Ón mBunchloch go dtí an Todhchaí – Cumann Naomh Eoin Baile an tSaoir
An Tús – Ár mBunchlocha
Bunaíodh Cumann Naomh Eoin i 1982 ag grúpa dílis oibrithe deonacha chun spórt, cairdeas agus pobail a chur chun cinn i gceantar atá th’éis fás go tapaidh thar aon ionchas a bhí acu. B’é Maurice O’Conell an chéad Chathaoirleach agus cúnamh mór faighte aige ó Mick Wren mar chéad Rúnaí an Chlub agus ó Tom Cosgrave a bhí i gceannas ar an sparán mar chisteoir an Chlub. I dteannta Eamon Coleman, Ollie Quinlan, John Kelly, Michael Donlan agus Gerry McEvoy, stiúraigh siad an Club ina laethanta tosaigh ar an bpáirc imeartha agus lasmuigh di, agus mhéadaigh líon na mball óg go 40 faoi dheireadh mhí an Mheithimh 1982. Imríodh an chéad chluiche ag an gClub i gcoinne rogha de chuid Thomas Davis i bPáirc Marlay agus b'éigean do na foirne eile dhá shraith geansaithe agus liathróid peile a thabhairt leo ag an bpointe seo. …………. Ar dtús, tugadh Naomh Eoin Baile an tSaoir ar an gClub (atá againn sa leagan Ghaeilge fós), ach d’athraigh an Mick Wren, a raibh súil ghéar aige, é go Naomh Eoin, Baile an tSaoir chun a chinntiú go mbeadh sé ar bharr leathanaigh nótaí Chlub Bhaile Átha Cliath an Evening Herald, áit a raibh na Clubanna liostaithe in ord aibítre. Bhí sé i gceist ar dtús go mbeadh dathanna an Chlub buí agus bán ar nós Aontroma ach nuair a thug sé cuairt ar shiopa Uí Néill, chinn Tom Cosgrave go raibh luach níos fearr le fáil sa Dubh agus sa Tanséirín agus gur stair an chuid eile, mar a deirtear. Mar gheall ar ár dtrealamh cáiliúil, tá go leor iomaitheoirí Go Games ag tagairt dúinn mar chlub Oíche Shamhna thar na blianta - ach cuireann sé ar chumas meantóirí “AIMSIGH ORÁISTE” a bhéicíl i dtreo an pháirc imeartha freisin! Bhí fís shoiléir ag baill bhunaithe ár gclub, Mick Wren, Maurice O’Connell, Tom Cosgrave, Eamon Coleman, John Kelly, Michael Donlan, Ollie Quinlan agus Jerry McEvoy ina measc: áit a chruthú inarbh fhéidir le hóg agus aosta peil Ghaelach agus iománaíocht a imirt, agus meas ar ár dteanga agus ar ár gcultúr a choinneáil beo.
Oidhreacht an Chlub
Tá oidhreacht shaibhir an chlub ag crochadh ar bhallaí ár gclubtheach álainn, ach téann sé níos faide ná cluichí amháin– is iad scéalta na mbuaiteoirí, na laethanta dúshlánacha a mhúnlaigh muid, agus ár mbuaicphointí móra. Áirítear leis seo ceiliúradh ar éachtaí ár gcuid Réaltaí Náisiúnta- Orlagh Nolan, Angie McNally agus Coman Goggins, a thug bród ollmhór don chlub agus don phobal. Tá ár n-oidhreacht fréamhaithe i spiorad pobail ár gceantair, i dtraidisiúin na hÉireann, agus i bhféiniúlacht láidir mar bhaill den GAA. Is oidhreacht í a thugann bród dúinn agus a spreagann an chéad ghlúin eile.
