Glin GAA

Glin

An Gleann
Founded:	1897
County:	Limerick
Nickname:	The Magpies
Colours:	Black and White
Grounds:	Páirc Uí Chathaláin, Glin, Co. Limerick
Coordinates:	52°34′13″N 9°16′58″W / 52.570278°N 9.282778°W / 52.570278; -9.282778Coordinates: 52°34′13″N 9°16′58″W / 52.570278°N 9.282778°W / 52.570278; -9.282778
Playing kits
Standard colours
Senior Club Championships
All Ireland Munster champions Limerick champions Football: - - 7

Glin GAA (Irish An Gleann CLG^[1]) is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Glin, County Limerick, Ireland. Glin GAA club was founded in 1897 under the name of Glin Emmetts, in commemoration of Robert Emmett who played a major role in the 1798 rebellion just over a century earlier. Notable rivals include Fr. Caseys, Newcastle West and as of 2009, Mountcollins.

Early Achievements

Records show that football and hurling had been played previously (possibly under the team name of a Thomas Davis) but these games were quite rough and unorganised. Glin reached the County Final of 1903 but lost to the magnificent Commercials side of the time.

After many years in decline, the arrival of Father Patrick Lyons as curate to the parish in 1926 heralded a revival of fortunes for Glin. The renaissance began immediately with the club winning the Junior and Senior Football championships of 1926. The club won seven county football championships between 1926 and 1934. Glin contributed many players to the inter-county scene at this stage. Some of the heroes of the time Johnny Kelly, Seamus Duggan, Thomas Culhane, Thomas Mulvihill, Mick Dillane and Patrick Conway.

Post War Successes

In 1957, a combination of Glin and Ballyhahill (under the title of Glin Rangers) won the County Junior Championship. The following year in 1958, Glin won the Junior Championship again, this time on their own. Stars of that era were Jimmy Reidy, Michael Dillane, Seán Finn, Frank Burke, Michael Adams and Thomas McKeon.

In 1984, Glin won the County Junior Championship again with John A. Culhane, Maurice, Davy and Con Fitzgerald playing an influential part in the march to success.

1990 was a remarkable year for Glin as regards hurling. Despite hurling having an almost non-existent profile, Glin won an U16 county title. Managed by stalwarts Johnny Lyons and Billy Martin, the team defeated South Liberties in the final.

In 1998, it celebrated its centenary with a contest between Kerry, (the then reigning All- Ireland Champions) and Sligo.

Intercounty Representatives

During the glory days of the late 20s and early 30s, Glin supplied many notable intercounty footballers; the most well known were Thomas Culhane, Johnny Kelly and Seamus Duggan. In the 1960s Thomas McKeon donned the green and white jersey in the Munster Senior Football Championship. Liam Long played for Limerick in the late 80s and 90s, appearing in the infamous 1991 Munster Final against Kerry, losing narrowly by 0-23 to 3-12. The last Glin footballer to represent Limerick at senior level was Noelie Mulvihill in a 1999 Munster Championship 1st round game against Cork.

Mixed fortunes - 2007-2010

In 2007, the club was relegated from Intermediate to Junior A grade after a disastrous season. The following year, the team won the Junior A West Limerick Championship but were knocked out the county semi-final stage.

A year later, they also contested the West final vs Mountcollins with the sides finishing level at 1-12 apiece aet. The replay on October 17 at 1.30 in Abbeyfeale finished in a one point win for Mountcollins 0-12 to 0-11. The team were still able to participate in the county championship, however, and on October 26 played Ballygran in Newcastle West. The Magpies ran out winners by 5 points. The county junior A football final was played on Sunday, November 15 ended in a highly entertaining draw.

The replay was set for Páirc na Gael on Friday night, November 20. The result after extra time was Mountcollins 0-12, Glin 0-11. This was hughly entertaining with the Magpies playing well throughout even though down to 14 men for much of normal time. Serious question marks surround the first half dismissal of a Glin midfielder for an off the ball incident, especially as a noted Mountcollins referee appeared in the middle of the meleé, to 'advise' the match officials. Also highly commendable was the Mountcollins mentors' encouragement of the Glin freetaker as he squared up to a dead ball at the death.

For the 2010 football season, Thomas Connolly was elected chairman unopposed replacing the outgoing Pat O'Shaughnessy. Glin combined with Gerald Griffins under the name of Shannon Gaels to compete in the West Limerick SFC and reached the quarter finals of the competition. The 2010 Junior A championship could be regarded as another disappointment for the Magpies. Initial signs were promising as Monagea were beaten in the West final replay and a gallant Milford side were overcome at the county quarter-final stage. However, Bruree proved to be a hurdle too far for the Shannonsiders in the semi-final.

