News

Club Notes 19/03/2012

November 7, 2018

St.Senans caters for the youth of the Kilkee parish from u12 to Adults and deserves to be supported in any way possible and especially financially.
 
Our Club is an old one with a rich history from formation to the present day. An excerpt from the club history which was launched in 2009, stated the following:
“ Although they did not affiliate until 1900 there is evidence that Kilkee had a football club as far back as 1887. On 16th March 1887 a report appeared in the Munster News, whereby the Kilmacduane club at a meeting held at Dromelihy, Cree, issued a “challenge to the Kilkee club for Sunday next”. TheClare Journal on Thursday,7 April 1887 gives us an insightful report into the proceedings.  Kilkee and Kilmacduane football clubs – A match between both these bodies was arranged to take place on Sunday at Bealaha,but owing to the unseemly conduct of the Kilmacduane boys the ball had to be withdrawn by the clergymen present. They (Kilmacduane) showed some spirit when competing with the Meelick club on the previous Sunday, but the Press representatives present decided among themselves not to expose the matter, but the conduct on Sunday was most unseemly as the ball was no sooner thrown up than one of them who got fouled thought at once to strike a Kilkee player, but the ball was immediately withdrawn by Dr Hickey and Father Hayes C.C.Cooraclare. The other clergyman in attendance were – Rev. Father Sweeney C.C.Kilkee.
 
The onlookers were disgusted at the conduct of the parties who brought the game to such an unhappy conclusion.  However, the Kilmacduane GAA members took grave exception to the report of the match in the ClareJournal. They believed, according to the Munster News of 13 April 1887 that the reporter was a Kilkee man or one interested in the welfare of the Kilkee club. The Kilmacduane club put the blame squarely on the Kilkee men for“during the play, the ball kept hovering around the Kilkee goal posts and the Kilkee men then, sooner than suffer defeat, for such was inevitable, gathered in upon the play ground and gave every indication of being bent on raising a row.  Knowing how dear victory is to every man and how anxious he strives to secure it, it would indeed be most unnatural to suppose that this club would be the cause on that day of preventing to secure that victory, which appeared every moment impending. The Kilkee boys were the sole cause of breaking up the meeting, and indeed they showed much of the rowdy element in the field and proved it afterwards amongst themselves as they were returning home.

The county board issued a directive later that year that clubs were forbidden to engage in “challenge” matches with clubs who were not affiliated with the county board. As a result there is no mention of the Kilkee club playing any matches until this rule was relaxed in 1891”.  As can be ascertained from the above the players were a lively bunch and this has always  been the case when playing the game was of paramount importance and winning a bonus.