Fás agus Forbairt
Ón lá beag sin, d’fhásamar go cumann bríomhar le foirne i ngach aoisghrúpa agus le saoráidí den scoth. Níor tharlódh sé seo gan tiomantas dochreidte ár saorálaithe – na fíorbunchlocha a choinníonn an club slán. Sa lá atá inniu ann, is cúis bród dúinn a rá go bhfuil breis agus 3800 baill againn, agus tá os cionn 1900 dóibh ag imirt, arb ionann é agus beagnach 10% den daonra sa cheantar. Is club le múnla Aon Chlub Amháin muid ina bhfuil aois, cumas agus inscne iomlán san áireamh. ………... D'úsáidadh agus cuimsíodh spiorad an Meitheal thar na blianta sa chlub- cleachtas traidisiúnta Éireannach nuair a thagann comharsana agus cairde le chéile chun tascanna nó poist ar leith a chomhlíonadh. A bhuíochas do na grúpaí oibre Meitheal thar na blianta, tá ár gclubtheach ógánach “Áras na na nÓg” anois ag Broadford, an Pháirc Uile-Aimsire ag Scoil Phobail Baile an tSaoir agus ár gclubtheach iontach “Áras Naomh Eoin” a osclaíodh do ghnó i mí na Nollag 2003 agus a bhí oscailte go hoifigiúil ag an iar-Thaoiseach Bertie Ahern i mBealtaine 2005. Beidh an Meitheal ar ais i mbun gnímh go luath amach anseo!
Laochra an Lae Inniu
- BSJ All Stars: Clár croíúil spraoiúil do pháistí le riachtanais breise, ag cinntiú go mbíonn an spórt agus cluichí oscailte do chách.
- G4MO (Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others): Grúpa a chuireann fáilte roimh mhná nach raibh ag imirt roimhe seo, nó ar mhaith leo filleadh ar an imirt i suímh neamh-chomórtasach, ag tógáil scileanna agus cairdeas.
- All Scars Hurling: Cruthaíonn siad go bhfuil an grá don iománaíocht gan aois, agus go bhfuil greann chomh tábhachtach leis an mbua. - Camógaíocht Shoisialta: Tá na cailíní le camáin amuigh le haghaidh folláine, cairdeas agus craic den scoth! - An Naíolann: Na céadta páistí ag foghlaim scileanna bunúsacha cluichí agus cairdeas. - Foirne Óga: áit a fhorbraíonn muid, ag cothú scileanna agus cairdeas don saoil. - Foirne Fásta: Tagaimid, téimid san iomaíocht, tá ár gcroíthe ann. Todchaí an Chlub – “Chun Cinn go Caoga”
Leis an straitéis "Chun Cinn go Caoga" / "Forward to Fifty", tá spriocanna soiléire againn agus muid ag druidim le 50 bliain ó bhunú an chlub. Cuimsíonn sé seo níos mó cuimsiú, forbairt scileanna do gach aoisghrúpa, agus nasc níos láidre leis an bpobal agus leis an oidhreacht áitiúil.
Ócáid Bhiantúil “Laying Down Our Roots”
Mar chuid de cheiliúradh ár n-oidhreachta agus chun ár dtodhchaí a fhás go láidir, eagraítear an ócáid bhliantúil “Laying Down Our Roots” i bpáirc Mharlaí. I rith na hócáide, cuirtear crainn i gcuimhne na glúine atá imithe romhainn agus chun siombail a thabhairt do fás leanúnach an chlub. Tá an gníomh simplí seo le crainn a chur — ina léiriú láidir ar ár bhunchlocha: spórt, pobail agus cairdeas, ag cur faoi do ghlúin nua Ballinteer St Johns.
Ár mBunchlocha a Fhiosrú
Tá na bunchlocha sin – traidisiún, tiomantas, agus cairdeas – mar bhonn dár stair agus mar threoir don todhchaí. Buíochas le gach duine a thóg Cumann Naomh Eoin go dtí an lá atá inniu ann, agus leis na glúnta a leanfaidh orainn á chothú. Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine!
