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Donegal
Person of the Year 2004
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Sunday Interview (Sunday Journal, 1 May 2005) John A McLaughlin - a man of many parts! By Jim McCafferty
John Alphonsus was born in the place he loves, Carrowmenagh, in 1932, the third son in a family of nine, four boys and five girls. Although three of his elder siblings have since passed away, the majority of the remaining family live in and around the Carrowmenagh area. The McLaughlin connection with the general area goes back to the 16th century. John's grandfather Neal was Head Constable in the old RIC and stationed there. Despite his grandfather's postings to other parts of the county, the family put down roots in the Carrowmenagh area and the connection has been there ever since. During the Second World War, the young John A. spent many happy years at Carrowmenagh National School under the tutelage of the late Master O'Kane, a native of Fintona, County Tyrone. "The late Master O'Kane was an excellent educator. He was the first principal when the school opened in 1928 and, as far as 1 remember, spent some 39 happy years in the position." Indeed, it was while at the local school that the young John's love of history was born, a love that was to be intensified by his father, also a notable local historian. "Ever since my days at the local school, I had a great interest in reading, in particular anything to do with history. It didn't matter - Irish, European, world - I was into it all. My father was certainly an influence in that. He was always into history, especially the local angle. He liked to be informed of family lineages and was well known for finding out about 'your father' and where he came from and who his father was. He was inquisitive in that sense. His reasons were twofold, first to get to know ' and second for his own purposes of keeping records for local historical purposes. Indeed would be fair to say my book that was published in 2001 had my late father's fingerprints all over because much of what he had written was used in it!" John left school in 1946 at the age of 14 and began working on the family farm. He continued working on the farm until he was 25. His father retired from Donegal County Council as a home assistance officer and rent collector, John applied for position and, after many interviews and sitting exams, was successful, taking up employment with the Council as a community welfare officer. He was responsible for North East Inishowen covering an area right up as far as Malin Head, he spent 40 years in the job until his retirement 1997. A few years into the job, John married local girl and nurse Anne McLaughlin (Billy Fada) in 1964. They moved into the family home and live there to the present day. Playing
football in bare feet "I played with Anne's four brothers, kicking a ball up and down that street barefoot. Anne's brothers were excellent footballers. The four of them, Neil, Hughie, James and Charlie, along with myself even won the 5-a-side football competition at the Carrowmena Sports Day in our teens. "Anne came from a big family also. There were of ten of them and the four boys were all great players. Neil was one of the best footballers I ever seen or played with. In fact, I would go as far as to put him on a par with the great George Best! "I remember him playing at the Bayfield in Moville in a Summer Cup competition. At one time in the match, there were eight players around him but he still came away with the ball. You would have thought it was tied to his foot, so good was he!" The teenage years of the young John brought him to the local dances. He vividly recalls cycling to the likes of Bocan Hall in Culdaff for dances that went on to 3.00 in the morning and then cycling back. "There was always a group of lads going to the dances then. It was hard to leave a girl home in those days because you only had the bike to take yourself home! Back then, all the lads were Pioneers too, although a lot of them smoked. "There was no alcohol at the dances, and you can picture the scene, plucking up the Dutch courage. You had the boys on one side and the girls on the other. You waited for the MC to announce the dance and then there was a mad rush across the floor." In 1974, John A. was appointed a Peace Commissioner for the area. It means he can be called to the local Garda Station to sign a summons of one kind or another. He is also the local presiding officer for the area, a position he has held for over 40 years now, also following in the footsteps of his late father. They hold the They hold the distinction of being the only father and son to be presiding officers in the same area. "I started working at the elections over forty years ago now and it tied in with my work with the Council. Again that was something my father was involved in, and I suppose like everything else, it was only natural that I became involved as well. My father was a specialist in the PR system and was called upon on many occasions for his advice and expertise. I forget how many counts and elections I've been involved in over those years but it's quite a few." Despite holding down a full-time position with the Donegal County Council and involvement in over 15 committees, he still found time to participate in his favourite sport, soccer. Man
