The Club was founded on 13th November 1887 by Philip O Reilly (Hotelier), Jack Maguire (School Master) and James B. McManus (Hotel Employee).
The First Meeting was attended by Canon Hugh Ward P.P. and the new curate Fr. Francis Ward. The parish team played a number of border tournaments in 1888/1889 with teams from Monaghan and Cavan taking part. Newtownbutler won the first two tournaments with wonderfully cast medals for the winners. The team Newtownbutler Brehons often travelled to matches in flat bottomed boats called ‘cots’. Supremacy within the parish varied from year to year and when the reorganisation happened Donagh Sons of Erin were kingpins in 1906, 1910 and 1913 and Wattlebridge came to the fore in 1912. Newtown won the league in 1914
The Newtownbutler pitch is situated on the Lisnaskea Road and was opened on 1st June 1986 by Dr. Joseph Duffy, Bishop of Clogher. The address was given by John Vesey (Chairman of Fermanagh County Board). Newtownbutler played Rathcoole from Co. Wicklow, who were managed by Maurice McNamee, formerly Newtown and Fermanagh Footballer. The new grounds were purchased and developed on the Lisnaskea Road together with dressing rooms and parking facilities. The late Eamon McCabe (Chairman) was a prime mover in this development along with his committee. Previous fields were situated at Fleming’s field and Crom Road.
Newtownbutler have won 11 Senior Football Titles, 1919, 1920, 1934, 1940, 1944, 1953, 1959, 1964, 1988, 1997, 2007. The parish is represented by three areas, Newtownbutler, Donagh and Wattlebridge.
A huge amount of other titles have come to the club. At one time in the 1920s there were 6 teams in the parish – Wattlebridge, Drumlone, Donagh, Magheraveely, Clonmaulin and Newtownbutler.
Club names have varied from Brehons, St. Aidans, Geraldines, St. Comgalls and First Fermanaghs. Club colours were originally green and white, later blue and yellow and since 1940 have been red jerseys with white bands and white shorts.
In 1924 a Brehons team won the inaugural Junior league. There was also some internal parish rivalry during the 20’s with various objections to the compositions of the teams. Dan Hogan, who was a brother of Mick Hogan who was murdered in Croke Park on Bloody Sunday, lined out for Wattlebridge and won a league medal. He was apparently stationed in Clones. Newtownbutler St. Aidan’s won the 1934 Senior Football Championship. Hurling was also revived in the area around this time and Newtownbutler Geraldines won the Fermanagh Senior Hurling Championship in 1937. Wattlebridge re-emerged in the 30’s and were successful in 1936 and 1937. Newtown St. Comghalls won the Junior Football Championship and were defeated by Lisnaskea in the Senior Football Championship in 1939. St. Comghalls won the Senior Football League and Championship titles in 1940 depriving Lisnaskea of five in a row. They beat ‘skea again in 1944 in the Senior Football Championship Final.
Silverware was scare until 1949 when Newtown won Minor and Junior Football titles. James Reilly took a Senior title to the town in 1953 by employing the Kerry methods of training. The club was bolstered and encouraged by the famous Canon Tom Maguire. Kevin McGilly, James Cadden, Mick Reilly and Michael Murray were selectors at this time. Fr. Ignatius McQuillian alias Sean Maguire and James O Keefe were the product of good underage teams in the area and were members of the Fermanagh All Ireland Junior Football winning team of 1959.
Newtown won the Senior Football Championshsip in 1959 and the League in 1960. Minor titles came the clubs way in ’59, 60 and 61 managed by Gabriel Brock and Fergus McQullian. Newtown were beaten in 1960 by Devenish/Mulleek and Aughdrumsee in 1961. The club regrouped and had a magnificent victory over Devenish in 1964. However Devenish and Ederney proved to be major obstacles in the late sixties. Newtown suffered five championship defeats in the decade and many great players retired.
Newtown had to wait almost a decade to win the Senior Football League in 1980. Eamon McCabe and Sean Donegal were prominent within the club during the early eighties and a school Juvenile Football competition was set up. Success at U-14, U-16 and Minor continued throughout the eighties. Newtown reached the Senior Football Championship final in 1986 but were beaten by Roslea.
1988 proved to be the year of the breakthrough however when a team with rising young stars and a smattering of experienced players won the first Fermanagh Senior Football Championship for the club in 24 years. With Mickey Fox directing affairs Newtown defeated Belcoo and claimed their 8th Title. They Succumbed to Castleblaney in the Ulster Football Championship a month later and were defeated by Lisnaskea in the in the League Final.
Once again a young talented squad promised a lot but for the next four years only a minor title found its home in the area. The Club won our third Junior Football Championship in 1992 with a victory over our Parish rivals St.Patricks.
Mickey Fox who had been successful in 1988 guided a team that won the Senior League Division.2 title in 1995. Junior and Minor titles were won in 1996. Raymond Johnston first came to prominence at around this time and Mickey Fox had another day in the sun in 1997 when his charges outwitted Tempo Maguires to win a 10th Senior Football Championship. Veteran County and club star Ignatius McManus won a Minor football league Division 1 title that year.
Newtown reached another Senior Football Final in 1998 under the management of Vinny Connolly, a dedicated servant of club and county. Success did not come Newtowns way however as they were defeated by Devenish. The club did however win the Senior Football League that year taking Newtowns tally to 8 in total. Newtown also won the U-16 League under the management of John McGorman. In 1999 Newtown won the Minor Division 1 title with Liam Leonard in charge.
In millennium year Newtown reached the Senior Football Championship final against Enniskillen Gaels and much was expected from this talented bunch of players. Newtown outplayed the Gaels in many sectors, however missed vital scores leaving empty handed. A similar fate was to be befall them in the Senior League final played in January 2001 against the same opposition with Enniskillen taking the title by a single point. Newtown’s tale of woe continued in the three subsequent Senior Football League Finals. The club did win a Division two Minor League Title in 2003 and Junior Football League and U-12 Title in 2004.
Newtown’s Day of Redemption arrived however on a cold December day in Tempo, when the scourge of past Enniskillen Gaels defeats was laid to rest. Clive Fitzpatrick and his aide de camp Raymond Johnston lifting the Senior League trophy.
Newtown enjoyed a lot of success later in the 2000’s. The Senior Team were becoming league specialists. With Mickey Fox once again at the helm Newtown won 3 consecutive Division 1 Senior Football Leagues in 2004, 05 and 06. In 2007 under the tutelage of Darren Chapman Newtown claimed their 11th Senior Football Championship beating Teemore Shamrocks in Lisnaskea, with Captain Raymond Johnson lifting the New York Gold Cup. The Junior team also won the newly created Reserve B Championship two years in a row in 2009 and 2010.
In 2012 Newtownbutler First Fermanaghs will celebrate 125 years in existence.
