Kildare GAA

The Kildare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), 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.

Gaelic games predate recorded sporting history in Kildare. Hurling on Lyons Hill was featured in the Book of Leinster, the Curragh was the venue for the fairs and festivals of ancient Ireland called the Aonach Colmáin, 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, though the oldest known alley is located near Moone. A match at Timolin in February 1792, resulted in a riot that was reported in local newspapers. There is also a reference to an inter-county match between Kildare and Meath in 1797, which was attended by Lord Edward Fitzgerald. Valentine Lawless, Lord of 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, Sallins, Straffan, Naas, and the Curragh played in the first four football matches governed by the then-new GAA rules.

A county committee was established in 1887. Kildare entered the second championships in 1888, and was 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. [edit] Gaelic football

Kildare first entered the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1888, and lost to Dublin by a score of 2-7 to 0-1.

Kildare made a major contribution towards the evolution of rules and tactics in gaelic football. The county was the first to abandon the tradition of playing 21 people on each team, using 16 on each team for a period. Kildare players invented the hand pass: a polished team tactic since 1903; Mick "Micko" O'Dwyer from Kerry is said to have invented it. The toe-to-hand was pioneered by the 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 between 1905 and 1928: over Kerry in 1905, Galway in 1919, and Kerry again in the 1927 and 1928 finals. Kildare became the first team to win the Sam Maguire Cup in 1928. They haven't won it since.

Tactics such as the hand pass 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 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 and 1968, and winning the All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship in 1965, Kildare footballers seemed to have difficulty maintaining their proud tradition. The county lost six Leinster finals in the twelve years between 1966 and 1978. Although 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 draw in 1994 and won the replay, 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 (which they lost) that captured the imagination of the public and steeled the side for further honors.

In 1998, Mick O'Dwyer's status as one the best GAA managers of all time was confirmed. The Kildare team, previously no-hopers but inspired by his son and fellow Kerryman Karl, 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 lose to Galway in the All-Ireland final; they led by three points at half time. Another Leinster followed in 2000, but Galway defeated them in the semi-final. Leinster Final defeats followed in 2002 and 2003, against Dublin and a Laois side back-boned by their All-Ireland MFC winning sides of the late 90s. In (2005), Kildare enjoyed mixed success and finished in the top six in the National Football League, but was knocked out of the championship by Sligo.[1]

In 2008 under the new management of Kieran McGeeney Kildare made a bit of unfortunate history by becoming the first team ever to lose a championship game to Wicklow in Croke Park, losing in the first round by 0-13 to 0-9. However Kildares season took a turn for the better after that by beating Cavan, Limerick and Fermanagh in the all- Ireland qualifiers to reach their first ever all-ireland quarter-final. To date in 2009, an improved Kildare side reached the Leinster Final only to suffer a defeat to Dublin. Kildare advanced to the All-Ireland quarter-final to play then All-Ireland champions Tyrone after beating Wicklow only to be knocked out by Tyrone. 2010 saw Kildare lose to Louth in the 2nd round. However Kildare had a great run through the qualifiers beating teams like Antrim, Leitrim, Derry and Monaghan to once again reach the All-Ireland Quarter-final to face Leinster champions Meath which they got a slow start but enjoyed the 2nd half as they ran out winning 2-17 to 1-12. to reach the All-Semi-final for the first time since 2000. On August 29, 2010 Kildare faced Down for the first time ever in the championship which turned out to be a very tense game but Down ran out winners 1-16 to 1-14 after a very frantic finish. 2011 saw Kildare advance to the Leinster semi-final after defeating Meath in the Leinster quarter-final only to be defeated by Dublin.Kildare had a good run in the qualifiers beating teams like Laois, Meath & Derry to advance to the All-Ireland quarter-final to face Ulster champions Donegal which turned to be a very poor performance but the 2nd half was a real contest from both sides with the sides finishing level to drag the game into extra-time only to be defeated by a single point by Donegal.

All-Ireland Senior Football Championships: 4 1905, 1919, 1927, 1928

All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championships: 1 1965.

Leinster Senior Football Championships: 13 1903, 1905, 1919, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1935, 1956, 1998, 2000

Leinster U21 Football Championships: 9 1965, 1966, 1967, 1972, 1976, 1992, 1983, 2004, 2008.

