Bernard O'Neill

The recollections of Bernard O’Neill, a member of Derrynoose GAC in Co. Armagh, reach back to the early 1960s, when the club was successful in winning a county junior title. O’Neill’s active involvement in the club began in the early 1970s when, after a period of lapse, the club re-emerged to win another junior championship. O’Neill’s plots the various landmarks in the club’s subsequent development and his own involvement at underage level in the mid-1980s and later, into the 1990s and 2000s, as an officer in the club’s administration. In addition, O’Neill touches on the place of the club in a rural community and the contemporary challenges it faces. He also reflects on changes in the way Gaelic football is played and stresses the importance of encouraging participation at an early age.