Kilrea GAC
Encyclopedia
Pádraig Pearse's GAC Kilrea is a Gaelic Athletic Association
club based in Kilrea
, County Londonderry
, Northern Ireland
. The club is a member of the Derry GAA
and currently cater for both Gaelic football
and Camogie
. The club is named after Irish patriot Pádraig Pearse.
Underage teams up to U-12's play in South Derry league and championships, from U-14 upwards teams compete in All-Derry competitions.
and played in black and amber colours. Their nickname was "the B's".
Soon after, in 1956, the current club, Pádraig Pearse's GAC Kilrea was formed, and choose to play in red and white shirts. The club won Junior League and South Derry Championships before moving to compete in Senior football in 1958.
In 1966 the Pearse's won the inaugural Under 16 Championship. Part of that team was Martin O'Neill
, who would later go onto play professional soccer and manage Glasgow Celtic and Aston Villa. Members of this team went on to win the County Minor title in 1970. The club won the 1971 Derry Junior Football Championship
and won the Derry Intermediate Championship
four years later.
By 1979 Kilrea had been successful, however they went in to the doldrums of football at all age levels for 15 odd years. Recently the club have been successful at all underage levels, but this has not transferred itself to the Senior stage, evidenced by the fact that the Derry Senior Football Championship still eludes them.
volunteered some money to help with this development, but recently the Democratic Unionist Party
have started petitions to try and stop this investment, like they have done with many GAA developments, including fellow Derry clubs Doire Trasna
and Sean Dolans
.
Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.
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 Kilrea
Kilrea
Kilrea is a village and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is near the River Bann, which marks the boundary between County Londonderry and County Antrim...
, County Londonderry
County Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. The club is a member of the Derry GAA
Derry GAA
The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry...
and currently cater for both Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
and Camogie
Camogie
Camogie is an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women; it is almost identical to the game of hurling played by men. Camogie is played by 100,000 women in Ireland and world wide, largely among Irish communities....
. The club is named after Irish patriot Pádraig Pearse.
Underage teams up to U-12's play in South Derry league and championships, from U-14 upwards teams compete in All-Derry competitions.
Gaelic football
Kilrea fields Gaelic football teams at U8, U10, U12, U14, U16, Minor, Reserve and Senior levels.History
The first Kilrea Gaelic football club was established on the 15 November 1943. The club was named O'Cahan's Kilrea and played in blue and gold jerseys. Many of the inaugural Minor team of 1946 went on to help Kilrea win the Junior Championship in 1951. In the early 1950s the club changed its name to the Kevin Barry's, named after the patriot Kevin BarryKevin Barry
Kevin Gerard Barry was the first Irish republican to be executed by the British since the leaders of the Easter Rising. Barry was sentenced to death for his part in an IRA operation which resulted in the deaths of three British soldiers.Barry's death is considered a watershed moment in the Irish...
and played in black and amber colours. Their nickname was "the B's".
Soon after, in 1956, the current club, Pádraig Pearse's GAC Kilrea was formed, and choose to play in red and white shirts. The club won Junior League and South Derry Championships before moving to compete in Senior football in 1958.
In 1966 the Pearse's won the inaugural Under 16 Championship. Part of that team was Martin O'Neill
Martin O'Neill
Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, OBE, is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.Until resigning the post on 9 August 2010, he was manager of Aston Villa. Starting his career in his native Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham...
, who would later go onto play professional soccer and manage Glasgow Celtic and Aston Villa. Members of this team went on to win the County Minor title in 1970. The club won the 1971 Derry Junior Football Championship
Derry Junior Football Championship
The Derry Junior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association club competition between the Junior Derry clubs...
and won the Derry Intermediate Championship
Derry Intermediate Football Championship
The Derry Intermediate Football Club Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition between the intermediate Derry clubs...
four years later.
By 1979 Kilrea had been successful, however they went in to the doldrums of football at all age levels for 15 odd years. Recently the club have been successful at all underage levels, but this has not transferred itself to the Senior stage, evidenced by the fact that the Derry Senior Football Championship still eludes them.
Pearse Park
Work was commenced on Pearse Park in late 1977 and opened two years later. A second training pitch which was completed in 2001. Club development is currently preparing for the construction of a new pavilion including four new changing rooms to complement this second pitch. Coleraine Borough CouncilColeraine Borough Council
Coleraine Borough Council is a local council mainly in County Londonderry and partly in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Its headquarters are in the town of Coleraine. Small towns in the area include Garvagh, Portrush, Portstewart and Kilrea...
volunteered some money to help with this development, but recently the Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
have started petitions to try and stop this investment, like they have done with many GAA developments, including fellow Derry clubs Doire Trasna
CLG Doire Trasna
Na Piarsaigh CLG Doire Trasna is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Waterside in Derry City, Northern Ireland. They play in the Derry league and championships. They currently cater for Gaelic football....
and Sean Dolans
Seán Dolans GAC
Seán Dolans GAC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA and currently cater for Gaelic football and Ladies' Gaelic football....
.
Senior
- Derry Intermediate Football Championship: 1
- 1975
- Derry Junior Football Championship: 1
- 1971
Minor
- Ulster Minor Club Football Championship: 1
- 2008
- Derry Minor Football Championship: 2
- 1970, 2004, 2007
- Derry Minor Football League: 1
- 2006, 2007
- South Derry Minor Football Championship: 2
- 1970, 1990
- South Derry Minor Football League: 2
- 1970, 1990
U-16
- Derry U-16 Football Championship: 3
- 1966, 1987, 2005
- South Derry U-16 Football Championship: 3
- 1966, 1987, 2005
- South Derry U-16 Football League: 2
- 1983, 2005
U-14
- Derry Féile na nÓg: 2
- 2003, 2011
- Derry U-14 Football Championship: 2
- 2002, 2003
- South Derry U-14 Football Championship: 2
- 2002, 2003
- South Derry U-14 Football League: 3
- 1981, 2003, 2005
- South Derry U-14 'B' Football League: 2
- 1987, 2011
Camogie
- Senior Derry Intermediate Camogie Championship: 2
- 2008,2010
Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.
See also
- Derry Senior Football Championship
- List of Gaelic Athletic Association clubs in Derry