Meelick-Eyrecourt
Encyclopedia
Meelick-Eyrecourt is a Gaelic Athletic Association
club in the east of County Galway
, Ireland
.
A club founded in Meelick in the 1880s contested the first all-Ireland hurling
final in 1887.
The present club has players from the largely rural areas of Clonfert
and Meelick
, and the small village of Eyrecourt
. These three areas make up the local Roman Catholic parish of Eyrecourt, Clonfert and Meelick, which is a small parish located on the south east corner of the Diocese of Clonfert.
Meelick and Clonfert originally formed separate hurling teams. The Meelick club was founded in 1884. The existing club is sometimes cited as being one of the oldest GAA clubs in Ireland, although the original club named Meelick arguably ceased to exist when it was subsumed within the larger Meelick-Eyrecourt club.
Meelick competed in the first All Ireland Hurling final of 1887 after defeating Kilbeacanty in the Galway County Cup. The club played opponents Thurles of Tipperary. Thurles defeated Meelick 1-1 0 0-0. Meelick was not selected to represent Galway afterwards.
However, during the 1960s gaelic football was very strong in Meelick-Eyrecourt GAA club and the club contested two Junior Football county finals in the 1960s at a time when Galway football was arguably at its height and at the same time the Galway senior football team won its famous three-in-a-row all-Ireland finals.
Despite havng little success in terms of titles, this small club has always been recognised within Galway hurling circles as a producer of good hurling talent.
The club last contested a senior hurling county final in 1980, which it lost. The club has never won a county hurling final at senior level. The club has fluctuated between senior hurling and intermediate grades, which is similar to senior 'B' in other counties, since the late-1990s but has still continued to produce many inter-county Galway hurlers at all grades.
The former Meelick-Eyrecourt hurler Joe Salmon was named on the 'Galway team of the Millennium' at Mid-Field and was joined by fellow club member Sean Silke, who was named at Centre-Back.
Although the competition does not carry the same prestige as it once did, a number of the club's players who played senior hurling with County Galway were subsequently selected to represent Connacht in the annual Railway Cup interprovincial hurling competition.
Joe Salmon played a large part of his hurling career as a member of the Glen Rovers hurling club in Cork, where he worked and lived.
Former Galway minor hurler and Meelick-Eyrecourt player Niall Corcoran, from Clonfert, currently plays on the Dublin senior hurling team and has played several times in the Leinster hurling championship. In 2010 he won a National Senior Hurling League medal with Dublin, playing corner back on the capital's team which defeated Kilkenny.
Sean Silke and Brendan Lynskey are holders of All-Star awards and both won All-Ireland hurling final winners medals with the Galway senior hurling panel in the 1980s. Sean Silke played at centre-half back on the Galway hurling team that won the all-Ireland final in 1980, and Brendan Lynskey was at full-forward and centre-forward respectively when Galway won the all-Ireland final in both 1987 and 1988.
Numerous players from the club have won underage all-Ireland medals at minor (under-18) and under-21 level. Players from the club have also won intermediate hurling all-Ireland medals.
A large number of club players have played hurling for County Galway and a very small number have played gaelic football for County Galway. A number of players from Meelick-Eyrecourt GAA club have won All Ireland medals at senior and underage grades in hurling while playing for County Galway. Galway has never won a senior hurling all-Ireland without a Meelick-Eyrecourt clubman on the panel.
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
club in the east of County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
History
Meelick-Eyrecourt GAA club is a small GAA club which has managed to produce some of Ireland's best known hurlers. It borders with Portumna GAA club and Kiltormer GAA club, both of which have won all-Ireland club hurling titles and the successful Offaly GAA club, Saint Rynagh's, Banagher.A club founded in Meelick in the 1880s contested the first all-Ireland hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
final in 1887.
