Killygordan
Co. Donegal.
Like the Glen team, they too took part in local black Tug o War compettions for a number of years. They affiliated to the ITOWA for the 1999 season, were they had a very successful first season. They picked up all five national titles in what was then division four of the all-Ireland league. Their Donegal neighbours, Ernside finished runners up in the division.
The 2000 season saw the club promoted to division three, where they onced again gained promotion, winning one of the weights and accumulating enought points along the way to win the division.
It was in the 2001 season that a number of original club members gave up the sport due to family and other comittments, this in turn turned out to be a fairly disappointing season for the club.
In 2002 a number of members from the disintrigated Glen team joined the Scruffy Murphys. The new team did not begin training however until the beginning of the Ulster Championships, nevertheless it turned out to be a successful season for the club finishing runners up in division two of the all-Ireland league to Carberry from Co. Cork.
The club began fitness training in mid-March of 2003 and were in fairly fit condition by the time the national championships came along in June. 2003 saw the introduction of a new sysyem. Due to declining number of teams in the country, it was decided to deduce the league to one division only. Clubs in division two were given a 40 kilo advantage over the division one clubs and division three clubs were given a furthur 40 kilo advantage over the division two clubs. Scruffy Murphys won the division two title, winning promotion into division one and also produced some good performances against all of the division one clubs, winning odd ends of them here and there.
For information on the Scruffy Murphys club, and on their trip to the European Championships in Holland click on the links below.
However in mid March 2004 tragedy struck the club. Eighteen year old Brian Geary was tragically killed in a car accident. Brian was one of the clubs young stars, and had trained and competed with the Scruffy Murphy club from a young age. Brian competed in many Ulster and National Championships during is short years with the club and had numerous gold and silver medals to to show for his efforts. Brian had also travelled to Holland the previous September where he competed in the 640 open club championships, little would have believed that this would turn out to be his last competitive pull for the clubs. Brians was a life that was tragically cut short, but his memory will live with us forever.
Brian Geary