Wexford GAA

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Wexford GAA
Wexford GAA crest.svg
Irish:Loch Garman
Nickname(s):The Model County
The Slaneysiders
The Yellowbellies
Province:Leinster
Dominant sport: Dual county
Ground(s): Wexford Park, Wexford
County colours:  Purple   Gold
County teams
NFL:Division 4
NHL:Division 1B
Football Championship: Sam Maguire Cup
Hurling Championship: Liam MacCarthy Cup
Ladies' Gaelic football: Brendan Martin Cup
Camogie: O'Duffy Cup

The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) (Irish : Cumann Luthchleas Gael Coiste Chontae Loch Garman) or Wexford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wexford. The county board is also responsible for the Wexford county teams.

Contents

Wexford is one of the few counties to have won the All-Ireland Senior Championship in both football and hurling.

The county hurling team last won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in 1996.

The county football team has won five All-Ireland Senior Football Championships, with the most recent win achieved in 1918.

History

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Wexford teams classic kit

Hurling has been played in Wexford from medieval times. Evidence of this can be found in the hurling ballads of the 15th and 16th centuries. [1] The nickname "Yellowbellies" is said to have been given to the county's hurlers by Sir Caesar Colclough of Tintern in south Wexford, following a 17th-century game between a team of hurlers under his patronage and a team of hurlers from Cornwall, near Glynn in County Wexford. [2] Others have said that King George III shouted "come on the yellow bellies" at an exhibition match near London, in which the Wexford hurlers were wearing yellow ribbons. Apparently, the real reason they are called the 'yellow-bellies' is because one D Coffey declared it back in 1982. [3]

Football

Clubs

Clubs contest the Wexford Senior Football Championship. As of 2020, three clubs have eleven titles each.

No club has won a national or provincial title at senior level, but Rathgarogue-Cushinstown became the first Wexford football club side to reach an All Ireland Football Final in 2020 as they reached the junior All Ireland Football Final.

County team

Team of Wexford, All-Ireland Senior Champions 1916 Wexford gaa team 1916.jpg
Team of Wexford, All-Ireland Senior Champions 1916

Wexford had one of the greatest football teams in the history of the GAA in the 1910s, winning six consecutive Leinster Senior Football Championship (SFC) titles; it was also the first team to win four consecutive All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) titles. [4] 1900 star James 'the Bull' Roche, who had fought for the World heavyweight boxing championship, trained that team, which featured Fr Ned Wheeler, Aidan Doyle and the O'Kennedy brothers, Gus and Seán, as players. The latter was the team captain. The feat of six consecutive Leinster SFC titles was only equalled in 1931, when Kildare won the sixth in a sequence that had begun in 1926. [5]

Wexford's last major football success was winning the Leinster SFC title in 1945. From then on, the game of hurling took precedence in Wexford and as a consequence the fate of the Wexford footballers was to descend into obscurity for many decades.

Hurling

Clubs

Clubs contest the Wexford Senior Hurling Championship. The Rathnure club has the most titles.

Buffers Alley won the 1988–89 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship.

County team

Plaque on Rowe Street Lower, Wexford town, commemorating the founding of the county board in 1886. GAA plaque, Wexford.jpg
Plaque on Rowe Street Lower, Wexford town, commemorating the founding of the county board in 1886.

Hurling is one of the most prominent sports in Wexford. This is in evidence in several one-sided results over the years: Kildare were beaten by 14–15 to 1–1 in an 1897 Croke Cup match. The Antrim team were beaten by 12–17 to 2–3 in a 1954 All-Ireland semi-final. Nicky Rackard, who scored 7–7 at that day, was Wexford's greatest hurler.[ citation needed ] He starred in two clashes with Cork in 1954 and 1956. Wexford lost the first after having a goal disallowed, but won the second with the combination of an Art Foley save and Nicky Rackard goal in the closing minutes.

In the 1970s, the distinctive red-haired Tony Doran was the star as Kilkenny and Wexford played ten Leinster finals in succession. In 1984 they claimed that the final whistle was blown prematurely when they were beaten by a single point in the Leinster final.

In 1996 Wexford, led by Liam Griffin and captained by Martin Storey, brought the Liam MacCarthy Cup back to Slaneyside for the first time since 1968; they were waiting 28 years. Cork, Kilkenny and Tipperary have dominated the honours in recent years.

Davy Fitzgerald took over as manager of the team for 2017, and made progress by reaching the Leinster Final for the first time in nine years. In the final they played Galway. Fitzgerald was appointed after the departure of Liam Dunne, who also played a huge part[ clarification needed ] in their recent success. [6]

Wexford's most recent hurling success was in the Leinster Final of 2019 when they defeated Kilkenny. In the Leinster semi-final, a draw in Wexford Park between Wexford and Kilkenny made it a rematch for the final. However, hurling in Wexford has been on the slide since 1996, their last All-Ireland success, and the Leinster title in 2004 simply papered over the cracks. [7]

Camogie

After winning promotion from intermediate in the late 1950s, Wexford won their first All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship in 1968, and won further All Ireland titles in 1969, 1975, 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012. They contested the first National Camogie League final in 1977, won the second competition and returned to win it three times in a row between 2009 and 2011. Buffers Alley (5) and Rathnure (1995) have won the All Ireland Senior Club Championship.