Leinster Minor Football Championships: 5 1973, 1975, 1983, 1987, 1991.

Leinster Junior Football Championships: 10 1927, 1931, 1938, 1956, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1989, 2004, 2011.

National Football League Finalists: 5 1928, 1929, 1958, 1968, 1991

O'Byrne Cups: 9 1962, 1968, 1970, 1973, 1976, 1982, 1989, 2003, 2011

Players
Players  Position      Club

1    Shane Connolly     Goalkeeper     St Laurence's 2     Aindriú Mac Lochlainn     Right Corner Back     Ellistown 3    Mick Foley     Full Back     Athy 4    Hugh McGrillen     Left Corner Back     Celbridge 5    Brian Flanagan     Right Half Back     Johnstownbridge 6    Morgan O'Flaherty     Centre Back     Carbury 7    Emmet Bolton     Left Half Back     Eadestown 8    John Doyle Captain sports.svg     Midfielder     Allenwood 9    Daryl Flynn     Midfielder     Moorefield 10    Padraig O'Neill     Right Half Forward     St Laurence's 11     Eoghan O'Flaherty     Centre Forward     Carbury 12    Eamonn Callaghan     Left Half Forward     Naas 13    Robbie Kelly     Right Corner Forward     Straffan 14    Tómas O'Connor     Full Forward     Clane 15    James Kavanagh

Cups
All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championships: 4 1974, 1960, 1989, 2004

All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championships: 1 1969

All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championships: 2 1962, 1966

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Semi-finalists: 2 1976, 1977

Leinster Junior Hurling Championships: 1905, 1906, 1934, 1962, 1966.

Leinster Intermediate Hurling Championships: 1 1969

Leinster Under 21 B Championship: 1 2007

National Hurling League: Quarter Finals: 3 1971, 1974, 1975 Division 3A: 2009

All-Ireland Under 16 'B' Hurling Championship: 2 1991, 2002

Kehoe Shield: 1 2009

Club Final
1888 0-0 Clane 0-4 Naas Naas 1889 Mount Blunts Rice 0-2 0-1 Kildare Kildare 1890 1-3 Clane 1-2 Milltown Monasterevin 1891 Mount Blunts Rice 1-4 0-1 Kildare Monasterevin 1892 Clane 0-3 Kilcullen 0-2 1894 Void Maynooth 1895 Clane 0-7 0-1 Sallins Maynooth 7-9 0-3 1896 Sallins Clane 1897 beat Clane Maynooth 1898 Void 1899 Void 1900 Void 1901 4-15 Clane 0-3 Prosperous Maynooth Moorefield 1902 Clane 4-7 2-3 Roseberry (Newbridge) Clane 1903 Clane 0-7 1-10 Prosperous 1904 Roseberry (Newbridge) 0-14 Clane 0-3 Naas 1905 Roseberry (Newbridge) 0-10 0-6 Clane Clane 1906 Roseberry (Newbridge) 1-11 Celbridge Clane 1-2 1907 Roseberry (Newbridge) Monasterevin 0-7 0-3 Athy 1908 Roseberry (Newbridge) beat Allen 1909 Roseberry (Newbridge) 0-4 0-1 Athy Clane 1910 Roseberry (Newbridge) 1-3 1-1 Monasterevin Athy 1911 Monasterevin 2-1 Roseberry (Newbridge) 0-2 Kildare 1912 Roseberry (Newbridge) Monasterevin 2-6 1-2 Athy 1913 Maynooth Kilcock 1-1 Clane 2-1 1-4 0-4 Celbridge Clane Kilcock 1914 1915 Roseberry (Newbridge) 0-6 1-0 Maynooth Naas Maynooth 1916 Clane 2-2 0-2 Naas 1917 Kilcock Kilcullen 5-0 0-5 Naas 1918 Caragh 2-2 Roseberry (Newbridge) 0-5 Naas Caragh 1919 Kilcock 2-4 2-1 Naas 1920 Caragh Naas 1-6 0-8 St Conleth's Park 1921 St. Conleth St. Conleth's 1-2 1-12 Caragh's Park

(Match Played constantly Irish Civil War, St. Conleth's title on objection Awarded Because one of the players Caragh C. McCarthy, a false gift especially as he was' on the run "from Free State troops at the time)

