Baltinglass GAA Club
A Brief History of Baltinglass Gaa..
Football has been played in Baltinglass since the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association. In the early years the club played under the name of Maurice Davins but achieved little in the way of success on the field of play, and from time to time disappeared from Wicklow inter-club activity. The first real success for the club came in 1913, when playing under the banner of Baltinglass Shamrocks, they won the delayed 1912 Wicklow Junior title -- the final of which was played in Croke Park. Lean years followed the winning of the Junior title; the next championship to come to the town was in 1927 when the Wicklow Senior Hurling title was won. Football had fallen away in the town in the early thirties but in 1934 a meeting was held to re-establish the club and out of this the seeds of the present club were planted.
Success was slow in coming, over the next couple of years the club worked hard to get football going again in the town and in 1940 they were rewarded with a minor title. Off the back of this team a Junior title was captured in 1943 and with it promotion to Intermediate ranks. During the early fifties a lot of work was put into the Juvenile section of the club and this work was soon to bear fruit when the four-in-a-row minor team emerged in 1952-1955. Around this time the club embarked on a fund raising drive with the aim of buying their own pitch. This came to fruition in 1957 when the present playing pitch was bought.
When the Intermediate grade was abolished in 1954 the Wicklow County board decided to promote Baltinglass to the Senior grade. Two years later the club reached its first Senior final and although defeat was their lot a new era for the club was about to begin.
1958 saw Baltinglass win the Wicklow Senior title for the first time and over the next four decades the Miley cup was to become a regular visitor to the town. Four titles in the sixties - including a 3 in a row, four titles in the seventies, six in the eighties and five in the nineties. This included an eight in a row from 1987 to 1994. A much sought after Leinster club title was finally secured in 1989 and this would lead to the clubs finest achievement a few months later when on March 17th 1990 the club claimed the Andy Merigan cup and with it the title of All-Ireland club champions.
The club has won every football honour available in Wicklow including the elusive Intermediate title in 1993. Apart from the championship success Baltinglass has also won numerous leagues and tournaments.
The club now has two training pitches to go along with the main playing pitch, dressing rooms, weight rooms and a committee room. Currently the ground is undergoing a major redevelopment, which has seen floodlights installed, a stand being built and other improvements carried out. The club currently fields three adult teams, one Senior and two Junior.
Our Juvenile Section of the Club is where it all begins. We are very fortunate to have so many excellent qualified coaches looking after our Minors, U16s, U14s, U12s, U11s, U10's and U8s. From February right through to November our training pitches are a hive of activity - with young lads learning their skills and developing their characters and all of them hoping that some day they will represent Baltinglass GAA Club at Senior Level.
All Ireland Club Champions - 1990
Current Officers:
President: Sean O'Toole.
Chairman: Con Murphy.
Vice Chairman: Ciaran Fleming.
Secretary: Mary Cullen.
Ass. Secretary: John Timmins.
Treasurer: Anne Whelan.
Ass. Treasurer: Damian Patterson.
Fixtures Secretary: Martin Coleman.
PRO: Enda Hallahan.
Ass. PRO: Berni Kilcoyne.
School Officer: Paul Garrigan.
Scor Officer: Jo Coogan / Diane Patterson.
Registrar: Eamonn O'Keeffe.
Club's most memorable achievement:
Baltinglass GAA Club won the All Ireland Club Football final in 1990.
This was a wonderful achievement and just rewards for years of meticulous planning and hard work.
We beat Clann Na Gael of Roscommon in the All Ireland Final.
We beat Castlehaven of Cork in the All Ireland Semi-Final.
We beat Thomas Davis of Dublin in the Leinster Final.
Club's Facilities:
Baltinglass GAA Club's facilities are located @ Newtownsaunders, Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow.
Our main playing pitch is now regarded as one of the best in Leinster. Spectator facilities are also excellent with the new stand able to accomodate up to a thousand seated supporters.
The new flood lighting means that we can now play matches at night and this is proving popular with our supporters.
At the rear we own approximately 8 acres which accomodates two piches and our training facilities. From March to November this area is a hive of activity all week - but especially on Saturday mornings when anything up to 120 children are being coached with the skills of the game. These young children are our future stars and we are fortunate to have so many excellent people giving up their time to coach these players.
Team Mentors - 2007:
Senior: Tommy Murphy, Brian Kilcoyne, Billy Cullen
Junior 'A: Enda Hallahan, Ger Kilcoyne, Pat Coffey.
Junior 'B': Ritchie Dalton, Michael O'Neill, Eamonn O'Keeffe
Minors: John Dooley, Jim Fitzpatrick, Liam Horgan, Peadar Osborn
U16's: Jack Fitzgerald, Pat Carolan and Raymond Danne.
U14's: Chrsty Whelan, Niall Fleming, Billy Kenny.
U12's and U13's: John Timmins, Bill Tyrrell, Brian Heaslip.
U11's and U10's: John Timmins, Bill Tyrell, Noel Keogh.
U8's: Robert Mc Hugh, Liam Horgan.
Ladies - Adult: Damian Patterson, Kenny Hearn.
Ladies - U14's: Paul Garrigan, Maura O'Sullivan.
Medical / Physio: Tom Donohue, Noel Molloy, Dr. Pat Carolan.
