Newmarket GAA Club

History..

The Gaelic Athletic Association has been part of life in Newmarket since the closing years of the nineteenth century. The records show that the club fielded teams in the Cork County Senior Football Championship of 1897 and 1901. Our story begins really in 1927, when our junior footballers reached the County Junior Final against Urhan. The game was played in Killarney in March 1928. Captained by Paddy O’Shea, they lost out to Urhan. That same year they played in the Senior Championship, losing to eventual winners Collins Barracks. 

The Duhallow division was founded in 1932 with the club enjoying considerable success in the Junior Hurling Championship, winning it on 14 occasions and leading the roll of honour up to the 1980’s.

Newmarket returned to the County Junior Football final in 1950, captained by Jimmy O’Keeffe. They lost out to Canovee in a replay.

The Duhallow division was founded in 1932 with the club enjoying considerable success in the Junior Hurling Championship, winning it on 14 occasions and leading the roll of honour up to the 1980’s.

Newmarket returned to the County Junior Football final in 1950, captained by Jimmy O’Keeffe. They lost out to Canovee in a replay.

The current club grounds were opened in 1955. Dressing Rooms were opened in July 1976 by President of the GAA, Con Murphy. In recent times, new dressing rooms and a floodlighting system have been added. At the 2002 AGM, Kate O’Brien had the unique honour of becoming the first lady to chair the club. The club is ably assisted by a hard working and committed juvenile club.

Twice the County Junior Football title has come to the club, in 1970 and 1998, while in 1981 the County under 12 football title was won under the management of Vincent O’Connor.The minor football team collected the County Minor A Football League title in 2005 having earlier been runners up in the Championship final.

The club has over the years provided many players to the County teams. Jerry Cronin holds 5 All Ireland hurling medals: Senior (1977/’78), Minor (1974), U21 (1977), Junior (1983). Mick Quane, born in Newmarket, played senior hurling for Cork as a member of Glen Rovers. Connie O’Callaghan played in a senior tournament game in 1980.

Seanie Daly had the honour of bringing the first All Ireland medal to the club, winning U21 football in 1970 and junior in 1972. His brother Billy (a Cork senior footballer in 1971) won an U21 medal that same season. Danny Culloty and Mark O’Sullivan have both played in Croke Park on All Ireland Senior Football Final day.

Danny Culloty won 2 Senior, 2 U21 and 1 Junior All Ireland winners medals. He played 25 senior championship games for Cork between 1986 and 1996 ( captain in 1991/92).

Michael Cottrell, Denys O’Brien and Brendan Daly brought All Ireland Junior Football medals to the club.

Mark O’Sullivan won Minor, U21 and Vocational Schools All Ireland Football Medals. He also won a National League and Railway Cup medals.

Kieran Quilter won U21 Football Munster and All Ireland medals. While John Paul O’Neill had football Minor success at Munster level.
Club President, Con Collins was a Cork minor footballer in 1957, his cousin Nelius Collins, a minor in 1966 also played U21 and junior. Sean Culloty played for Cork senior footballers in the National League. Dan Joe Cronin played junior and senior in 1937. Paddy O’Keeffe (1939), Matty Quane (1947) and Donal Cronin (1959) played minor football for the county. Bart Daly won a Munster minor medal with Cork in 2005.

Dan Joe Cronin (1972 junior football) and Jimmy Cross (1951 minor hurling) were selectors on those All Ireland winning sides.

In 2002 the clubs history was written by our esteemed club Vice President, Mr. Jimmy Cross, assisted by former chairman and long serving club officer, Andy O’Connor, covering the period 1899-1999.

The Black and Red..

The late Miss Nora Corcoran of High St. told the following account of the origin of Newmarket’s club colours to the writer in the 1970’s. Nora was then retired but in earlier times her mother and herself ran a dressmaker’s shop at the top of High St. These may not be her exact words but the “voice” is as true to the original as the writer can recall:

In 1927 the local boys here in town felt they had the makings of a football team so they decided to call a meeting to progress the matter further. The meeting was held behind at Coolagh Bridge and a few other fellows from Taur and Kiskeam also attended. They felt they had as good a chance as any so they decided to go ahead and register their club and enter a team for the county championship.

They had no jerseys and, I suppose, as my brother Richard was their goalie they called up to us to see what we could do. Now, every dressmaker’s shop at that time had a plentiful supply of black material - all the old women and widows wore black. We had just made a dance frock for a local girl and we had a nice little remnant of red material left over. I unrolled some black material along the counter and I held a strip of the red remnant across it. “ Now, don’t they go very well together”, said I, and they all agreed. They said they looked very nice and they ordered a set of them there on the spot. That is where the black and red colours came from. And they did very well, I think, didn’t they get to the county final?

Such was the humble origin of our club colours and through cheers and tears we wear them with pride. Nora died tragically in a house fire some years ago and at her funeral her coffin was draped with the Black & Red. Club members acted as pallbearers and formed a guard of honour at the funeral home and the church. She was the first woman so honoured.

Áth Trasna Abú

Crest History..

A composite shield forms the main part of the crest. The field is black (sable) and red (gules), parted vertically (party per pale) by an oak leaf. The other charges are a hurley and sliotar in the black section and a football in the red section. The leaf is green (vert) and the other charges are white (argent). A crown and hound in gold (or) form the Crest on top with the motto Áth Trasna Abú at the bottom.

It is said that Cú Roí Mac Daire lived in Taur and met his death there at the hands of Cu Chulainn through the treachery of a woman.

In Heraldry (the science of recording and describing coats of arms) the colours also have their own significance:

Black (sable): constancy and sometimes grief
Red (gules): fortitude and magnanimity
White (argent): Peace and sincerity
Green (vert): Hope and joy
Gold ( or): Generosity

The Motto Áth Trasna Abú is at the bottom of the crest. Áth Trasna being the irish name for Newmarket and Abú meaning To Victory! A battle cry.

Áth Trasna Abú Newmarket To Victory!