1922 Caragh Naas 1-8 1-3 Newbridge 1923 Naas Athy 2-5 0-0 St Conleth's Park 1924 Naas Kildare 1-1 0-4 St Conleth's Park Naas Kildare replay 1-2 0-3 St Conleth's Park 1925 Rathangan 2-4 1-3 Caragh Naas 1926 Caragh 3-4 3-3 Athy Kildare 1927 Kildare Athy 2-6 1-5 St Conleth's Park Naas 1928 Rathangan 3-3 2-4 St Conleth's Park 1929 Kildare Naas 3-2 1-2 St Conleth's Park 1930 Kildare Naas 2-4 0-5 St Conleth's Park 1931 Naas 6-7 Round Towers 0-3 Kildare St Conleth's Park 1932 Curragh Naas 0-10 0-9 St Conleth's Park 1933 Rathangan Athy 2-6 1-4 St Conleth's Park 1934 Raheen Athy 1-3 0-6 St Conleth's Park Athy Raheen replay 2-6 1-4 St Conleth's Park 1935 St. Brigid's Raheen 6-3 1-0 Kildare St Conleth's Park 1936 Raheen McDonagh 1-7 1-6 St Conleth's Park 1937 Athy 3-6 Sarsfield (Newbridge) 1-6 Naas 1938 St Patrick's Town St Conleth Ellis Kildare Sun's Park 1939 Ellis St. Patrick's Town 3-2 Kildare 1-3 St Conleth's Park 1940 Carbury 1-5 0-4 Kilcock Naas 1941 Athy Carbury 1-9 0-6 St Conleth's Park 1942 Athy Carbury 0-6 0-6 St Conleth's Park Replay Athy Carbury 1-6 0-6 St Conleth's Park 1943 Raheen Ellis Town 1-3 1-3 St Conleth's Park Replay Raheen Ellis 1-1 1-1 St Conleth's Park Town Replay Raheen Ellis 1-4 1-2 St Conleth's Park Town Town Carbury 0-4 1-4 1944 Ellis St Conleth's Park 1945 Sarsfield (Newbridge) 2-9 1-5 Raheen St Conleth's Park 1946 Athy Carbury 0-11 0-7 St Conleth's Park 1947 Sarsfield (Newbridge) 1-7 1-5 Curragh St Conleth's Park 1948 Curragh 2-7 Sarsfield (Newbridge) 2-4 St Conleth's Park 1949 Curragh Ardclough 1-8 1-8 St Conleth's Park Replay Ardclough Curragh 1-11 2-6 St Conleth's Park 1950 Sarsfield (Newbridge) 1-9 2-3 ​​Carbury St Conleth's Park 1951 Sarsfield (Newbridge) North Division 2-11 1-7 St Conleth's Park 1952 Sarsfield (Newbridge) 2-6 0-4 Carbury Naas 1953 Ballymore Carbury 1-6 1-5 St Conleth's Park 1954 Round Towers (Kildare) 0-3 0-2 Carbury St Conleth's Park 1955 Kilcock 3-13 Sarsfield (Newbridge) 4.10 Naas Replay Kilcock 0-9 Sarsfield (Newbridge) 1-4 St Conleth's Park 1956 Military College 0-4 L-6 Ballymore St Conleth's Park 1957 Kilcock 1-6 Round Towers 1-5 Naas Kildare 1958 Kilcock 3-12 Round Towers 3-8 Kildare St Conleth's Park 1959 Round Towers (Kildare) 5-5 Clane 0-7 St Conleth's Park 1960 Carbury Kildare 0-5 2-9 Round Towers St Conleth's Park 1961 Round Towers (Kildare) 3-8 1-11 Carbury St Conleth's Park 1962 Moorefield (Newbridge) Kilcullen 2-11 0-2 St Conleth's Park 1963 Clane Kildare 2-1 1-8 Round Towers St Conleth's Park 1964 Raheen 3-10 Clane 1-9 St Conleth's Park 1965 Carbury 1-9 Moorefield 3-13 St Conleth's Park 1966 Raheen Carbury 2-14 0-7 St Conleth's Park 1967 Carbury Clane 4-6 1-9 St Conleth's Park 1968 Raheen Carbury 2-7 1-8 St Conleth's Park Carbury 