Glenswilly GAA
CLG Gleann tSúilí
Founded:1982
County:Donegal
Nickname:The Men from the Glen[1]
The Glen men[2]
Colours:Green, white and yellow
Grounds:Pairc Naomh Columba[3]
Playing kits
Standard colours

Glenswilly GAA (Irish: CLG Gleann tSúilí) is a GAA club based in Glenswilly, County Donegal, Ireland. Most noted for winning the Donegal Senior Football Championship in 2011, 2013 and 2016, the team has fielded players like All-Ireland winning captain Michael Murphy.[4][5]

History

The present club was founded in 1982.[6] A teenage Manus McFadden arranged a meeting at Foxhall of Glenswillyites who were interested in forming a team, with John Mc Ginley, Roger McDaid, Fr Eamon Crossan, Finbar Glackin, Jimmy Joe McGinley and chair Eddie McDevitt.[7]

Glenswilly reached their first ever Senior county final in 2007, where they lost to near neighbours St Eunan's 0–12 to 1–3.

In 2011, they won the Donegal Senior Football Championship for the first time, with a 1–8 to 0–9 defeat of Naomh Mícheál in the final.[8][9][10]

On 25 September 2012, the Donegal senior team—fresh from winning the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final—were scheduled to visit Glenswilly; however, the visit was postponed due to time constraints which arose due to the huge crowds around the county eager to catch a glimpse of the team.[11][12][13] The team eventually visited Glenswilly on 27 September.[14][15][16]

In 2013, the club rebuffed allegations that they forced children into GAA jerseys.[4] Later that year they hosted the 2013 All-Ireland Football Series launch, held following confirmation of the four provincial winners.[17][18] That year they won their second Donegal Senior Football Championship and progressed to the final of the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship, which they lost to Ballinderry.[19][20]

The club won its third and final Donegal SFC in 2016.

By 2020, Neil Gallagher, Ciaran Bonner, Darren Mc Ginley and Joe Gibbons (all three-time SFC winners) had retired.[21]


The club commemorated forty years in existence with a year-long event in 2022.[22]

Non-playing personnel

Updated 16 July 2020[21]

Position Staff
Manager Pauric Bonner

Managers[edit]

Years Manager
1982–c. 1998? —
1999 Finbar Glackin
2000 Finbar Glackin and Denis McGrenra
2001 Brian McHugh and Brendan Walsh
2002–2003 Philim Molloy and Peter McFadden
2004–2008 Francie Martin[23][additional citation(s) needed]
2009 Barry O'Hagan / John McGinley
2010–2011 Gary McDaid and John McGinley[24]
2012 Manus McFadden
2013–2014 Gary McDaid
2015[25]–2016 Michael Canning
2017 Aidy Glackin
2018–2019 Brendan Walsh and Ryan McKinley[21]
2020– Pauric Bonner[21][26][27]

Notable players[edit]

Other figures[edit]

Honours[edit]

Football[edit]

Other[edit]

  • Donegal Ladies Intermediate Football Championship:
    • Winner (1): 2007
  • Donegal Ladies Junior Championship:
    • Winner (1): 2006
  • Donegal Ladies Junior B Championship:
    • Winner (1): 2017
    • Runner-up (1) 2016

