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THE first football team was formed in the parish in 1888 and was affiliated under the name of Ballinacree. The club colours were green. The club disbanded in 1914 because of the war, arrests, raids and imprisonment and the Black and Tans. The last game was played in Kells against Syddan in 1914. The team travelled in a four-wheel brake drawn by two horses.

 

The members of that 1888 to 1914 team included the following names: Jim and Con Kelly, Baltrasna; Joe and Jack Clarke, Ballinacree; Jim, Matt and Pat Brown, Tubrid; Jimmy Gral1, Ballinacree; Peter Lynch. Rakea; Matt and Tom Smith, Rathiever; Joe Scally, Ballymanus; Tom Callary, Moate; Willie Farnan. Ballymanus; Bob Hanley, Baltrasna; Barnie Martin, Crossdrum; Tom Murtagh, Moate; J ames Donoghue, Hammondstown; Phil and Jack Tuite, Rathmae; Jack Roe, Tubrid; Jim Fitzpatrick, Hilltown. Tom Murtagh was also a referee.

 

Eleven years elapsed before a team was formed in the parish again this was in 1926. This team had a very short existence, only three years. They were suspended in 1929 for life. We are told that the Ballinacree players were not at fault on the day, that it was very bad refereeing that was the cause of the trouble. The match was played in Ballinlough in the Junior championship and the opponents were Carnaross. When the referee's report came up for discussion at the County Board meeting, Ballinacree was not represented by a delegate from the club. We can only suppose that the reason for that was because cars were not available at the time, the trip to Navan would have to have been made by bicycle. Ballinacree were well defended at the meeting by a Ballinlough delegate, Nicholas Gaynor (RIP). He owned the public house in Ballinlough at that time. He said the Ballinacree players were the most decent and respectable men in Co. Meath.

 

The football pitch was at Tubrid bridge, a field kindly given by James Natalie Hone of Ballymacad House. The names of the players registered with the club in 1926 were: Con McCormack, Ballymacad; Bernie McCabe, Moate; Tommie Reilly, Hilltown; Ned Kelly, Baltrasna; Harry and George Aherne, Ross; Jack and Phil Tuite, Rathmae; Jimmy Heery, Tubrid; Larry Daly, Ballycomoyle; Tom and Pat Brown, Ballymacad; Joe and Jimmy Brown, Ballinrink; Jack Reilly, Rathiever; Pat Tuite, Rathmae; Jack Donoghue, Hammondstown; Christy Traynor, Grieve; Peter Conne1l, Tubrid; Paddy Reilly, Tubrid Joe Brown and Jack Reilly also played with Austin Stacks of Kerry.

 

The team and subs who were suspended in 1929: Pat Brown, Ballymacad; Jack Tuite, Rathmae; Tommy Reilly, Hilltown; Joe Kevin, Rassilagh; Pat Tuite, Rathmae; George

Ahern, Ross; Tom Lynch, Annagh; Pat McGinn, Hilltown; James Heery, Tubrid; Jack McGinn, Hilltown; Matt Brown, Ballymacad; Tom Ginnell, Ballycomoyle; Malachy Kelly, Ross; Tom Brown, Ballymacad; Leo Ahern, Ross.   Subs.: Jack Donoghue, Hammondstown; Larry Kevin, Rassilagh; Mick Reilly, Tubrid; Tommy Kenny, Ballinrink; Jimmy Kevin, Rassilagh; Jack Boyle, Ross: Barney Donoghue, Hammondstown.

 

Club Officers: Chairman, Peter Clarke, Cullentra; Vice Chairman, Tom Butler, Hilltown; Secretary, Paddy Hennessy, Rassilagh; Treasurer, Edward J. Smith, Halfcarton.

After the club had been suspended most of the players went to play with Castletown Finea. Mattie Brown went to Dublin, where he played with the Westerns who won two Dublin Senior club championships in the years 1930 and 1931. He also played for Meath from 1930 to 1933.

St. Brigid's G.F.C. came into being in the autumn and winter of 1962. The first AGM was held in Katsie Brown's cottage in December of 1962. The clubs first top-table committee consisted of:

Chairman: Seamus Maguire (RIP)
Secretary: Joe Blake (RIP)
Treasurer: Patrick Connaughton (RIP)

Many from the locality who were playing with neighbouring clubs up to then attended the meeting. They all expressed an interest to play for the new club and their transfer arrangements were started. The club was named St. Brigid's, Killeagh because at that time the name Ballinacree could not be used according to the Meath County Board.

Mrs. Kidman rented the existing field to the club for £20 per year for the first eight years and then she sold it to the club for £1,000. On St. Stephens Day 1962 volunteers from the parish erected a fence around the pitch and attempted to level ridges on the field.

By 1976 it was time to develop the pitch and the playing field was extended by 20 metres. A new concrete post fence was erected around the pitch. The existing wall that runs along the roadside was completed in early 1978. Work on the dressing rooms commenced in 1978 and was completed in 1980. Local volunteers donated all the labour on Saturdays. The cost of this development in the 70's was over £6,000, which was financed by various fund-raising activities in the parish.

The pitch was officially opened in April 1983 when the club hosted a match between Walterstown and Laragh, Meath senior champions and their Cavan counterparts respectively.

The next development was in the early 1990's when the club spent over £3,000 installing heated showers in the dressing rooms. In 1996 the club, spearheaded by Hugh Gilsenan, decided to further develop the playing field and tracts of land adjoining the pitch were purchased from Lords' and Clavin's. A fishbone drainage system was put into the field, the entire surface levelled and then re-seeded. New goal posts were erected, new floodlights were purchased, a third fence was erected around the now larger playing field and dugouts were constructed. This entire project cost over £60,000 and was funded by bank loans, small grants and of course the Blotto.

