from Ballymanus, both deceased, kept badgering a few venues for years about setting up a CSC where they could meet and organise trips to Celtic matches. Both men were dedicated Celtic men, and they were very aware of the fact that although many of them were over and back to games in cars, with Feda, Anthony Dora, or Doherty’s bus service, or an odd flight with Loganair, nothing was organised as it should have been.
Brian and Hughie were formidable characters in their own way, and their calls for a club were eventually met. The first meeting was in Bonner’s Bar in Mullaghduff. A long discussion took place, and the general agreement was that they would form a club and go to about six games a year.
A committee was elected with Hughie Pat Sharkey as president, Timmy Boyle as vice president, George Boyle and Brian Boyle as chairmen, Owen J. Coyle as treasurer, Charlie Boyle as secretary and Conal O’Dubhaidh as PRO.
Others among the 20 or so who were at the first meeting included James Barney, Owen Joseph Coyle, George Doalty, Danny Doogan, the painter, and young Daniel, his son, John the Thatch, Hughie Tim, Josie Joe, Paddy Bhrini, Daniel, John G. Gorman, Patrick McGinley, and Tony Bonner from Dungloe.
Although Bonners Bar was the meeting place for that meeting, subsequent meetings moved around The Rosses for several years before settling back into Bonners again around 1994.
The highlights of those early years were, as usual, the trips to Glasgow as a club. In Glasgow, they would stay in Queen’s Park or Dunkeld Hotels. On the many early trips, they were seldom organised enough to all stay together, as it was before the explosion of mobile phones.
Sharkey’s Bar in the Gorbals got many phone calls asking where such and such a character had disappeared to. Sharkey’s Bar was their happy base, and the craic and sport would start there as they’d roll into town on a Friday night. Isa, Peter, Fiona, Isobel, and staff would welcome them as if they had come from Alaska, although they never showed it.
Sharkey’s Bar was a West Donegal Pub that happened to sit in the Gorbals of Glasgow. In 1990, before Packie Bonner and Chris Morris went off to the World Cup in Italy, they were taken back after a Celtic match to Sharkey’s and made a presentation to them. After the World Cup, they held a dinner dance in Ostan na Rosann for over 350 supporters with Packie and Anton Rogan as guests of honour.
When they became a bit more organised, they started attending more meetings and therefore wanting to go to more games. The amount going to games varied from four coaches, flying over to present Paul McStay with a golf club to six coach-loads going over for Packie Bonner’s testimonial match, complete with RTE cameras with them.
Josie Joe was a cornerstone of the club then. Always a bit reluctant to take on a role, he was ever-present at matches, meetings, and functions. A great character who would always help out and had the club and its trips at heart. The Celtic sod of grass story has been told many times, and needless to say, it was without doubt their highlight. They agreed as a club to write and offer to donate a sod, and when Fergus McCann personally replied by phone, they thought it was a local wind-up, but they were not prepared to take the risk of not hearing his request for a sod of turf from The Rosses CSC for the new Celtic Park.
This connection between the Celtic and The Rosses CSC is now written into history, and as the years go on and the story gathers a few bits, It remains a great part of the club’s history.
An extract from Football Without Fans – The History of Celtic Supporters Clubs by David McIntyre ( Celtic Bars). Football Without Fans – The History of Celtic Supporters Clubs is out now and available in print and kindle versions HERE.
More from Football Without Fans tomorrow on The Celtic Star, the Celtic supporters website. Will it be your CSC that’s featured?
Just before Christmas, David McIntyre from Celtic Bars was interviewed by Celtic TV about his Football Without Fans book. Here’s the video on Celtic TV’s You Tube channel . You can order a copy in print or kindle from Amazon regardless of where you are in the world. Order your copy HERE
