GAELIC LEAGUERS AT MERRY PICNIC

The Butte Daily Post, Butte, 1911-08-28, p.10

Summary

Sub-head: "Football and Other Sports at Reservoir — Priests Join in Amusements." Coverage of the Butte branch of the Gaelic League's second annual picnic, held at the reservoir (above Butte). 9:30am tally-ho departure; sports and Gaelic football through the afternoon; returned to town c. 9pm singing "Where the River Shannon Flows" and "My Wild Irish Rose" coming up Main street. **President of the Butte Gaelic League: "President Murphy"** — almost certainly James J. Murphy (= person_james_j_murphy_ centerville_aoh, given the JJ Lynch / JJ Murphy / Hennessy-store social circle saturating this clipping). Drove one of the decorated children's wagons alongside President Scanlan. Gaelic football game: "Judge Lynch and his team, consisting of John McCarthy, James Murphy, Joe Hartnett, Dennis Dunn, John Crowley, Father Phelan, Father O'Kennedy and Maurice Drohan, played a team with Father Crawley as captain. The players in the latter team were John O'Brien, J. J. O'Meara, Walter Sewell, J. Crowley, Dan Leahy, Mike Sullivan, Dennis O'Neill and Father Slattery." Judge Lynch's team won by a few points. Foot-races: Father O'Kennedy first in the priests' race; Walter Sewell "the liveliest of the fat men"; P. J. Sullivan a close second; John O'Meara slipped half way on the wet grass; Maggie O'Brien won the young ladies' race; Mike Sullivan the young men's; Mrs. James Cronin the married ladies'; Kittie Harrington reached the rope first in the girls' race for a box of candy. Francis Kelly won a baseball glove; James McCarthy won a baseball coming in second. Picnic committee: President Murphy, John O'Brien, Patrick Scanland, Michael Sullivan, J. J. Crowley, J. J. McCarthy, Julia Harrington, Katie Holland, Nora Sullivan, Mrs. O'Brien, Mrs. Harrington, Mabel Leyden and Mary Burke. Lunch ladies: Mrs. O'Brien, Mrs. Harrington, Julia Harrington and Mary Harrington. Music: Mabel Leyden, John Murphy and Mr. Heaney. Invited guests: Rev. Fathers Crawley, O'Kennedy, Slattery, Phelan, Bateen and De Siere, J. J. O'Meara wife and family, Thomas Prendergast wife and family, James Murphy wife and family, J. Lee Eshelman wife and family, Judge Lynch wife and family, J. J. McCarthy wife and family, Mrs. W. O'Neill, Mrs. Hines, Mrs. Mulia, Miss Hannah Burke, Walter Sewell, Charles H. Gallagher, James Hurley, James Murphy, Dennis Dunn, P. J. Sullivan, John Crowley. ARCHIVE SIGNIFICANCE. (a) JJM identified as president of the Butte Gaelic League, August 1911. The clip prints "President Murphy" with no first name. **An earlier version of this metadata attributed the Gaelic League presidency to JJM- Centerville-AOH on contextual lump-bias grounds. That attribution is now retracted** — the 1912-07-06 Gaelic League social clipping names President JOHN C. MURPHY as the Gaelic League president in July 1912 (chairing the evening, also dancing a four-hand reel). The "President Murphy" of Aug 1911 is therefore at least equally plausibly John C. Murphy as JJM-Centerville. Held without claim. (b) Roll call of priests in attendance — five Catholic Fathers play football alongside the laity, an index of how dense the Butte parish ↔ Irish-society interlock is. (c) "James Murphy wife and family" appears in the guest list separately from President Murphy — this is plausibly a different James Murphy (the 1927-d. James J., or another), preserved as a mentioned-only entry.

Also mentioned

President Murphy · butte_gaelic_league_president_drove_wagon
No first name in the clip. Identification ambiguous between JJM-Centerville-AOH and John C. Murphy (the latter is named as Gaelic League president in July 1912 per the 1912-07-06 clipping). Held without attribution.
Patrick Scanlan · vice_president_or_co_organizer_drove_wagon
James Hurley · decorated_wagons_and_guest
Of the Hennessy store; same as the 1911-06-13 Irish-American Ball decorations lead.
Judge Lynch · football_team_captain
Likely Judge J. J. Lynch — possibly = person_jeremiah_j_lynch_ballycrovane.
John McCarthy · footballer_lynch_team
James Murphy · footballer_lynch_team
Distinct from President Murphy (now ambiguous between JJM-Centerville and John C. Murphy). James Murphy here could be the 1927-d. James J. Murphy or another. Held in mentioned only.
Joe Hartnett · footballer_lynch_team
Dennis Dunn · footballer_lynch_team
John Crowley · footballer_lynch_team
Father O'Kennedy · footballer_and_priests_race_winner
Father Phelan · footballer
Maurice Drohan · footballer_lynch_team
Father Crawley · footballer_team_captain
John O'Brien · footballer_crawley_team
J. J. O'Meara · footballer_crawley_team
John J. O'Meara — state AOH president as of 1911-06-13 ball coverage. Recurs.
Walter Sewell · footballer_crawley_team_and_fat_men_runner
= W. J. Sewell of the 1912 AOH county-board alternates list.
J. Crowley · footballer_crawley_team
Dan Leahy · footballer_crawley_team
Same Dan Leahy who is AOH division 1 alternate 1912-08-29.
Mike Sullivan · footballer_crawley_team_and_young_mens_race_winner
Sullivan is a Beara surname recurring in the user's family arc (cf. Mary Sullivan sister of Pat the bartender 1908). Tady-candidate.
Dennis O'Neill · footballer_crawley_team
Father Slattery · footballer_crawley_team
P. J. Sullivan · fat_men_race_runner
John O'Meara · fat_men_race_runner
Slipped halfway on the wet grass; presumably same as J. J. O'Meara.
Maggie O'Brien · young_ladies_race_winner
Mrs. James Cronin · married_ladies_race_winner
Kittie Harrington · girls_race_winner
Francis Kelly · baseball_glove_winner
James McCarthy · baseball_winner
Michael Sullivan · picnic_committee
J. J. Crowley · picnic_committee
J. J. McCarthy · picnic_committee
Julia Harrington · picnic_committee_and_lunch
Katie Holland · picnic_committee
Nora Sullivan · picnic_committee
Recurring Nora / Norah Sullivan in Butte Irish-cultural coverage — see also the Erin's Daughters / Gaelic League clippings yet to ingest.
Mrs. O'Brien · picnic_committee_and_lunch
Mrs. Harrington · picnic_committee_and_lunch
Mabel Leyden · picnic_committee_and_music
Mary Burke · picnic_committee
Mary Harrington · lunch
John Murphy · music
Mr. Heaney · music
Charles H. Gallagher · invited_guest
Thomas Prendergast · invited_guest_with_family
J. Lee Eshelman · invited_guest_with_family

