Our opponents this Saturday in the Chieftain’s Cup Final are North Division One high-fliers Glengarry.
The Invergarry based club have been occasional opponents over the years and perhaps most dauntingly have a 100% record against the Dubh is Gorm.
The club was a result of a merger between the Invergarry and Fort Augustus/Kilchuimen teams and has produced several quality players over the years.
The first and most obvious connection is one of Lewis’ most iconic players and, on his second stint in charge, successful managers, Duncan MacIntyre. Duncan learned his shinty playing for the Garry and during his time there gained North U21 recognition.
Duncan had still to make his storied return to the Dubh is Gorm when Lewis played their first ever match at the Garry’s Craigard Park. Strangely this game wasn’t even against the Lochaber men, but a rearranged neutral venue for what was only our second ever league game, versus Aberdeen University Camanachd. The 15-0 reversal still hurts those who were on the park that day.
It wasn’t until 2015 that the two clubs would meet and this was due to Lewis moving into an expanded North Division Two. Games against the Garry showed the step up that faced Lewis, and it was 7-0 to the Garry in Lochaber , and at least Duncan was the man on the scoresheet for Lewis in a 5-1 reversal in Shawbost.
The following year, in 2016 na Leòdhasaich were under Duncan’s management and in both games home and away managed to again get on the scoresheet, Will Church at home and Kenny Murray away in a brace of 4-1 defeats to a strong Garry side.
The following year in 2017 Glengarry went for the league with vigour and ruthlessly dispatched a struggling Lewis 8-1 at Craigard (Al Reed with a rare goal) and even more emphatically 10-0 at Shawbost as they went up into North Division One.
Coming through the Covid the clubs met in 2023 in this very competition back when it was the unimaginatively named Single Team Club Cup. Lewis had to forfeit home advantage due to the timing of the fixture due to ferries and sadly it was a 10-nil drubbing for the returning Duncan MacIntyre as manager. However, from that point on the Dubh is Gorm would put on a run of form that would see them push Lochcarron until the final day of the season. The Garry themselves would go on to lift the trophy with a 3-0 win against Kilmory at An Aird.
The following year, Lewis continued their great form from the year before into all competitions and this certainly was the case in a fine performance against the Garry in the Single Team Cup. With the chance to play at Shawbost, the boys were minutes from a famous result thanks to a brace from Paul Duke and an effort Donnie MacRae until the Garry snatched it at the death 5-3 thanks to their deadly forward line. The Garry would go on to their third final in a row and their second victory in succession over Kilmory – 5-2 this time at Ballachulish.
In 2025, the two clubs yet again were magnetically attracted in the now newly Christened Chieftain’s Cup. Forewarned and forearmed, the Garry travelled with real intent and so Lewis had only a Paddy Wilson goal to show for their efforts in a 7-1 lose at Shawbost. The Garry however would go out of the competition to Oban Celtic, the eventual winners over Ballachulish in Cannich.
As you can see, Glengarry are