1969 Clane 0-10 0-7 St Conleth's Park 1970-9 Eadestown1 Carbury 0-10 St Conleth's Park 1971 Allenwood Carbury 1-13 1-8 St Conleth's Park 1972 Ellis Town Carbury 3-14 1-7 St Conleth's Park 1973 Raheen 1-7 0-4 St Conleth's Park, Monasterevin 1974 Ballyteague Carbury 2-9 0-5 St Conleth's Park 1975 Carbury Clane 1-6 0-9 St Conleth's Park Carbury Clane replay 2-7 1-6 St Conleth's Park 1976 Raheen 2-5 0-6 St Conleth's Park, Monasterevin 1977 Monasterevin Carbury 2-8 2-6 St Conleth's Park 1978 Raheen Athy 3-14 2-6 St Conleth's Park 1979 Raheen Carbury 0-15 0-10 St Conleth's Park 1980 1-6 Clane 1-7 Raheen St Conleth's Park 1981 Sarsfield 2-9 Raheen (Newbridge) 1-7 St Conleth's Park 1982 Sarsfield (Newbridge) 2-11 St Laurence's 0-4 St Conleth's Park 1983 Johnstown 2-7 Sarsfield Bridge (Newbridge) 1-8 St Conleth's Park 1984 Carbury Clane 1-9 0-8 St Conleth's Park 1985 Raheen Carbury 1-9 0-5 St Conleth's Park 1986 Sarsfield (Newbridge) 0-11 0-8 St Conleth's Park Leixlip 1987 Athy 2-9 0-9 Johnstownbridge St Conleth's Park 1988 Johnstownbridge Carbury 0-10 0-10 St Conleth's Park Replay Johnstownbridge Carbury 1-10 1-8 St Conleth's Park 1989 Johnstownbridge 1-7 Clane 1-5 St Conleth's Park 1990 Naas 1-14 Clane 2-9 St Conleth's Park 1991 Clane Naas 2-10 1-6 St Conleth's Park 1992 St. Laurence's 0-7 Clane 0-9 St Conleth's Park 1993 Sarsfield (Newbridge) Clane 0-11 0-11 St Conleth's Park Replay Sarsfield (Newbridge) 1-16 0-15 Clane St Conleth's Park 1994 Sarsfield (Newbridge) 0-9 2-15 Johnstownbridge St Conleth's Park 1995 Athy Clane 3-17 1-8 St Conleth's Park 1996 Round Towers (Kildare) 1-13 0-10 Johnstownbridge St Conleth's Park 1997 Clane 0-13 Sarsfield (Newbridge) 0-8 St Conleth's Park 1998 Round Towers (Kildare) 2-8 Clane 0-4 St Conleth's Park 1999 Sarsfield (Newbridge) 0-15 1-5 St Conleth's Allenwood Park 2000 Moorefield (Newbridge) Kilcock 2-13 2-7 St Conleth's Park 2001 Sarsfield (Newbridge) 0-10 0-8 St Conleth's Moorefield Park 2002 Moorefield (Newbridge) 1-8 Sarsfield (Newbridge) 0-7 St Conleth's Park 2003 Round Towers (Kildare) 1-9 2-14 Kilcock St Conleth's Park 2004 Allenwood St Laurence's 0-11 0-7 St Conleth's Park 2005 Sarsfield (Newbridge) 0-11 St Laurence's 1-8 St Conleth's Park Replay Sarsfield (Newbridge) 1-11 St Laurence's 0-9 St Conleth's Park 2006 Moorefield (Newbridge) 0-10 0-9 St Conleth's Allenwood Park 2007 Moorefield (Newbridge) 2-9 Sarsfield (Newbridge) 0-11 St Conleth's Park 2008 Sarsfield 0-7 Celbridge (Newbridge) 0-7 St Conleth's Park Replay Sarsfield 1-9 Celbridge (Newbridge) 0-10 St Conleth's Park 2009 St Laurence's 1-13 Moorefield (Newbridge) 0-6 St Conleth's Park 2010 Moorefield (Newbridge) 0-13 Sarsfield (Newbridge) 1-8 St Conleth's Park Athy Carbury 2-07 2-11 2011