Kildorrery GAA

Kildorrery GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association based in the parish of Kildorrery, Cork, Ireland. The club fields teams in competitions organized by the Cork GAA county board and the Avondhu GAA divisional board. The club fields teams in both hurling and Gaelic football.

History

The club was founded in 1949, when the previous clubs in the parish were merged into one. The club had its origins in the Oldcastletown club which was predominantly a Hurling Club. In 1943, Oldcastletown won the North Cork and Cork Junior Hurling Championship titles, defeating Glen Rovers in the County final. The following two years they were runners-up in the Cork Intermediate Hurling Championship when they were beaten by Lough Rovers and the 31st Battalion. It wasn’t until 1967 that football was taken seriously in the club. That year, Kildorrery won the North Cork U21 Football Championship. The big breakthrough didn’t come until 1978 when the Junior footballers won the North Cork and Cork Junior Football Championship titles for the first time in the clubs history. The following year they reached the Cork Intermediate Football Championship final but lost to Adrigole in Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

In 1981 their persistence paid off and became Intermediate Football champions when they defeated Glanmire in the final played in Fermoy. They also won back to back U21 North Cork Football titles in 1981 and 1982. In their first year at Senior level in 1982, Kildorrery defeated Bishopstown in the first round but lost narrowly to St Nicholas in the next round. The following season they went under to a star-studded St. Finbarrs side. The club re-graded to the Intermediate ranks the following year and in 1986 dropped down to the Junior ranks as Hurling again came to the fore for a few years. Kildorrery won the North Cork football title in 1990 and again in 1994 when the former Cork Senior Hurling manager, Denis Walsh lined out at midfield and played a starring role in the North Cork final.

The club had to wait a further 13 years for a junior title when they finally made the breakthrough in 2007 by defeating Kilworth in the North Cork Final. They reached the County final but lost narrowly to Canovee who went all the way, capturing the All Ireland Club title. Kildorrery were promoted to the Intermediate ranks in 2008 and made it all the way to the final beating Canovee on the way. Their opponents in the final were Valley Rovers and after an exciting final played in Pairc Uí Rinn, Kildorrery had to settle for second best losing by 2 points. In 2010 they were back in the final again this time against a star-studded Macroom team and once again heartbreak at the final whistle with a missed penalty in the closing minutes sealing their fate.

Kildorrery has operated as a dual club since the 1960s and has had great success in both codes in the last 50 years. In 1962 Kildorrery won their first North Cork Junior Hurling title when they beat Kilworth on a scoreline of 6 – 07 to 7 – 01. The following year they met Kilworth again in the final and after a draw in the first game they won the replay by the narrowest of margins 4 – 05 to 3 – 07. They defeated Ballyhea in 1969 3 – 10 to 0 – 05 to record their third North Cork Hurling success.

The Club made their first Cork Junior Hurling Championship final appearance in 1972 after they beat Kilworth in the North Cork Final, and were victorious against Eire Og in the County Championship but fell at the final hurdle to a strong Newcestown side on a scoreline of 2 – 07 to 2 – 04 in the Final. The following year Kildorrery were back in the North Cork Final against Charleville and after a high scoring game Kildorrery came out on top despite conceding 7 goals on a scoreline of 4 – 18 to 7 – 07. In 1977 the sides met again in the final and Kildorrery had a big win scoring 5 – 17. The sides didn’t meet in the final again until the Centenary Year 1984 when, after a fine hours hurling, the sides finished all square.

The replay was another titanic battle with Kildorrery finishing the stronger to record the narrowest of victories on a scoreline of 3 – 05 to 1 – 10. Four years later Kildorrery were back in the final where they defeated Dromina who were looking for their first title. It took another 23 years before Kildorrery finally reached the North Cork final in 2011 and played Charleville in a winner take all situation as the delayed North Cork final was played after the County Final and Charleville had to put their County title on the line. After a fine hours Hurling Charleville came out on top on a scoreline of 2 – 12 to 0 – 10. Charleville showed their class by going all the way to the All Ireland Final but were agonisingly defeated by a single point against Kilkenny champions St Patricks, Ballyraggat.

With the confidence gained from the defeat by Charleville in 2011 and with some very promising players coming through from the minor ranks, Kildorrery were back in the final again in 2012 with good wins over Glanworth, Kilworth and Ballyhooly and faced Glanworth again in the final. On the day, Kildorrery had too much firepower for a spirited Glanworth team and finally regained the North Cork title after a lapse of 24 years on a scoreline of 3 - 17 to 1 - 10.

Next up in the County quarter final were East Cork Champions Carrignavar and after a titanic struggle Kildorrery progressed on a scoreline of 1 - 14 to 1 - 13. In the Semi-Final Kildorrery faced the Duhallow champions Kilbrin and again there was only a puck of a ball between the sides with Kildorrery prevailing on a scorline of 3 - 14 to 2 - 14 at the final whistle. Forty years after playing in their first final, Kildorrery were back in the final to face the team they beat in the Junior football final in 1978, Brian Dillons.

In the final in Pairc Ui Rinn on 21 October the two teams served up the hurling game of the year on Leeside when the game finished level on a scoreline of Kildorrery 2 - 15 Brian Dillons 1 - 18. The replay on the 4th November was no different when both teams served up another classic with Kildorrery 3 points down entering injury time. What was to happen next will live long in the memory of Kildorrery folk when the "never say die" of the lads when staring defeat in the face rescued the game with a wonderful goal from Finbarr Stapleton and two superb points from Peter O Brien. The Supporters could hardly believe it when the final whistle blew. Kildorrery had snatched victory in the dying embers of an absorbing contest on a scoreline of 2 - 08 to 0 - 13. Past heartbreaks of losing County finals were consigned to history as Richie McEniry lifted the Johnny Quirke cup for the first time in the clubs history.

Achievements

References

  1. ↑ "Awesome O’Brien the hero again for Kildorrery". Irish Examiner. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  2. ↑ "O’Brien the hero as Kildorrery stun Dillon’s". Irish Examiner. 5 November 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  3. ↑ "Kildorrery bridge 24-year gap". Irish Examiner. 27 August 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.

External Sources

Kildorrery GAA website

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