Glenealy (Irish: Gleann Fhaídhle) is a village 5 miles west of Wicklow Town. It is a club steeped in history, heritage and hurling. The Club grounds are nestled at the foot of Carraig Mountain, adjacent to the village.
We are solely a hurling (and camogie) club. New members are always welcome and we extend the hand of friendship to all. Glenealy is a very progressive, family orientated club. We cater for boys and girls from age 3 to adult. The Juvenile section looks after the boys from the Under 6 to Under 17 age group.
The Senior section fields 2 teams , Intermediate and Senior. The Camogie section looks after all our ladies from Under 6 to Senior level. Glenealy is a club that has played a pivitol part in the promotion and development of hurling in Wicklow over the last number of years.
We have provided and continue to provide senior and juvenile players on numerous county teams.
Hurling:
“Sport with a dash in it
Clatter and clash in it
Something with ash in it
Surely a game”
For the history of the Camogie club see here.
Football
It was as a football team that Glenealy set out in Wicklow GAA. The first game they played was at Avondale on March 20, 1887, when they suffered defeat at the hands of Glendalough, 0-4 to nil.
There was very little coverage for G.A.A. in those days, but they were noted in action again at Newrath on February 19, 1888, and this time they went down to Brittas 0-3 to 0-0. No names were mentioned in relation to either of those matches.
Another mention was found of Glenealy footballers in 1907. On April 21, they beat Killiskey 2-11 to 0-1 in some kind of a tournament game. Byrne, Doyle, Hennessy, Murray, Ellis, Farrell, Newsome and Healy were mentioned as playing well in that game. A small entry was located about the fact that they reached the Wicklow Junior final in 1921. They were beaten in that final by two points to one, but only one name was mentioned and that was Chris Mernagh of Ballinacor.
However, Tommy Glynn (club PRO) did manage to dig up the names of that Glenealy team — Tom Porter (goal), Jack Horgan, Jack Jordan, Gen Dunne, Mick Durneen, Jack Flynn, Mick Dunbar, Frank Newsome, Paddy Doyle, Jim Porter, Bill ‘Budget’ Glynn, Lar ‘Cricket’ Byrne, Jack ‘Bough’ Byrne, Jim ‘Doctor’ Byrne, Jack ‘Cocker’ Byrne. Subs: Hugh Cooney, Jim ‘Can’ Byrne and Paddy ‘Tige’ Byrne.
Hurling
Glenealy turned to hurling in the twenties.
1930s
They reached their first hurling final in 1932 only to be narrowly beaten by Carnew, 3-0 to 2-2. The match was played on December 4, 1932, and the Glenealy team was as follows: Tom, Ned and George Porter, Joe and W. Glynn, M. Timmins, M. Anderson, G. Kavanagh, E. McNabb, James Shannon, John Byrne, L. Byrne, John Flynn, Michael Doyle. They didn’t have much success in the next decade.
1940s
They kept the flag flying and finally got around to winning a Minor hurling title in 1946. Playing on that team were — Tony and Jim Porter, Bill Murphy, Louie Byrne, Bob Douglas, Jay Byrne (remember the show band!), Jack Manly, Jack Murphy, Jimmy and Noel Quinn, Ned Barrett, Paddy Doyle, Liam Byrne, Joe Doyle, Gerry Byrne. They also had some players who shared in the Ashford Junior hurling victory in 1943. From 1946 onwards Glenealy began to concentrate on Minor hurling. They won the 1947 title.
1950s
They figured in most finals up to 1951 when they won county honours again. They repeated the performance in 1952 and also won the Junior hurling championship in 1951. The 1951 Minor side was as follows – Christy Byrne, Larry Cullen, Jim Duffy, John and Charlie Byrne, Alfie Byrne, Jim Byrne, Tom Shannon, Paul Kelly, Eddie Galvin, Tom Cooney, Jim Haughton, Kevin Douglas, Paudge Byrne, John Porter. Subs.: P. J. Burke, Peter Kavanagh, Liam Richardson and Michael Doyle.
Larry Cullen, Paddy Lott, Jim Kavanagh, Malachy Byrne and Tommy Byrne figured on the 1950 Minor team with most of the people above.
Glenealy were beaten by Avoca in the 1950 Junior hurling final, 8-2 to 5-2 and the team included: S. Murphy, S. Quinn, N. Quinn, S. O’Neill, T. Porter, L. Murray, R. Douglas, R. Ryan, S. Doyle (2), S. Kavanagh, P. Kelly, S. Porter, P. and J. Byrne.
