The 1930's saw great interest being taken in the GAA in the Parish of Upper Creggan, after Jamsie Kernaghan's death there was a lull for almost a year but in 1930 the GAA brought in the Minor Championship and it gave the youth a great interest in the game, it was also the year that the legendary Jim McCullough made his first appearance in the Armagh County gansey. Armagh won the Ulster Minor Championship, winning against Monaghan in the Ulster Final at Carrick-macross and after lost to Dublin in the All-Ireland Semi-Final. McCullough was the big man of this minor team, there was also five members of it from Crossmaglen. The Senior County team lost to Monaghan in the first round of the Championship, played in Armagh. In the spring of 1931 Armagh, a Crossmaglen selection played a county Meath selection in Connelly Field in Rassan at Parochial Sports, the proceeds were in aid of the Glassdrummond building fund. Rangers defeated a strong Meath team in a right good game. This was the first time I saw Eddie McMahon play and I remember him and a Meath man tussle for a ball along the sideline and both of them go into the spectators ball and all. Armagh Seniors won the doctor McKenna Cup some weeks after, and were showing good form for the coming championship and sure they won their way through to the Ulster Final against Cavan. This game was played in Dundalk in the Young Irelands ground on Sunday the third of August and every means of transport from the motor car, of which there weren’t many then in the country, down to the "stiff" cart, was used many gasons and old men walked the journey of ten miles, after a great hour of football, Cavan were winners by one point.
The Armagh team that day as far as I can remember was: Joe Houlihan, Jim McCullough, John Validly, Harry Cumiskey, R.I.P., Joe Harney, Pete Lambe, Leo Collins, R.I.P., Benny Evans, Jack Corrigan, Dick Conlon, R.I.P., Poppy Fearon (Captain), Francie Toner, Paddy Quinn, Jack McCreesh, John McCusker, R.I.P., Eddie McCreesh, R.I.P. replaced Joe Harney injured.
In the national league with all matches but on played, Armagh were two points behind Meath in their division at the top of the table. It was a home game for Armagh and it was played in Jacksons field in Urcher on the last Sunday in March in 1932, Armagh had to win to force a playoff, when Andy Rogers sounded the final whistle Armagh were ahead by four points in as good if not a better game than the previous Ulster Final. That evening Drumbally Brae was black with hungry gasons making their way home, each one with a different hero on his lips but for me Poppy Fearon was the man. The goal he scored stands out in my memory after all those years, the ball coming across field about a foot off the grass and about twenty yards from the Meath goal, he positioned himself square to it and pulled hard with his right foot, the Meath left fullback got to it and stopped it on the goal line but so fierce was the shot that he couldn't hold on to the ball. Andy Rogers took out his book and pointed to the twenty one yard line for the kick out. Later in the year Meath won the play-off at Drogheda in a bad tempered game after which the Dundalk Democrat came down heavy on the Meath men for their conduct. Early in this year, 1932, a new Junior team from Cross and district affiliated, they were known as Creevkeeran Harps and four teams were organised to take part in an evening league in Crossmaglen, and four good Teams they were. Armagh Senior Teams again reached the Ulster Final, again against Cavan, but were beat 10 points to 2 in Monaghan town. Early in 1933 Armagh Seniors, with Leo Collins as Captain, defeated a strong Louth team in Dundalk in the Saul Cup Final. They made their way to the Ulster Final once more and again it was against Cavan, this time in Castleblayney, and again they were beaten. Cavan went on to win the All Ireland and to take the first Senior title to Ulster. In 1934 and 1935 Armagh Seniors were beaten early in the championship but in thirty five the Armagh Junior County team powered by Owen Quinn, Edmond Devlin, Cullyhanna Con Short, Crossmaglen won the Ulster title and were narrowly beaten by Sligo in the All-Ireland Semi-Final, Sligo went on to win the All Ireland. In 1935 Cavan again won the senior Ulster championship defeating Fermanagh in the Ulster Final played in Belturbet, the score was eleven points to seven. Cavan went on to win the All Ireland defeating Kildare in the final. In the Ulster Final, Jim McCullough, an Armagh man playing for Fermanagh, was the man of the match and in the All Ireland Final Jim McGuire who learned his football with the Forkhill Club, and who was a member of the Armagh Junior All Ireland winning team of 1926, had a great game in goal for Kildare. The summer of 1935 saw a team called Carnally play several challenge games with neighbouring townlands, somebody accidently called them Harps. They had great success at townland level so much that it was decided to form a gaelic football club again at Silverbridge and on the night of the September Fair at Crossmaglen, a meeting was held in Rafferty's Barn in Carnally and a Committee was formed. The Committee was as follows: Chairman: Jemmy Murphy. Vice Chairman: Jack Grant. Secretary: John Reel. Assistant Secretary: Jem Murphy. Treasurer: Paddy Lavelle.
Committee members: Pat Reel, John Boyle, Peter Creggan, Eddie Murchan, Paddy Muckian, Paddy Donnelly was appointed Captain, the name of the Club was to be Silverbridge Harps. It was decided to affiliate the Club immediately and take part in the South Armagh Junior League which had just commenced. When the application for affiliation was made there was a spot of trouble as Poyntzpass had the same colour of gansey which was amber, so Silverbridge got over the problem by adding a blue collar and a blue harp on the breast and so the colours became amber and blue. The first pitch played on by the affiliated team was Patrick Lynch's field in Clonaduke. The Carnally team played on Micky Quinn's field in front of John Campbell’s home in Carnally. That winter the team did reasonably well in the Junior League, finishing up about mid-way, and gave Crossmaglen a right good game in-the Collin's Cup Competition.