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Glenswilly remain unbeaten as they overcome challenge of Glenfin". 28 August 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Molloy hopes Ardara can win relegation four-pointer". Donegal News. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2016. The 1992 All-Ireland winning captain is well aware of the confidence the Glen men will have received from that victory, but they are gunning for an upset.
  3. ^ "Major test for Eunan's minors". Donegal Democrat. 11 December 2008. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2008. The calendar year of 2008 has brought a clean sweep of adult triumphs for the club from the Cathedral town, with their minor championship victory in Glenswilly's Pairc Naomh Columba, over St Michael's being supplemented by successes for the seniors, reserves and junior B teams.
  4. ^ a b "Glenswilly hit out at jersey ban rumours". Hogan Stand. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  5. ^ Cahill, Jackie (21 October 2011). "Glenswilly boycott threat over Murphy". Irish Independent. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
  6. ^ "Club History". Glenswilly GAA. 2 October 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  7. ^ Foley, Alan (24 January 2012). "Founding father McFadden goes back to his roots". Donegal Democrat. Archived from the original on 27 January 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  8. ^ "Classic Murphy goal gives Glenswilly first senior county championship". Donegal Democrat. 2 October 2011. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  9. ^ "St Michaels Wins County Championship for Glenswilly". 2 October 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  10. ^ "Murphy is the star as Glenswilly triumph". The Irish Times. 2 October 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  11. ^ "Details revealed for Sam Maguire's visit to Letterkenny". 25 September 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  12. ^ "Sam on tour – where you can see the team today". 25 September 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  13. ^ "Exhausted players facing four-hour delays in county tour". 25 September 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  14. ^ "Sam on tour today – Times and schedules here". 27 September 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  15. ^ "Breaking news: Donegal team due in Buncrana at 10.15PM". 27 September 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  16. ^ "Breaking news: Captain Murphy on way to Glenswilly for 11.30PM". 27 September 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012. The Donegal team are on their last leg of the World Tour of Donegal.
  17. ^ "All-Ireland Football Series 2013 Launched". GAA.ie. 23 July 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  18. ^ "All-Ireland Series launched at Glenswilly GAA club". Donegal Daily. 23 July 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  19. ^ "Ballinderry 1–13 Glenswilly 2-06". RTÉ Sport. 1 December 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  20. ^ "Live: Glenswilly v Ballinderry Shamrocks Ulster senior club final". Donegal Now. 1 December 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  21. ^ a b c d Ferry, Ryan (16 July 2020). "Changing of the guard for Glenswilly". p. 84. …the Pairc Naomh Columba outfit will have a much younger feel to it in 2020… former Donegal senior player Gary McFadden has recovered from his cruciate injury. However, seasoned campaigners and three-times Donegal SFC winners — Neil Gallagher, Ciaran Bonner and Joe Gibbons — have all called it a day, while Cathal Gallagher has emigrated… new manager Pauric Bonner is ready to give youth its chance… This is Bonner's first year in charge and he replaces Brendan Walsh and Ryan McKinley in the managerial hotseat… 'I was Treasurer for a year and then I managed the club minors to a county title last year, and now I have the senior job. Laurence McDaid, Eddie Crawford, and my brother Tarlach are in my backroom team, and you have George Simmons and Brian Gibbons, who were there before and are still involved… Davin Flynn is our S & C man, and Paul Gallagher is on logistics with Aidy Glackin on stats'.
  22. ^ "Glenswilly GAA launches calendar to celebrate 40 years". Donegal News. 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  23. ^ "Six in contention for Donegal job". BBC Sport. 30 September 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2008. Martin currently manages leading Donegal club Glenswilly while Houston's managerial CV includes a spell in charge of St Eunan's.
  24. ^ "Glenswilly fly the Donegal flag". 15 October 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2011. 'The celebrations are on hold and our whole focus now is on Ulster this week. But being honest we only began talking about the Cavan game on Sunday evening after our league game in Malin. Last week once the celebrations died down all our attention was on the Malin game and surviving in the league. This week the total focus is now on Cavan Gaels', said Gary McDaid, joint Glenswilly manager with John McGinley.
  25. ^ McNulty, Chris (23 November 2015). "Glenswilly appoint managers for 2016 season". Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  26. ^ Ferry, Ryan (31 March 2022). "Glenfin gear up for Division 1". Donegal News. p. 70. At the same time, Pauric Bonner's Glenswilly face Killybegs.
  27. ^ "Glenswilly ensure no slip-ups as they overcome St Naul's". 21 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022. Glen manager Pauric Bonner spoke before the game about how Brian McCabe's men were worthy winners last season.
  28. ^ McNulty, Chris (24 June 2019). "Declan Bonner pays tribute to Manus Kelly on day of 'mixed emotions'". Retrieved 24 June 2019. Kelly was deeply immersed in Glenswilly GAA club and was managed[sic] them to a Senior C Championship win in 2016. Kelly was a club-mate of Donegal captain Michael Murphy.
  29. ^ Doherty, Conan (2017). "Welsh rugby legend Shane Williams battles Donegal storm to kick four points for Glenswilly". SportsJOE.ie.
  30. ^ "Ballinderry's 12-year wait is over". Irish Examiner. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
  31. ^ "Donegal SFC final: Murphy delivers man-of-the-match display". Hogan Stand. 21 October 2013. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  32. ^ "Donegal SFC final: Murphy leads by example". Hogan Stand. 17 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.

External links[edit]
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