Founding Members: As the Blackhill football community begin to celebrate our centenary in 2016 we look back to our founding fathers who had the vision and foresight to set the wheels in motion which established this great club. The most widely known of those founders is the great Olympian John ‘The Runner’ Mc Gough. In the 1906 Athens Olympics he won silver thus crowning an athletic career which saw him win 12 championship races in Scotland and others in the then 32 county Ireland. After his return to Ireland and his his involvement in the founding of Blackhill Emeralds he became involved in training teams and was an expert masseur having learned his skills in Scotland. He became involved with the Cavan team in the 30s and 40s and travelled with the great 1947 Cavan team to New York. He always kept in touch with the Blackhill club. He lived for over 40 years in Annaglaive, Castleblayney. On Sunday the 23-04-1967 John ‘The Runner’ Mc Gough died and is buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery, C’Blayney. On Wednesday the 20-01-2016, Blackhill club remember and celebrate his birthday 20-01-1881. If you are in the cemetery of St. Mary’s why not take a moment and visit the newly restored Mc Gough family grave and spend a moment in the company of this great athlete. The grave has a large white Celtic Cross, lays on the path for Calvary looking directly at the gateway to Watters.

Training: Commences Friday 22nd January at the Convent Astro Turf at 8pm. Meeting at gates at 7:45pm.

Junior Championship Draw:  Blackhill were drawn to face Clones in the prelimary round.

Emerald’s Weekly Draw: 1st Patrick Clarke, Tattygar. 2nd Jim Carr, Knockavolis. 3rd Grace Boyd C/O Harkins, Cavanaguilla.