Sarsfields GAA (Newbridge)

Sarsfields

Na Sairséalaigh
Founded:	1897
County:	Kildare
Nickname:	The Sash
Colours:	Green with white diagonal sash
Grounds:	Rickardstown, Newbridge
Coordinates:	53°11′19″N6°48′48″W / 53.1886°N 6.8132°W / 53.1886; -6.8132
Playing kits
Standard colours
Senior Club Championships
All Ireland Leinster champions Kildare champions Football: 0 0 25 Hurling: 0 0 0

Sarsfields is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Newbridge in County Kildare, Ireland. The club name is linked to Patrick Sarsfield's castle in the area and the club's colours are green with a white sash. Sarsfields has won 25 Kildare Senior Football Championships, more than any other club in the competition.

Football

The club was founded in 1897. ^[1] Originally known as "Roseberry" or "Roseberry Sarsfields", and with its headquarters in the Roseberry area, it was registered as "Sons of Sarsfield Gaelic Football Club". A green jersey, with a white sash, were the chosen club colours.

Roseberry Sarsfields won its first championship title in 1904, beating Naas in a delayed final which was played in January 1905. ^[2] Sarsfields combined with Clane to represent Kildare in the 1905 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, and went on to win the 1905 final. Sarsfields would dominate Kildare football for the coming decade, with only a Monasterevin intervention in 1911 preventing the club winning nine titles in a row. The club subsequently won championships in 1945 and 1947 and also a "three-in-a-row" between 1950 and 1952.

Sarsfields waited thirty years for their next championship win when the 1982 team defeated St. Lawrences. Four years later, in 1986, Sarsfields won both minor and senior titles.

The club also won the All Ireland sevens in 1983 and 1984. In 1983, they defeated Scotstown of Monaghan in the final on a score line of 1-21 to 2-15. In the all-Kildare final of 1984, Sarsfields defeated Johnstown Bridge, winning by 4-15 to 2-8.

Sarfields also won in 1993 and the 1993 minor and under 21 titles were also secured.^{[ citation needed ]} The Dermot Burke Cup was retained in 1994 and, while a three-in-a-row seemed a possibility, Ballyteague won the title in 1995.^{[ citation needed ]}

In 1999, another championship was won. Sarsfields reached its first Leinster final, but lost to Dublin's Na Fianna. The club's twentieth title was captured in 2001. While Na Fianna of Dublin defeated the club in the Leinster semi-final, they used six substitutes, one more than allowed. Though the penalty was forfeiture of the game, Sarsfields offered to replay it. In a close game, Sarsfields were beaten in extra time with the last kick of the game.^{[ citation needed ]}

2005 saw the club win the minor and senior championships. Sarsfields reached their second Leinster Final, losing out to Kilmacud Crokes.^{[ citation needed ]}

In 2006, the seniors ended up in a championship relegation battle with Maynooth. In 2007, the Minor and U21 championships were captured. Between 2008 and 2009, three consecutive Junior league finals were contested, and two wins recorded. The Junior championship was won in 2009, allowing Sarsfields to compete at Intermediate level, for the first time in more than 20 years, from 2010.^{[ citation needed ]}

The senior footballers contested but lost out in the 2010 county final. However the senior B team won the championship for the third year in a row. In addition, the junior C team captured the championship for the second year in a row.^{[ citation needed ]}

In 2012, a senior championship football title was won against Carbury. In addition, the senior team captured the league title and won the Aldridge cup.^{[ citation needed ]}

Hurling

After a number of years without a hurling team Sarsfields re-entered the junior league in 2007 and in June 2007 were crowned League champions after defeating Athy by 5–8 to 2–6. Sarsfields Hurling were 2009 Junior League and Championship double winners and now compete at Intermediate level.

Ladies football

Sarsfields were Kildare junior champions in 2003 and intermediate champions in 2004. They also won the Leinster Intermediate Championship in 2004. They beat Moorefield in the minor Championship in 2008. The club's Ladies football team again won the intermediate championship in 2014 and the first ever senior title in 2015.^{[ citation needed ]}

Honours

• Kildare Senior Football Championship (25): 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1912, 1915 1945, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1982, 1986, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2012, ^[3] 2015, ^[4] 2016, ^[5] 2019
• Kildare Senior Football League Division 1 (14): 1945, 1946, 1947, 1952, 1954, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1992, 2007, 2012
• Kildare Senior Football League Division 2 (1): 2000
• Kildare Junior Football Championship (2): 1924, 1933.
• Kildare U-21 Football Championship (5): 1987, 1992, 1993, 2007, 2013, 2017
• Kildare Minor Football Championship (14): 1940, 1941, 1957, 1958, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1996, 2005, 2007, 2014
• Kildare Senior B Championship (9): 1994, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021^{[ citation needed ]}
• Jack Higgins Cup (4): 1985, 1994, 2009, 2015
• Kildare Junior Hurling Championship (1): 2009
• Kildare Intermediate B Hurling Championship (1): 2010

Notable people

Notable people, associated with the club, include:

• Davy Burke, who managed the club prior to taking-up a role with Wicklow GAA ^{[6] [7]}
• Dermot Earley Jnr, an All Star winner in 1998 and 2009. ^[8]
• Dermot Earley Snr, who won the championship with Sarsfields in 1982 ^[9]

References

1. "History". sarsfieldsgaanewbridge.ie. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
2. "A snippet of History #125yearsofthesash". sarsfieldsgaanewbridge.clubifyapp.com. Retrieved 9 September 2023. The final was not played until January 29th 1905 when Rosberry Sarsfields had no difficulty in beating Naas 0-14 to 0-3
3. "McKenna turns the tide for Sarsfields". Irish Examiner . 22 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
4. "Sarsfields snatch title with late blitz". Irish Examiner . 19 October 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
5. "Kildare SFC final: The Sash overcome 14-man Moorefield". Hogan Stand . 16 October 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
6. "Davy Burke appointed Wicklow football manager". RTÉ. 24 September 2019.
7. "Wicklow boss Davy Burke open to recruiting surplus Dubs". RTÉ. 7 November 2019.
8. "Newbridge Sarsfields GAA Honours".
9. "Newbridge Sarsfields GAA | the Dermot Earley Academy".

Further reading

• Sarsfields GFC 86 Golden Years 1897 To 1983 by Tommy O'Hanlon, Sarsfields GAA 1983, 108pp.
• Kildare GAA: A Centenary History, by Eoghan Corry, CLG Chill Dara, 1984, ISBN   0-9509370-0-2 hb ISBN   0-9509370-1-0 pb
• Kildare GAA yearbook, 1972, 1974, 1978, 1979, 1980 and 2000– in sequence especially the Millennium yearbook of 2000
• Soaring Sliothars: Centenary of Kildare Camogie 1904–2004, by Joan O'Flynn, Kildare County Camogie Board.

External links

• Sarsfields GAA Club website