In the summer of 1972 the John Mitchel's Gaelic Football Club, Claudy, purchased Cumber house, set in its magnificently wooded grounds. To have acquired such a property was indeed an achievement for a Gaelic Football club as this house has been for generations the symbol of landlordism. Although Cumber House is only a mile from the village of Claudy it has always been a removed and remote place as far as Claudy people were concerned. Successive generations of Claudy people have handed down stories about this house and each new generation has looked somewhat curiously at this stately residence because it was so obviously 'different' from other houses in the area.

Today Cumber House is the centre of Gaelic and cultural life in the Claudy area. This house has during all the years of its existence been at the very centre of things in Claudy. The history of Cumber house is the history of the Claudy area for the past 300 years, if not indeed the history of Ulster.

The hands of the Cumber estate changed hands many times. The last of these landlords was the Browne-Lecky family. This family acted as landlords for the locality right down to the early years of the present century.

Cumber House was built with the coming of the Browne family to the Claudy area. This family later became Browne-Lecky by international marriage.

One can easily imagine the effect Cumber House must have had on the minds of the local people a hundred years ago. It represented a way of life to which none of them could ever aspire. Cumber house itself was an eloquent testimony of wealth and authority. The nine steps up to the front door, the flag pole, the veranda, the vast hallway - all combined to impress on the Claudy mind the fact that this house was something apart. Entrance by the front door was not for them. It is most probable that the only local people to have stood at the front door of this house in the last century were those who worked in the house itself - and then it would have only been to clean the brass knocker. Like all the big houses of its time, Cumber house had its servant's quarters. Life in Claudy a hundred years ago revolved around Cumber House. Numerous Claudy people had jobs either in the house itself or on the estate lands. The importance of the Browne-Lecky family in Claudy is adequately summed up in the words of an old song about Claudy that said "The landlords name is Ernest Browne, and he owns the town of Claudy".

The last member of the Browne-Lecky family to actually live in Cumber house was Colonel Cecil Browne-Lecky. He was not in fact the owner but managed the property for his brother, Ernest Browne-Lecky, who resided most of the time in England. This Colonel Browne-Leckys name is still in Cumber house to this day for his initials are clearly printed on a beautiful fire-place of black Italian marble which is in the room currently used as a committee room by its present owners. Colonel Browne-Lecky dies in January 1929 and is buried in the old Cumber graveyard whish is overlooked by Cumber House. It is also fact that this man had his dog buried with him.

After Colonel Browne-Leckys death the family lost contact with Cumber house and the property was eventually broken up and sold to local people who were now in a stronger position.

After a further change of ownership John Mitchel's Gaelic football club took the opportunity of purchasing Cumber House in 1972. In doing so they gave the house a new lease of life and a meaning for the people of Claudy. No Longer is Cumber House remote and unknown in Claudy.

The physical changes that the club has effected in the house are notable. But far more notable are the changes in the minds of the people, the changes and attitudes towards this house. The "Big House" is now the peoples house.