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Irishroversgfc.com
- History |
Now one
of Sydney's most well known clubs the
Irish
Rovers G.A.A. club strangely enough started
out as a cultural outfit called the 'Irish
Musicians', way back in circa 1967, we are
not sure as to why? But in 1968 the club then
became known as the Irish Rovers, it must
have been something to do with their ability
as travelling musicians. Whatever the reason
the seeds were sown for what was develop from
a musical organisation into a very successful
Australian based G.A.A. club. The year 1970
saw the club fully founded and well organised
and thus took it's place in the NSW G.A.A.
competitions. The founding fathers of the
club were Tony Hogan, Jim Sullivan, Pat Gantley,
Larry O' Tool, John O Dea, Tony Diskin and
Tony Henderson. The club entered a Hurling
team and a Gaelic Football team that made
a good impact in the early years and in 1972
claimed Major honours in both codes. The Rovers
continued to do well right up to 1980 with
their footballers and hurlers in great form.
The next decade was
not to be so successful with both teams struggling
to an extent in both codes although remaining
competitive as such, the footballers folded
temporarily in 1984, but in 1986 under the
guidance of Mark Byrne, Joe Kinaham, Billy
Guinan and Ger Breen. The Rovers footballers
were remobilised and led by Billy Guinan as
Captain they got straight back into it, reaching
the 1986 Championship Final, only to fail
by a single point to the Padraic Pearses GFC.
As the 1980's came to an end the club regained
it's temporary lost strength in the football
and won the 1989 NSW Championship with a solid
display of stamina and skill, paving the way
for what was to be further successes in the
immediate years ahead.
1990 saw the unfortunate
demise of the Irish Rovers Hurling team and
sadly they folded. The end of another era
in New South Wales Hurling. Many of the Rovers
hurling veterans are however still clashing
the ash on the turf of New South Wales today
with other clubs and in one way or another
still involved with the green and white men
on the now Irish Rovers Gaelic Football Club.
The 1990's have so
far been very successful for the footballers
having contested nearly every league and championship
final to date. The club nowadays is a fair
representation of an All-Ireland football
team - nearly every county is represented
in the green and white shirt. To the clubs
own amusement 1994 saw an All-Tyrone forward
line contest the '94 League Final for the
Rovers against archrivals 'Young Ireland G.F.C'
and this lethal Tyrone firepower ensured the
determined victory. Players such as deadly
Brian Daly, Steve McMenamin, the Swedish born
Kieran "Dinger" Donnelly, Eugene
Daly, PJ McMorgan and Keith McMenamin (what
a cross in life to bear?) The standard of
Gaelic football played by the present day
Irish Rovers is of a very high standard with
some ever present greats of NSW such as Glen
Gordon (The Black Perl), Con O Connell, ,
Peter Cullen and behind the scenes Colm Drumgoole,
Peter Kenahan , Joe Kenahan, Mark Byrne and
Jim Murphy.
Padraic Mac Atamley
of Derry, a proud Rovers player took the 1994
Player of the year award for NSW, an honour
achieved in only half the season having returned
home after the NSW league. The New South Wales
state team is made up with many Rovers players
who every year give 100% for the Waratah Gaels
as is the case again this year.
Behind the present
Irish Rovers team is a very hard working committee
who put a lot of time and work into the organisation
and running of the club. Manager. Sean Cronin Co Dublin,
Club President Jim Murphy Co Sligo,
John Howard Club Chairman Co Kildare,
Hubert Conroy Club Secretary Co
Kildare
Club treasurer Mark Byrne Co. Wicklow.
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