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Kildare GAA

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For more information see Kildare Senior Club Football Championship or Kildare Senior Club Hurling Championship.

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File:Kildare.GIF
Irish:Cill Dara
Nickname(s):The Lilywhites
Province:Leinster
Dominant sport:Gaelic football
Ground(s):St. Conleth's Park, Newbridge
Conneff Park, Clane
County colours:All White
County teams
NFL:Division 1
NHL:Division 2
Football Championship:Sam Maguire Cup
Hurling Championship:Christy Ring Cup
Ladies' Gaelic football:Brendan Martin Cup
Camogie:O'Duffy Cup

The Kildare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) (Irish: Cumann Luthchleas Gael Coiste Contae Cill Dara) or Kildare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kildare. The county board is also responsible for the Kildare inter-county teams.

History

File:Kildare crest.gif
The old Kildare GAA crest, showing oak trees, acorns and lily flower. Replaced by current crest in 2005.

Gaelic games predate recorded sporting history in Kildare. Hurling on Lyons Hill features in the Book of Leinster; the Curragh was the venue for the Aonach Colmáin, one of the great fairs and festivals of ancient Ireland; and local references to football go back to medieval times. English traveler John Dundon described a hurling match in Naas in 1699. A handball alley near Rathangan bears the date 1790, and nearby, one in Moone is among the oldest in the country. A match at Timolin in February 1792 resulted in a riot which was reported in local newspapers. There is a reference to an inter-county match between Kildare, wearing white flowing jerseys, and Meath in 1797, which was attended by Lord Edward Fitzgerald. Valentine Lawless, Lord Cloncurry, describes how Wogan Browne, an 18th century grandee, lost his Justice of the Peace status for kicking off a football match in the Clane area, also in 1797.

Summer athletics meetings in Kildare predate the GAA. John Wyse Power, then editor of local newspaper The Leinster Leader, attended the foundation meeting of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Thurles in 1884. In February 1885, on a day on which the first four football matches in the country were played under the newly drawn up GAA rules, two of these were between Sallins, Straffan, Naas, and the Curragh. A county committee was established in 1887. Kildare entered the second championships in 1888 and were represented by Clane. Tommy Conneff from Clane, who went on to hold the world record for the mile, was among the first GAA athletic champions.

Gaelic football

Kildare first entered the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1888 and lost to Dublin on a score of 2-7 to 0-1. Kildare made a major contribution towards the evolution of rules and tactics in football. The county was the first to abandon the 21-a-side game and played 16-a-side for a period. Kildare players invented the handpass: a polished team tactic by 1903, Professor Tom Crowley of the Clane 1888 team is said to have invented it. The toe-to-hand was pioneered by Roseberry (now Newbridge Sarsfields) club. A team made up of players from the two strongest clubs in the county, Roseberry and Clane, played Kerry three times for the All Ireland championship of 1903; the matches drew the first mass interest in a field sport in the country, had an aggregate attendance of 50,000, and were regarded as the games which “made the GAA”.

Kildare’s four All Ireland titles were won in a short period between 1905 and 1928: beating Kerry in 1905, Galway in 1919, and Kerry in the 1927 and 1928 finals, and becoming the first team to win the Sam Maguire Cup in 1928. Tactics such as the handpass were perfected by those early Kildare teams, but they also developed what became traditional catch and kick football. Olympic high jumper Larry Stanley was regarded as one of the greatest fielders of the ball in the history of the game and first winner of the all-time All Star award.

Despite winning a Leinster Senior Football Championship in 1956, reaching the National League final in 1958, in 1968, and winning the All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship in 1965, Kildare footballers seemed to have difficulty in maintaining their proud tradition, and the county lost an incredible six Leinster finals in twelve years between 1966 and 1978. The Raheens club won a Leinster Senior Club Football Championship title in 1983.

In 1991, former Kerry manager Mick O'Dwyer took charge of the county football team. Kildare lost two more Leinster finals to Dublin in 1992 and 1993 as well as the National League final of 1991. When Dublin came back for a dramatic draw in 1994 and won the replay with a dramatic Charlie Redmond point, O'Dwyer was succeeded by Dermot Earley for two years. He returned in 1997, and guided the county to victory over Laois with 13 players and a dramatic, twice replayed series of matches with Meath that captured the imagination of the public and steeled the side for further honours.

In 1998, Kildare became the only team in 110 years of championship football to beat the previous three champions, disposing of Dublin, Meath and Kerry in turn only to succumb to Galway in the All Ireland final; they led by three points at half time. Another Leinster followed in 2000 following a comeback against Dublin, but Galway defeated them in the semi-final. In (2005), Kildare enjoyed mixed success and finished in the top six in the National Football League but was disappointingly knocked out of the championship by Sligo.

