CLASHMORE/KINSALEBEG GAA CLUB -
A PROUD GAELIC GAMES TRADITION

Sandwiched between the Drum Hills and the River Blackwater, the parish of

The "Famous Five" champions from 1903 to 1907 represented Clashmore/Kinsalebeg (a joint team) with distinction. Three sets of brothers backboned the team, the Dooceys, the Hallorans & the Kenures along with Jim Barry, Ned Duggan, Patsy Roche, Patsy Power, Tom Hannon, J.J. Power, Patsy Torpey, John Lynch, Jim McGrath, Johnny Broderick , Jimmy Coyne, Richard Tracey and Paddy Quinlan. They were champions in 1903 and went on to record five-in-a-row, a herculean feat in any era (A photograph of this great team can be found in our photo gallery).

Success would not come again until 1920 when Clashmore beat Rathgormack by 0-4 to 0-3 at the Shandon Field but any further records such as players involved etc. are very scarce but the team did include several of the players who were still playing in the 1925 final. This team were very strong during this period of time as they also contested the 1922 final against near rivals Aglish which they lost by 3-1 to 0-0 in Dungarvan.
1925 did indeed bring us another but alas our last Senior Football victory with men like  Dan Doyle, John Mulcahy, Cal Keane, Hugh McGrath, Jack Hannon, Bill Kiely & Ned White all playing their part in a win over An Rinn by 0-2 to 0-1 at the Fraher Field.

The 1930's brought many fine footballers in Ritchie Murray, Jack Barron, Ted O'Keeffe, John Curran, Jimmy Cunningham, the O'Rourke twins, Stevie Ronayne and Ritchie Tobin. The club had dropped back to Junior Ranks due to falling numbers but some of these players would help Clashmore win a Junior Football title in 1934, by beating Rathgormack in Dungarvan. While the players were there right throughout the rest of decade there were never enough players at any one time to build up to another county victory. The decade slipped by and many great players never saw the success they richly deserved.

Into the 1940's and Richie Dee, Charlie Egan & Tommy O'Connell won Munster junior football medals with Waterford when Limerick were defeated in the Munster final but Dublin proved to be far too strong when it came to All-Ireland final day.

The 1950's brought lean times to the parish. Victories were few and far between. Martin Baker, Billy and Toddy Lennon tried there hearts out for the parish but emigration and a lack of employment opportunities locally, deprived the parish of a strong playing squad. In the late 50's the parish was not represented in championship at all in some years, and the club essentially went out of existence for a few years.

A new club was formed in the winter of 1959 by Joseph O'Keeffe, Tom Ormonde and others. The Red and Green again competed in the 1960 championship and went on to win a Primary Football championship in 1962. There were six McGraths in the line-up; Tom, Ned, Dinny, Pad Joe, Jim & Redmond. Together with the late Jimmy Daly, John Power, Jimmy Roche, The O'Rourkes, the late Pat(Fagan)White and the great Pa Cunningham the club ended a 37-year wait by claiming a famous victory.

1969 was to prove to be a unique year in the history of the club. The Intermediate Football & Junior Hurling double was achieved that year in some style. In the football decider Dunhill were the hot favourites but the men from the parish had other ideas. On the day John Hurton was in goal...Jimmy Daly, Willy Joe Lennane & Dinny McGrath were in the full back line. The half back line consisted of Jimmy O'Rourke, Pad O'Neill & Pablo O'Rourke. John Hogan & Vinnie O'Rourke controlled the middle of the field while Pat (Fagan) White, Liam O'Rourke & Pat O'Rourke were in the half-forward line. And finally Noel (Duck) Murray wore 13, while Claudie Fitzgerald was at full forward & Jimmy Roche in at no. 15.

