Our  club was founded in 1932, some of our founding members were E.Murray, M.Luckie, G.McGarvey & T.Magee.

The early years proved difficult with little success until 1938 when they lost the South Armagh Junior final to Bessbrook Geraldines by a solitary point.  A hard work ethic began to bear fruit and the men who wore the quartered black and amber jerseys eagerly awaited the 1939 season.  That year they won the South Armagh league and junior championship, going on to defeat Derrymacash Wolf Tones in the All-county Junior Final.

The following year 1940 saw Newtown compete for the first time ever in Senior league and championship, and this would be a historical year for the club.  Victory in the league was followed by a maiden voyage for Newtown in the Senior county final against the experience of a Crossmaglen Rangers team sprinkled with intercounty players.  When the final whistle blew, it was the Babes of Armagh football, St.Michaels who emerged victorious defeating Crossmaglen by 1-6 to 0-3 and Captain Paddy Carragher lifted the McKillop Cup.

In the 1941 season, again St.Michaels emerged as kingpins of the county, winning another league and senior championship double.   

The dream of a hat-trick of county titles was dented the following year after a dispute saw Newtown withdraw from competition to end an unforgettable era for the Gaels of Newtownhamilton.  They re-entered in 1945 and had success in 1946 when they won the games league and championship.  Success at senior level dried up , though the club managed another title in 1950 winning the junior Championship, but with emigration and rural communities struggling, it became difficult to field a team, resulting in the clubs withdrawal from competition in 1955.

It was not until 1974 that Newtown re-established a competitive team in Armagh football, when a new curate was appointed to the area, a Cavan man, Fr P.M McEnroe c.c.  The black and amber colours were laid to rest and blue and white became the new St.Michaels colours which we wear proudly to this day.  A hard working club toiled in the early years with the first taste of success coming in 1981, with the ACL Division 4 Title.  Another championship winning team emerged in 1987 as the boys in blue defeated Lissumon in the final. In the following years, Newtown gained experience in the higher leagues, winning Division 4 (1991) and Division 3 (1994).

In 1999, the club announced itself on the county stage once again, embarking on an odyssey that will be remembered as their most successful period since the 40’s.  The Division 3 league title was clinched in some style, losing just one from 23 matches, with the season ending in Victory against Clan Eireann in the Intermediate championship final to clinch the Atty Hearty Cup.  St Michaels then went on a memorable run, representing Armagh in the Ulster club competition only to be beaten in the final after two mammoth encounters with Tyrone outfit Brackaville.

At the turn of the millennium, this same group of Newtown players were mixing it with the best teams in the county for a sustained period in division 1 and at senior championship level.  It is noteworthy that this team operated at the highest level at a time when Armagh football was enjoying its golden era on the intercounty stage, reaching the promised land in 2002 to claim the Sam Maguire Cup, defeating aristocrats Kerry in the final.

The club continued to perform at a high level, but had slipped down to division 3 by the end of the 2009 season.  However, in the same year, in the face of adversity and against all odds, the club reached another intermediate final where they blitzed the raging hot favourites, Keady Dwyers to take the Atty Hearty cup back to Newtown for the second time.

In the last decade, the club have made huge strides off the field to provide modern facilities for the Gaels of Newtownhamilton and the wider community.  Our new football pitch was opened in 2000 and there is a bustling underage scene where scores of Boys and Girls are flocking to training at the Dundalk Rd and our annual “Cul” Camps to develop their GAA skills.  In 2021 the club fielded its first ever Ladies underage team, a landmark day for the club. 

With a hardworking committee and a strong underage and senior team in 2023, the club are full of potential and anticipation.

As history shows us, it is in our DNA to compete, and we know silverware is never far away!