Mervue United FC

In the Beginning

JUST OVER 45 YEARS AGO a small group of Mervue residents sat around a table and set about forming a soccer club for the youth of the, then, small suburb on the east side of the City.

Among those who were present at that memorable meeting were Willie Kilkelly, Frank Kelly, Joe Flaherty, Hyacinth d'Arcy - all of whom have since passed on to the great playing pitch in heaven -Terry McSweeney, Jimmy O'Connor, Tom d'Arcy, Pat Sullivan along with the then juvenile players Jackie Keane and Declan McDonnell. Former Club Chairman Colie Smyth, decs'd, who gave his all for the City underage structure and John Murphy were to come on the scene some time later.

Indeed, of all the founding members present on that momentous occasion Declan McDonnell is the only remaining member to have given continuous service to Mervue A.F.C. as a player and official over that period-his tenure as Chairman of the now highly regarded club which fields anything up to 18 teams over all grades was marked by the Club securing it's very own clubhouse and later innovations.

While Rovers and Bohemians were the traditional kingpins of Galway soccer, Mervue A.F.C. did, however, reach the final of the Schweppes Cup in their very first year only to go down to Bohs on a scoreline of 7-2. Undaunted by this rout, they continued to press ahead with their ambitions until they were finally rewarded in 1965 with an U.13 Murphy Cup win which they repeated in an historic three-in-a--row.

Just one year later, 1966, saw the Junior team achieve their first success in capturing the Schweppes Cup - a famous victory which featured club stalwarts such as Pat Sullivan, Paddy Flanagan, Terry McSweeney, Willie Kilkelly, Christy O'Connor, Paddy Beatty and Mick Halpin among others.