Notable players include team of the century members Mary Sinnott and Margaret O'Leary, player of the year award-winners Bridget Doyle and Kate Kelly, All Star award winners [8] Áine Codd, Mags Darcy, Mary Leacy, Ursula Jacob. Una Leacy, Claire O'Connor, Catherine O'Loughlin, Katrina Parrock and All Ireland final stars Mary Walsh and Gretta Quigley.

Under Camogie's National Development Plan 2010–2015, "Our Game, Our Passion", [9] five new camogie clubs were to be established in the county by 2015. [10]

Wexford have the following achievements in camogie.

Ladies' football

Wexford have the following achievements in ladies' football.

Related Research Articles

Robert "Bobby" Rackard was an Irish hurler who played as a right corner-back for the Wexford senior team.

Billy Rackard was an Irish hurler and Gaelic footballer who played as a centre-back for the Wexford senior teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antrim GAA</span> Governing body of Gaelic games

The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim county teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dublin GAA</span> County board of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland

The Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) or Dublin GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin and the Dublin county teams. The teams and their fans are known as "The Dubs" or "Boys in Blue". The fans have a special affiliation with the Hill 16 end of Croke Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlow GAA</span> County board of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland

The Carlow County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) or Carlow GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Carlow and the Carlow county teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clare GAA</span> County board of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland

The Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. Clare plays its home games at Cusack Park in Ennis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilkenny GAA</span> County board of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland

The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny county teams in all codes at all levels. The Kilkenny branch of the Gaelic Athletic Association was founded in 1887.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louth GAA</span> County board of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland

The Louth County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) or Louth GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Louth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laois GAA</span> County board of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland

The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois. The county board is also responsible for the Laois county teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westmeath GAA</span> County board of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland

The Westmeath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) or Westmeath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Westmeath. The county board is also responsible for the Westmeath county teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyrone GAA</span> Gaelic games governing body

The Tyrone County Board, or Tyrone GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Ireland, and is responsible for the administration of Gaelic games in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Down GAA</span> Gaelic games governing body

The Down County Board or Down GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Ireland, and is responsible for the administration of Gaelic games in County Down,.

Frank Cummins is an Irish former hurler who played as a midfielder at senior level for the Kilkenny county team.

Martin Storey is an Irish former hurler who played as a centre-forward at senior level for the Wexford county team.

Oulart–The Ballagh is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in County Wexford, Ireland. The club takes its players primarily from the area around the villages of Oulart and The Ballagh. The club has won the Wexford Senior Hurling Championship on 13 occasions, most recently in 2016. Their main rivals are Buffers Alley. Former hurlers associated with the club include former Wexford manager Liam Dunne and current Oulart–The Ballagh senior manager Martin Storey.

Mary Leacy is an Irish sportsperson. She won camogie All Star awards in 2004, 2007 and 2010. She plays camogie with her local club Oulart–The Ballagh and has been a member of the Wexford senior inter-county team since 2001. Leacy captained Wexford to the All-Ireland title in 2007 and won further All Irelands in 2010 and 2011, and a member of the Team of the Championship for 2011.

Rathnure St Anne's is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Rathnure, County Wexford, Ireland. Rathnure's most famous players are the Rackards and Quigley brothers.

Diarmuid Lyng is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling and Gaelic football with his local club St Martin's and was a member of the Wexford senior inter-county hurling team from 2004 to 2013. His nickname "Gizzy" was acquired in his childhood and is a reference to the character Gizmo from the movie Gremlins. A graduate of Froebel College of Education, Lyng is a primary school teacher.

Kate Kelly is a camogie player, winner of nine All-Star awards in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016. In 2007, she helped Wexford win their first All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship in 32 years. and further All Ireland medals in 2010, 2011 and 2012 when she was player of the match in the All Ireland final.

St Martin's GAA club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in Murrintown in the Parish of Piercestown, County Wexford, Ireland. The club was founded in 1932 and fields teams in both hurling and Gaelic football. The women's arm of the club fields teams in both camogie and ladies' Gaelic football.

References

  1. ↑ "The 'Yellow Bellies' and the Hurling men of Cornwall". History Ireland. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  2. ↑ "Yellow Bellies". Ask About Ireland. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  3. ↑ Enniscorthy Guardian, 2006
  4. ↑ Wexford Four in a Row Archived 20 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ Smith, Raymond (1968). "Chapter 4 – Wexford's Four-in-a-row". The Football Immortals. Dublin: Bruce Spicer Ltd. pp. 50–61.
  6. ↑ "Davy Fitzgerald named new Wexford manager". RTE.ie. 7 October 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  7. ↑ "Leinster SHC final: Fanning fires wonderful Wexford past the Cats to glory!". Hogan Stand. 30 June 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  8. ↑ All-stars on camogie.ie
  9. ↑ Irish Independent March 29 2010: Final goal for camogie
  10. ↑ National Development Plan 2010–2015, Our Game, Our Passion information page on camogie.ie, pdf download (778k) from Camogie.ie download site
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship: Roll of Honour", RTÉ, 9 May 2008.
  12. ↑ 2011 final Wexford 2–7 Galway 1–8 Report in Irish Examiner, Irish Independent, Irish Times, Camogie.ie, RTE Online Archived 3 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine , Preview in Irish Examiner Irish Times Irish Independent
  13. ↑ 2011 final Wexford 2–12 Antrim 0–15 Report in Irish Times
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