PARTY TIME
Tuam Celtic prepares for its Golden Jubilee
HALF a century after it was set up, one of Tuam’s most successful sporting organisations is planning the party of all parties to mark its Golden Jubilee.
Tuam Celtic was set up in 1974 following the disbandment of the previous local soccer club, Tuam Town. Celtic’s founding members took the decision to bring a group of lads together on the old Parkmore racecourse where they trained twice a week.
Donal Sweeney never kicked a soccer ball in his life, but 50 years after he was one of the founding members of Tuam Celtic, he continues to play an active role in the running of the club.
“When we started out it was just an adult team, but we had a very committed group of lads who were all living in or around the Dublin Road/Parkmore area,” he said.
“We trained diligently and would have played friendly matches against the clubs throughout Galway city, where we would have had a lot of connections as most of the lads were working in the city at the time.”
By 1975, the club had entered a team in the Galway and District League, with local stalwart Brian Carty earning instant fame and glory when he scored the first competitive goal for Celtic against a Salthill Devon team.
“I’ve always found underage soccer more enjoyable to watch than the adult leagues because the younger lads play at a much faster pace and there’s less giving out to the officials,” said Donal, who is a regular spectator at Celtic’s home games across all age groups and also takes an active role in setting up tables and chairs for the weekly Tuam Celtic Bingo night, which is a vital source of income for the club.
For more, pick up this week’s Tuam Herald or log onto our digital edition HERE