Castlegregory GAA
Encyclopedia
Castlegregory are a Gaelic Athletic Association
club based in the parish of Castlegregory
in Kerry
, Ireland
. This is a Gaelic football
only club, with no hurling
played. The club is a member of the West Kerry
division of Kerry GAA
. They play their home games in the newly renovated surrounds of Pairc An Caislean located just outside the parish's main village of the same name.
The club fields teams at all age groups from U10 through to Senior and has an excellent record at underage level with regular representation on county teams from U16 - U21.
Many Castlegregory players have been honoured at Munster Colleges level with Tralee CBS and at Sigerson Cup
level with various third level institutions. The success of the outstanding Micheál O'Shea with UCC stands out in the minds of most along witn Seán Mahoney with ITT.
long before the GAA was founded in 1884.
The game of Caid was played in the parish of Castlegregory long before, and even after, the foundation of the GAA in Thurles in 1884. Caid itself seems to have been a combination of rough and tumble football and cross country running - the contestants being teams from neighbouring parishes.
One such game took place between Castle and Cloghane in 1886 at Dowling's Big Field in Stradbally with both sides claiming victory. A replay finally took place 2 years later with Cloghane winning. A local balladeer recalled the game in a song called "The Kickers of Lios na Caol Bhuidhe" which contains the immortal line: " ..they'd kick all before them from here to Tralee" Another line recounts events when the game became a little too robust: "The referee, with his whistle, was up on top a tree".!!!
The first official GAA club of the parish was known as Castlegregory Allen - in memory of William Allen, one of the Manchester Martyrs Allen, Larkin and O'Brien. The club took part in the first Kerry County Championship played in 1889 in which they met a team called Ó Breannan. After two draws, the second replay was played in Castle on 10 April, but the game was abandoned after O'Breannan refused to continue when Castle scored a disputed goal. However, as you would, both teams retired to a local hostelry and had a night of singing and dancing.
The first recorded meeting of the club took place in October 1889 and Mr Thomas Moore was elected president and the officers elected with him were Silvester Egan, Hugh O'Flaherty. Michael Kelliher, John Fitzgerald, Eugene Foran and Michael O'Sullivan. John Foran and Thomas McCarthy were elected captain and vice captain respectively. Tom O'Flaherty from Fahamore
soon became Honorary Secretary of the Kerry County Board and not long after Castle became a proper affiliated club
competitions are divided into two distinct branches - divisional and county.
In divisional competitions, teams face off against their neighbours from within their own geographical area. In Castlegregory's case, this means that they play against other West Kerry
clubs such as Dingle
, An Gaeltacht, Lispole
, St. Pats, Blennerville and fierce rivals Annascaul
.
County competitions involve matches against opposition from throughout County Kerry
and are independent of divisional championships.
Castlegregory also send players to form part of the West Kerry
divisional team which competes in the Kerry County Championships at Minor, U21 and Senior levels.
and divisional competitions.
Castle have regularly been strong contenders in their county league divisions, winning several titles at all underage brackets over the past 20 years or so, most notably a County Minor 3-in-a-row side in the mid 90's.
in the All Ireland semi-final by a score of 1-16 to 0-8. Another fine win witnessed in Limerick by many who travelled from West Kerry for the game. All set for the Valentines day 2010 final in Croke Park in Dublin.
In 2009 Castle also won promotion from Division 3 of the county league.
To overcome this, a parish league was formed which pitted the best 15 from each or the larger townlands against each other. The main protagonists included teams from Cloghane, Stradbally, Aughausla, Camp, Maharees
and Castlegregory.
As the local population declined many townlands had trouble finding 15 players, to the point where the parish league was disbanded.
In its place, we now have an annual once off game between the East of the Parish and the West of the Parish. These clashes take place every December, normally around St Stephen's Day.
Often tough affairs, featuring a cameo or two from former greats who just doesn't know when to lie down, the matches usually draw a large crowd.
Some things never change though and once the old scores are settled and rivalries renewed, it all ends with a trophy presentation and a pint in one of Castle's well known watering holes.
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
club based in the parish of Castlegregory
Castlegregory
Castlegregory is a village in County Kerry, Ireland. It is situated on the north side of the Dingle Peninsula, halfway between Tralee and Dingle. Castlegregory has a population of 205 ....
in Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. This is a Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
only club, with no hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
played. The club is a member of the West Kerry
West Kerry GAA
West Kerry is a Divisional Gaelic football team in Kerry. The teams involved are Lispole,Castlegregary. Annascaul,Dingle and An Ghaeltacht are also part of the area but play alone in the Kerry Senior Football ChampionshipHistory...
division of Kerry GAA
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
. They play their home games in the newly renovated surrounds of Pairc An Caislean located just outside the parish's main village of the same name.
