Straffan GFC
Encyclopedia
Straffan
is a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA)
club in Straffan
, County Kildare
, Ireland
, which played a leading role in establishing the games in the county.
, 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.
After being beaten in two successive finals, Straffan managed to win the Junior B Championship in 1986. A lean period followed, however with the club having no notable successes in the 1990s. A revival occurred with the appointment of Billy Farrell as first team manager in 1999, and the team won the Junior B championship in 2001. 2005 was a reasonably successful year for the club, with the first team gaining promotion to division 2 of the Kildare Senior Football League, while the second team also won promotion to division 2 of the Junior Football League. Straffan began to gather momentum ever since promotion to division 2. priority for the club was to win the Junior football championship which had been a scorn for the club over the years. A junior final appearance was made in 2006 but Straffan were narrowly beaten by Nurney GFC. Numerous semi final apperaence were made after that but with little success. However, in 2009 under the management of Liam McLoughlin Straffan finally broke the hoodoo and won the Junior football championship with a last minute goal by Andy O'Neill. Straffan fields 2 adult teams at the moment and forms St Edward’s
along with Ardclough
and Rathcoffey
for underage purposes and St Edwards fields teams at all levels from Under 9 to Under 21.
Straffan
Sruthán was mistakenly cited by Thomas O'Connor in the Ordnance Survey Letters in 1837, and adopted as the Irish form of Straffan. Seosamh Laoide used it in his list of Irish names of post-offices published in Post-Sheanchas . An Sruthán gained currency among those involved in the Irish revival...
is a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA)
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 Straffan
Straffan
Sruthán was mistakenly cited by Thomas O'Connor in the Ordnance Survey Letters in 1837, and adopted as the Irish form of Straffan. Seosamh Laoide used it in his list of Irish names of post-offices published in Post-Sheanchas . An Sruthán gained currency among those involved in the Irish revival...
, County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for 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,...
, which played a leading role in establishing the games in the county.
History
GAA official Tom Cribben claimed in 1934 that Straffan had kicked the first ball in county Kildare, the ball being brought over from Clongowes by Tom ‘Rabbit’ Delaney. Local tradition records games on Straffan estate, now the K Club, between insiders (estate workers) and outsiders (the villagers). Cribben also says the first man to throw in a ball to set two teams in motion under the GAA code was a Straffan man, Edward Kelly. Straffan is one of eight clubs, four in Kilkenny and four in Kildare, to participate in the first series of Gaelic football matches ever played on February 15, 1885. Straffan JL Carews played Sallins. RIC records indicate Straffan had 45 members in 1890, with officers listed as James Ennis, Edward Melia, James Pitts and Pat Leonard.Gaelic Football
Straffan’s greatest achievement was the Intermediate Championship of 1966, with Tony Kane and Thomas “Cub” Walsh featuring on a team that was promoted to senior. Area side with CelbridgeCelbridge GAA
Celbridge is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in Celbridge, County Kildare, Ireland. They were awarded Kildare GAA club of the year in 2008, winners of the Kildare senior football championship of 2008, finalists in the senior football league of 1923, 1988 and 2008 and won the Kildare senior...
, St Wolstan’s fought a semi-final battle with Ballyteague
Ballyteague GAA
Ballyteague GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in County Kildare, Republic of Ireland, club of the year in 1980, winners of junior, and intermediate in successive years 1972-1973 and senior finalists in 1974.-History:...
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.
After being beaten in two successive finals, Straffan managed to win the Junior B Championship in 1986. A lean period followed, however with the club having no notable successes in the 1990s. A revival occurred with the appointment of Billy Farrell as first team manager in 1999, and the team won the Junior B championship in 2001. 2005 was a reasonably successful year for the club, with the first team gaining promotion to division 2 of the Kildare Senior Football League, while the second team also won promotion to division 2 of the Junior Football League. Straffan began to gather momentum ever since promotion to division 2. priority for the club was to win the Junior football championship which had been a scorn for the club over the years. A junior final appearance was made in 2006 but Straffan were narrowly beaten by Nurney GFC. Numerous semi final apperaence were made after that but with little success. However, in 2009 under the management of Liam McLoughlin Straffan finally broke the hoodoo and won the Junior football championship with a last minute goal by Andy O'Neill. Straffan fields 2 adult teams at the moment and forms St Edward’s
St Edward's GAA
St Edward’s Gaelic Athletic Association is an amalgamation consisting of Ardclough, Rathcoffey and Straffan GAA clubs for the purposes of fielding juvenile football teams. Currently St Edward’s fields teams at all official age groups from Under 8 up to Under 21.The current chairman of St Edward’s...
along with Ardclough
Ardclough GAA
----Ardclough is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in Ardclough, County Kildare, Republic of Ireland, whose biggest achievements include winning the Kildare County Senior Football Championship after a replayed final against the Army in 1949, winning 12 Kildare County Senior Hurling Championships,...
and Rathcoffey
Rathcoffey GAA
Rathcoffey is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in County Kildare, Ireland. Teresa Lynch, Nuala Malone and Eileen Reilly were selected on the Kildare camogie team of the century.-History:...
for underage purposes and St Edwards fields teams at all levels from Under 9 to Under 21.
Camogie
Anne Kearney-Hughes and Fiona Farrell revived camogie in Straffan in 1984 (the previous club ceased in 1955) with the registered colours tangerine and black. Liz Kane, Patricia O’Brien and Yvonne Farrell, members of the 1994 junior championship winning team, played for Kildare.Honours
- Intermediate F Champions 1966.
- Junior F Champions 1946.
- Jack Higgins Cup 1964.
- Junior A F Champions 1964.
- Junior B F Champions 1959, 1986, 2001, 2008.
- Intermediate F League 1937, 1960, 1964.
- Junior F League 1929, 1937.
- Junior Camogie championship 1962 (combined with Straffan),
- Junior Camogie Championship 1994. Junior camogie league 1993, 1994.
- As St Wolstan’s F team with Celbridge
- Kildare Senior F semi-finalists 1972 and 1975 (beaten in replays on both occasions).
- Under –21 F championship 1985.
- The Leinster Leader Junior Club CupThe Leinster Leader Junior Club CupThe Leinster Leader Junior Club Cup is a gaelic football competition for junior clubs organised by the Kildare GAA.Founded in 1995, it is sponsored by the Leinster Leader and it has gained mild support at county level...
2004. - Junior A Football Championship Winners 2009.
- Dowling Cup Champions 2007, 2009.
- Under 21B Champions 2009 (St.Edwards).
- Minor C Champions 2009.
- Robert Kelly All Star Winner 2011.