The present club has players from the largely rural areas of Clonfert
Clonfert
Clonfert is a small village in east County Galway, Ireland. It is half way between Ballinasloe and Portumna.Clonfert Cathedral is situated in the village, which is the see of the Diocese of Clonfert.-See also:* List of towns and villages in Ireland...
and Meelick
Meelick, County Galway
Meelick is a townland on the River Shannon in Ireland. It lies some 4 km southeast of Eyrecourt in County Galway.- Oldest Catholic Church in use :...
, and the small village of Eyrecourt
Eyrecourt
Eyrecourt, historically known as Donanaghta , is a village in County Galway, Ireland. Eyrecourt is on the R356 regional road 12 km west of the Banagher bridge over the River Shannon.-History:...
. These three areas make up the local Roman Catholic parish of Eyrecourt, Clonfert and Meelick, which is a small parish located on the south east corner of the Diocese of Clonfert.
Meelick and Clonfert originally formed separate hurling teams. The Meelick club was founded in 1884. The existing club is sometimes cited as being one of the oldest GAA clubs in Ireland, although the original club named Meelick arguably ceased to exist when it was subsumed within the larger Meelick-Eyrecourt club.
Meelick competed in the first All Ireland Hurling final of 1887 after defeating Kilbeacanty in the Galway County Cup. The club played opponents Thurles of Tipperary. Thurles defeated Meelick 1-1 0 0-0. Meelick was not selected to represent Galway afterwards.
Recent activities
The club is primarily focussed on hurling while gaelic football has been regarded as the club's second sport.However, during the 1960s gaelic football was very strong in Meelick-Eyrecourt GAA club and the club contested two Junior Football county finals in the 1960s at a time when Galway football was arguably at its height and at the same time the Galway senior football team won its famous three-in-a-row all-Ireland finals.
Despite havng little success in terms of titles, this small club has always been recognised within Galway hurling circles as a producer of good hurling talent.
The club last contested a senior hurling county final in 1980, which it lost. The club has never won a county hurling final at senior level. The club has fluctuated between senior hurling and intermediate grades, which is similar to senior 'B' in other counties, since the late-1990s but has still continued to produce many inter-county Galway hurlers at all grades.
Alumni
A number of players who originally played with the Meelick-Eyrecourt club went on to play hurling for other counties, particularly Dublin, due to emigration in the 1940s and 1950s.The former Meelick-Eyrecourt hurler Joe Salmon was named on the 'Galway team of the Millennium' at Mid-Field and was joined by fellow club member Sean Silke, who was named at Centre-Back.
Although the competition does not carry the same prestige as it once did, a number of the club's players who played senior hurling with County Galway were subsequently selected to represent Connacht in the annual Railway Cup interprovincial hurling competition.
Joe Salmon played a large part of his hurling career as a member of the Glen Rovers hurling club in Cork, where he worked and lived.
Former Galway minor hurler and Meelick-Eyrecourt player Niall Corcoran, from Clonfert, currently plays on the Dublin senior hurling team and has played several times in the Leinster hurling championship. In 2010 he won a National Senior Hurling League medal with Dublin, playing corner back on the capital's team which defeated Kilkenny.
Sean Silke and Brendan Lynskey are holders of All-Star awards and both won All-Ireland hurling final winners medals with the Galway senior hurling panel in the 1980s. Sean Silke played at centre-half back on the Galway hurling team that won the all-Ireland final in 1980, and Brendan Lynskey was at full-forward and centre-forward respectively when Galway won the all-Ireland final in both 1987 and 1988.
Numerous players from the club have won underage all-Ireland medals at minor (under-18) and under-21 level. Players from the club have also won intermediate hurling all-Ireland medals.
A large number of club players have played hurling for County Galway and a very small number have played gaelic football for County Galway. A number of players from Meelick-Eyrecourt GAA club have won All Ireland medals at senior and underage grades in hurling while playing for County Galway. Galway has never won a senior hurling all-Ireland without a Meelick-Eyrecourt clubman on the panel.