Guth & Tuairim, Márta/Aibreán1981

STAIR Toompall Croine (Quid a boaonl 10 Is fada an la othainig an Chrrstarocht go dt~ an taobh seo tfre. Gidh naeh dtainig Naomh Padraig tein chun na b-iite tugadh an creideatnh anseo go luath i ndiaidh a bhiis, b 1 fheidir am inteacht sa tseu aois. Bbf Cill bunaithe ag Naomh Cron i dTearmann go luath san ochtu aois. Croine Bheag a thugadh bunadh na h-81te uirthi. Dalta Chol~ci1le agus Conal Caol agus Dubhthaoh shfolraigh sr o Chonall Gulbhan. Ba d&' n tseti glun i ndiaidh Chonaill r - bhain Colmcille leis an eheathl'U glun. Sa tSamhradh theadh sf" amach go h-oile~ Chroine le machtnamh agus aithridh a dheanamh agus sa Gbeimhreadh theadh sf go Baile Chroine ar. bhruach Loch Athinnis os cionn an Mhaehaire. Bbf gnath.o}>air mhainistrf ar siul ag Cro1ne Bheag agus a comhluadar i dTearmann, ag guf, ag urnaf agus ag adhradh De, ag obair an talamh, ag solathar br, ag tabhairt sire do sheandaoine agus do dhaoine tinne agus ag scaipeadh an t-Soisceil. Caithfidh muid cuimhniu &rach go raibh fforbheagan daoine san sit an trath sin. Mhair an Tee.mpall a bhunaigh Croine ar feadh na n-aoiseanna. Sagairt Chonaill as Inis Caol a le-adh an t...Aifreann ann i bhfad i ndiaidh aimsir Chrol.ne. Thigeadh siad trasna na baighe ina gouid ouracha. Bhf curam cheantair Leitir Mhic a 1 Bbaird orthu fosta - ba cbuid de pharo1ste Inis Caol Leitir anuas go dtf c. 1730. Deirtear gur shocraigh sagiart de ord Naomh Phroinsis i dTearmann fosta sa tSean-&JQ. Bhf ait ·eile acu i M:!n Leac na Leabhar, ait a mbfodh siad ag gabhiil de laimh scrfbhinn:f. - Thart fa lar na h-ochtti aoise deag ghlac Eaglais na hEireann seilbh ar Thee.mpall Cro1.ne. Nr raibh ann an t-&IQ sin ach teach phobail beag ceann tuf ach le deontas £400 a fuair siad oRialtas Sbasana choirigh siad e~ Chuir Iliad ceann sclatai air, chuir siad rena mheid agus thog siad balla daingean cloch thart ar an reilig a bhf ra dtaobh de. Thog na Caitlicigh scathlann dfofa teln dha- chead slat taobh thuaidh de' n mhainistir agus leadh Aifreann ariamh ina dhiaidh sin 1 dTee.mpall Chroine mar ohonaicbteas do na daoine go raibh an ait truaillithe. . In aiiiiSir na gearleamina nf r!iibh ach sagart amhain ins na Rosa. Nf raibh sagart cunta ins na Rosa. N:r raibh sagart ounta ins na·Rosa go dtr 1786 nuair a ceapadh Donall Iarlaith a bhf ina shagart paro1ste tamall. ina dhiaidh sin. Ach i rith an ama sin thigeadh go leor sagairt an bealach seo ar a seachnadh. Ta go leor aiteach ar .fud na Ro.sann a bhfuU carraig Aifrinn ionta, leitheid an Mhfn Mhor, Seasgan Rombainn, -Beal na Cruite, Carraig Fbinne agus go leor eile. Ach an ceann is cluitf ar fad na carraig aifrinn Chlaon Doire ata ag amharc anuas ar Theampall Croine. Ta carraig gheal (quartz) i n-aice na h-81te agus ta sf le feiceail ar tud an eheantair. NUair a thigeadh sagairt an bealach chludaitf an charraig le seal mor dubh agus ba chomhartha ! seo go rabhthar le h-aifreann a leatnh.. Chru.inn!odh lllllintir na h-iite ina geuid bidaf, d'elsteadh an sagart taoisdin, leadh se aifreann agus bheireadh se clllilaoine naofa. Creidim go dtabhareadh iw. daoine sfntinisf beaga airgid do agus anSin d' illiOdh se leis go formhotbuithe. REJ55E5 GAMES AT LETTERKEKNY. Perhaps the first organised attempt to bring team honours home to the Rosses was made at the Games held• in Letterkenny, for the purpose of raising funds for St. Eunan's CathedraL At that time the late Father Dan Sweeney was curate in Kincasslagh, and well av.