The year 1906 was a most memorable one in the history of the G.A.A. in County Armagh, it was in this year that the McKillop Cup first came to the scene, it was presented to the newly formed County Armagh Board by William Killop then nationalist M.P. for South Armagh. It was made the trophy for the senior league winners from then until 1930 when it was switched to the County Championship. The first year it was won by Crossmaglen Red Hands, who also won the County Championship as well as the league. In the early rounds of the championship, the Red Hands defeated the newly formed Silverbridge and went on to win against Camlough in the County Final. It is hard to find out the mem¬bers of the Silverbridge team of 1906 the late Jemmy Murphy would have known them, Peter Murphy ex Crossmaglen Rangers and now living at Lough-linbridge in Co. Carlow can't give much information other than an elder brother of his named Felix played on it and also seeing the gansey some time he was out at home in Carnally. Peter was brought up in Crossmaglen with a grand-aunt and although it was only a three mile journey in those days to of foot travel, it was then a considerable distance, Peter described the gansey as being of an emerald green colour with a two inch red band under the arm pits, "it was the nicest gansey I have ever seen," he says, strange this was also the gansey of the previous William Orr’s.
Peter's brother Michael who lives in the home place, also remembers the gansey with his elder brother Felix and also remembers the two of the O'Neill brothers of the late Tom O'Neill of Umericam then played. He says the team was built around the other Pete Murphy "Pete Hughie Mor" who was at home on that summer. Mickey Quinn was another name he mentioned also James Keeley father of the present secretary of the Silverbridge Club Peter Keeley. It was most likely that the two McShanes and James Conlon left the Red Hands and joined the "Bridge," Conlon did at any rate. The team as far as James O’Hare of Carnally remembers were: Harry Golloghy, Michael Quinn, Felix Murphy, Jemmy Murphy, Peter Murphy, Paddy Murphy, Johnny Murphy, Arthur O'Neill, John O'Neill, James Conlon, Pa Carragher, Jack Carragher, Barney Carragher, Dick Johnston, Peter McGahon, James Keeley, Packy Reel, Thomas Grant, Felix Grant, Pat Lave lie, John Campbell.
It will be seen that John Campbell is the only survivor from the William Orrs, in 1906, he would then be a man of about forty. James O'Hare says they played in Stoke's Meadow just across the river in the townland of Dorsey, they first defeated Tullyvallen and were then defeated by Cross.
From 1906 to the 1920's there was no affiliated Club in the district but men from the area played gaelic football in other parts mostly where they worked the hiring fair was then common. Pat Lavelle played in Dublin where he worked as a brick layer. Jemmy Murphy joined Geraldines of County Louth where he was their County Board representative in 1912 when Geraldines had a member of their club on the Louth team that won the Senior All Ireland, Joe Johnston. Pete Murphy went to South Africa where he and a Wexford man introduced hurling and had a competition going strong there, they were both at home in the summer of 1912 and both played hurling for Wexford County. Frank Donnelly played for Forkhill as also did James Reel. During these fifteen years many unaffiliated teams came on the scene, most notably being Carnally and Tullydonnell, they contested matches with other unaffiliated teams such as Tullyvallen and Moira Castle in County Armagh, Dungooley in County Louth, Broomfield in County Monaghan. Sports were also held in’ the summers of 1911 / 12/ 13 and 14.
The sports Committee was Chairman — Arthur O'Neil, Umericam
Secretary — John Grant, Cargan. Treasurer — Michael Carragher, Silverbridge.
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