Moorefield GAA
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Moorefield is a Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic 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 in County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
, 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,...
winner of six county senior football championships and three senior hurling championships.
History
Folklore records that in 1882 two brothers, John O’Kelly of Moorefield Road and James O’Kelly of Ballymany were instrumental in forming the first football team in Newbridge. Calling themselves the JJ O’Kellys they played matches against Mountrice, Eyrefield, Monasterevin, Kildare town and Milltown. When the GAA was formed the club changed its name from JJ O’Kelly’s to Moorefield, the name of the local townland. RIC records from 1890 show that Moorefield JJ O'Kelly's had 100 members with officers listed as James Callaghan, John Langton, Thomas Lannery and John Dixon. John Murphy attended the 1889 convention. Moorefield were involved in the revival attempts of 1896 and 1901, and the Moorefield tournament was a highlight of the calendar in the early years of the century, forming an unofficial trial for the team that played in the 1903 All Ireland final.Gaelic Football
Long the poor relations of Newbridge football, beside Roseberry, St. Conleth's and late Sarsfields, Moorefield's only county final appearance was by default in 1902. When their free-taker, Jim Scott, and three Fitzgeralds transferred to Roseberry for the 1903 championship and went on to play in the 1903 and 1905 All Ireland finals, Moorefield stepped down to junior ranks in 1905 from which they re-emerged in 1932. Promoted to senior after an Intermediate final appearance against Maynooth in 1957, they proved by winning a treble of Leader Cups, 1958-1960 (in fact they won the 1958 competition after they had won the 1959 and 1960 titles), that they could indeed match the best in senior football with the likes of Jimmy Dowling, Paddy Anderson, Denis Craddock, Jim and John Cummins, Jim McDermott, Joe Moran, Paddy Moore, Toss McCarthy Harry Fay and Darrell Edmonds on the team. Moorefield were beaten by Carbury in the county semi-final in 1960, and were only eliminated from the 1961 quarter-final in a replay. The 1962 county semi-final between Moorefield and Kilcock resulted in a bitter objection and three replays before Moorefield qualified for the final and duly beat Kilcullen in a one-sided final the following May. Moorefield, still in shape after a wintertime of semi-finals, stormed ahead with the help of a 14th minute Harry Fay goal, led 1-6 to 0-2 at half-time, and another from Robert Clinton at the three-quarters was only of statistical value. The Moorefield midfield that day was influential with both Paddy Moore and Paddy Anderson in fine form. Moorefield won out easy winners, 2-11 to 0-2 to claim their first Kildare Senior Football Championship title. Carbury then defeated Moorefield in the 1965 final.Moorefield re-emerged in the 1990s. A run of success that started with the minor championship of 1989 and two more Leinster Leader Cups in 1994 and 1996 culminated in three successive finals 2000–2002, two of which were won. In 2000 Moorefield beat Kilcock
Kilcock GAA
Kilcock is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in Kilcock, County Kildare, Ireland, winner of five county senior football championships and Kildare club of the year in 1983.-History:...
by 2-13 to 2-7 after goals from Cian O'Neill and gave them a 2-10 to 0-1 lead at half-time. Sarsfields overhauled Moorefield towards the end of the 2001 final in a closely contested decider to win 0-10 to 0-8. In 2002 Moorefield won their third title, beating near neighbours Sarsfields 1-8 to 0-6 thanks to a Ronan Sweeney penalty seconds into the second half. Moorefield were defeated in two Leinster club semi-final, by O'Hanrahan's 0-12 to 0-11 in 2000 and by Mattock Rangers by 3-13 to 2-10 in 2002.
The glory days of Moorefield, and indeed Newbridge football rose to a higher plane in 2006, when The Moors beat Allenwood in the Kildare Senior Football Championship final, which lead on to a first Leinster Senior Club Football Championship
Leinster Senior Club Football Championship
The Leinster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament played between the hundreds of senior football clubs in Leinster. The current holders of the Leinster title are Portlaoise from Laois. Offaly side Gracefield were the first winners of the Leinster senior club...
victory for the town, beating Rhode of Offaly
Offaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
on a wind-swept Sunday in December in the aptly named O'Moore Park
O'Moore Park
O'Moore Park is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Portlaoise, County Laois, Ireland. It is the home of the Laois Gaelic football and hurling teams. The ground has a capacity of about 27,000. Its pitch is one of ireland's best under weather. It is the venue for a lot of club and county...
