| Though
it was not until the acquisition of a gaelic playing pitch
in 1951 that Headford G.A.A. Club began to become a prominent
figure in North Galway football, records show that the area's
association with football and the G.A.A. stretches way back
to 1888. It was then that the area of Headford had their first
representative at a meeting of the G.A.A. near Athenry. The
person who held this honour was a man by the name of William
Kyne of Headford. It is reported that soon after that particular
meeting of the organisation, a gaelic football team had been
founded in Headford under the name of "Headford Rangers",
and it is said that this team participated in various tournaments
and challenge matches over the next fifteen years.
As is still the case, local
rivalry played a big part in Headford football in those days
with the forming of an unaffiliated G.A.A. team in Clydagh
in 1905. This rivalry existed until 1913, when the teams merged
together to form a very strong team under the name of the
"Corrib Shamrocks". This was due to the County G.A.A.
Board being organised into four regional boards - North, South,
West and East. The Shamrocks wore lily white jerseys with
a large shamrock emplazoned on each side of the front. With
the Shamrocks participating in the West Board, this was most
inconvenient for the Headford based team, as they either had
to travel by boat, via Lough Corrib, or take the longer route
around the lake, via Cong or Galway City, for games against
Connemara opposition.
Shortly after the Easter
Rising of 1914, another club was formed in the Headford area
under the name of "Clooneen P.H. Pearses", who also
participated in the West Board competitions. Records show
that both teams competed against each other in the early rounds
of the 1919 West Board Championship, and according to the
tradition at that time, Pearses were victorious by 1-2 to
Nil, in a game played at Caherlistrane. |
In 1920, Fr. Michael King C.C. was
transferred to the parish of Headford and he immediately
saw that this rivalry was not to be desired at such a troublesome
time in our nation's history. In response to this, he succeeded
in uniting the forces of the Pearses and the Shamrocks under
the name of "St. Fursey Gaels". Due to the Troubles
at that time, games were suspended and it was not until
1926 that teams began to take the field. 1926 also brought
Headford its first major success on the football field when
they won the West Board Senior Champioinship by beating
Oughtherard by 1-1 to 1-0 in a game played at Cargin. Folklore
tells us that the teams were level entering the final minutes
of the game when, in one final onslaught on the Oughterard
goal, Headford's wing back, Pake Kyne of Ross, scored the
all important point.
The 1930's saw Headford competing in the Junior Championship
and they succeeded in winning back-to-back West Board Junior
Championship titles in 1932 and 1933. The driving force
behind this team was Mick Curley M.P.S.I. who was a newcomer
to the area and also the first chemist in the town. Headford's
development on the football field was put on hold during
the war years as very few games took place due to the scarcity
of petrol. Although some games were played during this time,
usually in fields belonging to local farmers, it was not
until the 1950's that the gaelic games recommenced to its
traditional scale.
It was, through the Irish
Land Commission, the acquisition of a new six and a half
acre, gaelic playing pitch in 1951 on the Palmer Estate,
Gortnamona, Headford, that brought new life came to the
club with many of the young players taking great pride in
their new home of football. In 1953 the Minors gained many
great victories on their way to their historic County Final
win after a replay against Clifden.
contd .. |