Following on Junior and Minor wins Glenealy began to gather power and reached their first Senior final in 1953 when they were beaten by Avoca at Ashford. The score in that game was 5-7 to 2-1. The team that figured in that campaign included — W. Byrne, L. Cullen, P. Kelly, N. Quinn, P. Murphy, E. Moules, T. Shannon, J. Kavanagh, R. Douglas, J. Doyle, M. Burke, P. Byrne (2), T. Cooney, C. Byrne, D. Cooney, T. Byrne. Eamon ‘Fitz’ Moules had refereed a game before turning out with Glenealy for the final.
Next came the big day — December 1, 1957 — when Glenealy took their first Senior hurling title.
They won again in 1958 when they beat Kilcoole 4-7 to 4-3 with the team lining out as follows — Lorcan Staines, Jim O’Neill, Bill Murphy, Lar Cullen, P. J. Burke, Noel Quinn, Kevin Douglas, Fintan Ingolsby, Bob Douglas, Peter Kavanagh, Charlie Byrne, Mai Byrne, Tom Cooney, Sean Kennedy, Paudge Byrne. Subs.: Louie Byrne, Jack Murphy, Billy Barrett, Jim Doyle, John Kavanagh. Twelve of those played in 1957 with Paul Kelly, Jack Murphy, Billy Luddy and John Kavanagh.
In 1959 Glenealy beat Barndarrig 4-4 to 3-3 with the following team — L. Staines, J. O’Neill, Mick Kelly, Jack Murphy, Lar Cullen, Noel Quinn, P. J. Burke, Jimmy Kearns, Bob Douglas, Peter Kavanagh, Charlie Byrne, John Kavanagh, Tom Cooney, Sean Kennedy and Paudge Byrne. Subs.: Tom Regan, Noel Carthy, Owen Melia, Billy Barrett and Fr. Dermot Kavanagh.
1960s
Glenealy won three more Minor titles in 1960, 1961 and 1964. 1964 team – Ray Donoghue, Sean Doyle, Brian Carthy, Gene Anderson, James Ward, Pat Doyle, Sean O’Brien, Joe Kelly, Tommy Glynn, Liam Hamilton, Noel Staunton, Mick O’Neill, Tony Behan, Kevin Byrne and Kenny Quinn.
The biggest G.A.A. night ever in Glenealy was Wednesday, May 11, 1960. That was the night that the Hurling Cup was officially handed over to the club for the three in a row success at Glenealy Hall. The medals for 1959 were also distributed and we noticed that Noel Carthy, the well-known Ashford footballer was among the recipients as well as William Barrett, Owen Melia and Jim Doyle.
Minor Hurling Semifinal 1963. Glenealy won by 13 points
Glenealy had little difficulty in defeating Greystones by 5-3 to 1-2 in the Minor hurling semifinal at Ashford. The game was played in very heavy underfoot conditions and there was a number of very heavy showers throughout the hour,but it was to the credit to both sides that they managed to play hurling of a fairly high standard.There was no doubt that Glenealy were the better side.They were bigger,faster and more determined than their inexperienced opponents.However the northern side did not go down without a fight and right up to the final whistle they fought heroically and enthusiastically.
Best for Glenealy were B.Carthy.J.Kavanagh.M.Behan.V.McCarthy.N.Kavanagh.and N.Staunton.
Prominent for the losers were T.Greene.S.Kinsella.D.Murphy.R.Barry.S.Sutton.S.O,Leary.V.Coughlan and M.Lawlor.Scorers for Glenealy were
N.Staunton.[3-1],M.Behan and B.Duignan [1-0 each] and N Kavanagh [0-2].
Glenealy team: Ray Donoghue, John Doyle, Brian Carthy, Gene Anderson, Dessie Hamilton, Michael Doyle, Joe Kavanagh, Brian Duignan, Noel Staunton, Dick Byrne, Mick Behan, Vincent McCarthy, Tommy Glynn, Pat Doyle and Noel Kavanagh.
1970s
The next win for Glenealy was a Junior hurling title in 1971 when they beat Newcastle 4-6 to 2-2 in the final. There were quite a few new faces on that team which reads as follows — Gene Anderson, Bill Staunton, Mick Connolly, Charlie and Eddie Kelly, Mick O’Neill, Mick Doyle, Pat Doyle, Pat Berkery, Eamonn Kelly, Tommy Glynn, John Glynn, Patsy and Seamus Byrne, Don Gorman. Subs.: Gene Fowley, Noel Staunton, John Flynn and Willie Gorman.
