Suncroft GAA
Encyclopedia
Suncroft is a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA)
club in Suncroft
, County Kildare
, Ireland
, winner of the Senior Hurling championship in 1974 and the Senior Football League in 1952. Paul Doyle was selected on the Kildare Gaelic football team of the millennium. Anthony Rainbow was an All Stars
Award winner in 2000.
on February 15, 1885. A club was formed in Suncroft in 1889 and in Maddenstown in 1901. Maddenstown won the junior championship in 1908, 1918 (with Paul Doyle on the team), and 1925 but amalgamated with Kildare in 1927 after the Curragh Camp affiliated. RIC records from 1890 show that Suncroft had 44 members with officers listed as Revd J Ramsbottom, Paul Cullen, Joseph Kelly and James Church. Brownstown were affiliated in 1896. Hugh Campion, Kildare GAA chairman 1972-81 came from the club.
In 2007 Suncroft were promoted to Senior status. In 2009, Suncroft completed one of the biggest shocks in the Kildare Senior Championship by beating the highly fancied Sarsfields by 2-12 to 0-15 on All Ireland Sunday morning in glorious sunshine at St Conleths Park.
in the 1974 senior hurling final, 4-5 to 0- 11, against a team that had beaten them three times that season it was the greatest upset in Kildare hurling since Clane's
defeat in 1921. Throughout its history, Suncroft had close connections with the nearby Curragh camp. It was founded by Dick Cahill and Bill Laford in 1948, and won Junior championships in 1951 and 1953 in the era of Paddy Feeley, Laford, James, Freeman, Seamus Gough, Patrick Fahy and Billy Quinn. Quinn starred on Suncroft teams that never reached a county final but beat Athy
in 1962 and Éire Óg
in 1963 in championship matches. The Suncroft side of the early sixties was probably its strongest, Frank Fogarty, Derry Noonan, Niall Cummins, Fintan Morrissey, George Shaughnessy, Denis Hanley and Mick Cunningham, all playing for the county, as did Noel Fahy throughout the 1950s. Suncroft defeated Broadford
in the Junior final of 1973 to regain Senior status, and despite a 3-19 to 3-6 defeat by Ardclough in a championship group match, qualified for the County final. They won with a brand of hard ground hurling and by keeping Johnny Walsh scoreless from play. Frank Fogarty now 32, and Donncha O'Keeffe, now 28, survived from Kildare's 1966 junior championship team. Tommy Doyle scored two goals, Con McNamara and Eugene Sheehan a goal each as Suncroft came storming through for victory in the second half. Ardclough defeated Suncroft 7-18 to 0-7 in the 1975 final.
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 Suncroft
Suncroft
Suncroft is a village in County Kildare, Ireland, south of The Curragh and east of Kildare Town.It has a population of 607.-See also:*List of towns and villages in Ireland...
, 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,...
, winner of the Senior Hurling championship in 1974 and the Senior Football League in 1952. Paul Doyle was selected on the Kildare Gaelic football team of the millennium. Anthony Rainbow was an All Stars
GAA All Stars Awards Past Winners (Football)
This is a list of all past winners of the official GAA All Stars Awards since the first awards in 1971. As an insight to the prominent players of the 1960s, it also includes the unofficial "Cuchulainn" awards presented from 1963 to 1967 under the auspices of Gaelic Weekly magazine.For each year...
Award winner in 2000.
History
Curragh was one of eight teams who share the honour of being first to play Gaelic footballGaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
on February 15, 1885. A club was formed in Suncroft in 1889 and in Maddenstown in 1901. Maddenstown won the junior championship in 1908, 1918 (with Paul Doyle on the team), and 1925 but amalgamated with Kildare in 1927 after the Curragh Camp affiliated. RIC records from 1890 show that Suncroft had 44 members with officers listed as Revd J Ramsbottom, Paul Cullen, Joseph Kelly and James Church. Brownstown were affiliated in 1896. Hugh Campion, Kildare GAA chairman 1972-81 came from the club.