, County Laois
County Laois
County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...
. They were decisive victors, on a day that all present hoped would lead to a clear-cut rather than a marginal victory. It proved to be so, with a final score of 3 goals and 6 points (15 points) to 8 points for Rhode.
The club enjoys a particularly bittersweet rivalry with town neighbours Sarsfields, and as their respective fortunes rise and fall each side can be trusted to support the other, and indeed enjoy each others fortune. In 2007 they won the Kildare Senior Football Championship for the second year running, beating Sarsfields.
Hurling
Moorefield's 1-10 to 0-3 victory over Broadford in the 1963 county final bridged a twenty year gap for Moorefield. Davey Dennis captained the team, Mick Leahy scored 0-7 of the total, Billy Quinn came on as substitute to score the goal, and Ned Goff, Jim Barker, Harry Fay, Colm Ruffley, Paddy Moore, Tom O'Connell and Stephen Schwer all collected medals as a result of the victory over a much-changed BroadfordBroadford GAA
Broadford is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in County Kildare, Ireland, winners of two senior hurling and 16 senior camogie titles. It enlists players from a radius of twenty miles from the Boyne bridge in Edenderry, Leinster bridge in Clonard, Blackwater bridge in Enfield and Barney Bridge in...
team. Moorefields most famous hurler of all time would be Mick Maloney.
Moorefield won there 3rd senior title in 1991 beating Coil Dubh in a replay, a cracking game played in good hard sporting fashion with the Mc Mullen and Murray Familys making up six of the starting fifteen. Moorefield went on to represent Kildare in the leinster Hurling Championship, they played Longford Slashers in the first round, which also went to a replay, they then took on the mighty Birr in the next ronund, i'll leave the rest to your imagination.
Moorefield won the replayed 2010 Intermediate Hurling Championship against Naas, 1-13 to 0-11 in Celbridge. The replay was an entertaining and hard fought game between both sides at St. Conleths park ending on a score of 1-11 a piece, leaving the title to be decided for a later date. On the day Moorefield dominated the majority of the game, Moorefield led 0-10 0-07 at the interval. A goal from a 21 yard free in front of the goal by Gavin Sunderland put the Moores 6 points in front midway through the 2nd half. Moorefield defended like their life depended on it in the last few moments to keep a tremendous fight back from Naas from scoring any inspirational goals. Moorefield will now contest in the Senior ranks for 2011.
Honours
- Leinster club F Winners 2006.
- Leinster club F Semi-finalists 2000, 2002, 2007.
- Kildare Senior Football Championships 1962, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2010.
- Senior H champions 1943, 1963, 1991.
- Senior F Finalists 1965.
- Senior F LeagueKildare Senior Football League Division 1Kildare Senior Football League Division 1The Kildare Senior Football League Division 1 is an annual Kildare GAA club competition. 16 clubs play 15 games and are awarded 2 points per win and 1 point per draw. The top two teams qualify to play in the League Final , the winners are presented with the...
1958, 1959, 1960, 1994, 1996, 2008, 2010, 2011 - Senior B F Champions 1994, 1995, 1997.
- Intermediate B F Champions 1996.
- Intermediate F Champions 1937, 1939.
- Junior F Champions 1933.1948.
- Junior A F Champions 1948.
- Jumior b F Champions 2006. 2007.
- Jack Higgins Cup 1994. 2006
- Junior C F 1992,2000,2001.
- Under-21 FKildare U-21 Football ChampionshipKildare U-21 Football ChampionshipThe Kildare U-21 Football Championship is an annual GAA club competition for Kildare GAA Clubs.-Roll of Honour:...
1997, 1998, 2000, 2003. - Minor FKildare Minor Football ChampionshipThe Kildare Minor Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition organised by Kildare GAA.-Roll of Honour:...
1989, 1997, 2003. - Intermediate H 1998, 2010
- Junior H Champions 1941, 1961, 1979, 1987, 1997 & 2006
- Junior F League 1936.
- Junior H League 1972.
- Camogie Senior B 1998, 1999.
- Intermediate camogie 1994.
- Junior camogie 1992.