Song details 'three generations' of being part of Mayfield GAA club

A huge crowd attended Mayfield GAA Club for Myles Gaffney’s St Patrick’s Night performance.

The Cork balladeer teamed up with Mayfield GAA stalwart Jamie O’Donovan to give the club a song of its own, Ó Bhaile na mBocht.

Jamie O’Donovan who has held numerous roles with his beloved club said the song was very well received. 

“It was an outstanding night. There was a great atmosphere. Myles is gifted at his job. The song was very well received. It got great praise and lots of plaudits,” he said.

“There is a lot of history in the club,” said Jamie. 

“I am hoping this song will be sung with pride for years to come. We have lots of heroes and great personalities in the club going back generations. I wanted a song to outlive the current history and a song that we can play for generations to come.

“It is important to have a strong identity. With the academy we used to sing rhyming songs which used to gall me. I always wanted our own club song,” he added.

Jamie said it took him only 30 minutes to pen the lyrics to the club song. 

“I gave Myles a history of the club and he came back with a few ideas. It took me 30 minutes to write the lyrics. The way I structured the song was for three generations. 

"Watching the older lads playing when I was a kid myself. In the second verse the kid is now an adult, and it factors in how much wearing the jersey means. The third verse deals with the retiree or the supporter who follows the club.” 

The club stalwart said the GAA club aims to give people in the community a sense of ‘ownership’. 

“Our club brings people in from the community to play GAA. It is not all about winning trophies. It is also about building a lifestyle and giving people a sense of ownership. We want to give the young people the chance to thrive and grow into adulthood.”