C.L.G. Ard an Rátha
C.L.G. Ard an Rátha[2] is a GAA club based in Ardara in County Donegal. The Ard an Rátha in the club's title is the place name in Irish, while C.L.G. refers to "GAA".
| 'Ardara GAA' | |||||||||
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| Founded: | 1921 | ||||||||
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| County: | Donegal | ||||||||
| Colours: | Green and yellow | ||||||||
| Grounds: | Pearse Memorial Park[1] | ||||||||
| Playing kits | |||||||||
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| Senior Club Championships | |||||||||
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History
The club was founded on 21 October 1921.[3]
One of their county's more successful teams, they have won the Donegal Senior Football Championship on 6 occasions. Their most recent success was in 2004.[4]
The team is perhaps most famous at national level for being the home club of Anthony Molloy, the first Donegal senior captain to lift the Sam Maguire Cup.[5]
Paddy McGrath, a member of the 2012 All-Ireland SFC winning county team, currently plays for them.[6] McGrath, along with Ardara teammates Conor Classon and Peter McNelis,[7] was part of the Donegal under-21 squad which qualified for the 2010 All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship final.
In June 2012, one of the club's players, Thomas Maguire, was killed in a car crash in Australia.[8]
In May 2013, the men's team were forbidden from entering the All-Ireland Gaeltacht.[9]
Notable players
- Martin Gavigan — 1992 All-Ireland winner[10]
- Paddy McGrath — the club's record holder of county accolades, including All-Ireland Senior Football, All-Ireland Under-21 Football runner-up and Ulster Senior Football Championships (these last X 5).
- Anthony Molloy — All-Ireland winning captain[5]
- C. J. Molloy — American nephew of Anthony, played for New York in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship before transferring to the club[11][12]
- Damian Diver — who famously never won anything with Donegal[11]
Honours
- Donegal Senior Football Championship: 1923, 1926, 1928, 1981, 2000, 2004
- Runner-up: 1936, 1938, 1980, 1983, 1984
- Donegal Junior Football Championship: 1967, 1970
References
- "Molloy hopes Ardara can win relegation four-pointer". Donegal News. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
The Pearse Memorial Park outfit were a kick of the ball away from making it through to the quarter-finals, but Tomas Boyle's late penalty was saved...
- Craig, Frank (24 January 2019). "McGrath closing in on 100th appearance". Donegal News. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
- http://www.ardaragaa.ie/?page_id=73
- "DONEGAL SFC : Brilliant Boyle is Ardara ace". Irish Independent. 4 October 2004. Retrieved 4 October 2004.
- "The heroes of '92 – Where are they now?". Donegal Democrat. 8 January 2009. Archived from the original on 18 December 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
- "Will McGuinness be good for Donegal?". BBC Sport. 25 November 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2010.
- Craig, Frank. "Cadbury's Ulster Under-21 Football final". Ardara.ie. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013.
Ardara trio Conor Classon, Paddy McGrath and Peter McNelis all played their part in helping Jim McGuinness' men secure a famous win over the Breffni blues. Both Classon and McGrath were again two of the side's most influential operators – with McNelis entering the fray late in the second half.
- Harkin, Greg (6 June 2012). "Donegal GAA star killed in Perth..." Irish Independent. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
If he didn't emigrate he could have expected to make the Donegal senior GAA football squad soon.
- "Ardara refused permission to go to All-Ireland Gaeltacht". Donegal Democrat. Johnston Press. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
- "Ardara's Martin Gavigan: The man the Donegal fans call 'Rambo'". Hogan Stand. 30 April 1993.
- Bonner, Declan (23 August 2019). "No Bones About It". Donegal News.
- McMahon, James (3 May 2013). "Leitrim poised for winning start Stateside". RTÉ Sport. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2013.