Caragh GAA

Infobox GAA club
club gaa = Caragh
crest =
irish = Cearach
county = Kildare
nickname =
colours = Maroon and White
grounds = |St Farnans Park founded =
honours =
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leftarm=800000 |body=800000 |rightarm=800000 |shorts=FFFFFF |socks=800000
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Caragh is a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club in Prosperous, County Kildare, Republic of Ireland, winner of three county senior football championships and the only club to play in five successive county finals, club of the year 1978 and home club of Larry Stanley, All Ireland medalist in 1919, Olympic athlete in 1924, first winner of the All-Time All-Star award for Gaelic Football and a member of the Kildare team of the millennium. Two of Kildare’s winning All Ireland captains came form the club, Larry Stanley and Mick Buckley. Mick’s grandson Niall played on the 1998 Kildare All Ireland team. Another county senior football title was lost on objection over a player that was "on the run" during the Civil War. Caragh and Raheens share a parish and while the Raheens grounds are in Caragh village, the Caragh grounds are in Prosperous.

History

Digby Bridge Tim Healys were the first club in the district with officers John Dunne and Thomas Malone listed as attending the 1889 convention. RIC records from 1890 show that Clongorey Campaigners had 38 members with Dan Kelly, John Murphy, Pat Fullam and James Kelly listed as officers. In 1897 there were three clubs from the Parish in the county championship - Caragh, Digby Bridge and Prosperous. Blacktrench won the junior championship of 1916 with Larry Stanley as a key member of the side. Caragh and Blacktrench amalgamated for the 1918 Senior championship.

Gaelic Football

Caragh are the only club to have played in five successive county finals, 1918-1923, winning two of them losing a third on objection and a fourth to a Naas goal scored before the backs had returned to their positions. They were also the first winners of the Leinster Leader cup when it was presented in 1920. Larry and Jim Stanley, Mick Buckley and Jack Dunne, a veteran of Kildare’s 1903 All Ireland team, backboned the club. Caragh qualified for the 1925 county final having lost two and drawn one of the three matches they played, losing a replay against Athy by 2-3 to 1-3 and the semifinal against Roseberry by 12 points. Yet Caragh won both matches on objections and qualified. They won their third county title in 1926. An under-16 league and championship double in 1989, two appearances in the minor final, and Clane Community School’s All Ireland colleges victory, back-boned by Caragh players, gave cause for hope. Caragh eventually won Junior and Intermediate titles in a three year period.Caragh and St. Kevins minor teams alamaganated for the 2000 season and won the Minor B league beating Balyna in the final. The club's minor team were defeated in extra time in the 2007 league final while the seniors are having some succes in division 3B. The clubs hope for silverware in the 2007 season rests solely on the minor teams shoulders with their championship trial commencing early July.

Camogie

Founded in 1955 with registered colours grey and red. Caragh won the county championship in 1958 but were not able to field again until 1962, when they were reorganized by Betty Garry. They won the senior league in 1964 and senior championship in 1965.

Honours

*Kildare Senior Football Championship winners 1918, 1919, 1926
*Intermediate F Champions 1931, 1995.
*Junior F Champions 1917, 1949, 1993.
*Leinster Leader Cup 1920.
*Intermediate Football league 1942, 1944.
*Senior Camogie champions 1958, 1965, 1966,
*Senor Camogie League 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967.
*Jack Higgins Cup 1993.

Bibliography

* Kildare GAA: A Centenary History, by Eoghan Corry, CLG Chill Dara, 1984, ISBN 0-9509370-0-2 hb ISBN 0-9509370-1-0 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://kildare.gaa.ie/ Kildare GAA site]
* [http://www.clubgaa.ie/kildare/ Kildare GAA club sites]
* [http://www.hoganstand.com/Kildare/ Kildare on Hoganstand.com]