in black - after the cows were milked! The Carrowmenagh man continued blowing the whistle right up to his mid-fifties and it was 1978 before he hung up his boots for the final time with a number of memorable matches under his belt. "I enjoyed those days. You could have been sent to referee anywhere in Inishowen, but you rarely had bother with the young players then. I don't remember a dirty tackle and I never had a player get seriously injured. I even had the honour of officiating at a number of Inishowen League finals and it's something I was really proud to do. Many's a Sunday you could leave Carrowmenagh to go to Maiin to do a League game and your fee in those days was only £2.00. Having the farm, I had to make sure the cows were milked before I went, because you mightn't get back until dark." John says there were many talented players and teams in the Inishowen League when he refereed. "There were some great up-and-coming young players in those days. John Joe McLaughlin, who played for Carndonagh and Rasheney, was one who stood out. Also there was John 'Roper' McDermott who played for Moville Celtic and went on to represent Finn Harps and Derry City." Recalling those years, he said he tried to be fair to both sides while letting the game run as smoothly as possible. "It should be a referee's job to stay in the background as much as possible, but if you had to give a yellow or red card, that was it finished with on the day. The following week, you came out to a level playing field, so to speak, and the previous week was forgotten about. I suppose it was all about common sense, but to be honest, I never had much bother in any of the matches I officiated at and that included the finals." The Carrowmenagh man recalls with pride the honour bestowed on him last year at the Donegal People of the Year awards. A
wonderful occasion John made special mention of two people who were invaluable to him in the research of his 2001 book about the local townland, locals Mick McGonagle and Catherine O'Kane. These two were a great help in researching the book and without their assistance my task of writing it would have been much greater. I would be obliged if they could be mentioned." Since his retirement, John has 'went back to school' and a few years ago received a Diploma in Local History at the IRDL in Carndonagh. In the next few weeks he will complete a Certificate in Cultural Traditions at Limavady College and has got word that he has been accepted for a degree in Irish History at the University of Ulster at Magee. "Yes," joked the sprightly 72 year-old, "one friend, who shall remain nameless, described me recently as 'A very, very, very mature student,' but as they say, 'There's life in the old dog yet!" Family
Man John A. explains, "Anne's brother, Charles, lost his wife Kathleen to bowel cancer in 1973. It was a hard time for the family. Charles had Just built a family home in Moville and Kathleen was seven months' pregnant with her second child when she took ill. "After a series of tests in Dublin we found out that she was suffering from bowel cancer, which was unusual back then.. Her daughter Cora was delivered early at seven months and weighed just 5lbs at birth. "Cora had to stay in hospital for a while to get her weight up but my wife Anne was a qualified mid-wife and had taken a course in premature babies so we were able to get her home early. "When Kathleen passed away it just seemed natural for Charles and the two girls to move in with us. We didn't ask for anything or expect pay-outs like they do today, we simply did what we had to. We had no family of our own so I suppose you could say we acquired a ready-made one! "Anne always say, 'Ask any mother in our position if they would help out someone in Charles' position and I'm sure they would have no hesitation in doing so'. "The two girls are a credit to any parent and Anne and I are very happy to have played a small part in their life. We are so proud of them and all they have become. We were there every step of the way (Anne-Marie was five and Cora just a baby when they moved in with John A. and Anne) at their first day at school, their Holy communions and Confirmations, and they still contact us every single day. "We are all going along to Anne-Marie's eldest daughter Alicla's First Communion next Saturday and it will a real family day out."
John A. McLaughlin and his wife Anne with their treasured nieces at the Donegal People of the Year awards in 2004, from left Ann-Marie Quigley (left) and Cora MacLochlainn (right). |
It
was a proud Carrowmenagh man that stepped onto the stage at the recent
Donegal Person of the Year Awards. And the award certainly went to
a good home - John A. McLaughlin has given a lifetime of service to
his townland, his village and his community.The 72 year-old is probably
best-known to the wider world as the author of the highly-regarded
'Carrowmenagh - History of a Donegal Village and Townland', which
was a sell-out. But he's known in his home place in many guises -
Peace Commissioner, welfare officer, farmer, referee, presiding officer
and committee man.