Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, our second award of the evening is the induction of our 14th member into the Fermanagh & Western Hall of Fame, James McGrath, or Jimmy as he is more commonly known. It was said back in 2015 “No figure in the history of Lisbellaw United FC has given greater service to the Club than Sammy McFrederick and very few come even near to matching his contribution which has spanned over half a century”. We can now unequivocally add Jimmy to that elite group. 

Jimmy has always been a one-man one-club, with that club of course being Lisbellaw United FC so it makes it all that bit more special for me to be given the task of honouring Jimmy alongside his friends, family and fellow club members who are well represented tonight. I would like to thank his son Paul for helping me put together this synopsis of a remarkable career. 

The affiliation with Lisbellaw began back in 1972, 50 years this year so it seems fitting that Jimmy be recognised with this award tonight. Having seen a poster in Enniskillen Tech saying ‘anyone interested in playing football please come out to training’, Jimmy attended one session where he was asked by Sammy McFrederick,  a teacher at the time and goalkeeper of the college team if he would be interested in playing with the club. The rest as they say is history. Thanks to Sammy for Jimmy’s initial invite to the club – without it the last 50 years would have looked very different! 

James and his good friend Tony McGourty set off for Lisbellaw and many a Belcoo man followed suit, joining the local talent that brought an unprecedented level of success for the village side. In latter years a week rarely went by when the club didn’t sign someone from Belcoo that could “get us out of a hole if needed” in Jimmy’s words! 

The side of the late 70’s was a great team and James played a major part in that glorious period for the club. Playing ‘outside right’ as they called it back then, he created and scored many important goals and with The McFrederick’s, Dessie Donegan, Glyn Nixon, Harry McConkey, Arthur Cadden, Roly McMaster and Eamon McPartland, some of whom are in attendance tonight, forming the basis of that team, they went on to lift 5 Mercer League titles and 5 Mulhern Cups in an 8-year period, a medal haul any player would be proud of.  Jimmy also holds the record for the fastest goal ever scored in a Mulhern Cup Final after only 20 seconds in the 1976 Final v Victoria Bridge.

The Holy Grail of Junior Football is the Irish Junior Cup and Jimmy, along with other gentlemen in the room tonight, were very much instrumental in the Lisbellaw side that went on to lift the trophy on the 12th May 1978. Jimmy had scored in the earlier rounds as well as a valuable goal in the semi-final heading in after Harry McConkey hit the bar, and Lisbellaw went on to win the final 2-1 which remains the one and only victory for the club to date.  

Having played until 1990, a career spanning 18 years he finished up in goals for the club before being asked to manage the team in 1993. Four good seasons were had in Division 1 from 1993-1997 with talent such as Brian Breen, Darren Ray, the Finnegan brothers and Joe Keaney on board, the highlight was reaching the Junior Cup Final in 1997 after some epic journeys and tussles along the way, including a penalty shootout win in the Semi Final where another Belcoo man, goalkeeper Darren Ray saved and then scored the winning penalty. Coincidentally Jimmy’s son James repeated this feat in the Irish Junior for Lisbellaw against Ford a few years ago! Jimmy also guided the club to semi-finals in 2008 and 2011 as well as a final in 2014. 

It wasn’t to be and a defeat in the 97 final to Newington YC followed before James stepped down to coach his sons at his other passion, Gaelic football for a few years. The two passions do surely go hand in hand with Jimmy often seen removing his Lisbellaw hat and putting on the Belcoo one leaving Drumad on a Saturday evening to go and watch a gaelic match, from one blue army to another! 

James was coaxed back just 6 years later, at a time when Lisbellaw had fallen to Division 3 and upon his return in 2003 he set about bringing the club back to where he felt it deserved to be - at the top of the Fermanagh & Western. James truly did stick with the club through thick and thin and his dedication is second to none. 

The Youth players in the club were given their chance with the likes of Glen and Kyle McCleery, William and Matty McFrederick, Alan and Ian Veitch, and Andy Reilly as well as his own sons James and Paul. Along with some old stalwarts and other gems such as Darren Fee, these players fell in love with the club the way James did and this saw the side gain back to back promotions as league winners in 2005 & 2006 bringing the club back to Division 1. 

Having managed to stay up in their first year back in the topflight, they went on to spend the next 6 years as either league winners or runners up, not a bad record by any standards. Jimmy had a great support network around him with the likes of Dick McCleery, Ali McCutcheon, Rodney Howe and Bob Carroll always on hand to offer advice.

Jimmy attracted players from all over the county and additions such as Raymie Carroll, Darren Rodgers, Paul Baron and Davy Little saw glory days return to Drumad. Lisbellaw had to wait a mammoth 29 years to claim another Mercer League title (Jimmy was still playing the last time the title was won in the 80-81 season) and the wait finally came to an end in the 2009/10 season in what was one of the most memorable nights Drumad had seen in years and is still talked about fondly today.

On Tuesday 27th April, Lisbellaw played Strathroy Harps needing a win to avoid going into the final day of the season. Having lost only twice all season, they found themselves trailing 2-1 with less than 10 minutes of normal time remaining and down to 10 men. James’ son Paul scored a cracker to level the game and Lisbellaw were then awarded a corner which Raymie Carroll scored much to the delight of the large crowd. The goal however was disallowed, and the corner had to be retaken, Raymie Carroll repeating what he had done moments before but this time the goal stood which sparked wild celebrations long into the night, and over the following days if I recall rightly! Both Paul and James McGrath were there  that night along with the McCleery brothers, the Carroll’s and the Veitch’s – a truly family affair which is a sentiment that is still echoed each week when Jimmy attends the games with wife Bernie and linesman son Martin to watch Paul. James has also now returned to help out in goals when needed. Jimmy’s other son Aidan has even pulled on a jersey for the club before and I would say if he could have got away with it, daughter Maria would have been roped in somehow too! 

Lisbellaw continued their form claiming Mercer League titles for the next 2 seasons under Jimmy before finishing runners up in 2013 and at that James stepped into an Assistant Manager role allowing Andy Reilly to take up the Management position. Jimmy is still very much involved to this day and is a great source of advice to current Manager Kyle McCleery on the side-line on a Saturday afternoon.

The current club President at Lisbellaw United, Jimmy also served on the Fermanagh & Western Management Committee for over 10 years. His nomination for this award received unanimous support from the current committee. Jimmy has also proved to be a huge fundraiser over the years and our club would be lost without him and his family. 

One man that is missing tonight and who would have been delighted by Jimmy’s recognition is our other Club Man, and former Merit Award winner Kenny Forde. I am told rarely a day went by when Kenny and Jimmy weren’t talking on the phone and this could have been multiple times on a Saturday morning talking about squads and player availability. Kenny and Jimmy struck up a great friendship as a result of their mutual love for the club and his passing has left a huge void for us all.   

Jimmy has a CV that anyone in the footballing world would be proud to emulate. As a player – 5 Mercer League Titles, 5 Mulhern Cups and 1 Junior Cup. As a manager 3 Mercer League Titles, 1 Junior Cup Final and multiple Kennedy Cup Victories, not a bad 50 years! He truly is an ambassador for the local game and we are blessed to have him as part of our Club. A very worthy recipient of this hall of fame induction. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great honour to present this award tonight to James McGrath.