Many of the same lads were aboard in 1975 when Glenealy won their fourth Senior hurling title by beating Arklow Rocks 3-2 to 2-3 at Aughrim. Line-out: Gene Anderson, Bill Staunton, Mick Connolly, Eamonn Kelly, Mick O’Neill, Mick Doyle, Bernard Flood, John Glynn (captain), Peter Ennis, Tommy Glynn, Paddy Barry, Tony Barnaville, Don Gorman, Charlie Kelly, Sean Snell. The substitutes included: Tom Cody, Liam Phelan, Bernie Byrne, Pat O’Connor, John and Seamus O’Neill.
Glenealy also contested the 1974 final, beaten by Carnew 2-4 to 0-3; the 1977 final, beaten by Arklow Rocks 2-11 to 0-5, and the 1980 final, beaten by Carnew 1-8 to 0-9.
Among a long list of Minor successes Glenealy can also lay claim to winning the 1979 hurling league and the 1971 and 1978 Junior hurling leagues.
1980s
Glenealy won the under-21 hurling championship in 1982 and the team was as follows: Jimmy Kelly, Tom O’Neill, John Porter, Vincent O’Brien, Phelim Doyle, Tom Byrne, Paul Byrne (2), Mick Brien, Enda Luddy, Johnny O’Brien, Wally Manley, Sean Cooney, Eamon Esmonde, Andrew Kinsella, and Colm Delaney.
Among a long list of Minor successes Glenealy can also lay claim to winning 1981 hurling league.
In 1986, veterans such as Don O’Gorman, Mickey O’Neill, Tony Barnaville, Tommy and John Glynn, were joined by people like Wally Manley, Eamon Esmonde, Ian O’Neill, Vincent Duffy, Finbarr O’Gorman and Johnny O’Brien to secure a fifth Senior title. A Junior title was gained in 1987, and success at juvenile level in the 1980s helped in the team building proccess of the late 80s and early 90s.
1990s
There was a Senior defeat at the hands of Kiltegan in 1993. The Club took its 6th Senior title in 1996 when 1986 survivors Bernie Byrne, Ian O’Neill, and Wally Manley combined with Tom, Paul and Billie Byrne, Steven Coady, David and Declan Doyle, Joey Driver, and M-A, M-J, and Jonathan O’Neill for a second County final success over Carnew. 1996 also brought the Junior title to the club, and 1997 gave us our first Minor title for almost 20 years. 1998 again brought a senior final defeat at the hands of Kiltegan. 1999 saw the club take the Senior League title but we suffered a semi-final defeat in the Championship to champions Kiltegan.
2000s
Glenealy won the Wicklow Senior Hurling Championship in 2005.
Glenealy Hurling Club enjoyed an exciting but unsuccessful year in 2001. The highlight of the year was the bold bid the Senior hurling final before eventually losing on a 0-16 to 0-14 scoreline to Kiltegan in one of the best finals in recent memory. Our juvenile hurling got off to a great start by winning the U-14 B Hurling Championship by overcoming Kilcoole. The U-12 team played and beat St Patrick’s in the Championship final. Daryl O’Neill was the captain.
2003 was a year when Glenealy Hurling Club finally put the ghosts of previous disappointments to rest when the Senior hurlers took their 7th Senior title with a 1-10 to 1-7 victory over Carnew.
Glenealy won the Wicklow Senior Hurling Championship in 2005.
In 2007, the Glenealy Senior hurlers regained the O’Donoghue Cup when they defeated Kiltegan 4-16 to 3-14 after a thrilling County final. This was only achieved after a titanic struggle in a game that ebbed and flowed one way and the other in what many people have described as the greatest Wicklow hurling final ever. The U-13 team won through to the Wicklow-Wexford Cup final where they beat Ballyfad by 2 points in a very exciting final.
2008 was a very successful and also a very historic year for Glenealy Hurling Club, as not only did we retain their Senior crown, they also won our first ever Intermediate tital. In the Minor B final we met Éire Óg and after a tough battle we won 1-13 to 3-5. The U-12s had an excellent year, winning the U-12A County final against Bray Emmets 1-3 to 0-3.