The club fields teams at all age groups from U10 through to Senior and has an excellent record at underage level with regular representation on county teams from U16 - U21.
Many Castlegregory players have been honoured at Munster Colleges level with Tralee CBS and at Sigerson Cup
Sigerson Cup
The Sigerson Cup is the top division of Higher Education Gaelic football in Ireland, It is administrated by the Higher Education committee which is part of the Gaelic Athletic Association...
level with various third level institutions. The success of the outstanding Micheál O'Shea with UCC stands out in the minds of most along witn Seán Mahoney with ITT.
History
Football was played in CastlegregoryCastlegregory
Castlegregory is a village in County Kerry, Ireland. It is situated on the north side of the Dingle Peninsula, halfway between Tralee and Dingle. Castlegregory has a population of 205 ....
long before the GAA was founded in 1884.
The game of Caid was played in the parish of Castlegregory long before, and even after, the foundation of the GAA in Thurles in 1884. Caid itself seems to have been a combination of rough and tumble football and cross country running - the contestants being teams from neighbouring parishes.
One such game took place between Castle and Cloghane in 1886 at Dowling's Big Field in Stradbally with both sides claiming victory. A replay finally took place 2 years later with Cloghane winning. A local balladeer recalled the game in a song called "The Kickers of Lios na Caol Bhuidhe" which contains the immortal line: " ..they'd kick all before them from here to Tralee" Another line recounts events when the game became a little too robust: "The referee, with his whistle, was up on top a tree".!!!
The first official GAA club of the parish was known as Castlegregory Allen - in memory of William Allen, one of the Manchester Martyrs Allen, Larkin and O'Brien. The club took part in the first Kerry County Championship played in 1889 in which they met a team called Ó Breannan. After two draws, the second replay was played in Castle on 10 April, but the game was abandoned after O'Breannan refused to continue when Castle scored a disputed goal. However, as you would, both teams retired to a local hostelry and had a night of singing and dancing.
The first recorded meeting of the club took place in October 1889 and Mr Thomas Moore was elected president and the officers elected with him were Silvester Egan, Hugh O'Flaherty. Michael Kelliher, John Fitzgerald, Eugene Foran and Michael O'Sullivan. John Foran and Thomas McCarthy were elected captain and vice captain respectively. Tom O'Flaherty from Fahamore
Fahamore
Fahamore is a small hamlet/village on the Maharees peninsula in County Kerry. It consists of about 50 houses and one famous pub Spillane's . Fahamore was historically much larger than it is now as evidenced by two old schoolhouses in the village, one dating from 1843 and the other from 1911...
soon became Honorary Secretary of the Kerry County Board and not long after Castle became a proper affiliated club
Competitions
Kerry GAAKerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
competitions are divided into two distinct branches - divisional and county.
In divisional competitions, teams face off against their neighbours from within their own geographical area. In Castlegregory's case, this means that they play against other West Kerry
West Kerry GAA
West Kerry is a Divisional Gaelic football team in Kerry. The teams involved are Lispole,Castlegregary. Annascaul,Dingle and An Ghaeltacht are also part of the area but play alone in the Kerry Senior Football ChampionshipHistory...
clubs such as Dingle
Dingle
Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about 49 kilometres southwest of Tralee and 71 kilometres northwest of Killarney....
, An Gaeltacht, Lispole
Lispole
Lispole is a Gaeltacht village in County Kerry, Ireland. It is situated on the Dingle Peninsula 5 miles east of the town of Dingle and 25 miles west of Tralee on the N86 National Secondary Route.-Transport:...
, St. Pats, Blennerville and fierce rivals Annascaul
Annascaul
Annascaul or Anascaul is a village on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland.Different suggestions as to the original meaning of the name include "Scáil's River" , "River of the Shadows", or "Ford of the Heroes".-Geography:The Dingle Way walking route passes through the...
.
County competitions involve matches against opposition from throughout County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
and are independent of divisional championships.
