Moneygall GAA

History

In 1885 a local team called The Honeymounts was formed (Honeymount is a townland in the parish) and their captain/manager was Thomas Corcoran. Their colours were black and amber. In 1889 they were challenged to a match by a nearby team from Ballingarry and Shinrone.

In the early 1900s the club became known as Moneygall. The club was combined with Toomevara for a decade or so from 1910 onwards. Several Tipperary Senior Hurling Championships were won at this time, but since the team's name was Toomevara, the "Greyhounds" received the laurels and entered the roll of honour under the Toomevara club name. In January 1917, Moneygall's Jer Collison became the first man from the North Tipperary division to win an All Ireland senior hurling medal with Tipperary, playing on the Tipperary team that beat Kilkenny in the delayed 1916 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final.

In 1935 a hurling pitch, St. Flannan's Park, was developed adjacent to the village. A perimeter wall was built in 1959 enclosing the playing pitch. In 1977 a stand and clubhouse with dressing rooms, hall, office, shop and handball alley were built in the grounds. This building was extended in 2009 to include an extra dressing room and a meeting room. A second playing field was purchased adjacent to the existing grounds in recent years, and is currently under development.

From 1967 to 1970, Moneygall's Séamus Ó Riain was President of the Gaelic Athletic Association. During his tenure he was the driving force in the establishment of Féile na nGael, the annual national Under 14 hurling festival which was first held in 1971, and is hosted by different counties every year. He has also been credited with the modern development of the cultural side of the Association and was the prime mover and founder of Scór - the annual competitions for music, song and dance - which are held nationwide during the winter months when playing activities have ended for the season.

U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle visited Moneygall on 23 May 2011. The President's entourage braved gale force winds to fly from the Phoenix Park in Dublin in two Chinook and two Black Hawk helicopters. The violent winds greatly exceeded normal conditions for helicopter flying and the pounding the aircraft received caused some passengers to become sick during the 40 minute trip. The party landed in St. Flannan's Park in wet and blustery conditions. One of the President's advisers was flung to the ground by a blast of wind and papers she was carrying were scattered across the hurling pitch, pursued vainly by Gardaí.

Honours

The club's most successful period in the club's history was in the 1970s when it won the Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship in 1975 and 1976 under the captaincy of Pat Sheedy and Michael Doherty respectively. In the former year, they also captured their only North Tipperary senior hurling title. North Championships were won at Intermediate level in 1943, 1949, 1962 and 1991 with the county championship being added in 1991, while the County Junior hurling championship was won in both 1949 and 2008. The club won the North Tipperary senior football championship in 1965 and 1966, also reaching the Tipperary Senior Football Championship final in 1965, losing to Clonmel Commercials. The club has also combined with other neighbouring clubs to compete in the various football championships at divisional and county level from time to time.