Honours

Kildare Football Squad

The following is the team that lined against Derry in the All Ireland Qualifier on July 14, 2006:

Number Player Position Local Club
1 Enda Murphy (Capt.) Goalkeeper Leixlip
2 Andrew McLoughlin Right Full Back Ellistown
3 Kevin O'Neill Full Back Moorefield
4 Mark Hogarty Left Full Back Allenwood
5 Mick Foley Midfielder Athy
6 John Divilly * Centre Back Leixlip
7 Anthony Rainbow Left Wing Back Suncroft
8 Killian Brennan Midfielder Suncroft
9 Dermot Earley Midfielder Sarsfields
10 John Doyle Right Wing Forward Allenwood
11 James Kavanagh Left Wing Forward Ballymore
12 Ronan Sweeney Left Corner Forward Moorefield
13 Tommy Archibold Right Full Forward Ballymore
14 Tomás O'Connor Full Forward Clane
15 Pádraig O'Neill Left Corner Forward St.Laurence's
Substitutes
16 Tomás Corley Goalkeeper Moorefield
James Lonergan Left Corner Back Moorefield
Ian Lonergan Left Wing Back Moorefield
Pádraig Mullarkey Midfielder Round Towers
Eamonn Callaghan Left Wing Back Naas
David Lyons Left Wing Back Clane
Karl Ennis Left Wing Back Maynooth
' Pádraig Hurley * Midfielder Johnstownbridge
Tommy O'Neill * Midfielder St.Laurence's
Mark Fitzharris Left Wing Forward St.Kevin's
Derek McCormack Centre Forward Ballykelly
Tadgh Fennin Left Corner Forward Castlemitchel
David Jordan Left Corner Forward Leixlip
Panel Newcomers
Adrian McAndrew Right Corner Forward Allenwood
Timmy Dowling Right Wing Back Allenwood
Ger Naughton Centre Back Moorefield
Mark Scanlon Right Wing Back Round Towers
Emmet Bolton Left Wing Back Eadestown
Paddy Murray Right Corner Forward Moorefield
Management Team
John Crofton Manager Sarsfields
Pat McCarthy Selector Kilcullen
Davy Dalton Selector Kilcock

* Not On Kildare panel for 2007

Hurling

Kildare participate in the Christy Ring Cup at inter-county level, reaching the final in 2007 where they were defeated by Westmeath. In recent years, the leading clubs have been Coill Dubh, Éire Óg/Corra Coill, and Ardclough and Celbridge. Kildare's youngest club Confey are the reigning Senior Hurling Champions beating Coill Dubh in the 2007 final.

Kildare hurlers came within minutes of reaching a Leinster senior hurling final in 1976. Holding a four-point lead over eventual All Ireland finalists Wexford until the closing stages of the semi-final, that performance earned Johnny Walsh a replacement all-star award. His club Ardclough beat Buffer's Alley in the 1976 Leinster club championship. The county's major hurling successes were four All Ireland Senior B titles (last in 2004), an intermediate All Ireland (1969), and two junior All-Irelands (1962 and 1966). The closest they came to playing in the top division of the hurling league was when they lost a four-point lead with ten minutes to go in a Division 1B promotion play-off against Clare in 1971, which they eventually lost, 4-9 to 3-9. Kildare beat Waterford in the league in two successive years, were level at half-time against Tipperary in the 1971 National League Quarter-final, and lost to the same team by six points in the quarter-final of 1976. They also lost a promotion play-off against Waterford in 1974.

Honours

  • Leinster Under 21 B Championship: 1
  • All-Ireland Under 16 'B' Hurling Championship: 2
    • 1991, 2002

Camogie

There is little doubt that camogie was played in Kildare soon after the sport was first organised in 1904 although records are sparse. Athy Ladies hurling club advertised for members for a reunion in July 1909. Newbridge, Naas, Blacktrench, Prosperous and Ballymore applied unsuccessfully for affiliation to Kildare GAA board in 1921. Kildare sent delegates to the camogie congress of 1932, and a county board was formed in 1934 with Fr Byrne CC of Caragh as President, Mrs B McCarthy vice-president, William Fisher of Newbridge secretary, and Polly Smyth of Newbridge treasurer. Camogie was reorganised at a county convention in 1954 and has been played in Kildare continuously since. After a series of successes at junior level, Kildare were defeated by Cork in the National League semi-final of 1992, their best performance at senior level. Kildare teams played in navy and white (1930s), brown and white (1955-60) and blue and white (sporadically since 1960s). White was adopted as the county colours in April 1963.

Honours

  • National Camogie League Semi-finalists: 1
    • 1992.
  • All-Ireland Junior Camogie Championships: 3
    • 1987, 1989, 1990.
  • National Junior Camogie League winners: 4
    • 1986, 1989, 1990, 2004.
  • All Ireland Intermediate Camogie finalists: 1
    • 1994.
  • Leinster Junior Camogie Championships: 11
    • 1961, 1966, 1967 (all Smyco cup), 1969, 1981, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1996
  • Leinster Under-14 B Championships: 2
    • 1997, 2003.

