| Celtic Graves | Player Biog |
Remembrance Ceremony (2012)
Celtic Graves Society commemoration. Sunday 18th March 2012
Celtic Graves Society honours first keeper
By: Newsroom Staff on 21 Mar, 2012 09:37 THE latest Celtic Graves Society event took place last Sunday ahead of the League Cup final, as the grave of Michael Dolan was marked and blessed.
Dolan was the goalkeeper in the first ever Celtic team, which beat Rangers 5-2 on May 28, 1888, and the ceremony at the weekend means that the final resting place of every member of that historic starting XI has now been located and properly marked.
It is a significant and impressive achievement by the Celtic Graves Society, which has seen the graves of these players located in a number of different locations, both in Scotland and in the United States.
But it is just one chapter in the ongoing work that the Society is doing in ensuring that the players and officials who have made a contribution to the formation and success of Celtic Football Club are properly remembered, and that their final resting places are fitting ones.
The sun was shining at Old Monklands Cemetery, Coatbridge, for the ceremony. Good weather hasn’t always accompanied such occasions, but the event was blessed by a clear, blue sky.
Michael Dolan, who, as goalkeeper, has the honour of being the first name ever to appear on a Celtic team-sheet, was a Coatbridge Bhoy. He played just a handful of times for the club, including that game against Rangers, but it has ensured a place in Celtic’s long and illustrious history.
It was also fitting that the event took place at the culmination of celebrations in Coatbridge as part of the St Patrick’s Festival, an event which this year marked its 10th year.
There were a number of special guests at the event on Sunday. Jim Craig, as patron of the Society, spoke about Michael Dolan and the bravery required to be a goalkeeper in those early years of football’s existence. And fellow Lisbon Lion and Celtic keeper, John Fallon, was also at the event, as was the legendary figure of Sean Fallon.
There were also speeches on behalf of the St Patrick’s Festival, and the Dolan Family, while Fr Sweeney from St Patrick’s, Coatbridge, conducted a special blessing of the gravestone.
And Terry Dick, son of Glen Daly, gave a very entertaining speech to round off proceedings.
While the graves of Celtic’s first XI have now all been marked, the work of the Celtic Graves Society continues, and it needs to support of Celtic fans everywhere.
Go to www.celticgraves.com to find out how you can help the Society with the ongoing and magnificent work they do in Celtic’s name.
A family gathering.
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/a-family-gathering/#more-2306
By: Phil Mac Giolla Bhain (published March 18th, 2012 at 4:05 pm)
I have detected a certain sneer among people who should know better when the term “Celtic family” is used.
This morning a last minute decision saw me head back to the town of Coatbridge where I spend a lot of my teenage years.
The road was closed off so the taxi driver claimed defeat and I walked the last mile or so to the Old Monklands cemetery.
I have a few of my mother’s side at rest in the same graveyard.
The gathering today was more about pride and commemoration than grief. The man whose grave we gathered round had been at his rest eternal for many years.
Michael Dolan of Coatbridge was the first name ever on a Celtic team sheet.
The goalkeeper is always a special guy in any club.
They are a different breed.
Camus was a goalie.
I rest my case.
Michael Dolan was born to Irish parents, famine refugees.
He was down a coalminer aged 11.
This was the man we had come to honour.
As I type these words the Celtic fans to my right broke into applause for Fraser Forster as he bounded out to start his warm up before the league cup final.
In Michael Dolan’s day the “calf strain” had not been invented.
As we gathered at the entrance to the cemetery I was spotted by another goalie, this time from my hooped up childhood.
John Fallon greeted me with a big embrace and “nailed” me about coming to speak to his CSC.
As we dandered down to Michael’s newly discovered resting pace we joked about my grannie’s cousin “the Grib” and how he was part of the club like no other.
I was born and grew up around from Jimmy Gribben’s house and I was never out of it as a wee fella.
Then it was another Fallon, Sean.
The Sligo man and I swapped some craic about Connacht football-that is the Gaelic variety.
On the way to Hampden Frank Hannaway of the CGS and I were swapping Uddingston stories when it became apparent that his ancestor, a bare knuckled fighter called Murphy might be same man that is my great grandfather.
We didn’t have much time for more amateur genealogy as he had to get dropped off for his supporters’ bus a few yards from the Jimmy Johnstone statue.
I would be delighted if we were related.
At the graveside Jim Craig, the Celtic Grave Society’s patron, referred to Dolan as “a very brave man” as keepers had to be in those days.
I thought of the inner strength of the community that Michael came from.
On this fine morning in Coatbridge after St Patrick’s Day I thought how despite everything the Irish community of Coatbridge had survived.
The formal part of the honouring of Michael’s grave came with a flamboyant oration from Glen Daly’s son Terry Dick.
The CGS main man with the camera drove me to the national stadium.
We are a family, collected around a unique football club, but much much more than that.
I am looking out on 21st century Celtic stars going through their pre-cup final warm up.
However I am thinking of that first goalie and how his heroism was of a different order.
Pre-2012
North Lanarkshire Council called back to say he is in:Old Monkland Cemetery(no headstone to current time Oct 2010)
