Bunú an Chlub
The GAA club was founded in Ballinamore on 31 January 1889 at a meeting in McGauran’s Railway Hotel, now the Allied Irish Bank. A plaque was erected on the wall of the bank as part of the club’s centenary celebrations in 1989.
Seán O’Heslin
Seán O’Heslin, a national teacher in Ballinamore, was a native of Drumcroman, Corraleehan, Ballinamore. Seán was the driving force behind the club in its most successful decade, the 1930s. Fuair sé bás i 1942, nuair nach raibh ach 55 bliain slánaithe aige. The club was named after him in 1953.
Men’s Football
Seán O’Heslin’s is the most successful club in Leitrim in terms of senior championship titles won. The club contested the first ever Leitrim Senior Championship in 1890 and reached the final but lost to Mohill. Twenty-three years later, in 1913, they won their first senior championship. The greatest periods in the club’s history were the 1930s when five senior titles were won and then a prolonged period of success from 1964 to 1990 when twelve senior titles were won. Probably the club’s greatest achievement was a three-in-a-row between 1967-1969. During the 1990s, the club had a very strong team which coincided with Leitrim’s period of greatness. However, they failed to win a senior championship, despite having no less than five players on the Leitrim panel which won the 1994 Connacht championship. In 2021, the club won their twenty-first senior championship, after a barren period of 31 years.
Peil na mBan - Ladies
A Seán O’Heslins Ladies Football club was formed for the first time in 2003 spearheaded and driven by Dawn McKeon and Geraldine McIntyre . Teams were fielded at under 14, under 16 and Junior level.
The first ever ladies team lined out at Junior B level (13 a side) on 30th March 2003 against Fenagh under the management of Sean Reynolds and Padraig McKeon. The panel on that day was as follows:
The team,at 13 a side , lined out as follows:
1 Aoife Smith 2 Lisa Moran 4 Helen Sweeney 5 Fiona O’Dell 6 Maeve Murphy 7 Laura Brennan 8 Rosemary McTague 9 Catherine Smith 10 Erin Gilheany 11 Geraldine McIntyre 12 Aisling Cumiskey 13 Shauna Grey 15 Claire Fanning
Subs 17 Brid McCormack 18 Emma O’Dell 19 Emma Reynolds 20 Aine McWeeney
There were some Ballinamore Sean O’Heslin ladies playing club football in neighbouring clubs (Aughawillian, Fenagh, Aughnasheelin) due to the fact there had been no club in Ballinamore at the time. Most notable was the joining of Sarah McLoughlin to the team in 2008. Sarah had been playing club football with Aughawillian and returned to Ballinamore having won both an All-Ireland Junior medal and All Star with Leitrim in 2007.
Once up and running the ladies side of the club became not only competitive but successful at all grades. The ladies moved through the ranks from junior to senior level since formation.
Between the years of 2014 and 2018 inclusive Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins amalgamated with Aughnasheelin to form the Intermediate team of Oughteragh Gaels. The clubs did not amalgamate for underage levels. The success of the ladies amalgamation can be seen on the Roll of Honour page.
2023 will go down in history for not just the ladies side of the club but for the club itself. The ladies won the Leitrim Senior B Final, Connacht Intermediate Final, a phenomenal All-Ireland Semi-final at home in Ballinamore and All-Ireland finalists in Croke Park. The ladies were not only the first ever Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins team to win a Connacht title but will go down in history as the first club team to play in Croke Park. Roisin McHugh won LGFA Player of the Month November 2023 due to her superb display throughout the club campaign on this journey.
2023 was also the first year the ladies side of the club fielded a second team and won Division 3 League.
The success of the ladies club can also be seen by our representation on Leitrim county team’s. The club have a continuous presence at u-14, u-16, minor and senior intercounty teams. Ballinamore Sean O’Heslin girls Kirby Gilgunn & Laura O’Dowd earned places on LIDL Team of the League for Leitrim 2012 & 2023 respectively. WIth Laura going on to be vice captain of Leitrim for 2024.
A homegrown talent of Eilish O’Dowd who progressed through the underage ranks up to senior level within the club transferred to play both club and county football in Dublin. Eilish was successful in retaining a starting position at midfield and won an All-Ireland Senior medal with Dublin in 2023.
