The Beginning – 50s
1953 Tyholland Team – Back L-R G.Connolly F.Lennon J.Sherry F.McGeough C. Barkey M.Brady P.Mooney T.McGuirk Front L-R J.McGrory M.Kenny M.McNally D.Kane M.Lynch G.McGarry G.Moen
Tyholland G.F.C began in 1952 after a Tyholland team won a parish league in Middletown (Co.Armagh). This success encouraged the parish to affiliate a team for 1953 and enter it into the championship.
The club was affiliated as Tyholland St. Patrick’s and “The Meadow” was acquired as a playing field, which would remain down through the years. Club colours of red jersey’s and a white collar were agreed and at the close of 1952 Tyholland were now geared for their first championship game.
Tyholland met Ballybay in the north final in Ballybay, and it was Tyholland who came out winners on a scoreline of 0-5 to 0-1. Tyholland went on to meet Castleblayney in the county semi-final and were beaten by a scoreline of 0-2 to 0-0. May 1954 saw Tyholland reach the semi-final of the Dr.Ward Cup only to be defeated by Killany by 1-5 to 1-2 at Pearse Park, Ballybay.
1954 Tyholland Team – Back L-R F.McGeough J.Sherry F.Lennon G.Moen C.Kenny F.Curry M.Brady M.Kenny Front L-R M.McNally J.Connolly D.Kane G.Connolly P.Mooney J.Mooney F.Duffy F.Dobbin J.McCourt P.Greenan
November 1957 saw Tyholland reach the semi-final of the Junior Championship which this time saw Cremartin as the opponents at New Park, Monaghan. Tyholland were defeated again by 5-5 to 1-1.
The Sixties
The sixties saw Tyholland emerge as a real force in junior football, with the collection of their first trophy in competition in 1961 when they won the Gold Flake Cup. A month later, Tyholland well and truly established themselves on the footballing map as they went undefeated in capturing their first Dr. Ward Cup beating Toome on a scoreline of 1-8 to 2-3. Tyholland contested quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals in the Dr. Ward Cup, Junior Championship and Tournaments and by the end of the decade had won another 3 Gold Flake Cups, However, the Junior Championship eluded Tyholland and in 1968 we contested our first Junior Championship Final losing to Currin.
In 1968 and 1969 Tyholland gained some compensation for the failures in the Dr. Ward Cup when they collected wins in the Supplementary League. This league was formed for teams who did not qualify for the semi-finals of the Dr. Ward Cup. Tyholland also captured the Murray Cup at U16 level defeating a fancied Carrickmacross Team 1-9 to 2-3 in 1965.
The Seventies
During the 70’s Tyholland produced one of the best footballing team’s ever top play Junior Football. We were known as the ‘kingpins’ of junior football because we were consistently at the top. Indeed we were described as the most unlucky because of our failures in the final hurdle of the League and Championship.
1971 Dr. Ward Cup Winners – Back L-R S.Mullen M.Rushe E.Donnelly S.Rooney J.Donnelly J.Duffy T.McMahon T.J.Mullen P.Mullen T.Treanor Front L-R O.Rooney F.Treanor P.Brady S.Treanor S.O’Brien P.Donnelly E.Kavanagh P.Treanor G.Mullen F.McGuirk A Farnan J.McQuillan G.Rushe M.Donnelly
In 1970, Tyholland were beaten in both League and Championship finals by a single point. The following year we won the Dr. Ward Cup for the second time beating Truagh 3-2 to 1-7 and again won the Dr. Ward Cup in March 1974 beating Eire Og 1-7 to 1-6 in the 1973 final. However, later that year we were to lose the Championship Final, after a replay, again by the minimum, to Doohamlet 2-8 to 2-7 in Clontibret. In 1976 Garron National School won the Philomena Begly Trophy defeating Corrahara 4-5 to 2-3.
The Eighties
Tyholland continued into the 80’s as one of the dominant forces in Junior Football and reached the semi-final of the Dr. Ward Cup in 1981 while also reaching the final of the Junior C League only to be defeated by Sean McDernotts. On the field Tyholland were to experience a downward turn for the rest of the decade but off the field the club purchased our playing field, better known as “the meadow”, and set about developing the playing pitch.
1989 U14 Bracken Cup – Back L-R T McMahon P Sweeney E McKenna D McMahon C Ronaghan E Kavanagh F Kavanagh S McQuaid M Treanor B Hughes S Thornton Front L-R P Sherry P Duffy D Farrelly P Hughes I Farnan P Farrelly P Sweeney S Treanor S Rushe
The club also focused in running a large fundraising effort during the decade for the building of a much needed community centre. On the juvenile front Tyholland captured the U14 Bracken Cup in 1987 and in 1989.
The Nineties
1992 U14 Bracken Cup – Back L-R T.McConnell G.Ronaghan R.Ronaghan R.Hughes B.McQuillan N.Clinton F.Sherry C.McMahon L.McConnell P.Askin J.Donnelly Front L-R M.Treanor I.Treanor P.Farrelly G.McQuaid S.Connolly K.McQuaid N.Thornton A.Troy R.Kavanagh A.Farrelly
The 90’s started brightly for Tyholland and in 1992 we had probably our most successful year as a club winning all juvenile and minor competitions entered (U12, U13, U14, U16 and Minor) as well as the U21’s and the Junior C League and Championship defeating Carrickmacross in the Junior C Championship final 3-8 to 2-9 and comprehensively beating Rockcorry in the Crawley Cup 1-19 to 0-5. In the same year Enda Kavanagh was named Juvenile Club Official of the Year.
