Founded: 1936 Nickname: The Clocks | County: Kildare | |
Grounds: Dan Graham Memorial Park, Ardclough | ||
History
RIC records from 1890 show that Hazlehatch Irish Harpers, based on Lord Concurry's field near Skeagh, had 70 members with officers listed as Ambrose Dwyer, Christy Fitzsimons, Michael Saunders and John Cantwell. John Buggle is listed as an officer with Kilteel King O'Tooles club. Thomas Kenny from Ardclough bore the nickname "The Harper" Kenny all his life. An Ardclough club competed in the 1924-27 championships. The current club was founded at a meeting in Mick Treacy's workshop in 1936, growing out of an under-14 team organised by Fr O'Brien at Ardclough national school, and the hurling club founded by Mick Houlihan in 1949.
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Gaelic Football
Ardclough were the smallest community to win the Kildare football championship when Dan Graham's team beat a star-studded Army team in the replay of the 1949 county final, drawing a record attendance of 10,035 to the replay in St Conleth's Park. Goalkeeper Jim Nolan was the star of the drawn match, Christy Burke was the star of the replay, when a Dick McKenna goal before half-time and a series of points from the "Butcher" Graham and Jimmy Butler gave Ardclough a I-11 to 2-6 victory. They lost the 1953 semi-final by a point and beat both the Army and Sarsfields in Leader Cup finals before being regraded in 1958. Their rivalry with Sarsfields exploded into controversy in the 1950 county semi-final before a record 7,730 attendance. Ardclough's 1968 Jack Higgins Cup winners merged with the survivors of Kills' 1962 semi-final team to create area team Wolfe Tones which went to the 1971 semi-final and a three-point defeat to Carbury. Ardclough won the Junior A and Jack Higgins Cup in championship in 2000.
Ardclough forms St Edward’s along with Rathcoffey and Straffan for underage purposes and St Edward's fields teams at all levels from Under 9 to Under 21.
Hurling
Ardclough contested 20 county finals in success between 1963 and 1985, including a notorious battle with Éire Óg in 1973. The club beat Buffer's Alley in the 1976 Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship and was the first from Kildare to win an All Ireland Feile Division 4 in 1993. Ardclough regarded senior for the second time after winning the 1959 Junior championship and a morale-boost by the victory of their minors in 1956, inspired by Tim Gleeson and Kieran O'Malley. The careers of Tommy Christian, Mick Duane, Colm O'Malley and Bobby Burke spanned all twenty years. The 16-year-old Richie Cullen played his first final at centre field in 1966 and afterwards at full-back. Wexford born Ned Walsh came in 1967 and was joined by his brother, free-scoring Johnny Walsh in 1970. Ardclough contested nine successive finals against Éire Óg 1965-74, a record for any grade in football and hurling, including their first title in 1968 when one of their minors, Richie Cullen, captained the team. Der Connor, John Cummins and Mick Duane contributed to the 2-12 total against 3-3 for Éire Óg. Counting semi-finals the sides met for 14 years in a row. Even though it took 19 years to win their next senior title Ardclough played a prominent role in Kildare hurling, losing the 1998 final by a point to Colm Byrne’s late free for Coill Dubh. Ardclough returned to beat Coill Dubh 2-12 to 0-11 in the 2004 county final with goals from Andy Whelan and Padraig O'Malley. Ardclough regained the title in 2006 with a crushing win over Confey. They then went on to make history winning the Leinster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship beating Ratharney of Westmeath in the final.
Camogie
Ardclough camogie club was founded in 1962 by Mick Houlihan, Patrick O’Connor and Ann Johnson, the original colours were brown and yellow, now black, red and yellow,. Josie O’Connor captained the team that won the championship in 1968.