News

Case study 1: clady, co armagh

Gaelic games in clady, a rural area near Markethill, co armagh, pre-date the formation of the county board.

There are records of a team from clady contesting the armagh championship before the 1880s. it would be easy to get lost driving to clady - road signs direct drivers to cladymore. Upon arrival it is clear it is not much more than one street - the most prominent features

are a large church and larger car park. Stand-out buildings, wedged between acres and acres of green fields, are St Michael's PS and the adjacent clubhouse of Sean South. Football has come and gone over the years - it was there in 1916/17, then gone. It was there in 1923/24, then gone. It returned in 1944 but soon fell victim to "that old enemy of emigration". Clady Sean Sabhat was formed in 1957 and remains prominent today - its existence depends heavily on the future of St Michael's, which is facing closure. Alternative options have been offered to CCMS and it is hoped revised proposals will be brought forward soon.

Karen Savage, Sean South secretary, said the school was the central pin holding the rural, farming community together. "Our football club is part of that

community, as is the school; the two go together, if one isn't there the other will disintegrate and disappear. We need both these links to keep our community alive," she said. Parent Mary Hunter said the community would be eroded if the school shut. "if there's no school, there's no reason for people to come to the area. For a club which is struggling already, this could be the final nail in the coffin."

* LINK TO COMMUNITY: Sean, Eimer and Cliodhna Savage with Orlaith Hunter at St Michael's PS in Clady, which is threatened with closure. Below, the local Gaa club, Sean South

PICTURE: Mark Marlow