An aerial view of the damage caused when a mine collapsed under Magheracloone Mitchells GAA Club's grounds.
By John Harrington
At nine o’clock on the morning of the 24th of September, 2018, Magheracloone GAA club chairman, Francie Jones, got a phone-call to say there was a hole on the club’s pitch.
He couldn’t tell you now what he expected to find when he drove the short-distance from his work-place to the club grounds to investigate.
What’s for certain is that he was wholly unprepared for the scale of the devastation he found when he reached the club grounds.
The previous night a mine had collapsed beneath Magheracloone’s club rounds which resulted in a sink-hole that left the pitch looking like it had been sundered by an earthquake.
Further subsidence split the wall of the clubhouse itself, and not long after Jones arrived at the scene the local school and five houses nearby had to be evacuated.
Such is the scale of the devastation, that Magheracloone will never be able to use their club grounds again.
Still reeling from that body blow, the club suffered another sickening one when their senior footballers were relegated from the Monaghan SFC less than a month later.
It says a lot about the character of the local community that the adversity they’ve faced has strengthened the resolve of its club members rather than weakened it.
“You'd have to say it definitely has,” says Magheracloone Mitchells Chairman, Francie Jones.
“We were thrown into a situation you couldn't have imagined. It's well documented now at this stage that we've lost our grounds and our complex.
“Then to be relegated from senior shortly afterwards after being a senior club since 1997, that was a real double whammy.
“But it definitely brought everyone in the club together. Everyone has put their shoulder to the wheel and pushed on again.
“There's a lot of work done by a lot of people and everyone in the club, from supporters to players, all rallied in behind and did their bit. It has built up a great spirit in everyone in the area.”
Magheracloone's Peter Ward and Gavin Doogan celebrate after victory over Donaghmoyne in the Monaghan Intermediate Football Final.
Magheracloone’s neighbours were quick to offer a helping hand, too.
Before long Jones’ phone was hopping with calls from clubs in Monaghan and beyond who were keen to do all they could to help Mitchells in their time of crisis.
“To use a cliché, the GAA is a big family, and it's only when you're in trouble you realise just how true that is when you're getting phone-calls from other clubs offering any help they can to us," says Jones.
“So many of them were on to use straight away offering their help. It mightn't feel like it at times when you're competing with them on the pitch, but the GAA really is a big family.
“We're grateful to all the clubs that have helped us out along the way."
In the weeks that followed the collapse of their pitch, Magheracloone juvenile and senior teams trained and played here, there, and everywhere to keep the show on the road.
Eventually the logistical nightmare was eased somewhat Louth club Annaghminnon Rovers generously offered Magheracloone the use of their pitches for training and home matches.
“We play a lot of our home games there this year,” says Jones.
“It's been a great help. It's great to have a base where you know you'll be playing your home games on that pitch rather than wondering where you'll be and having to go here, there, and everywhere from one week to the next.”
Magheracloone weren’t content to just rely on the generosity of others.
They quickly set about sourcing and then developing temporary training facilities for their teams closer to home.
“I have to say the sub-committee we set up have done great work,” says Jones.
“We lost our pitch on the 24th of September, 2018, and then in June 2019 we had our temporary facilities up and running.
“That didn't come by chance, it was down to a lot of hard work by a lot of people. It just had to be done.
“We were lucky enough we were able to lease two fields off two local farmers and both fields were pretty flat and didn't need a lot of work. But we had to put in dressing-rooms and lights and other amenities which took a lot of organisation
“We're in negotiations for new pitches and club grounds at the moment that are moving along nicely.
“Hopefully in the next 12 months we'll have a bit of progress made on that front. It'll take a few years though probably to get it all over the line. We're going to be on the road for another four years anyway.”
Magheracloone players celebrate after their victory over Galbally Pearses in the AIB Ulster Club Intermediate Football Final.
Which brings us to this weekend. On Saturday Magheracloone will play Louth and Leinster Champions, Mattock Rangers, in the AIB All-Ireland Club Intermediate Football semi-final.
It’s a testament to the collective will of everyone associated with the club that after a disastrous end to 2018 they rose Phoenix-like from the ashes in 2019 to win the Monaghan and Ulster Intermediate titles despite their nomadic existence.
Jones is very wary of the considerable challenge that Mattock Rangers will pose, but after such a challenging time for the club he can't help but imagine what it would mean to everyone associated with Magheracloone Mitchels to contest an All-Ireland Final.
“It would be fantastic to get to an All-Ireland Final and we really hope we can make it,” he says.
“After what we've come through, to see our team run out in Croke Park would mean a lot. It would mean the world, not many teams get the chance to play there.
“We'll do everything we can to get across the line.”
