Celbridge GAA

History

Celbridge GAA club was formed in July 1885, less than a year after the G.A.A. was founded in Thurles in November 1884. Initially an athletics club, Celbridge G.A.A., under its first Chairman, William Gogarty, hosted a sports meeting on the 15th of August 1885. According to The Leinster Leader the event was "a decided success". Celbridge G.A.A. Club was the third G.A.A. club to be founded in Kildare and, by 1890, two clubs from the district were competing in Championship football. These were Hazelhatch Harpers, based in the vicinity of the railway station and Celbridge Shamrocks, based in Ballygoran. Around the turn of the century, Hazelhatch Harpers moved to the Dublin Championship competitions and a team listed simply as Celbridge were affiliated to the Kildare County Board. In the early years of the 20th century Celbridge fielded both hurling and football tearns. The 1906 hurlers, who defeated Clane in the county final, included many surnames still familiar in club circles - E. King, J.McGrath, P. Donovan.Celbridge Senior hurlers won the 1921 Championship in May 1923 - the time lapse being due to the political unrest of the civil war era. The star of the day was the irrepressible Owen "Skipper" Murphy, an outstanding performer throughout his playing career, which stretched to the early fifties, in both football and hurling. The high point of the club's history in the thirties was the victory of Intermediate Football Championship. - again under "Skipper" Murphy.In the mid forties an attempt to purchase a field, rented by the club, close to the site of the Setanta Hotel failed. A change of ownership of the field eventually led to a court order to the club to quit the pitch. Costs were awarded against a number of club members and bailiffs impounded cattle and hay, the property of one club member, until the costs were paid (by the County Board!).The question of a pitch continued to be a vexed one and, over the years, the club moved from rented pitch to rented pitch, until the pre- sent pitch was purchased in the late eighties. Camogie was introduced to the club in 1953 and blossomed in the fifties and early sixties with the club winning a Championship and a number of members playing on the county team. Over the years Celbridge, like all clubs, won and lost finals and the hurling, football and camogie teams provided a valuable focal point for all in the community. By the mid seventies the village of Celbridge began to expand rapidly. This expansion brought newcomers to the village from literally every county in Ireland. By the mid-eighties the newcomers had become involved in club teams and activities and the under-age section began to thrive. At this time also the club won championship titles at both Junior and Intermediate levels. In the early nineties a new executive committee began the mammoth task of raising funds to build the present club house - and by 1995 the dream had become a reality. The clubhouse offers a great focal point for members, young and old, to gather and socialise. As the millennium draws to a close the recent performances of our under-age teams promise a very healthy future for the club in hurling, football and camogie in all grades. [www.celbridgegaa.com]

Gaelic Football

Barney Rock managed the Celbridge team when they won their first ever Kildare Senior Football Championship in 2008, defeating Newbridge Sarsfields by 1–10 to 0–11. Celbridge won the 1922 Junior F final and first played in the final of the Leinster Leader Cup of 1923, played in 1924. Owen 'Skipper' Murphy captained the team which won the Intermediate championship in 1936, highlight of a career that stretched from the 1920s to the 1950s. Martin Byrne was selected for Kildare after that success. Celbridge were senior again in the late 1980s after a victory in the 1987 Intermediate championship and reached the 1989 county semi-final by a point to Clane. Area side with Celbridge, St Wolstan's fought a semi-final battle with Ballyteague in 1974 that took three matches to decide and another in 1975 with Clane that took two matches. They also lost the 1976 quarter-final in a replay. Shelbourne's youth international soccer star Vincent McKenna lined out with St. Wolstan's, and scored a dramatic equaliser in that first semi-final against Ballyteague. Celbridge contested the 2008 SFL Division One final for the first time in two decades, losing only one game throughout the series, winning twelve and drawing three.

Hurling

Celbridge has won six senior hurling Championships in Kildare. On 2 October 2011, Celbridge completed a famous three in a row of championship titles when they beat local rivals Confey 2–16 to 0–15. In 2009 and 2010 they beat Coill Dubh in both finals. Their previous successes dates back to 1921 and then again in 2005, with Jimmy Doyle as team manager in 05. The team were certainly good enough to claim titles in the interim between 2005 and 2009 however missed out narrowly in three county semi-finals. The current crop of senior players include numerous county players. The club have had three Kildare hurler of the year winners, Donal Moloney (2005), Tony Murphy (2009) and Mark Moloney (2010). In previous years Billy White, Tony Murphy, Mattie O' Dowd and Niall O' Muineachain have won Christy Ring all-star awards. Billy White was nominated for Christy Ring Hurler of the Year in 2007. The senior hurlers were also crowned All-Ireland Intermediate Elevens Champions in 2011. The basis for these successes were numerous underage county titles won throughout the last decade. The club's first minor title in 2000 was the club's first breakthrough and to this day many of that team form the spine of the club's senior team. The current senior team have a bright future with many talented young players coming through. Celbridge were named Kildare Hurling Club of the year 2010. Simon Holmes, a name known nationally for his humanitarian efforts, lines out for the Celbridge hurlers.

Camogie

Celbridge was founded by Fr Val Martin in 1953 but lapsed 1972-7 and 1989–95. The club joined with Straffan in 1961 and won the 1962 junior championship. In 1977 the club revived and won the junior league in 1978 and junior championship and league double in 1985. St Wolstan's play in Dublin colleges competition. Bridget Cushen was selected on the Kildare camogie team of the century. Senior and u-21 championship winners 2005. Celbridge won the 2006 senior championship and narrowly missed out on a "three-in-a-row" after defeat in the 2007 decider to St Laurences. Susan O'Carroll and Deirdre Corcoran have been nominated for national All-Stars while O'Carroll was named on the Ashbourne Cup All-Stars, while playing for the victorious UCD team in 2007 and also in 2008 where she captained the side.

Honours

Former Kildare U/21 A Hurling Championship Holders (2014, 2015) Kildare Senior Football League Div 1 Champions (2014) Kildare U/21 A Football Championship winners 2005 (final played in May 2006) 2012, 2014 Leinster Minor Football Championship winners 2011 Kildare Minor Football League Div. 1 winners 2010, 2011 & 2012.