Places

Butte, Montana (primary)

Themes

Story threads

Source type

news_item, public_meeting_report, society_column

Related sources

Transcription

transcription: complete · confidence high

# GAELIC LEAGUERS AT MERRY PICNIC ## Football and Other Sports at Reservoir — Priests Join in Amusements. *The Butte Daily Post, Monday, August 28, 1911, p. 10.* At 9:30 o'clock yesterday morning the members and friends of the Gaelic league left town in tallyhos for the reservoir on their second annual picnic. The day was perfect, the way was made merry with music and singing. Two wagons, decorated by James Hurley and driven by President Murphy and Patrick Scanlan, carried the children. The party arrived at the picnic grounds about noon, and after dinner the sports began. The following young ladies played a game of football: Team No. 1 — Katie Holland, Annie Shea, Irene McDowell, Katie Woods and Julia Sullivan. Team No. 2 — Nora Sullivan, Mary Harrington, Julia Harrington, Maggie O'Brien and Helen Nolan. Team No. 2 were the victors. After this the men took the field and a lively game of Gaelic football ensued. Judge Lynch and his team, consisting of John McCarthy, James Murphy, Joe Hartnett, Dennis Dunn, John Crowley, Father Phelan, Father O'Kennedy and Maurice Drohan, played a team with Father Crawley as captain. The players in the latter team were John O'Brien, J. J. O'Meara, Walter Sewell, J. Crowley, Dan Leahy, Mike Sullivan, Dennis O'Neill and Father Slattery. Judge Lynch tried hard to win, and would have done so if the others did not make a few points more than he. The next on the sport program was the races. Father O'Kennedy came in first in the priests' race, and Walter Sewell proved himself the liveliest of the fat men. P. J. Sullivan was a close second, but the grass was too slippery for John O'Meara, so he stopped (?) half way on the course. Maggie O'Brien won the young ladies' race and Mike Sullivan the young men's. Mrs. James Cronin came in first in the married ladies' race. Kittie Harrington received a box of candy for reaching the rope first in the girls' race. A baseball glove, offered for the boys, was won by Francis Kelly, and James McCarthy won a baseball by coming in second. After the sports the party divided into groups, some going up to the reservoir and others singing and dancing on the gravel walks. About 7 o'clock they started home, arriving in town at 9. They attracted much attention as they came up Main street, singing "Where the River Shannon Flows" and "My Wild Irish Rose." The members of the picnic committee were: President Murphy, John O'Brien, Patrick Scanland, Michael Sullivan, J. J. Crowley, J. J. McCarthy, Julia Harrington, Katie Holland, Nora Sullivan, Mrs. O'Brien, Mrs. Harrington, Mabel Leyden and Mary Burke. Much credit is due to the ladies who prepared the lunch: Mrs. O'Brien, Mrs. Harrington, Julia Harrington and Mary Harrington. Those who furnished music for the singing and dancing and made the ride enjoyable were Mabel Leyden, John Murphy and Mr. Heaney. The invited guests were Rev. Fathers Crawley, O'Kennedy, Slattery, Phelan, Bateen and De Siere, J. J. O'Meara, wife and family, Thomas Prendergast, wife and family, James Murphy, wife and family, J. Lee Eshelman, wife and family, Judge Lynch, wife and family, J. J. McCarthy, wife and family, Mrs. W. O'Neill, Mrs. Hines, Mrs. Mulia, Miss Hannah Burke, Walter Sewell, Charles H. Gallagher, James Hurley, James Murphy, Dennis Dunn, P. J. Sullivan and John Crowley.

Open questions

Is "President Murphy" of the Butte Gaelic League definitely JJM (= person_james_murphy_son_of_pat_and_ellen)? Identification is contextual; needs a corroborating clipping that names the Gaelic League president by first name.
theme irish_language_and_culture — confirm this exists in /vocab/themes.yaml or add it.
Father Crawley vs. John Crowley vs. J. J. Crowley vs. John J. Crowley — Crawley and Crowley are distinct surnames here; do not consolidate.