In the 2009 Championship semi-final we met and defeated Arklow Rock Parnells 3-17 to 0-6 which set up another meeting with old adversaries Carnew, who we had beaten in the 2008 final. We had the added incentice of going for the 3-in-a-row, a feat we had only achieved once before, but it was not to be, despite getting off to a great start with an early Leighton Glynn goal we gave a lacklustre performance and were defeated by two points, 0-18 to 1-13.
In the 2010 final we met our old rivals Carnew who had defeated us in last year’s final and another hard-fought close game was expected but the lads rose to the challenge magnificently and as early as the 4th minute when Leighton Glynn hit the back of the net there only looked to be one winner and so it proved, the lads running out easy winners 3-13 to 0-9. In the first round of the Leinster Championship our opponents were St Mullin’s of Carlow who we played in Dr Cullen Park and we dug out a one point victory winning 3-8 to 1-13 courtesy of a great Wayne O’Gorman goal in injury time. We faced Kiltegan in the Junior final on the 12th of September and the game was a close run affair from the initial throw in to the final whistle. The west Wicklow had certainly upped their game and gave an expected battling performance and we found it hard to put any comfortable distance between us on the scoreboard. The final fifteen minutes were epic as Kiltegan sensed victory and only heroic defending kept us in front. The final whistle went and victory was secured on a 1-13 to 2-7 scoreline.
In the 2011 final they once again met fierce rivals Carnew and came out on the right side of a 3-9 to 3-6 scoreline. Although it was a tough hard fought game the scoreline is a little flattering to Carnew as Glenealy were well on top bar the last 5 minutes. Enan Glynn turned in a man of the match performance. At half time the 1986 winning team from Glenealy were presented with a special memento to mark the 25th anniversary of their win which was also v Carnew, that day the final score was 2-8 to 2-6 Glenealy won an historic 3 in a row in the 2012 Wicklow SHC in Aughrim by once again beating their fierce rivals from Carnew on a 1-11 to 0-10 scoreline. The only previous time Glenealy had managed a 3 in a row was when they won their first ever titles in the late 1950’s.
20th October 2013 – FOUR-IN-A-ROW
Club history was written by Glenealy hurlers as they totted up their fourth senior championship title in a row at Aughrim.
Only one other team have achieved that feat and now Glenealy have equalled the record Four-in-a-row set by arch-rivals Carnew back in 1978-1981.
The game was marked by a truly magnificent hurling display by dual club and county star Leighton Glynn, who worked his socks off, in defence and attack, and ended up with a splendid haul of 11 points, nine of them from frees.
Glynn has now amassed 16 senior championship medals in Wicklow; eight for football and eight for hurling. He opened for the champions with two early points from frees but Christy Moorehouse and Mikey Lee responded for Bray.
Stephen Nolan tried to blast a goal for Glenealy from a 20-metre free, but Bray held firm and the ball was blocked out for a ’65’, but there was not time to take the free and Glenealy held a slender 0-9 to 0-7 lead at the interval.
Glynn again led the scoring for Glenealy after the break and shortly afterwards five players were entered in the referee’s book as the battle heated up.
With seven minutes left on the clock, Bray were down to 14 men but they still kept pounding at Glenealy, keeping it a one-score game right to the finish.
Scorers – Glenealy: L Glynn 0-11 (9fs), J O’Neill 0-2, W O’Gorman, T Doyle, G Byrne, R Byrne 0-1 each. Bray Emmets: M Lee 0-7 (4fs), C Moorehouse 0-3, E Mason, L Maloney, M Browne, J Doyle 0-1 each.
Glenealy – J Driver; W Kavanagh, MA O’Neill, R Byrne; G Byrne, S Nolan , MJ O’Neill; J O’Neill, N Driver; L Glynn, W O’Gorman, T Doyle; J Manley, E Glynn, D Staunton. Subs: C O’Neill for W Kavanagh, G Weir for J Manley, G Byrne for N Driver, N Driver for G Byrne.
Bray Emmets – P O’Reilly; R O’Brien, P Kiely, P Lee; M Lennon, J Henderson, K Lacey; G O Murchu, L Maloney; E Mason, P Cunningham, W Keane; M Lee, B Duggan, C Moorehouse. Subs: J Doyle for M Lennon, M Browne for K Lacey, N Sweeney for G. O Murchu, A Murphy for B Duggan, L Kenny for R O’Brien.
Ref – J Keenan (Aughrim)
