Generations united by sport in Athy

What a wonderful few weeks for sport in Athy. The victory of Athy Rugby Club seniors in the Provincial Towns Cup final, following on the victory in the previous year’s final, was a tremendous achievement. 

It was Athy’s fifth victory in the Provincial Towns Cup, following nine defeats in past finals including heart rendering defeats in three successive years commencing 1928. The club’s first Towns Cup victory came in 1940, with further victories in 1978 and 1981 following defeats in five finals between 1942 and 1977.

I remember travelling to somewhere in the Midlands in 1965 to watch Athy being defeated by County Carlow in that year’s cup final on the score of 9-6. That was an Athy team which featured players whom I watched occasionally on the G.A.A. embankment as they played home games. I was a G.A.A. player in those days, observing in a strange way the GAA ban and I can recall Cyril Osborne, Reggie Rowan and Jack Ryan as stalwarts of Athy’s Rugby Club team. 

Reviewing the players of today I was amazed to find so many brothers on the Athy senior team. The captaincy is held by Craig Miller who won the ‘Man of the Match’ award and is joined on the team by his brother Josh. Both Miller brothers together with their team colleague Tom Brady have since been selected for the Leinster Junior squad. The Fennessy brothers Ciaran and Cathal achieved greatness in this year’s final, with Cathal earning his 100th cap and Kieran scoring a hat trick of tries for the winners. 

The Dunne family had two brothers on the team panel, Conal and David, with Conal playing, while the Sheedy brothers, Tom, John and Jack were unique in providing three family members who featured on the team. The Henry family name was represented by no less than four, Paul, Mathew, Aidan and Jack, brothers and cousins whose grandfather Tom Henry was a Roscommon County G.A.A. senior player of note. Brothers David and Kevin Downey were in the reserves. 

I mentioned earlier Reggie Rowan, a club player in the 1950s and later, and was delighted to see his grandson Aaron Rowan on the team.

The victory on the playing field was augmented by the victories in the boxing ring by All Ireland champions Cameron Moran and Daniel Lambagin. Cameron, who lives in Clonmullin, won the All-Ireland Boys 46kg. final, while Daniel won the All-Ireland Boys 70kg final. 

Both are members of St Michael’s Boxing Club which was reactivated many years ago by Dom O’Rourke and his team of helpers. They have done wonderful work over the years and now operate out of a fine boxing club premises opposite Dooley’s Terrace. The club has built up a fine record of achievements over the last 35 years or more, providing Olympic boxers and international boxers, as well as club boxers who have achieved Irish National titles over the years. 

Dom O’Rourke was for several years Chairman of the I.A.B.A. and it’s a happy coincidence which saw Dom chairing meetings in the National Stadium Dublin which had been built as a result of fundraising organised by Fr. John McLaughlin of fond memory, later senior curate of St. Michael’s Parish, Athy.

When I started to consider this article, I thought I had an unusual, and for me as a grandfather, a proud piece to write about three sisters who played Gaelic football on the same night for three different G.A.A. clubs. My three granddaughters, children of my son Seamus and his wife Miriam, who are avid female Gaelic footballers which is something I never saw in my playing days, were recently involved in football matches for three different clubs on the same evening. 

Rachel, my eldest granddaughter, who is in the University of Warsaw, came back home during a university break and togged out that same evening in Grangenolvin to play for Grangenolvin senior ladies’ team against Straffan. That evening her younger sister Eva was playing for Athy ladies seniors against Naas in Geraldine Park. 

The youngest sister, Sarah, who plays U-17 and senior camogie for Athy, was togging out for Rheban ladies’ team around the same time against Athgarvan in a game which was played in Athgarvan. Three sisters, each playing for three different teams, was for me quite strange but I was particularly proud of them, even though being a Gaelic footballer of the 1950/’60 vintage I am surprised at what the female footballers of today have achieved.

Finishing off this column can I refer yet again to what I regard as a unique feature of the Grangenolvin junior team which recently won the County title and later still the Leinster junior title. 

It featured four brothers, something which I have never come across before. Their parents Jim and Eileen Bergin can be very proud of their boys, Oran, Cillian, Fionn and Conall who played a huge part in the Grangenolvin team’s victory. Conall has been named the ‘Junior County Footballer of the Year’.

These are my special sporting memories of the last few weeks and hopefully with a fully fit Kevin Feeley Athy senior team can rise again and win this year’s senior football championship. Perhaps the Kildare County Senior team, with the same Kevin Feeley back in action, might give us the 2026 Leinster Football Championship.

Let’s hope!