Efforts were made to officially open the park again in 2000 but the County Board would not let us use the Meath Senior team for one evening. Efforts still persisted in 2001.

The club started off in Junior A football grade until 1968 when it was relegated to Junior B grade. It regained Junior A status in 1970. The club played intermediate football from 1973 to 1975 before settling back to Junior ranks in 1976.

Throughout the 1980's the club competed in the Junior A championship. The decade was strewn with quarter finals and semi-finals but there was to be no appearances in a championship final. The team came close many times but a semi-final day in Kells against Bellewstown team in 1986 was considered to be the 'one that got away'. The team did however win a few league titles in this period.

The early 1990's began as the 80's finished. Was the club ever going to break through? Then in the autumn of 1993 Leo McEnroe from Oldcastle took charge of the U-21 team. The team went on to capture the U-21 title that year, captained by Ronan Hennessy and at last the parish tasted knock-out success.

In 1994 the parish was quietly confident of following on from their U-21 success and capturing the elusive Junior A Championship. Coached by Gerry Farrelly, a team mixed of some very young footballers and other more experienced players committed themselves to training as a unit for nine months. The St. Brigids team won all of their games in the group and qualified for the knock-out stages. They squeezed past a promising Duleek team in the quarter final, and comfortably beat St. Vincents in the semi-final. A JFC final day against Baconstown was fixed for 4 October 1994. It was to be the club's finest hour and after conceding two first half goals the Brigids rallied back to score two goals themselves in the second half. In the end they won by four points and Ronan Hennessy lifted the cup. Celebrations went on until Christmas!

From 1995 to 1999 the club competed at Intermediate level but never made any impression at the grade. In 1999 the club lost a relegation play-off to Moynalty and was relegated to Junior football once again. In the Winter of 1999 the U-21's coached by Paddy McNamee succeeded in capturing more silverware and the new century looked promising for the Ballinacree side. But the first year back in Junior ranks proved to be unsuccessful with the team failing to qualify for the knock-out stages and finishimg 8^th in the A league. The following year proved no better as the team failed to make the knock out stages again, and was relegated from Div 4 to Div 5 in the league. 2002 proved even worse as the team were relegated from Junior A Championship to Junior B. However the team were involved in a playoff in the Division 5 'A' League. Unfortunately they were not successful in achieving promotion. The B Team finished 4^th in the Division 6 'B' League. 2003 saw the long road back to glory begin. The team reached the Quarter Finals of the Junior 'B' Championship and a play off in the Div 5 A League and the B Team were runners up in the Div 6 B League and were promoted to Div 5 B League. The following year 2004 the semi final was reached in the Junior B Championship and the team won the Division 5 'A' League, which meant promotion to Div 4 A League. The team reached the final of the Junior 'B' Championship in 2005 and finished 3rd in the A League. The B Team also finished 3rd in their league. St Brigids won the Junior B Championship in 2006 beating Clonard in the Final and will be playing at Junior A Level in 2007 for the first time since 2002. The team also finished 4th in the Div 4 A League

2006 was the first time in over 10 years; a second team were entered from the club in Meath county championships in the Junior D Grade. Unfortunately the B Team didn’t qualify out of the Group stages. They finished 4th in Div 5 B League. The Under 21 team won the Under 21 “C Division” final on the 19^th November 2006 beating Moynalvy in the final on the score of 8 points to 3 to bring a second piece of silverware to Ballinacree inside a month

Delia Heery, Rosie Butler, Peg Briody, Lilly Reilly, Rosie Hennessy, Biddy Kevin, Peggy Kevin, Rosie Kevin, Sissy Coyle, Nellie Brown, Teresa Brown, Rosie Gilsenan, Bridie Gilsenan, Maggie Smith, Julie Smith and Molly Smith.  

For most of its ten-year existence the team was lead and Captained by Teresa Brown (Teresa Carroll, Ballinrink).  

The team trained and practiced their skills in Mrs. Reilly's (Kit Lee) field at the bridge of Tubrid and used Willie Hennessy's house as dressing rooms and tea-rooms.  The team colours were a black gym frock and a yellow blouse.  

On the playing field, many memorable games were competed in by the team.  One of the earliest games contested was against another local team from Belaney.  The Muldoons sisters (Mrs. Briody and Mrs. Mullaly) were part of the Belaney team.  While the Belaney outfit would have been regarded as the more accomplished and skilful with the camán, Ballinacree won by determination and courage and also in no small measure to Lilly Reilly (Ballinacree), who had an outstanding game on the day.  Many other games were played against the same opposition in Belaney, where the teams were treated to tea and cake in Jack Hand's house after their exertions on the field. Other games of note were played against Oldcastle, out in Clonifad and great memories of cars and lorries full of players and spectators travelling to Dulane were cherished by all involved.  

There was a strong social aspect to the club and team, as dances were held in Ballinrink Hall to raise much needed funds for the club.  Apart from raising funds, the dances and the entourage to the games, were wonderful social gatherings for the young men and women of the area. These young men went to the games to cheer on the girls (and sometimes protect them) and some notable names come to mind such as Roof and Tom Brown and the two Jimmy Kevins'.  

The above summary is the memories of Nellie Brown (Farrelly) who played for the team for the ten years and was its youngest member at sixteen in 1930.  She concluded her thoughts by saying,