Headford GAA Club
The History of Headford GAA Club..
Though it was not until the acquisition of a gaelic playing pitch in 1951 that Headford G.A.A. Club began to become a prominent figure in North Galway football, records show that the area's association with football and the G.A.A. stretches way back to 1888. It was then that the area of Headford had their first representative at a meeting of the G.A.A. near Athenry. The person who held this honour was a man by the name of William Kyne of Headford. It is reported that soon after that particular meeting of the organisation, a gaelic football team had been founded in Headford under the name of "Headford Rangers", and it is said that this team participated in various tournaments and challenge matches over the next fifteen years.
As is still the case, local rivalry played a big part in Headford football in those days with the forming of an unaffiliated G.A.A. team in Clydagh in 1905. This rivalry existed until 1913, when the teams merged together to form a very strong team under the name of the "Corrib Shamrocks". This was due to the County G.A.A. Board being organised into four regional boards - North, South, West and East. The Shamrocks wore lily white jerseys with a large shamrock emplazoned on each side of the front. With the Shamrocks participating in the West Board, this was most inconvenient for the Headford based team, as they either had to travel by boat, via Lough Corrib, or take the longer route around the lake, via Cong or Galway City, for games against Connemara opposition.
Shortly after the Easter Rising of 1914, another club was formed in the Headford area under the name of "Clooneen P.H. Pearses", who also participated in the West Board competitions. Records show that both teams competed against each other in the early rounds of the 1919 West Board Championship, and according to the tradition at that time, Pearses were victorious by 1-2 to Nil, in a game played at Caherlistrane.
In 1920, Fr. Michael King C.C. was transferred to the parish of Headford and he immediately saw that this rivalry was not to be desired at such a troublesome time in our nation's history. In response to this, he succeeded in uniting the forces of the Pearses and the Shamrocks under the name of "St. Fursey Gaels". Due to the Troubles at that time, games were suspended and it was not until 1926 that teams began to take the field. 1926 also brought Headford its first major success on the football field when they won the West Board Senior Champioinship by beating Oughtherard by 1-1 to 1-0 in a game played at Cargin. Folklore tells us that the teams were level entering the final minutes of the game when, in one final onslaught on the Oughterard goal, Headford's wing back, Pake Kyne of Ross, scored the all important point.
The 1930's saw Headford competing in the Junior Championship and they succeeded in winning back-to-back West Board Junior Championship titles in 1932 and 1933. The driving force behind this team was Mick Curley M.P.S.I. who was a newcomer to the area and also the first chemist in the town. Headford's development on the football field was put on hold during the war years as very few games took place due to the scarcity of petrol. Although some games were played during this time, usually in fields belonging to local farmers, it was not until the 1950's that the gaelic games recommenced to its traditional scale.
It was, through the Irish Land Commission, the acquisition of a new six and a half acre, gaelic playing pitch in 1951 on the Palmer Estate, Gortnamona, Headford, that brought new life came to the club with many of the young players taking great pride in their new home of football. In 1953 the Minors gained many great victories on their way to their historic County Final win after a replay against Clifden.
This was the club's first ever county title and this team was to prove the backbone of the 1955 Junior team that went on to win the North Board League title. One of the great legend's of Headford football was Mick "Cos" Costello, son of Garda Costello of Headford. "Cos" had the distinction of being the only player to link the 1953 County Minor Champions, 1955 North Board Junior League Champions and the great 1966 County Junior Champions. "Cos", in later years, was rewarded for his efforts by winning further honours with St. Loman's, Westmeath, and also played at county level for both Galway and Westmeath. Another Headford great, Ger Nohilly, also had the distinction of representing Westmeath at county level. Probably the most important link between the those same three victorious Headford teams was the fact that they were all managed by the legendary Tom Fitzgerald, who was also a member of the victorious, back-to-back winning Junior teams of 1932 and 1933.
The 1966 County Junior Championship winning side was remarkable in that on their first outing they were beaten by Turloughmore and were entered in the losers section, which they won, and thus qualified for the championship first round proper. They qualified for the North Board Final where they overcame our neighbouring rivals, Caherlistrane.
They proceeded to the County Semi-Final, where they beat Ballindereen and then advanced to the Final to beat Killanin. The main reason for the success of this team was due to the hard work done by Tom Geraghty, chairman at that time. He had succeeded in encouraging many of the club's great players of the 50's, who had moved away, to return to play for the club in its quest for glory. This bunch of players, along with the young home based players, were blended into a formiddable team by the great Tom Fitzgerald.
After the historic victory in 1966, Headford were promoted to the Senior ranks where they acquitted themselves quite well, but fell short of victory. Heaford were regraded to the Junior ranks in 1974 and by 1976 they were challenging for honours again at that level. After winning the North Board League Final (the last team to do so before the old divisional boards of 1913 were abolished later that year) against rivals Caherlistrane, the sides met again in the North Board Championship Final, but this time it was Caherlistrane who came out on top on a scoreline of 0-7 to 0-4.
The 80's held mixed fortunes for Headford G.A.A. club as it sometimes struggle to come to terms with Intermediate football, though at the same time it produced the name most synonymous with Headford football, Seamus McHugh, who was to play for Galway on numerous occassions and won an All-Star in 1984, along with representing his country on the compromised rules tour of 1984. 1987 was as close as Headford came to winning major honours at Intermediate level, as they were beaten in the Championship final by the narrowest of margins, by a Carraroe side that would go on to win two County Senior Championship titles in the 90's. ollowing a brief spell at Junior level in the early 80's, the team returned to Intermediate level in 1994. Success at under-14 level in 1990 and 1991, under-16 in 1985 and Minor in 1987, success was sure to follow in the near future. In 1998, Headford had arguably its best year ever on the football field with the club capturing none other than five prestigeous trophies, the North Board Minor "B" league title, Under-21 "B" North Board and County Championship titles and the Junior "B" North Board and County Championship titles. These victories were built around a small number of the victorioius minor team from that year and the development of these players, and their introduction to the Intermediate squad, has ensured that Headford will push for honours into the new millenium.
