On 22 July 1901 Michael Maher (my grandfather) paid his one pound fare in Dublin and set sail for Glasgow. He was 19 years of age. He had been born and raised in the small hamlet of Levitstown Mill near Athy in Kildare…

In the Heat of Lisbon, The fans came in their Thousands

Leaving school at 15 he worked for a short period in service of a local landowner and at the Mill itself. He then moved to Dublin and had been working in the Jacobs biscuit factory for around three years when he received news that his father had died. His father had been much older than his wife and now Michael was the main income earner. He had heard that work was to be had in the industry of Glasgow so decided to try his luck in Scotland.

Off the boat at the Broomielaw

Having lived in Dublin for three years he would not have been too unprepared for the grimy city he found when he got off the boat at the Broomielaw. However one thing would be different – here there would be a section of the local populace who would not be too keen on him and his religion. Work did not take long to find. On the 24 July he commenced at the Saracen Foundry in Possilpark. As well as employment he of course sought out accommodation and perhaps not unsurprisingly the company of fellow immigrants. They would have helped him with information on places to stay and meet his countrymen.

Like many of the early Celtic supporters he was in the Irish National Foresters

One of those places would have been in the East End of the city – Celtic Park. I don’t think my grandfather ever got too interested in the game of football itself but at Celtic Park he could at least converse with people who shared his beliefs and ideas. Like many of the early Celtic supporters he was in the Irish National Foresters.

This was a Friendly Society which supported Irish nationalism. Its constitution called for “government for Ireland by the Irish people in accordance with Irish ideas and Irish aspirations”. He was also a member of the United Irish League a nationalist party with the motto “the land for the people”. He soon became secretary of the Mossend branch of the League when he moved there to work with Caledonian Railways as a brake man at the local yards. The rest of his working life would be spent with the Railways.

In September 1901 he brought his mother over from Ireland and she lived with him until her death in 1908. In 1912 he married Mary Mulgrew at St Francis Xavier’s church in Carfin and they settled down in the area.

He would give lectures and talks on famous Irish Nationalist figures

If my grandfather only had a passing interest in the game of football itself then that was not the case for his sons. First born in 1912 was Michael (of course!). He eventually went into the priesthood and I have obviously no memories or great knowledge of his youth. However my father told me he had been a reasonable player and also had played Gaelic Football during his years in Ireland. At a very early age he was enrolled as a member of the United Irish League and at this stage my grandfather was often to be heard at meetings in the Lanarkshire and Glasgow areas where he would give lectures and talks on famous Irish Nationalist figures and episodes in Irish history.

And he had a green budgie called Charlie Tully!

My uncle John came along in 1915. No idea if he played football but he was undoubtedly a Celtic fan. In my childhood I remember him talking about the players he had seen and games he had been at. And he had a green budgie called Charlie Tully!

It was he who first took my father to the football. My father was born in 1918 and started going to see the Bhoys with his older brother from a young age. They saw some of the great names, and great games in Celtic history – John Thomson, Jimmy McGrory for example, they were at the famous Cup Final comeback against Motherwell in 1931 and they were part of the record 147,000 crowd at Hampden in 1937 to see Celtic triumph over Aberdeen. I don’t think my father was at Ibrox in 1931 when John Thompson was fatally injured but he certainly could remember the sadness of the following weeks.

His favourite player was undoubtedly Jimmy McGrory

His favourite player was undoubtedly Jimmy McGrory. By the time I was going to the football Jimmy was the manager although everyone reckoned he was not much more than a Bob Kelly puppet. However no one ever criticised him. People like my father remembered him as a loyal Celtic player whose goals got Celtic a lot of success. His favourite McGrory moment was a header at Fir Park from about 20 yards- although when he first told me about it the distance was nearer the penalty spot!

Continued on the next page…

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