Monasterevin G.F.C.
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| Founded: | 1880 | ||||||||||||
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| County: | Kildare | ||||||||||||
| Nickname: | Barrowside Blues | ||||||||||||
| Colours: | Blue and White | ||||||||||||
| Grounds: | Father Prendergast Park, Cowpasture, Monasterevin | ||||||||||||
| Coordinates: | 53°08′29″N 7°03′26″W / 53.141481°N 7.05714°WCoordinates: 53°08′29″N 7°03′26″W / 53.141481°N 7.05714°W | ||||||||||||
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Monasterevin G.F.C. is a Gaelic football (GFC) club based in Monasterevin, County Kildare, Ireland. The club being located in County Kildare competes in the County Kildare GAA board league and cup system. They were Kildare club of the year in 1977. In 2012, Monasterevin G.F.C. won their first Leinster Intermediate Club Football Championship.
Monasterevin athletic sports predate the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), having been first staged in a field adjoining the Railway Station in 1880. Monasterevin were among the first clubs to affiliate to Kildare GAA and won the first three Kildare hurling championships. RIC records from 1890 show that Monasterevin Distillery and Brewery had 70 members with officers listed as James Dowling, Edward Lawlor, Pat Tyrrell and William Kennedy. A friend of Michael Cusacks who had played with Metropolitan Hurling Club, PJ Molohan established the first hurling club in the county in Kildare just as the GAA was founded. He participated in the 1888 invasion tour of the USA. Riverstown Charles Kickhams also had a club affiliated in 1890, with officers James Mooney and Patrick Murray listed as having attended the 1889 convention. From the early sports days in J.P. Cassidy's field, the club has moved to various venues including John Dunne's field, Clogheen; Lawlor's field; and Clodhdeo, before finally purchasing its present grounds (Father Prendergast Memorial Park) in 1954.
Originally better known as a hurling club Monasterevin stormed to a football-hurling double in 1890 (defeating Clane, by 1-3 to 1-2, in the football final) wearing the racing colours of the Cassidys, the local distillery and brewery family (straw and blue). A medal of this team shows the team described as the 'Fizzers'. Inspirational figures of this era included Paddy Molohan and Ned Lawlor. Monasterevin re-emerged as a force once more when capturing the inaugural Junior Championship of 1906 (inspired by the return of Ned Kennedy from Clane). They extended their roll of honour by winning a second Junior Championship in 1910 and a second Senior Championship in 1911 (defeating Roseberry, 2-1 to 0-2), only to be denied a third senior crown by Roseberry in the 1912 final with Stephen Vanston, Maurice Twomey, Mick Dowling, Richard "Stix" Dowling and Mick "Joyce" Byrne among their leading players. Monasterevin were not to win a Senior Championship again until 1977 though they won Senior Leagues [Leinster Leader Cup] in 1973 and 1974, along with many underage titles. Prominent players include Liam Gleeson and Bob Harrison (Kildare Player of the Year for 1976) and Hugh Hyland who captained the County Senior Team in the Leinster Final of 1978. Monasterevin regained Senior status in 2012, beating Raheens in the final on a scoreline of 1-10 to 0-07.
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