The 80's
The early eighties saw the first silverware come to Ballyglass football Club. In the 1981/82 season the team captured the Mayo League Division 2 crown.
They were to repeat this feat in the 1983/84 season, where they also went on to win the Western Glass Cup when goals from Tom Healy and Christy Fadden gave Ballyglass a 2-0 victory over Castlebar Celtic B in the final. The Terence McDonnell League Cup was also added to the trophy cabinet that season.
The club decided to enter a reserve team into the league for the 1984/85 season. Tom Quinn was manager in that first year and they were just piped for the league title by Swinford. Ballyglass gained compensation by taking the Reserve Cup, P.J. Brett and Paul Connolly (Summerhill) were the goalscoring heroes that season.
There was to be heartbreak in the 85/86 season when Ballyglass lost the Invitation Cup final to near neighbours Ballyheane by a single goal.
The 1986/87 season saw the first team capture the Tonra Cup, beating Claremorris 1-0 in the final with Michael Ryan the goalscoring hero.
The reserve team won the league title for the first time in the 1987/88 season with P.J. Brett at the helm. The title was wrapped up with a 2-1 victory over Genfitt with goals from Pat Ralph and Kevin McDonnell. Sean Killeen captained the team, while P.J. Brett and Kevin McDonnell shared the goal scoring honours with 6-a piece. Regular members of that team were; Peter McNicholas, Joe Sheridan, Martin Healy, Joe Heneghan, John Nally, Sean Killeen, Jarlath Moran, P.J. Brett, Thomas Connolly, Kevin McDonnell, Noel Heneghan and Pat Ralph.
The club did not have a pitch it owned and it was around this time that this problem began to occupy the minds of the officers and members of the club, who felt that until the club acquired its own pitch its development would continue to be stunted. Home games for Ballyglass F.C. at this time still continued to be played in the "Turlough," until it flooded, and thereafter in some local farmer’s field.
From the years 1987/88 onwards the officers decided that to secure and own a playing field should be the primary concern for the club for the immediate future. With this in mind the club began its first major fundraising project. At the insistence of Michael Keaveney and Joe Sheridan, in particular, a confined draw of 400 £60 tickets was launched in 1988 with a motor car as first prize. The draw proved an outstanding success and with money in the bank the club approached a number of people before they were eventually successful in acquiring just over eight acres in the locality- the present stadium.
There was still a gap between what finances the club had and the purchase price of the land so the club faced another hurdle. It was decided to try and get the money from local members and supporters rather than borrow from a bank, and many interest free loans of up to £500 were generously donated.
They were to repeat this feat in the 1983/84 season, where they also went on to win the Western Glass Cup when goals from Tom Healy and Christy Fadden gave Ballyglass a 2-0 victory over Castlebar Celtic B in the final. The Terence McDonnell League Cup was also added to the trophy cabinet that season.
The club decided to enter a reserve team into the league for the 1984/85 season. Tom Quinn was manager in that first year and they were just piped for the league title by Swinford. Ballyglass gained compensation by taking the Reserve Cup, P.J. Brett and Paul Connolly (Summerhill) were the goalscoring heroes that season.
There was to be heartbreak in the 85/86 season when Ballyglass lost the Invitation Cup final to near neighbours Ballyheane by a single goal.
The 1986/87 season saw the first team capture the Tonra Cup, beating Claremorris 1-0 in the final with Michael Ryan the goalscoring hero.
The reserve team won the league title for the first time in the 1987/88 season with P.J. Brett at the helm. The title was wrapped up with a 2-1 victory over Genfitt with goals from Pat Ralph and Kevin McDonnell. Sean Killeen captained the team, while P.J. Brett and Kevin McDonnell shared the goal scoring honours with 6-a piece. Regular members of that team were; Peter McNicholas, Joe Sheridan, Martin Healy, Joe Heneghan, John Nally, Sean Killeen, Jarlath Moran, P.J. Brett, Thomas Connolly, Kevin McDonnell, Noel Heneghan and Pat Ralph.
The club did not have a pitch it owned and it was around this time that this problem began to occupy the minds of the officers and members of the club, who felt that until the club acquired its own pitch its development would continue to be stunted. Home games for Ballyglass F.C. at this time still continued to be played in the "Turlough," until it flooded, and thereafter in some local farmer’s field.
From the years 1987/88 onwards the officers decided that to secure and own a playing field should be the primary concern for the club for the immediate future. With this in mind the club began its first major fundraising project. At the insistence of Michael Keaveney and Joe Sheridan, in particular, a confined draw of 400 £60 tickets was launched in 1988 with a motor car as first prize. The draw proved an outstanding success and with money in the bank the club approached a number of people before they were eventually successful in acquiring just over eight acres in the locality- the present stadium.
There was still a gap between what finances the club had and the purchase price of the land so the club faced another hurdle. It was decided to try and get the money from local members and supporters rather than borrow from a bank, and many interest free loans of up to £500 were generously donated.
