Early Days

Latharna Og GAC was founded in 1965 when a few men with an interest in hurling set about promoting the game in Larne. Several attempts to do this previously failed, both in hurling and gaelic football circles. The first committee consisted of Rev John Moley, James McCaughan, Alex McGarry, Denis McKillop, Jim McKermitt and Dominic Magill. The club initially entered the Belfast and District hurling leagues and at a committee meeting on Sunday 2 April 1967 the delegates voted on a name for the club and Latharna Og GAC was born. In 1969 Latharna Og won the St John's GAC, Belfast, 'Club of the Year' award and it was at a function to celebrate this award that the club song 'The Craigyhill Terrors'  was first heard which was composed by Sr.

St. Bridget, music teacher at St Comgalls school. 'The Craigyhill Terrors' has since been recited at many locations throughout the world where past and present Latharna Og hurlers have found themselves.

Training initally took place on the Linn Road green and at Antiville playing fields where a common sight was Fr Moley issuing training drills using a loud hailer. Schoolboy hurling was played on the Linn Road green and the club's first match was an underage game against St Columba's, Glengormley on Saturday 5th June 1965 which resulted in a victory for Latharna Og. Street leagues were organised with up to 80 schoolboys participating and friendly matches at U-9 and U-12 were arranged against Ballycastle, Dunloy and Carey. Dominic Magill and James McCaughan travelled to Casement Park to contact several Belfast teams interested in starting an U-13 league. Friendly games with Belfast teams continued throughout the summer months of 1967. One of the players who is now a veteran of those early training sessions, present club chairman Paul McCaughan, was a member of the Antrim Vocational Schools team who defeated North Tipperary Vocational Schools in the All Ireland final at that grade in 1971. In 1970 a camogie team was formed and this was the beginning of a nucleus of players who were to bring championship honours to Latharna Og. 1971 saw the minor camogie team win the South Antrim League and in 1973 the camogie team at St.Comgall s school won the Ulster Schools Championship. This was the first Six County team to win the Ulster Colleges Competition for first years. These sucesses were followed up with the capture of the Antrim minor camogie championship in 1974. The same year the senior camogie team were defeated by Dunloy in the final of the county junior camogie championship.

In 1973 Fr. Moley was transferred from Larne parish but remained as the club treasurer. When he later resigned this position the club elected him President of Latharna Og GAC. To say that the club was devistated with Fr. Moley's transfer was an understatement. Everyone had lost a great friend and a true gael. Latharna Og owed their founding member a great debt and it was up to those who were left in Larne to carry on with the work which he started. In 1975 John Brown was elected Treasurer, a post he still holds, after initially being appointed secretary where his meticulous regard for detail ensured the standard for keeping records was set, and his years of service to the club have been invaluable.

Initially, permission was granted by Larne council to the club to play its matches on the Craigyhill playing fields. However as the fledgling club progressed with its early development there was stern opposition to the playing of our national game on council property and the continuing saga with Larne Borough Council about the letting of the playing fields for hurling made the club committee more determined to find suitable premises for our national game. In 1972 the club purchased land at the Old Glenarm Road to develop a playing pitch but this land was the subject of a compulsory purchase order from the DOE for a road widening scheme which left the pitch dimensions too narrow and planning permission was refused. In 1974 the club was refused permission by Larne council to use the playing fields in Craigyhill and with hurling or camogie being played on every night of the week and senior hurling on a Sunday, the club was then faced with a dilema in that they required a pitch in order to play their home games. After searching for land in the Glenarm area where a couple of sites were pursued, in 1975 Latharna Og entered in a 50% partnership with St. Joseph's, Glenarm, to purchase and develop the pitch which now exists at Feystown. This pitch served as Latharna Og's home base until 2007, when due to the development of our new pitch at Ballytober on the Brustin Brae Road, our stake in the Feystown pitch was purchased by the Shane O'Neill's club, Glenarm.