The strange case of the Carfin Emeralds

The strange case of the Carfin Emeralds

Jack Gillen was born in May 1916 in Moville, Donegal but like many folk from that fine county life was to bring him over the Irish Sea to Scotland. For many it was the allure of work in the mines, factories or fields which drew them, but for Jack it was to work as a Priest among the Catholics of Scotland. It was said that the loves of Jack’s life were his faith, his family, his Parish in Glenboig and Celtic football club. Football played a major part in his life and he organised teams in just about every parish he worked in and would regale folk of the tale of the all-conquering Glenboig St Joseph’s team who had swept all before them in 1947. It transpired one of their players had been economical with the truth about his age and when the football authorities found out they stripped the team of their Scottish cup and banned them from competing in the Lanarkshire Cup Final just a few days later.

Like many an Irishman spending time working outside his native land, he kept in touch and visited as often as his duties allowed. His brother owned a hotel in Moville and by the mid-sixties had organised an annual football tournament for Junior clubs (non-Professional) which was to be called the Kennedy Cup. It was thought that a summer football tournament might attract more tourists to Donegal. The prize money built up as the years progressed until by 1964 the amount on offer was £2000. (£38,000 in today’s money) This of course sparked great interest in the tournament with teams entering from all over Ireland and the UK. It also meant that the Junior clubs involved were not above using ‘ringers’ to improve their squads and as it was played in the summer there were professional players around willing to earn a bit extra by turning out for club’s involved in the Kennedy cup.

Father Gillen was of course well aware of the prize money available to the winners of the Kennedy cup and got thinking of how it might be of great use in his working class parish back in Scotland. A seed was germinating in his brain and he had a host of connections throughout the church in central Scotland who might know of some decent Junior players who might be put together to form a decent team. The decision about what to call the team was perhaps swayed by Father Jack’s knowledge of the area around his church. His parish; St Teresa’s in Newarthill, was but a short walk from the grotto to Our Lady at Carfin built almost 100 years ago by unemployed miners and builders. So it was that the Carfin Emeralds was born and entered into the Kennedy cup in 1963. They did well but didn’t win the cup that year. Perhaps a higher grade of player was required to make them successful the following year?  

The Emeralds of 1964 was to be strengthened by  professional players who had been approached by Father Gillen’s contacts in various churches across Lanarkshire and Glasgow. There was however the problem of professionals being forbidden by their clubs from taking part in amateur football matches in the off season as the risk of injury was obvious. We can imagine the priest’s eyebrows rising when he saw the list of players willing to help him out and play for the Carfin Emeralds in Ireland. Some of the names on the list played for his beloved Celtic.

So it was that in the summer of 1964 one of the stranger episodes in the history of Celtic took place when some of their star players took to Bay Field Park in Moville, wearing a variety of disguises. It is said some wore false beards, wigs and even make up to allay suspicion but Donegal being Donegal there were Celtic supporters in the crowd who would have looked on knowingly. That little winger jinking past defenders looked familiar? In their first game against the Tonnage Dockers, a tough tackling team from Derry they drew 1-1 but the replay saw the Emeralds win 7-3 as they got more used to the conditions. None of the Emeralds’ players were mentioned in press reports of the games as the tournament unfolded by rumours were spreading and the crowds increasing.

A team called the Rosemounts were defeated next as the Emeralds swept into the semi-final where Foyle Rovers awaited. It was a tight game decided by a goal scored by Neil Mochan, by then playing for Raith Rovers and still a very fit and capable player. The Derry Journal had by now recognised some of the players and Haughney, Mochan and Haffey were mentioned by name. As The Carfin Emeralds Lined up to face Manchester Athletic in the final before a large and excitable crowd a photographer caught the moment the Emeralds were being introduced to local dignitaries. When the picture was printed in the paper it was captioned with the words...

“Members of the Carfin Emeralds team, most of whom wore false beards side-whiskers and make-up are introduced to Rev. H Gallagher C.C. Moville before the kick-off.”

The final itself was a triumph for the Scottish side who crashed seven goals past the Manchester side to win the cup. So it was that Father Gillen’s team won the cup and the prize money which was put to good use in his parish and beyond. The team lines of the Carfin Emeralds were conveniently ‘lost’ back in the mid-1960s and we may never be sure exactly which Celtic players took part in the tournament. We might guess the reaction of Jock Stein had he found out that some of his players were  injury by playing in the Kennedy cup.

As for Father Jack, he served several Parishes in Scotland, his last being St Columbkille’s in Rutherglen, before retiring to his beloved Donegal in 1992. He passed away in 1995 and perhaps only he knew the full extent of his use of Celtic players in his team. He may have bent the rules a little but it was for a good cause. Footballers were more closely involved in their local communities than perhaps they are today. In those times if a local Priest asked a player to help out in a charity match or suchlike few would refuse.

It would be hard to imagine a modern day Carfin Emeralds taking the Field with Tierney or McGregor in their ranks. Perhaps the 1960s were more innocent times.