·are of the athletic prowess of his palishioners, he selected a Caman team and a Tug of War team from among the young men of the Lower Rossrs, to take part in the competitions. The Caman team included the following :-Chilrles McBride (Capt.), Gortnasate; Frank O'Donnell, Cruit Island (Goals): Jame.s Rodgers, Belcruit; Teag-ue Ward, Meenbannid; Charles Boyle (Neil). Cruit Island; Hugh O'Donnell, Cruit Island; Seam us O'Donrtel'l, Kincasslagh, -"all of whom are now deceased . The sole surviving member of the team, is Charles O'Donnell of Mullaghderf' Mt.. who at the time of writing is 81 years of age, and st.iJI hale and hearty. ThE- Tug of \\"ar tt·am lll• ludrd the following :-Charle~ O'DunnE:JL Jidllym<tnus: Cnari(·s Har 1;-y ( Ne11 I. Braadc·: Cbarle,; tiarwy U:tr!lf·:;J .Br n;~de; Mick Bunrwr. Arl:uHl> Charlc·s l":oi\liL r, 1Hiar1ds : Anth<lllY Callaghcr. Gknah!lt Andn·•1· .Shar.H:y. l·.cadlll'; .J:•mPs ·OTionn(•ll. J3allymanu~ The only OiiC qJ the Tu~ of \\·ar \(·am now alive.. is John Lo_ylt ot Eushine. It was tntainly a big undcr;a]{illg at that tim<- to con – vey two teams from the J{Os>.cs l<• Letterkc·nny. a d1stance of 40 miles over bad roads. There was no train in those days, no molr'r can:, no bu:-;es- nothin" only the horse drawn sick c:w -Ldt Fat h(·r Dan Sweeney was un,Jaunted. for be km·w t LL· l':ur i h of the H.eis sc:s men, and he wished fur nothing bc·ttcr th:m tu sc·e thc·m tested against the besL in the County. (ar leami'nt at- aD IIIU a'cbqaiiUl). Teampall Croine •••• o phietiur le Cathal mao Pbionnlaoich. The day of the Games dawned, and RoEser; people were early astir. The journey to Letterkenny via Glendowan. would take almost four; hours. w that an early start had to. be made. The skies were dark and sombre, as the members of the twms and supporters congregated at the meeting--.....1----....., place in Kinc:::.sslagh. Then just before thev set off on their long JOUrney, the flood gates of the heavens opened, and tl1e rain came clo·-'-l1 in torrents and it was in this deluge tlwX the flower of the ncs ;o.es 1mmhood set out to do battle for the honour of their parish. Thus began that nightmare ~ourney over tht: tare. unsheltered roads of the Rosses, and the dark valleys of Glcndowf~n. The CC~ m :en \(;am wen" the fir .st to le:'!ve. as the competi– tion in ~>·hich tht:y were (':1i:8ged \\ at·, frrst on the pro!:;rarnme. Soaked to the skin and frozen· to the marrow, after their ""'"-"V"" Jon~; journey by side car. t hev arrived in Letterkenny just """CN.?f-...Siil""lk--~ as the frrst game was due to commence. The F..osses team had been drawn against Glenswillv. The men from the west rlid not asl., for an" ,.,nstponement, in on'er to get r\ry clothing. but took the fielrl immediately. The h;1rdships the,. had suffered on their outward journev. (i\ seen.•ed only to add snarklE: to their play, 3S thev rammPd C home. r;oal after ?:nal without reuly against a Gle"lswil!y •– ic~m Uiat 1·:a:: comnletely demora!i7ed before the end. The e _ C: una! score ·.n.s- Ros:::>s_:_S goals, Glenswilly-0. - Rosses now met Letterkenny in the finaL It was early (i ·~ W appar·ent L • tlus game, that the Letterkenny team was to ~ ~ Q pnJvide much stlrter opposition than Glenswilly, but the. "- :::> - n.osses me.., now scentmg victory, were not to be denied, ~ C V and in the ~nd ran out easy winners by 7 goals to 3. V •- V Posjtional cllanges were made in this game. Charles (i:::ft CJ: McJ3ride 1·epiacect Frank O'Donnell in goals, and the latter playing now in the forwards, put more bite into the attack. ~ 1/ery little can now be learned of the course of play in the lr..ii final game. It can be reliably stated, however, that Hugh ._________ O'Donnell, of Cruit scored the first goal, booting the ball home as he lost h is stick in a clash with an opponent. Seamus 0' Donnell of Kincasslagh, though injured, played on to the end. Thus the Rosscs Caman team haJ triumphed. The big question now was. would the Tug of War team emulate their ckeds. and so make victory complete. (ar lean\iin))