Ballina Commercials Club

Ballina Commercials Club

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  The Ballina Commercials was the first G.A.A. Club formed in Ballina in mid-1885. Its first president was Mr. P. G. Smyth, who was Editor of the “Western People” around this time, and was one of the chief people who established the G.A.A. in the county, and was duly elected its first chairman. The Commercials limited its members only to people who were engaged in the commercial business of the town, which meant that those who were engaged in manual labour, were not allowed to join. Their club was housed upstairs in rooms over the mineral water manufactory of Hugh Ruddy.

Marching Song of the Ballina

Commercials  G.A.A. Club

By A Member

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Air: “Men of Harlech”

MORNING breaks o’er land and ocean;

Hark! What means this great commotion,

’Tis the Gaelic clubs in motion,

Marching to the field.

See our banners floating o’er us,

Ne’er did vict’ry yet ignore us,

Stainless still our shield.

Men of bold endeavour;

Some of heart as ever;

Gael Commercials scouts reversals

Swerve we not nor waver.

From the old stock we inherit

All their Gaelic nerve and spirit;

Still their glory and their merit

Proudly we maintain.

CHORUS: Men of bold endeavour, &c.

When the Gael Association

Roused the manhood of our nation,

We were first to take out station,

Foremost in the fray.

Still we rally round our standard,

And true Gaels keep marching onward,

Ever ready, ever on guard,

In compact array.

We ne’er swerved nor wandered

From our unstained standard;

Lose or gain it knows no stain,

Dauntless is our vanguard.

Gael Commercials let the story

Of our never tarnished glory

Cherished be when we are hoary,

Or in death laid low.

                                       

CHORUS: Men of bold endeavour, &c.

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  “Ped” in his column in the “Ballina Journal” of 19/11/1894, reported that the “Commercial Ball” came off in the Town Hall, Ballina, on the previous Saturday night, “and, as usual, was a most brilliant success” and said their arrangements were admirable and their forethought instructive. He went on:-

THE bawl! All hail! Again! Again!

Most mighty! Most astounding!

Oh, for the gift of Josh or Twain,

With descriptive powers abounding.

To mortalize that bawl sublime

(For master hand ’tis calling)

Down, down, long avenues of time

Will sound Commercial bawling.

In awe, I’ve heard, in wrathful hour,

The ocean’s voice so wondrous,

Heard Etna’s throat in all its pow’r

Belch forth its notes so thunderous,

Heard tempest howl, to tornadoes blow,

Niagra’s waters falling—

Sweet lullaby’s—pianissimo—

To Commercial loud, loud bawling.

Commercial operations, both serious once and gay,

Lessons true and valued to all thoughtfolk convey,

The secret of success in life, the essence of all “this”

Fortune’s sure foundations, and the lesson simply is:

Never let your chances like sunbeams pass you by,

Value much the present, on the future keep and eye,

Seize your opportunity, no golden hours let slip,

“Take who’s able, hold who can,” a real Commercial tip.