1992 U12 Magill Cup – Back L-R E.Kavangh D.McCarey R.Kavanagh C.McCoy D.Connolly A.Troy W.Askin R.Ronaghan D.Devaney S.Hughes G.Ronaghan P.Askin P.Sweeney Front L-R P.Myers O.R. Kavanagh C.Hughes G.McQuaid O.R.Kavanagh P.Rushe C.McMahon P.Coyle B.Farrelly G.McMahon M.Johnston M.Treanor
In 1994 Tyholland won the U21 Flanagan Cup for the second time beating Oram in the final. 1996 finally saw Tyholland win that elusive Junior Championship, beating Killeevan in the quarter final, Doohamlet in the semi’s and Rockcorry in the final after a replay, (22 years after the club last competed in the final) to gain promotion to Intermediate ranks for the first time in the club’s history. A few weeks’ later we were defeated by Rockcorry in the League decider by the minimum. Kevin McQuaid also collected the Junior player of the year for 1996.
1992 U18 St Dympnas Cup – Back L-R S Farrelly F Sherry C Ronaghan R McKenna G McMahon E McKenna F Kavanagh K Connolly K Farrelly S Treanor A Farren Front L-R S McQuaid P Farrelly A Clinton P Sweeney I Farren G Ronaghan K Kavanagh M Treanor
Two years later Tyholland contested their first Intermediate Final losing again by 1 point to near neighbours Truagh in Gavan Duffy Park. Losing by 1 point in finals became “the norm” for Tyholland and in 1999 we lost both league (Aghabog) and championship (Monaghan Harps) finals by a single point.
1996 U16 McCormack Cup – Back L-R P.Sweeney C.McCoy M.Kane D.McCarey C.McMahon R.Ronaghan P.Askin M.Treanor D.Devaney G.Ronaghan W.Askin A.Troy E.Kavanagh G.Mullen Front L-R M.Johnston B.Farrelly P.Treanor G.McQuaid P.Myers S.Treanor O.R.Kavanagh R.Kavanagh D.Connolly
Gary McQuaid was named as Intermediate Player of the Year and Kevin McQuaid and Raymond Ronaghan represented Tyholland on the successful Ulster winning Monaghan U21 team. At Juvenille level Tyholland also captured the Minor Curley Bros Memorial Cup in 1990, the U16 McCormack Cup in 1996 and the U15 Division 3 trophy in 1999.
2000 to Present Day
2001 Fr. Hackett Cup Winners – Back L-R F.Donnelly G.Mullen S.Treanor P.Mullen P.Hughes K.McQuaid P.Duffy A.Hughes K.McDonnell D.McCarey C.McCoy G.Ronaghan B.Duffy A.Farrelly M.Creighan P.Askin P.Treanor I.Treanor Middle L-R L.McCarey R.Ronaghan O.R Kavanagh X.Coyle P.Myers P.Farrelly J.McConnell K.Kavanagh G.McQuaid D.Connolly S.McQuaid F.Kavanagh J.Askin M.O’Rourke Front L-R A.Askin M.Treanor B.McQuillan A.Finnegan C.Ronaghan P.Treanor M.Finnegan B.Farrelly: Top Right Cyril Ronaghan Presented with Fr.Hackett Cup
Tyholland continued into the new Millennium as a force in Intermediate Football and in 2001 finally made the breakthrough winning the Fr. Hackett Cup beating Drumhowan on a score line of 0-12 to 0-11 in Gavan Duffy Park. A few months earlier Tyholland had again lost the Intermediate Championship Final by a single point, this time to Ballybay. A week after gaining promotion to Senior Rank’s, Tyholland captured the Junior C League beating Cremartin 1-13 to 0-9 in Clontibret.
2002 U14 – Back L-R B.McQuaid C.Mackle M.McMahon D.Connolly D.McQuaid M.Connolly S.Morris C.McQuaid J.McDaid S.Treanor Middle L-R G.Graham C.McQuaid B.McArdle R.McKenna S.Treanor C.McKenna Front L-R A.Askin E.Corley S.Connolly D.Coyle
2002 saw Tyholland compete in Senior Rank’s for the very first time and the club also celebrated its Golden Jubilee Year. However, we found the going tough in Senior and losing a couple of our Senior Players for one reason or another didn’t help in preventing the club from been relegated back down to Intermediate. On the Juvenile front we captured the U14 Farney Cup and the U15 McGuigan Cup.
In 2004 Tyholland again contested both Intermediate Finals and again were defeated by Ballybay in the Championship decider by a point after a replay 0-9 to 0-8. The League again provided us with our path to Senior Football and we easily defeated Emyvale 3-11 to 2-4 to capture the Vincent McAvinney Cup. Tyholland consolidated their place in Senior Ranks in 2005 and hope to do the same in 2006.
