Ard Bó Uí Dhonnabhain RossaAbout
Ard Bó Uí Dhonnabhain Rossa Cumann Lúthchleas Gael is based in east Tyrone, close to the shores of Lough Neagh. Within the Parish of Ardboe, ourselves and Moortown St.Malachy’s draw footballers from all corners and have had very successful teams down through the years.
Gaelic games in Ardboe have been present for well over a century but the current club Ardboe O’Donovan Rossa was officialy formed and affiliated in 1947 arising our of a three year suspension and the first O’Donovan Rossa senior team take to the field was in a tournament to officially open the new G.A.A park at Kilmenagh.
As the club was finding its feet, Senior success was not to come for a while, but the forerunners of the club were building for the future and its first title came in 1951 when the Minors defeated Omagh in the championship final in Pomeroy by a Final Score of Ardboe 3-6, Omagh 2-4.
The senior team was having mixed fortunes in the league and championship in the 50′s but in 1953 the first senior league silverware came when Ardboe were awarded the East Tyrone Senior League. The minor teams were also doing well come the end of the decade and in 1958 they won both league and championship and in 1959 also retained their league title that was also held until 1961. The seniors also had success with there second and third wins in the East Tyrone Senior league in 1958 and 59.
With youth and senior success in the 50′s the O’Neill cup still eluded Ardboe but 1968 was the year that finally the Tyrone senior championship was won with a 1-8 to 7 point victory over Coalisland in Dungannon. Patsy Forbes, captain of the victorious was presented with the O’Neill cup among hundreds of jubilant supporters and so a long cherished dream finally came through.
