Na Piarsaigh GAA

Na Piarsaigh

Na Piarsaigh
Founded:	1943
County:	Cork
Nickname:	The Wazzies
Colours:	Black and Amber
Grounds:	Páirc Uí Chonaire
Playing kits
Standard colours
Senior Club Championships
All Ireland Munster champions Cork champions Hurling: - - 3

Na Piarsaigh are a Hurling and Gaelic football club based in the north side of Cork, County Cork, Ireland. The club was founded in 1943. Their senior hurling team have won 3 county senior hurling championships, the last one in October 2004. This team who won the 2004 final was notable for having 3 brothers (the Ó hAilpín brothers) on this team. Two of these brothers Setanta Ó hAilpín and Aisake are currently playing Australian rules football for Carlton Australian Rules football club. The eldest, Seán Óg, still plays for Na Piarsaigh and for the Cork senior hurling team. John Gardiner is also a current player. Na Piarsaigh also has more Féile na nGael titles than any other team.

Birth of the club

In 1943 a group of idealistic young men drawn mostly from the famed hurling nursery of North Mon. laid the foundations of Cumann Iomana & Peile Na Piarsaigh.

These young schoolboys influenced by their education at North Mon. had a great love for our national culture and games. They felt, and with some justification, that existing clubs, and indeed the GAA itself, were not aspiring to the founding ideals of the Association. They set about change and an informal meeting was held under a lamppost outside No.3 (St.Ita's) Redemption Road. Amongst the attendance were: Derry Terry, Christy Twomey, Liam Connery, Pat Leary, Rev. McCabe, Romey Sullivan, Bertie Dorgan, Theo Dorgan, Sean McAiliffe, Paddy Sutton, Jimmy Keating, Paudie Collins, Joe Murphy, Bernie Murphy, Sean Corkery.

In an effort to become properly organised the first formal meeting was held in the presbytery of the North Cathedral. Meanwhile, the youthful members in an effort to achieve higher status and greater influence called upon one of their teachers, Donnacha o Murchu, for guidance and assistance. This led to him becoming the first Uachtaran Donnacha O Murchu, Runai Derry Terry, Cisteoir Paddy Sutton.

In choosing a name for the club the members sought one which would reflect their aims and ideals. Padraig Pearse, it was felt, because of his underlying love of Ireland and all things Irish, reflected those ideals admirably. Thus the name "Na Piarsaigh" was adopted.

A set of playing-gear colours (black and amber) was acquired. Later in 1951 the symbolic red hand of Ulster with severed thumb was selected as the club crest after careful consideration. The red hand represents the island that is Ireland, the severed thumb our six north-eastern counties still under foreign rule. The legend is that when Ireland is united the thumb will again rejoin the fingers to create a strong and useful hand.

The newly-formed club, as part of its policy, decided to conduct its affairs as far as possible through the medium of Irish. Indeed the policy extended to the field of play where the players addressed one another in our native tongue. So novel was this approach to GAA affairs that it led to a certain amount of resentment amongst other clubs. The national outlook was then in such a state during what is termed the "Emergency" that any willingness to promote Irish language culture generally met with strong opposition. The opposition to club activities by the local clergy, in fact, caused us to lose the use of St. Mary's Hall.

In relation to this the then Uactaran Donnacha O Murchu recalls the words of a prominent local clergyman of the day, "We don't want any of that oul' stuff going on here". This, however, did not unduly upset our youthful members who strove all the more to achieve their aims and ideals. By 1946 the membership had grown from thirty to seventy, but, as yet the club had failed to win a title in either hurling or football. However, in the same year the City Division Junior Hurling Championship was won, a historic first and no mean achievement in three years of existence. During this period also, minor teams were fielded but without much success. Training for matches was a problem without a club ground. During this period training took place in such diverse locations as the Lee Fields, Rivers town, The Fair Field, and Browns Field, which was located near the present day Church of the Ascension in Gurranabraher.

Noted Hurlers

• John Gardiner
• Seán Óg Ó hAilpín
• Setanta Ó hAilpín
• Tony O'Sullivan
• Aisake Ó hAilpín

Honours

• Cork Senior Hurling Championships: 3 (1990, 1995, 2004)
• Cork Intermediate Football Championship: 1 (1966)
• Cork Junior Hurling Championship: 1 (1953)
• Cork Junior Football Championship: 1 (1965)
• Cork Under-21 Hurling Championships: 3 (1980, 1981, 1987)
• Cork Minor Hurling Championships: 10 (1960, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1995, 1996)
• Cork Minor Football Championships 3 (1981, 1994, 1995)
• Féile na nGael 6 (1973, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1991, 2006)

Individual Players Honours

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Winners:

• Donal 'Fox' Sheehan: 1 (1966)
• Tony O'Sullivan: 3 (1984, 1986, 1990)
• Seán Óg Ó hAilpín: 3 (1999, 2004, 2005)
• John Gardiner: 2 (2004, 2005)

GAA All Stars Awards winners (hurling):

• Tony O'Sullivan: 5 (1982, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992)
• Seán Óg Ó hAilpín: 3 (2003, 2004, 2005)
• Setanta Ó hAilpín: 1 (2003)
• John Gardiner: 1 (2005)

Tony O'Sullivan is among an elite group of Cork players who hold five All Star Awards. Tony, along with his former Cork team mates John Fenton and Jimmy Barry-Murphy hold the distinction of heading the roll of honour as the most decorated Cork All Stars.

All Stars Hurler of the Year:

• Seán Óg Ó hAilpín: 1 (2004)

All Stars Young Hurler of the Year:

• Setanta Ó hAilpín: 1 (2003)