Scór agus Scór na nÓg
Seán O’Heslins is one of the most successful clubs in Ireland in terms of All Ireland Scór and Scór na nÓg success. For a number of years in the early 2000s, Ballinamore was the top club in Ireland in terms of All Ireland titles won, between Scór Sinsear and Scór na nÓg. The club has won 14 All Irelands, 9 in Scór Sinsear and 5 in Scór na nÓg. There has been huge involvement in Scór from its inception in the club but the big breakthrough came with a victory in Nuachleas in Scór Sinsear in 1984. Since then the club has won five further Nuachleas titles in Scór Sinsear and three Nuachleas in Scór na nÓg.
Trath na gCeisteanna is another strong area for the club and All Ireland titles have been won twice in Scór na nÓg and once in Scór Sinsear. The club has also won two Senior titles in recitation, Sheena Cryan winning both.
The club has been well represented in all other events and they are the only club in Leitrim to have won county titles in every single event, both Scór Sinsear and Scór na nÓg.
Sean O’Heslins has also won more Connacht Scór titles than any other club in Connacht. The club has won twenty-seven titles in Scór Sinsear (to 2016) and this includes seventeen Connacht titles in Novelty act, including a six-in-a-row (1992-1997). The club has also been successful in Connacht seventeen times in Scór na nÓg.
Hurling
The club has won two Leitrim Senior Hurling Championship titles, in 1987 and in 2015. Ballinamore players were also involved in the success of St Brigid’s in 1971.
Pitch
In 1952, Páirc Sheáin Uí Eislin was opened, the first GAA grounds in Leitrim. It was the centre for county games of all sorts until Páirc Seán MacDiarmada opened in Carrick-on-Shannon in 1964. It continued to host smaller county fixtures until it fell into disrepair in the 1990s. Major developments have since been carried out at the site with two excellent pitches and a new stand/dressingrooms having been erected These facilities were officially opened by Uachtarán CLG, Christy Cooney, on 24 Bealtaine 2009.
Club of the Century
In 1984, Sean O’Heslin’s was selected as “Club of the Century” for Leitrim.
Millennium Team
In 2000, Leitrim’s team of the millennium was selected. Sean O’Heslins had three players selected: Noel Crossan, Ollie Honeyman and Paddy Dolan. No other Leitrim club had three players selected.
Most Medals
Noel Flynn of Kiltyhugh holds the record for the most senior championship medals won in Leitrim. Noel won 9 senior championships, 7 with Ballinamore and 2 with Aughawillan. Paddy Dolan has the highest number of senior championship medals won with Ballinamore. He won eight. He missed out on the 1975 win. Patsy Prior also has eight, six with Ballinamore and two with Aughawillan. There are of course a number of other players who won eight with Aughawillan.
Railway Cup medals
Columba Cryan is the only Ballinamore man to have won a railway cup medal. He won two with Connacht as a sub. Paul Kieran won a railway cup shield medal.
Referees
Tommy Moran was the club’s most famous referee. He refereed a National League Final (1980), All Ireland Minor Final (1977), All Ireland Under 21 Final (1982), All Ireland Senior Semi-Final (1978), All Ireland Club Final (1979), Connacht Senior Finals (1975 and 1977). Jim Creamer refereed the 1952 Connacht Final. Others who refereed at inter county level were Charlie McCormack and Aidan Crossan.
Men’s Minor Titles
Twenty-four minor football championships have come to Ballinamore. Some of the recent wins have been as part amalgamations with other clubs. There are three players who have a fairly unique record of having won four minor championship medals. Thomas Galligan and Dermot Gannon played on the 1958.1959, 1960 and 1961 teams. Gerry Logan played on the 1974, 1976, 1977 and 1978 teams. Adrian Gallogly won four minor hurling medals in 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1994.
Men’s League Titles
Seán O’Heslins won the Senior League on eleven occasions, the first in 1967. Seán Kavanagh played on nine winning teams. Paddy Dolan was involved in nine successes but
missed out on one final. Brendan Burns a sub in 1967 and played in eight subsequent successes. Therefore, all three have won nine Senior League medals. Nobody else in Leitrim can match that.
Publications
There are three publications on the club’s history.
a) Gallogly, Fr Dan: Ballinamore Seán O’Heslins 1889-1984
b) Ó Súilleabháin, Seán (Editor): Come on Cannaboe, 100 years of Ballinamore Seán O’Heslins GAA club.
c) Ceann na Bo go Deo: The story of Ballinamore Seán O’Heslins GAA club. DVD produced by Seán Ó Súilleabháin and Tomás Ó Móráin
(Copies of the latter are still available from Leitrim Genealogy Centre, ph 071-9644012)
