Aghabog presentation

With so much interest at this particular time in documenting the past, both at national and local level, from the point of view of the various events that helped shape our history and society, the Aghabog club is playing its part by acknowledging the role played by a native of the parish in helping to propagate the GAA in Monaghan during the troubled times in the early part of the last century.

Patrick Coyle, a native of Aghabog moved to Ballybay as a young man, where he set up in business and became deeply involved with the Ballybay GAA club, being later elected as secretary of Monaghan County board in 1917, and holding that post until 1923. These were turbulent years, not only in Monaghan, but in Ireland, and we get a great insight into the workings of Monaghan County board at that time from the minutes recorded in a notebook that came into the possession of John Connolly from the Aghabog club and the transcription of those minutes of County committee meetings and County conventions will now be valuable source material for those researching those particular times.

Matters get under way on Sunday evening with the placing of an inscribed plaque on the grave of Patrick Coyle in St Mary’s Cemetery Aghabog at 7.30pm, the plaque expressing the appreciation of the Aghabog and Ballybay clubs as well as Monaghan County board for his valuable service. Matters then revert to the Aghabog club rooms where the booklet containing the records of those meetings between 1914 and 1917, will be launched and will there be talks on the contribution of Peter Lonergan, Carrickmacross, Patrick Coyle’s predecessor as County secretary, and a contribution to from the Ballybay Heritage Society on famous Ballybay people.

Patrick Coyle’s life in Ballybay though was not just his involvement in business and the GAA but he was a very active person in the volunteers and later in local politics and that particular aspect of his life will be highlighted from a comprehensive appreciation of Patrick Coyle that was published in the Northern Standard in February 1972 following his death, and matters will be concluded with the unveiling of a photograph of Patrick Coyle in the Emmets  club rooms.