Castlegregory also send players to form part of the West Kerry
West Kerry GAA
West Kerry is a Divisional Gaelic football team in Kerry. The teams involved are Lispole,Castlegregary. Annascaul,Dingle and An Ghaeltacht are also part of the area but play alone in the Kerry Senior Football ChampionshipHistory...
divisional team which competes in the Kerry County Championships at Minor, U21 and Senior levels.
Club Foundations: Bord na nÓg
All of Castlegregory's underage teams take part in similar county Gaelic footballGaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
and divisional competitions.
Castle have regularly been strong contenders in their county league divisions, winning several titles at all underage brackets over the past 20 years or so, most notably a County Minor 3-in-a-row side in the mid 90's.
Senior
2009 Kerry Junior County Champions. 2009 Munster Junior Champions. Castle defeated Mountcollins of Limerick by a score of 1-20 to 0-4 on 13 December 2009. Great celebrations and speech making were seen in the village the night after the match especially by team trainer Ger Callaghan and team captain Adrian 'Sammy' Finn of the Maharees. Castle followed up this fine win in January 2010 by defeating Longwood of MeathMeath GAA
The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :...
in the All Ireland semi-final by a score of 1-16 to 0-8. Another fine win witnessed in Limerick by many who travelled from West Kerry for the game. All set for the Valentines day 2010 final in Croke Park in Dublin.
In 2009 Castle also won promotion from Division 3 of the county league.
Parish Leagues
As a large parish - end to end is about 30 miles - comprising many sizeable townlands and villages, early Castle teams suffered from logistical difficulties when it came to the organisation of training sessions.To overcome this, a parish league was formed which pitted the best 15 from each or the larger townlands against each other. The main protagonists included teams from Cloghane, Stradbally, Aughausla, Camp, Maharees
Maharees
Maharees or Magharees is a 5 km long ayre located on the northern side of the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. Fenit Harbour, the main port of County Kerry is sheltered from large Atlantic swells by the Maharees...
and Castlegregory.
As the local population declined many townlands had trouble finding 15 players, to the point where the parish league was disbanded.
In its place, we now have an annual once off game between the East of the Parish and the West of the Parish. These clashes take place every December, normally around St Stephen's Day.
Often tough affairs, featuring a cameo or two from former greats who just doesn't know when to lie down, the matches usually draw a large crowd.
Some things never change though and once the old scores are settled and rivalries renewed, it all ends with a trophy presentation and a pint in one of Castle's well known watering holes.
Notable players
Castlegregory has had some wonderful players through the years, many of whom never made it into a Kerry shirt but may well have been able to lay claim to one. Of those who did, Pat O'Shea and Tom Moriarty are two of the most notable. Both are featured in the book "Princes Of Pigskin", which chronicles the men and women who have made Kerry great.- Pat "Aeroplane" O'Shea
- Tom Moriarty
- Mick Moriarty
- Kevin Maunsell
- John Healy
- Timmy Fitzgerald
- Pat Dowling
- Jack Dowling
- Ger O'Donnell
- Tom Kelliher
- Micheal John O'Shea
- Jason Wieboldt
- Sean O'Mahony
- Micheal O'Shea
- Derek McNamara
- Brendan Lynch
- Stephen Browne
- Shane Henessey
- JB Spillane
- Thomas "The High Fielder" Rohan
Roll of honour
- West Kerry Senior Football ChampionshipWest Kerry Senior Football ChampionshipThe West Kerry Senior Football Championship is a Gaelic football competition between clubs affiliated to the West Kerry division of the Gaelic Athletic Association.-See also:*South Kerry Senior Football Championship*East Kerry Senior Football Championship...
: 1966, 1973, 1977 - Kerry Junior Football ChampionshipKerry Junior Football ChampionshipThe Kerry junior championship is an annual Gaelic football competition played in County Kerry, Ireland by Gaelic Athletic Association clubs affiliated to Kerry GAA. It is a grade below Kerry Intermediate Football Championship and the winners move up to that grade the year after winning it...
: 1974, 2009 - Munster Junior Club Football ChampionshipMunster Junior Club Football ChampionshipMunster Junior Club Football Championship was first played officially in 2003 when Annascaul from Kerry and Carbery Rangers from Cork played each other. An unofficial championship had taken place in the previous year...
: 2009 - All-Ireland Junior Club Football ChampionshipAll-Ireland Junior Club Football ChampionshipThe All-Ireland Junior Club Football Championship is a Gaelic football competition started up in 2004 to be played by the winners of the Junior Club Championship from each County. Prior to that a number of unofficial competitions were held...
: 2010