Ladies' Gaelic football

Kildare County Board was set up in March 1992 under the Chairmanship of Catherine Donohoe. At that time, there were two clubs playing in the County, Kilcock and Leixlip, and these were joined by the newly formed Eadestown club. On 10 February 1993, when Michael Delaney of Leixlip was elected chairman, Kildare won promotion from Division three of the National League in 1999 and eventually won the Leinster Junior championship in 2000, beating Laois by 2-13 to 2-5. They contested three All Ireland junior finals before eventually beating Sligo to qualify for senior status in 2004. Grangenolvin dominated club competition in the sport, in which they won five in a row at the time the championship was elevated to senior status. Brianne Leahy became the first female All Star from Kildare when she was selected in 1999.

Honours

  • All-Ireland Junior Women's Football Championships: 1
    • 2004.

Teams of the Millennium

Football Team of the Millennium

Ollie Crinnigan (Carbury), Davy Dalton (Kilcock), Matt Goff (Leixlip), Pa Connolly (Clane), Glenn Ryan (Round Towers), Jack Higgins (Naas), Mick Carolan (Athy), Larry Stanley (Caragh), Pat Mangan (Carbury), Jack Donnelly (Ellistown), Paddy "Boiler" White (Sarsfields), Larry Tompkins (Eadestown), Pat Dunny (Raheens), Tommy Carew (Clane), Paul Doyle (Suncroft).

Hurling Team of the Millennium

Jimmy Curran (Castledermot), Tommy Burke (Naomh Bríd), Richard Cullen (Ardclough), Seamus Malone (Coill Dubh), Tommy Christian (Ardclough), Pat Dunny (Éire Og), Tony Carew (Coill Dubh), Bobby Burke (Ardclough), Jack O'Connell (Naomh Bríd), Johnny Walsh (Ardclough), Tommy Carew (Coill Dubh), Pat White (Naomh Bríd), Mick Dwane (Ardclough), Mick Moore (Broadford), Mick Mullins (Éire Og).

Camogie Team of the Century

Anna Dargan (Broadford), Geraldine Dwyer (Athy, Prosperous & Clane), Teresa Lynch (Rathcoffey & Prosperous), Bridget Cushen (Celbridge & Ardclough), Nuala Malone (Rathcoffey & Prosperous), Melanie Treacy (Ballyboden St Endas & Bishopstown, Cork), Phyllis Hurst (Broadford), Miriam Malone (Broadford), Eileen Reilly (Rathcoffey & Prosperous), Michelle Aspell (Kilcullen & St Laurence’s), Bernie Farrelly (Crumlin & Broadford), Patricia Keatley (St Laurence’s & Broadford), Marianne Johnson (Prosperous & Clane), Clare Monahan (Naas & Two Mile House), Gloria Lee (Naas).

Managerial history

  • 1905 Joe Rafferty
  • 1919 Joe McDonald (coach)
  • 1958 Mick O'Reilly (coach)
  • 1965 Jim Clarke
  • 1968 Mick O'Reilly (coach)
  • 1972 Frank Murphy (coach)
  • 1974 Pat Mangan
  • 1975 Eamonn O'Donoghue
  
  • 1981 Bobby Burns
  • 1984 Eamonn O'Donoghue
  • 1989 Pat Fitzgerald
  • 1990 Mick O'Dwyer
  • 1995 Dermot Earley
  • 1997 Mick O'Dwyer
  • 2003 Padraig Nolan
  • 2005 John Crofton
  • 2007 Kieran McGeeney

Kildare club football

Kildare is very much a footballing county, with 105 teams from 40 clubs competing in the Senior and Junior Football Leagues. The highest-achieving club is Clane who have won a total of 17 titles, Raheens 15, Sarsfields 12 titles, Carbury 11, Round Towers from Kildare town 10 (counting three won as Kildare Town and one as St Patrick’s), Roseberry have won 9, Naas 8, Athy 5, Kilcock 5, Ellistown 4 (counting 2 won as Mountrice), Moorefield (Newbridge) 4, Johnstownbridge 3, Caragh 3, Monasterevin 3, Maynooth 2 and Allenwood, Ardclough, Ballymore, Curragh, Eadestown, Military College, Rathangan and Newbridge CYMS club St Conleth’s (on objection) one each. Raheens are the only Kildare side to win a Leinster club title (in 1981).

Kildare Senior Football Championship Finals

(year, winner, score, defeated finalists, score, venue)

(Match played during Irish Civil War, St. Conleth’s awarded title on objection because one of the Caragh players C. McCarthy gave a false name as he was 'on the run' from Free State troops at the time)

County board structure

The Kildare County Board, which meets once a month in St Conleth's Park, is the highest authority within the county and is responsible for running all adult football competitions along with the Under 21 championships and Minor leagues and championships. Every club sends one delegate. There is a separate board responsible for hurling, which is a subsidiary board to the county board.

Juvenile hurling and football is administered by Bord na nÓg which runs Under 14, 15 and 16 competitions. Under 13 and younger grades are separated into a North Board and South Board.

The current chairman of the county board is Syl Merrins (Nurney), secretary is Kathleen O'Neill (Rathcoffey) and the vice chairman is Pádraig Ashe (Straffan).

Bibliography

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