Athy GAA

Infobox GAA club
club gaa = Athy
crest =
irish = Ath Í
county = Kildare
nickname =
colours = Red and White
grounds = Geraldine Park
founded =
honours =
pattern_la=_whiteborder|pattern_b= |pattern_ra=_whiteborder
leftarm= FF0000|body=FF0000|rightarm= FF0000 |shorts=FFFFFF|socks=FF0000
|

Athy GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club in Athy, County Kildare, Republic of Ireland, winner of five county senior football championships.

History

RIC records from 1890 show that Athy had 70 members, with Revd J Caroll, Martin Doyle, Daniel Foley and B King listed as officers. EJ O'Reilly and P Lawler attended the 1889 convention. In 1905 Athy rented a field for the Kildare Agricultural Society. The ground staged the replay of the 1908 All Ireland hurling final.

Gaelic Football

Under the guidance of Seamus Malone the club's Gaelic football team was regraded senior in 1921. The team went to the 1923 County final under the guidance of Edward Sapper O'Neill. There they became the last team to end the county scoreless when they lost 2-5 to nil against Naas. With the emergence of Paul Mattews and Tom Mulhall they beat Rathangan to win the 1933 championship in a trial of youth v experience. Paul Mathews got a late goal to equalize the 1934 final and Athy won the replay under the captaincy of John Joe Murphy. Athy came back and won a disappointing 1937 county final against Sarsfields, having been eliminated on a walk-over by Raheens and reinstated. In 1942 Athy won another replayed final against Carbury, having trailed at half-time in the drawn match 0-4 to nil and having seemingly blown their chance when Pat Mulhall missed a 14 yard free. An early Athy goal in the replay set them on course for victory. Athy's last county final for thirty years was that of 1946 when the weather, and then the "save the harvest" campaign caused the county final to be postponed twice. In between they lost two semi-finals against Ellistown, and were shocked by near neighbours Rheban in 1945. In the 1950s Dan Flood held the full back position on the Kildare team for ten years. Athy stepped down to intermediate in 1967. Their seven years in the grade saw them lose successive finals in 1969 and 1970, the second to local rivals Rheban and even enter an area team, St. Michael's, in the championship. The return of Mick Carolan, and the emergence of Brian O'Doherty and Pat Shaughnessy all helped bring about a 1974 intermediate championship triumph. But the most exciting prospects for the club seemed to lie in the 1973 Athy CBS and Kildare minor All Ireland teams, back-boned by five Athy players.

Although shocked by St. Laurences in the 1974 minor final, Athy had won the under-21 championship in 1975. A defeat to Monasterevin in their senior championship debut did not deter them. In 1976 Athy went to the county semi-final where they were beaten by four points by Raheens. Heavily beaten by Carbury in 1977, they took the lead against Raheens in the 1978 final, with goals from Ger Clancy and a fabulously executed move finished by Donie Lambe sent them into a 2-3 to 0-5 lead against Raheens, but a penalty given against them and two players sent off meant they lost 3-14 to 2-6. Athy last won the Kildare County Championship in 1987 when they defeated Johnstownbridge in the final in St. Conleths Park by 2-09 to 0-9. Bobby Miller lined out at centre forward that day and was also the teams manager.

Hurling

Daniel Whelan of Fontstown placed an order for hurleys for Athy GAA club in 1887. Athy lost to Monasterevin in the 1887 hurling championship. Hurling was revived in 1928 and 1932.

Camogie

Athy advertised for a reunion of players in 1909. Clan Bridge and St Patrick’s clubs from Athy affiliated separately in 1935. Athy beat Ballitore in the 1940 junior final. Ballyroe St Anne’s was formed in 1959. Coached by Jimmy Hickey, they won the 1961 senior league, Brigid Moran scored seven goals as they won the 1961 county final and they went on to win four county titles in a row before disbanding suddenly in 1964. Ballyroe won the Senior League in 1960, 1961, 1963 and 1964.

Geraldine Park

First rented from the Kildare Agricultural Society in 1905, Athy GAA grounds was quickly developed in time to stage the replay of the 1908 All Ireland hurling final, the Leinster football finals of 1907, 1908, 1942 and 1944, and the Leinster hurling final of 1907. Geraldine Park was opened in 1930 and developed under the guidance of Fintan Brennan. To the seating of the 1940s was added a stand in 1979. The dressing rooms, built in 1964, have a holy water font near the exit for use of teams running on to the pitch.

Honours

* Kildare Senior Football Championship Winners 1933, 1934, 1937, 1942, 1987
* Kildare Senior Hurling Championship winners 1959
* MH Champions 1970.
* Mick Carolan was chosen on the Kildare football team of the millennium and was a Cuchulainn All Stars Award winner in 1966.
* Geraldine Dwyer was chosen on the Kildare camogie team of the century.
* The Niall Smullen cup 1956,1978

Honours Ballyroe

* Senior Camogie Champions 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964.
* Senior Camogie League 1960, 1961.

Bibliography

* Kildare GAA: A Centenary History, by Eoghan Corry, CLG Chill Dara, 1984, ISBN 978-0-9509370-0-7 hb ISBN 978-0-9509370-1-4 pb
* Kildare GAA yearbook, 1972, 1974, 1978, 1979, 1980 and 2000- in sequence especially the Millennium yearbook of 2000
* Soaring Sliothars: Centenary of Kildare Camogie 1904-2004 by Joan O'Flynn Kildare County Camogie Board.

External links

* [http://athygfc.com/ Athy GFC Website]
* [http://kildare.gaa.ie/ Kildare GAA site]
* [http://www.clubgaa.ie/kildare/ Kildare GAA club sites]
* [http://www.hoganstand.com/Kildare/ Kildare on Hoganstand.com]