Neil Deighan/pagetext
From SABR Encyclopedia
NEIL F. DEIGHAN was born July 7, 1892 in Florence NJ. His family moved to Camden when he was a youngster. A fine athlete, he was a star catcher in the semi-pro baseball leagues that flourished in the Camden area, and also was a well-known basketball player.
Neil Deighan entered the world of professional basketball in 1914, playing for the Billy Morgenweck-coached Camden Alphas of the 1914-1915 Eastern Basketball League. He left Camden to serve in the United States Army, and saw duty as an instructor in Aerial Balloon reconnaissance. His younger brother, John T. Deighan, also served in the Army, but passed away while visiting home during the Spanish Influenza epidemic of October 1918.
After returning home from military service, Neil Deighan returned to sports, and played professional basketball for the Camden Crusaders of the Eastern Basket Ball League, owned by Camden veterinarian Dr. Charles B. Helm and former Camden County Sheriff W. Penn Corson. Other team members included Neil Deighan's brother Rich Deighan, Eddie Ferat, Sam Lennox, Jimmy "Soup" Campbell, Roy Steele, and Joe Hyde. The Crusaders were the 1919-1920 Eastern Basketball League champions. He also played professional baseball with the Louisville Colonels of the American Association.
At the time of the January 1920 census, Neil Deighan was then living at 839 Elm Street in North Camden, at the home of his step-father, William Park. Besides playing pro basketball, he was also working at one of Camden's shipyards. Neil Deighan married his wife Clara shortly after the census was taken. He went into the restaurant and tavern business during the 1920s. His first bar was at 560 Carman Street, which he went into with his brother. This bar was later owned by basketball teammate Roy Steele. Neil Deighan was briefly involved with the bar at 28 Haddon Avenue in the late 1920s.
Neil Deighan also remained active in professional sports, remaining continuously active as professional basketball player until the end of the 1923 season, mostly with the Camden franchise of the Eastern League. He also appeared in four games during the 1926-1927 season with the Philadelphia Warriors of the American Basketball League. Besides his time with the Louisville Colonels, he played baseball in the low minors when Camden had a team, and as a player-manager for Madisonville in the Kitty League. He was still receiving offers to play and manage as late as 1928.
By the time of the April 1930 census Neil Deighan had gone into the restaurant business and had already done quite well. The Deighan family, which included sons Neil Jr., Hank, and Richard, lived at 101 Narberth Avenue in Collingswood NJ. Around this time he had operated a bar known as the Old Mill in Pennsauken NJ. He later moved this operation to another building, the new location known as the Red Hill Inn, at 9712 Westfield Avenue in Pennsauken, not far from where the Pennsauken Mart stands.
In 1934 Neil Deighan was a founder and was elected President of the New Jersey Licensed Beverage Association, a trade group of bar, liquor store, and other merchants in the liquor business. He was re-elected at least two more times.
Neil Deighan gained great fame in his day from the restaurant that bore his name. Neil Deighan's, located at the Airport Circle in Pennsauken NJ, was virtually a household name in its day. The restaurant, which has been known for many years as The Pub, is still open in 2004.
In an interview given to Camden Courier-Post columnist Kevin Riordan, Bob Schaeffer of Haddonfield said, "We used to think we were hot stuff if our parents took us to Neil Deighan's for Sunday afternoon dinner. They had a Sunday afternoon stage show. It was like vaudeville."
Besides the Airport Circle operation, and the Old Mill Inn in Pennsauken, Neil Deighan operated several other establishments in Camden. The Old Mill Inn made front page news in January of 1940 when its safe was blown open by robbers using nitroglycerine.
In the late 1940s Neil Deighan Sr. had Deighan's Luncheonette at 805-809 Federal Street, Deighan's Five O'Clock Club at 811 Federal Street, Deighan's Den at 811 Market street, and Deighan's Sport Center. Deighan's Sport Center was a block wide, with addresses at 804-812 Market Street and 805-813 Federal Street.
Besides his restaurant business, Neil Deighan was involved in local politics. Neil F. Deighan passed away in May of 1967. [1]