In 1936, their first year in the Championship, they got to the South Armagh Junior Final, played at Green Road, Bessbrook against Bessbrook Geraldines, this was a great game and only one point separated the teams at the final whistle, Bessbrook ten points, Silverbridge nine points. Bessbrook went on to win the County Junior Championship. In the South Armagh Junior League, Silverbridge finished runners-up.
Silverbridge 1937 Team
Back Row: Michael Crilly, Owen Keenan, George Martin, James Murphy (Chairman) Mick Reel, Patrick Lavelle
Middle Row: Josie Faughey, James McCreesh, Dick Rowland, Eddie Murphy, Paddy Murphy, Jem Murphy (Secretary)
Front Row: Tommy Garvey, George Rowland, Owen Murphy
In 1936 Silverbridge moved down to Ford's Cross to Mick Casey's' field just alongside their present new pitch. In 1936 the Cullyhanna G.A A. Club lapsed and Owen and Paddy Murphy, who had been members of it before Silverbridge were formed, returned to the "Bridge." Micky Crilly and Owen Keenan also joined the "Bridge." An Evening League was also run in Crossmaglen taking players from all over the Parish to it, also in 1936 Rangers played some of their home games on the "Bridge" pitch. Cavan defeated Armagh in the semi final of the Senior Championship.
In the first months after the Club was formed, much work was done by Pat Reel now Doctor Reel, he organised challenge matches attended meetings travelled everywhere all on bicycle after a month or so his brother John had to give up the Secretaryship due to a change in work.
In 1937 Silverbridge G.F.C. moved into Larry McGeough's Field, the same field as their new pitch is laid out on today.
1937 saw some playing members emigrate to England and the "Bridge" fared very badly in the beginning of the league, but when the championship came along they pulled themselves together and again reached the South Armagh Final defeating Bessbrook and Newtownhamilton on the way. This year it was against near neighbours Mullaghbawn, who were a complete Parish team having the Judge and McGuinness brothers and Trainor of Forkhill. The match was fixed for Silverbridge after the "Bridge" had won the toss for the venue, on the 11th September with Gene Clarke as referee. After a fairly even first half in which the Bridge faced the hill, wind and rain they were only a few points behind at half-time they ran out easy winners. In 1937 Jemmy Murphy became Chairman of the South Armagh Board and he introduced a second division of Junior Football and this brought in a number of new clubs such as Lislea, Forkhill, Drumheriff, and eventually Aughnaduff. In 1937 Cavan defeated Armagh in the final of the Ulster Senior Championship, played in Castleblayney.
The win against Mullaghbawn gave the "Bridge" the South Armagh Junior Football Championship and Richardson Cup, and on the next Sunday they met Clonmore in the Semi-Final of the County Championship, again at Silverbridge. This was a very wet day but the football served up was top class and the Bridge
were rather lucky to get the verdict in a goal scored by Owen Keenan late in the second half, after he and Tommy Garvey had combined well to outwit the Clonmore defence. In the County Junior Final played in Blackwatertown late in October the "Bridge" were narrowly beaten after a disastrous start in which they conceded two soft goals.
In 1938 Jemmy McCreesh retired after over twenty years in the "Bridge," jersey, George Martin took ill, some more emigrated and the Club lapsed, some playing members joined Culloville, some Rangers, Tommy Garvey went to Mullaghbawn, Owen Keenan went to Newtownhamilton, some of the younger members joined the second division club at Aughanduff. The players that wore the amber and blue of Silverbridge between 1935 and 1938 were as follows: George Rowland (R.I.P.), Dick Rowland (R.I.P.), Mick Reel, Pat Reel (R.I.P.), Paddy Lavelle, James McCreesh (R.I.P.), Mickey Crill, Owen Connelly (R.I.P.), George Martin (R.I.P.), Owen Keenan, Frank Campbell, Barney Campbell, Paddy Short, Pete Shevlin, Eddie Murphy, Paddy Murphy (R.I.P.), Owen Murphy (R.I.P.), Jem Murphy, Pete Murphy, Pat Murphy, Tarry Murphy, Josie Faughey, Tommy Garvey (R.I.P.), Frankie McKenna, Paddy Donnelly, Michael Garvey, Michael Mallie, Dermot Grant (R.I.P.)
In 1938 Armagh Seniors defeated Cavan in the final of the Doctor McKenna Cup, played in Castleblayney, and in the Ulster Championship Semi-Final, also played in Castleblayney. Armagh again defeated Cavan and were surprisingly beaten by Monaghan in the Ulster Final, played in Armagh. 1939 Armagh Seniors again got to the Ulster Final by defeating Monaghan in the Semi-Final and again it was against Cavan. Played in Castleblayney before a large crowd the match had to be abandoned after an invasion of the pitch. The game was refixed for Croke Park for the same day as the Mayo-Kerry Semi-Final, this was one game that Armagh should have won as they had seventy-five percent of the play but did not get the scores and a late goal scored by Big Tom Reilly gave Cavan victory.
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