Gaelic Football
Within a year of Suncroft reforming in 1929 they won the Junior championship and were defeated in intermediate finals in 1934 and 1937, eventually winning the 1944 and 1950 championships, progressing to win the Leader Cup in 1953. Their minors beat Sarsfields in successive minor finals in 1948 and 1949 - from that team Paddy Feeley won a Leinster medal with Kildare in 1956, Johnny Boyle an All Ireland medal with Dublin in 1958, He also captained the Kildare Minors for 3 years while Seamus Byrne played for the Irish rugby team. In 1981 Suncroft won a unique treble in under-age competitions winning under-11, 14 and 16. Anthony Rainbow was the most prominent player on a team that won the 1989 intermediate championship and reached the senior semi-final in 1995.In 2003 Suncroft lost the intermediate final to Sallins but won the Tony Keogh Cup beating Rheban. In 2007 Suncroft won the Intermediate final beating Ballymore and will now compete at senior level once more. And in 2007 Suncroft's John Brown went to Australia to play for Ireland.In 2007 Suncroft were promoted to Senior status. In 2009, Suncroft completed one of the biggest shocks in the Kildare Senior Championship by beating the highly fancied Sarsfields by 2-12 to 0-15 on All Ireland Sunday morning in glorious sunshine at St Conleths Park.
Hurling
When Suncroft defeated ArdcloughArdclough 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,...
in the 1974 senior hurling final, 4-5 to 0- 11, against a team that had beaten them three times that season it was the greatest upset in Kildare hurling since Clane's
Clane GAA
Clane GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in Clane, County Kildare, Ireland, winner of 17 Kildare county senior football championships, 16 county senior hurling championships and Kildare club of the year in 1975. Clane players are credited with bringing the handpass into Gaelic football...
defeat in 1921. Throughout its history, Suncroft had close connections with the nearby Curragh camp. It was founded by Dick Cahill and Bill Laford in 1948, and won Junior championships in 1951 and 1953 in the era of Paddy Feeley, Laford, James, Freeman, Seamus Gough, Patrick Fahy and Billy Quinn. Quinn starred on Suncroft teams that never reached a county final but beat Athy
Athy GAA
Athy GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in Athy, County Kildare, Republic of Ireland, winner of six county senior football championships.-History:...
in 1962 and Éire Óg
Éire Óg
Éire Óg may refer to:*Young Ireland, an Irish political movement from 1839 to 1849* Éire Óg, an Irish rebel music group from the early 1990s.* Eire Og/Corrachoill GAA, a Gaelic Athletic Association club in Kildare...
in 1963 in championship matches. The Suncroft side of the early sixties was probably its strongest, Frank Fogarty, Derry Noonan, Niall Cummins, Fintan Morrissey, George Shaughnessy, Denis Hanley and Mick Cunningham, all playing for the county, as did Noel Fahy throughout the 1950s. Suncroft defeated Broadford
Broadford GAA
Broadford is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in County Kildare, Ireland, winners of two senior hurling and 16 senior camogie titles. It enlists players from a radius of twenty miles from the Boyne bridge in Edenderry, Leinster bridge in Clonard, Blackwater bridge in Enfield and Barney Bridge in...
in the Junior final of 1973 to regain Senior status, and despite a 3-19 to 3-6 defeat by Ardclough in a championship group match, qualified for the County final. They won with a brand of hard ground hurling and by keeping Johnny Walsh scoreless from play. Frank Fogarty now 32, and Donncha O'Keeffe, now 28, survived from Kildare's 1966 junior championship team. Tommy Doyle scored two goals, Con McNamara and Eugene Sheehan a goal each as Suncroft came storming through for victory in the second half. Ardclough defeated Suncroft 7-18 to 0-7 in the 1975 final.
Camogie
Brownstown affiliated in 1965, registering their colours as brown gymslip, blue cream and pink sash. Maureen Carey, Nancy Lynch and Margaret Deering played for Leinster.Honours
- Senior H Champions 1974.
- Senior F League 1952.
- Senior F semi-finalists 1995, 2009
- Kildare Intermediate Football ChampionshipKildare Intermediate Football ChampionshipKildare Intermediate Football ChampionshipThe Kildare Intermediate Football Championship is an annual GAA club competition between the mid-tier Kildare Clubs. The winners of the Kildare I.F.C...
1944, 1950, 1989, 2007. - Junior F Champions 1930, 1962,.
- Junior A Champions 1977.
- Minor F Champions 1944, 1948, 1949.
- Keogh Cup Champions 2003.