Wicklow GAA

History

Wicklow are one of two counties never to have won a senior provincial championship (the other is Fermanagh), but Bray Emmets, the leading side of the early 1900s, won Leinster and All-Ireland honours when they were playing in the Dublin Championship. Wicklow were twice proclaimed Leinster champions for short periods. Bray were representing Wicklow in 1889, and when they beat Newtown Blues of Drogheda by 1-7 to 1-4 they claimed that they had won the "final of Leinster" because Queens County or Kilkenny had not shown up for a final. But four days later the result was quashed. In 1897 they became Leinster champions for a week. A downpour caused Dublin to presume the Leinster final would not be played, Dublin went home, the referee awarded a walk-over to Wicklow. But the following meeting of the Central Council ordered the match to be replayed and Wicklow lost by 1-9 to 0-3.

A League semi-final in frostbound 1947 came about in bizarre fashion: Wicklow were picked to represent an unfinished group in which some of the teams had not yet played. In 1954 Wicklow were leading Meath by two points after sixty minutes of play but Meath were saved by the clock. Nine minutes of lost time had elapsed before Meath scored the winning point! After surviving the "long count" Meath went on to win the All-Ireland, and Wicklow lost their best player of the decade, John Timmons, to Dublin.

A near thing against Meath, just off their four-match with Dublin in 1991 (Wicklow drew 0-12 to 1-9 and lost the replay by three points) heralded a great start to the 1990s. But Wicklow's only championship wins since were against Longford and Westmeath, and a 1996 League quarter-final appearance against Donegal their nearest to a breakthrough. Lying in wait for complacent opponents, particularly in Aughrim, for unsuspecting opposition has been the Wicklow trademark since. Exploits included a 1986 win over newly crowned League champions Laois at Aughrim, and a 1981 defeat by just two points against Dublin in the Leinster quarter-final, after a miracle save in the last minute by Dublin's goalkeeper John O'Leary.

Wicklow's biggest achievement remains the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship won by the Baltinglass club in 1990.

Recent Championships

Their biggest Leinster Championship win, and first ever in Croke Park, coming against Kildare in 2008 and then narrowly losing to Laois in the quarter finals in Dr. Cullen Park. In 2009 O'Dwyer again guided Wicklow past the first round as they beat Longford 2-12 to 1-13 in Portlaoise.

Understandably, Wicklow had not won a senior championship game at Croke Park until May 2008 . On 18 May 2008, under Mick O'Dwyer Wicklow beat a very poor Kildare in Croke Park, with a scoreline of 0-13 to 0-09.

Under the management of Hugh Kenny Wicklow lined out against Meath in the opening round of the 2004 Leinster Championship. They were playing exceptionally well and were leading Meath by 1-6 to 0-7 early in the second half when midfielder Ciaran Clancy was harshly sent off. This seemed to knock the stuffing out of Wicklow who never recovered and were hammered 2-13 to 1-8.

Against Kildare in the opening round of the 2005 Leinster Championship they came very close to a first win leading Kildare but unfortunately for Wicklow, the age old problem of not being able to close out a game surfaced, and they were ultimately beaten by 1-17 to 2-12.

Then in the opening round of the 2007 Leinster Championship under the management of the great Mick O'Dwyer Wicklow almost had a highly fancied Louth side beaten but a couple of late scores saved Louth from being Wicklow's first ever Croke Park victims on a scoreline of 1-11 to 0-14. It then took Louth two replays to finish off Wicklow which they ultimately did in style back at Croke Park.

As Wicklow were a Division 4 team they were not permitted to enter the 2007 backdoor and so instead they entered the Tommy Murphy Cup. Wicklow did very well in reaching the final where they faced Antrim at Croke Park. They won the match in dramatic fashion with a late Tommy Gill goal in extra time, securing the Wicklow senior footballers second ever national trophy, and first ever win in Croke Park. The following year after defeat to Laois in the Leinster Championship, Wicklow got to the final of the Tommy Murphy Cup again but lost to Antrim.

Current football team

Squad as per Wicklow vs Laois All Ireland Senior Football Championship 2016,Leinster Preliminary Round, 14 May 2016

Honours

Current Hurling team

Wicklow hurlers' greatest achievement was a draw with Galway in the 1971 National Hurling League. Only a late point from John Connolly saved Galway from defeat. Wicklow also won the All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championships in 1967 and 1971. The Wicklow Senior Huling Championship 2014 consists of 8 clubs: Carnew Emmets, Glenealy (2013 Champions), Kiltegan, St. Patricks Wicklow Town, Eire Og Greystones, Avondale, Kilcoole and Bray Emmets (2013 Finalists). They have won the Kehoe Cup 7 times in 1989, 1991, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003.

Honours

Crest and colours

Wicklow's traditional team colours are royal blue and gold. The kits are usually blue shirts, white shorts and blue socks with a gold trim. Wicklow's alternative jersey is white with blue shorts and blue socks.

The Wicklow crest features the roundtower of Glendalough in the foreground surrounded by a large 'W' standing for the name of the county. In the background of the crest is a green mountain, representing the Wicklow Mountains and below is a hand holding a Gaelic football and a hurley and sliotar.

Camogie

Wicklow was among the foundation members of the Camogie Association, several Bray members won All Ireland medals with Dublin, and the county supplied all the members of the Irish team that controversially competed in the 1924 Tailteann Games. Lucy Cullen-Byrne served as president of the Camogie Association). The county won the Leinster Junior Championship in 1964, and contested the Máire Ní Chinnéide Cup finals of 2008, 2009 and 2011. They won Division 5 of the National Camogie League in 2009.Knockananna won Division 1 Féile na nGael 1975 while Avoca won the Caithlín Ní Thoimín Shield in 1979 and Kiltegan won the Coiste Chontae an Chláir Shield at Féile na nGael in 1999.

Under Camogie's National Development Plan 2010-2015, “Our Game, Our Passion,” five new camogie clubs are to be established in the county by 2015.

Wicklow were beaten by Monaghan in the 2011 All Ireland Junior B Camogie Championship Final and have not fielded an adult team in inter-county competitions since.

Wicklow Schools GAA

There is a very strong emphasis on Gaelic games in schools in Wicklow, both primary and secondary schools. In almost all cases coaching is done on a voluntary basis by teachers who may have links to local GAA clubs.

The county's Vocational Schools team has won 12 Leinster and 3 All-Ireland Championships, the last coming in 2006.

Ladies' Gaelic football

Ann McGillycuddy of Wicklow won the inaugural ladies' All-Ireland Kick Fada Championship in 2001.