Gowna GFC

Gowna GFC

Loch Gamhna
Founded:	1889
County:	Cavan
Colours:	Green and Red
Grounds:	ClubSpot Park, Loch Gowna, Cavan
Coordinates:	53°52′00″N7°33′04″W / 53.86661°N 7.55124°W / 53.86661; -7.55124
Playing kits
Standard colours
Senior Club Championships
All Ireland Ulster champions Cavan champions Football: 0 0 9

Gowna are a Gaelic football club based in the village of Loch Gowna, County Cavan, Ireland.

History

GAA has been present in the local Gowna area since as early as 1889 and the club went under the name of Scrabby West Breffnians or 'Breffnies' as they were otherwise known. Gowna's first major football success came in 1916 in the form of a junior championship. Gowna GFC, as we know it today, was officially reformed in 1976 and has gone through some major developmental change. The 'post reform' park was officially opened in 1982 and was revamped in 2011 to stand as it is today.

After reforming in 1976, Gowna claimed the Junior title in 1982 and won the Intermediate in 1985. Gowna reached the final of the Senior Championship in 1988, where they defeated Laragh United to claim the club's first senior title. They went on to win six more championships in 1994, 1996, 1997, ^[1] 1999, ^[2] 2000 and 2002. ^[3] After a 20-year wait, in which they lost finals in 2007 ^[4] and 2021, ^[5] Gowna claimed their eighth senior crown in 2022. ^[6] Gowna successfully defended their title in 2023. ^[7]

After winning the Ulster Senior Football Championship in 1997, Gowna's Dermot McCabe became the second Cavan player to win an All Star.

In 2021, the club became the first GAA club to sell the naming rights of their club grounds, with the grounds being rebranded as 'ClubSpot Park'. ^[8]

Honours

The entrance to Gowna's grounds, pictured in 2009

• Cavan Senior Football Championship: 9
  • 1988, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2022, 2023
• Cavan Intermediate Football Championship: 2
  • 1925, 1985
• Cavan Junior Football Championship: 3
  • 1916, 1934, 1982
• Cavan Under-21 Football Championship: 8
  • 1981, 1985, 1986, 1987, 2017, ^{[lower-alpha 1]} 2021, ^{[lower-alpha 1]} 2022, ^{[lower-alpha 1]} 2023
• Cavan Minor Football Championship: 6
  • 1958, 1983, 1984, 1985, 2014, ^{[lower-alpha 1]} 2020 ^{[lower-alpha 1]}

Notable players

• Dermot McCabe
• Mark McKeever

Notes

1. Won as part of Southern Gaels (Gowna/Lacken)

References

1. "Gowna keep their title". The Irish Times . 13 October 1997. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
2. "A late show from Gowna". The Irish Times . 20 September 1999. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
3. "Cavan SFC Final". Irish Independent . 30 September 2002. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
4. Gaffney, Eamonn (10 October 2007). "Cavan senior football championship final". The Anglo-Celt . Retrieved 25 October 2021.
5. Fitzpatrick, Paul (14 November 2021). "Strong start from Ramor propels them to Cavan title". RTÉ . Retrieved 14 November 2021.
6. Carney, Kevin (16 October 2022). "Gowna start slow but finish with a flourish for first Cavan title in 20 years". Irish Examiner . Retrieved 16 October 2022.
7. Roche, Frank (22 October 2023). "Cavan SFC final: First-half blitz ensures Gowna reclaim county crown". Irish Independent . Retrieved 22 October 2023.
8. Boyle, Donnchadh (6 July 2021). "Cavan club breaks new ground in GAA with sale of naming rights to their local pitch". Irish Independent . Retrieved 16 October 2022.

External links

• Gowna Official Website
• Official Cavan GAA Website