Creidiúint grianghraf: Iris BSJ 30 2013, Cartlann Muintir Wren, Paul Lundy Sports Photography, Fíona O Fiaich, Cathal Watters Buíochas le: Muintir Wren, JJ Duffy, Conor Dolan, Enda Nolan, Muireann O’Keeffe, Trish McGrath |
From Our Foundations to the Future- Ballinteer St Johns
The Beginning – Our Foundations
Ballinteer St Johns was founded in 1982 by a diligent group of volunteers to promote sport, friendship, and community in an area that has since rapidly grown beyond all initial expectations. Maurice O’Connell was the inaugural Chairman aided hugely by Mick Wren as the Club’s first Secretary and Tom Cosgrave who held the purse strings as Club treasurer. Together with Eamon Coleman, Ollie Quinlan, John Kelly, Michael Donlan and Gerry McEvoy they steered the Club in its earliest days both on and off the field of play with juvenile membership increasing to 40 by the end of June 1982. The Club’s first match against a Thomas Davis selection was played at Marlay Park and opposing teams had to bring 2 sets of jerseys and a football at this stage. Initially the Club was named St John’s Ballinteer (which is the form still used for our name as Gaeilge) which the eagle-eyed Mick Wren changed to Ballinteer St Johns to ensure top billing in the Dublin Club notes pages of the Evening Herald which listed Clubs in alphabetic order. The Club colours were initially intended to be the saffron yellow and white of Antrim but upon visiting the O’Neill’s store Tom Cosgrave decided there was better value to be had in the Black and Tangerine and the rest, as they say, is history. Our famous gear has led to numerous Go Games opponents over the years referring to us as the Halloween club- but it also makes it easy for mentors to roar “FIND ORANGE” towards the field of play! The founding members of our club, including Mick Wren, Maurice O’Connell, Tom Cosgrave, Eamon Coleman, John Kelly, Michael Donlan, Ollie Quinlan and Jerry McEvoy, had a clear vision: to create a place where young and old could play Gaelic football and hurling, and keep respect for our language and culture alive.
Our Heritage
The club’s heritage is hanging on the walls of our magnificent clubhouse, but it runs deeper than matches alone– it’s the stories of championship wins, the challenging days that shaped us and our most unforgettable moments. These moments include celebrating the achievements of our GAA All Stars – Orlagh Nolan, Angie McNally, and Coman Goggins – whose achievements have brought immense pride to the club and the community. This heritage is rooted in the spirit of our local community, in Ireland’s traditions, and in a strong identity as proud members of the GAA. It is a heritage that gives us pride and inspires the next generation.
Growth and Development
From those modest beginnings, we have grown into a vibrant club with teams in every age group and top-class facilities. None of this would have happened without the extraordinary dedication of our volunteers – the true foundations that hold the club together. Today, we can boast over 3800 members, over 1900 of whom are playing, which amounts to almost 10% of the population in the area. Ballinteer St Johns follows a One Club model with full age, ability, and gender inclusion.
Ballinteer St Johns volunteers and committees over the bears have both utilised and embodied the spirit of the Meitheal- a traditional Irish practice where neighbours and friends come together in order to fulfil specific tasks or jobs. Thanks to the Meitheal working groups over the years, we now have our juvenile clubhouse “Áras na nÓg” at Broadford, the All-Weather pitch at Ballinteer Community School and our magnificent clubhouse “Áras Naomh Eoin” which was opened for business in December 2003 and officially opened by then-Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in May 2005. There is more to come, and the BSJ Meitheal will be back in action in the near future!
Today’s Heroes
- BSJ All Stars: A wholehearted and fun programme for children with additional needs, ensuring that sport and games are open to everyone.
- G4MO (Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others): Welcoming women who may never have played before, or those who wish to return to play in a non-competitive environment, building skills and friendships along the way.
- All Scars Hurling: Proving that love for hurling knows no age, and that laughter is as important as victory. - Social Camogie: The girls with hurls are out for fitness, friendship and plenty of craic! - Nursery: where hundreds of children learn the basic skills of our Gaelic games and friendship. - Youth teams: where we develop and thrive, building relationships and skills for life. - Adult teams: We show up, we compete, and we love it.
The Club’s Future – “Forward to Fifty”
Through our "Chun Cinn go Caoga" / "Forward to Fifty" strategy, we have set clear goals as we approach the club’s 50th anniversary. This includes greater inclusivity, skill development for all age groups, and a stronger connection to both our community and our local heritage.
Annual “Laying Down Our Roots” Event
As part of celebrating our heritage and nurturing a strong future, the annual “Laying Down Our Roots” event takes place in Marlay Park. During the ceremony, trees are planted to honor past generations and symbolize the club’s ongoing growth. This simple act of planting trees is a powerful representation of our foundations: sport, community, and friendship, laying the groundwork for future generations of Ballinteer St Johns.
Exploring Our Foundations
These foundations – tradition, commitment, and friendship – are the bedrock of our past and the guiding light for our future. We thank everyone who has made Ballinteer St Johns what it is today, and the generations who will continue to build upon it. Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine- we shelter each other and we thrive as a community!
