Matthews clan know their sport
FROM THE ARCHIVES: 20 YEARS AGO
Ardee's old Catholic church hit the headlines when it was suggested that the building should be converted into a community centre 20 years ago.
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Wednesday March 10 2010
SPORT was in the blood for one Dunleer family, the famed Matthews clan from Cappogue. At one stage or another, the six brothers and one sister have all been presented with Louth senior medals.
Ranging in age from 18 to 25, all seven, Finian, Patrick, Joseph, Paul, Stephen and Philip and Julia, played with the St Kevin's club in Philipstown, Julia one of the key members of the camogie side.
With the exception of one brother, Nicholas, an accountant who emigrated, the family wore the colours of the Kevin's with pride, Julia picking up two championship medals.
Three of the brothers, Paul, Joseph and Finian, work on the family sheep and dairy farm at Cappogue.
Stephen is an engineer and Philip was studying accountancy. Their mother, Bernadette, also came from a very well known GAA family in the Tenure area.
With the exception of Finian and Nicholas, all the brothers share the distinction of playing on the St Kevin's team that won the Macardle Cup in 1988. They also played in the Junior Championship in 1989 along with their cousin, John Matthews.
Club PRO, Tom Powderly was justly proud of the whole clan. 'They have given many years of service to the club. All of the lads came up through the Kevin's club under the wing of Tommy Maguire who started the under 14 squad in 1980. Stephen played at senior level for the county.
Ardee's old Catholic church hit the headlines when it was suggested that the building should be converted into a community centre, rather than having the parish build a new one.
The parish committee had already decided to build a new one on a green field site on the outskirts of the town but at a Louth County Council meeting, planner Noel Grimes said the committee was divided on the matter.
Cllr Nicky McCabe, chairman of the council, expressed a fear that if the church did not become a community centre it may become derelict. He felt it would be a perfect base and wanted the committee and the council to come together on the proposition.
Cllr Joe Farrell said that the parish council should have a say in what happened to the church as it was built in 1879, the same year as Catholic Emancipation, and therefore was of historical significance.
Cllr Bernard Markey said he hoped the building would never be derelict.
Storms blew in and left parts of the county in darkness. The high winds struck at about 5am on a Monday and knocked down ESB poles around the Ardee and Philipstown areas. A number of trees were also felled.
'It was lucky no-one was hurt because a lot of trees and poles did come down,' a spokesperson stated.