Junior Challengers - 2011-present

In 2011, Thomas Connolly was re-elected unopposed for a second term. Declan Reidy stood down from his position as secretary, being replaced by Donie Shine and James Donovan as Secretary and Vice-Secretary respectively. Paddy Reidy continues in the position of Treasurer for another year and Ger Lyons replaced his father Johnny as PRO. After a mediocre league campaign, Glin began the championship well, with victories over Drom-Broadford, Castlemahon and Father Casey's. However the year ended once more in bitter disappointment with defeat to Seán Finn's in the County Final and Feohanagh-Castlemahon in the County League Final.

In January 2012, Thomas Connolly was again re-elected unopposed for a third consecutive term along with all other officers. Moss McCarthy from Drom-Broadford was at the helm of the Junior A team. After meandering through the early rounds of the championship group, Glin recorded a notable win over Fr. Casey's with a last minute winning goal from wing-forward Paul Sheehan. Defeat to Monagea in the West Junior final (after being reduced to 13 men) followed and Glin's championship challenge came to a conclusion when they went down by two points in the County semi-final to Cappamore, the eventually winners.

2013 saw the appointment of new management for tenth time in as many years. Recently retired Patrick Madigan was aided by Liam Long, John A. Culhane and Declan Reidy. Victory in the County Junior league and West Championship finals saw Glin go on 5 month winning streak in all competitions. However old failings came to light once more in the County Junior final. In a rematch of the West final, Castlemahon took advantage of the bog like condition of the Abbeyfeale pitch, dubious refereeing decisions, woeful Glin shooting and decision making to become County Junior champions. In similar fashion to other years, Glin face 2014 wondering if the sparks that gave them hope in darker winters have finally flickered out... In 2013, Shannon Gaels, a combination of Glin and Gerald Griffins, captured the County U21 A title.

Junior Champions - 2014

For the first time in many years, Glin retained the same management for the 2014 season with Paddy Madigan as Manager/Trainer and selectors John Anthony Culhane, Liam Long, Declan Reidy & David Horan with kit man Billy Martin & physio Mike Shaughnessy.

We began the year in tremendous form & playing an outstanding brand of football we won 6 games out of 6 in the West Championship, running out comfortable victors against Newcastle West (8 points), Feenagh-Kilmeedy (8 points), Fr. Casey's (6 points), Monagea (11 points), Granagh-Ballingarry (8 points) & Cappagh-Kilcornan (11 points). We were playing the best football we had played in years and entered the West semi final full of confidence against Cappagh-Kilcornan but although leading by 7 points at one stage we only just scraped over the line by a point at the end. This provided the wake up call we needed & we won the West final against Fr. Casey's comfortably by 2-12:0-07. We played Murroe-Boher in the County quarter final and eventhough we conceded 2 late goals we still prevailed by 6 points and this led us to a County semi final meeting against Patrickswell who we defeated by 8 points.

Now we were back where we had been so many times over the past few years in a County final and this time our opponents were to be Kilteely Dromkeen who themselves had lost 2 recent finals so we knew the sizeable challenge that lay ahead. However as a panel we knew there was going to be no slip ups this year and after an outstanding first half team display we emerged victorious of a scoreline of Glin 0-14:0-09 Kilteely Dromkeen. We had finally achieved what we had on so many previous attempts failed to do and after a gap of 30 years since winning our last Junior county championship we had gotten over the line playing some super football. Next up was the huge occasion of a Munster quarter final against Tipperary champions Inane Rovers who we defeated on a scoreline of 1-12:2-08 and then we defeated Waterford county champions Kill in the Munster semi final by 1-08:0-08. We took on Brosna from Kerry in the Munster final in Mallow in front of 3,500 supporters in what was a historic day for the club and after a gallant display we were narrowly defeated by 3 points but every member of the panel got to leave with their heads held high after their outstanding season.

Victorious 2014 Panel:- Goalkeepers:- Michael Stack, Michael Sheehy, Padraig Horan

Defenders:- Timmy O Connor, Kieran Scanlon, Tim Scanlon, Brian Donovan, Stephen Shine, Kieran McMahon, Hugh Dunne, Kevin Sweeney, Jack Fitzgerald, Bill Culhane, Padraig Costello, John Wallace, Paddy Fitzgerald (Captain)

Midfielders:- Edmond Horan, Philip Moloney, Michael Sweeney

Forwards:- Shane Culhane, Paul Sheehan, Mark Culhane, James Wallace, Aidan Mulvihill, Darren Sheehan, Gary Culhane, Kevin Moore, Tommy Culhane, Paul Culhane, Padraig Scanlon.

The club management structure for the 2014 season are as follows:

Honours

Munster Junior Club Football Championship Runners-Up: 2014^[2]

Limerick Senior Football Championship Winners: 1926, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934 Runners Up: 1899, 1909, 1910, 1927, 1937, 1939

Limerick Intermediate Football Championship Winners: 1995

County Junior Championship: 1926, 1954, 1984, 2014 Runners Up: 2009, 2011, 2013

West Junior Championship: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014 Runners Up: 2011, 2012

West Junior League: 2013

County Junior League: 2013

County Senior League: 1997

See also

• List of Limerick GAA clubs

References

External links

• GLIN, a market and post-town, and a parish from A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837) by Samuel Lewis