Ballykelly GFC
Ballykelly Gaelic Football Club is a Gaelic football based Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club in County Kildare, Republic of Ireland, north of Monasterevin. Following the progress of many modern GAA clubs, they field teams from U6 to senior in both ladies' and men's football.
| Baile Uí Cheallaigh | ||
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| Founded: | 1953 | |
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| County: | Kildare | |
| Colours: | Maroon and White | |
| Grounds: | Highbridge, Ballykelly, Lackagh, County Kildare | |
| Coordinates: | 53.157°N 7.053°W | |
| Playing kits | ||
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History
Football Club
The present-day club was founded in 1953, and immediately began fundraising. They started to train in Ann Cullen's field in Borraderra and so intense was their interest in the game that they even trained on Christmas Day.
Ladies' Football
The Ballykelly girls' Under 14 team was registered in the spring of 1994, twenty years after the first All Ireland ladies' football final was played. The squad consisted of 21 players in an age group from 10 to 14. The squad comprised players who came from families who supported all three clubs in the parish.
The teams prospered in their first year and the following season saw six of the players called up for county teams. The team's success continued for a further year drawing fresh players from all over the parish but by in 1996 the successful run was over, partly due to the original squad becoming older. However, some of the girls did continue playing for the boys' team.
In 1997 an amalgamation between Ballykelly and Athgarvan was arranged, meaning that some players were now representing Ballykelly on the boys' panel and Athgarvan with the ladies' team. During this season two of the players, Maire Dowling at centre half forward and Margeret McCormack in goal, contributed to the capture of the county shield with the under 14 boys' team and the club was also being represented at intercounty level by several of the girls.
In 1999 saw the formation of an Under 12 team and the reformation of the Under 14 team; in 2001 a Senior Ladies' team was formed.
Grounds
The club purchased its first pitch in 1982 next to the Highbridge and developed it as money became available. The pitch and club rooms were opened on 16 October 1983 by Hugh Campion, former Chairman of Kildare County Board. The facilities were updated after that with the addition of new dressing rooms and showers.
In 2005 the club embarked on another major development plan to keep up with the growth in the local population and purchased 17-acre (69,000 m2) in the townland of Ballykelly. This new development was completed and officially opened on 16 May 2010 and consists of two adult size pitches, one floodlit and one juvenile pitch, two astro-surfaced pitches, a sports hall, ladies' and men's dressing rooms, meeting rooms and car parking for 350 cars. The facility was named as Kildare Grounds of the Year for 2010.
Honours
- Kildare Intermediate Football Championship Winners (3) 1955, 1960, 1975
- Kildare Junior Football Championship: Winners (2) 1974, 2007
- Jack Higgins Cup 2007
- Kildare Junior B champions 1953. 2000
- Kildare Senior League Div 2 1974, 1978.
- Kildare Junior League Div 2 1974.
- Kildare Minor B Football Championship 2007 (St Evins Gaels)
- Kildare Under-16 Champions 1989
- Kildare Under-16 A Shield 2007 (St Evins Gaels)
- Under-14 Board na Og Shield 1997
- Ladies' Junior champions 2005
- Ladies' Senior League Div 2 2004
- Ladies' U 16 champions 2005
- Ladies' u 15 champions 2007, 2008, 2009,2017
- Ladies' Senior League Div 3 2008
- Ladies' minor champions 2008
- Ladies' Junior A champions 2010
- Kildare best club grounds 2010
- U15 boys' league 2010
Bibliography
- 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.