The dawn of the 1970's brought new names to the Red & Green. The household names of the 1960's had retired and the club reverted again to the Intermediate grade. Hard fought battles with Ring, Old Parish & Tallow were lost before the breakthrough came in 1977 with an emphatic county final victory over Ferrybank at the Shandon field in Dungarvan. Tim O'Keeffe was in goal that day, while defending were Jack O'Halloran, Vinnie O'Rourke, Eamon Beresford, Liam Curran, Roger O'Halloran & John Barry. Michael O'Halloran & James Kelly had the upper hand in midfield while up front Sean Allen, Tony Shalloe, Eddie O'Halloran, Liam O'Rourke, Mossie Curran & Mike Shalloe were superior in attack.

The following year 1978, largely the same team took the Senior championship by storm. Victories over Affane, Bonmahon, Kilrossanty & Affane again saw us pitted against Ballinacourty in the final. History will record that Ballinacourty won on the day by the three points. We had our chances to bridge that 53-year gap but Lady Luck was not on our side. The remaining two years of the decade brought no further county titles. A few tournament wins and a Phelan cup final kept the team together. A good championship run in 1982 saw us again reach the Senior county final. On a wet and miserable day in Walsh Park (as history will record it often is down there) the Stradbally team proved to be too strong, a fine Tom Considine goal being the difference between the two teams.

And so into the 1990's, and with a superb pitch having been acquired and dressing rooms built during the 1980's the attention again turned to the playing field. Diligent work at juvenile level throughout the decade saw the emergence of a number of very exciting young players. At adult level the ageing team of the 1980's slipped back into Intermediate football. Hopes were high of a quick return but with a new team having to be built the return took longer than expected. The last year of the century, 1999 was to prove to be the one. Young players like Karl O'Keeffe & Stephen Barron together with a few seasoned campaigners such as Mike Shalloe, Pat Hynes & Mike Fenton fashioned a famous victory over Butlerstown in the Fraher field.

Success was to to stay with us the following year 2000 as our Junior Hurlers made a might push to annex the County title that year. The biggest obstacle was hurdled in the Western Final as our neighbours and great rivals Ardmore were beaten at the Fraher Field, with the Eastern Division's perpetual whipping boys Fenor being beaten in the County Final by 1-8 to 0-5.

And so we were back in Senior ranks for the first year of the new millennium where we belonged. Our stay in the premier grade was to be short lived however, as not enough preparation for the 2001 championship saw us relegated yet again. In early 2002 a new determination to succeed evolved within the playing squad and an all-out effort to return to Senior ranks was launched. Victories over Brickey Rangers, Sliabh gCua & the Brickeys again saw us into the Western final. Lucky to draw with Ring in the final the first day, the team showed huge character to win the replay in Ardmore after only being level at half-time and a playing into a gale in the second half. In the county final Clashmore played some textbook football to overcome a strong Newtown challenge on a scoreline of 2-8 to 0-9 points. The team on the day was as follows and largely this team have kept us up there competing in the Senior ranks since:
1.Declan Hickey, 2.Barry Dunne, 3.Paudie Connery, 4.Pat Lombard, 5.Philip Dee, 6. Kieran Connery, 7. Brian Murray, 8. Karl O'Keeffe (Capt.). 9. Mark Power, 10. James Ledingham, 11. Mike Fenton, 12 Stephen Barron, 13 Roger Ryan, 14. Brian O'Neill & 15. Paudie O'Rourke

One of our greatest successes of this decade will surely prove be the winning of our first U-21 title in 2005. Before a big crowd in Walsh Park and as a curtain-raiser to the Senior hurling final, our lads proved far too strong for a Tramore outfit and took the U21 'B' title on a scoreline of 4-13 to 1-1. Bear in mind this was our first title at this level as it proves so hard to keep players together after underage level and thus hopes are high for this bunch of talented footballers, many of whom backbone our senior team.

The decade came to an end though with a mixture of elation and disappointment within the club as our Minor Footballers annexed the County 'A' Football title for the first time ever in our history in 2009 and made this club very proud in doing so...but it ended in bitter disappointment for our Senior Footballers who struggled throughout the year for results and finally gave way to relegation, being beaten by Brickey Rangers, and are now consigned to Intermediate Ranks for the start of the new decade.
Nevertheless we look forward to 2010 and hope that the successes of the former team can propel the ambitions of the latter.