Knocktopher GAA
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| County: | Kilkenny | ||||||||
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| Grounds: | Knocktopher | ||||||||
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Knocktopher GAA was a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in Knocktopher, County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club fielded teams in both Gaelic football and hurling.
History
[edit]The Knocktopher area was a Gaelic football stronghold at the turn of the 20th century. The club won all four of its Kilkenny SFC titles in a ten-year period between 1901 and 1911, with clubman Dick Holohan also captaining Kilkenny to the Leinster SFC title in 1911.[1][2] Knocktopher went into a period of decline following this, as three clubs - Knocktopher, Knockmoylan and Ballyhale - all operated within the one parish.[3]
By the 1920s, Knocktopher was operating at junior level in both codes, winning the Kilkenny JFC title in 1924 and the Kilkenny JHC title in 1931. Several Southern JHC titles were won over the following decades, however, it was 1965 before the club won its second Kilkenny JHC title.
A shortage of players saw Knocktopher and parish rivals Ballyhale amalgamating at underage levels, a move which resulted in the amalgamation reaching three successive Kilkenny MAHC finals in-a-a-row in the mid-1960s.[4] The meeting of both clubs in a divisional U21HC game in 1969, lead to calls for the clubs to amalgamate fully and have one club representing the parish. In spite of some opposition, Knocktopher and Ballyhale eventually joined to form Ballyhale Shamrocks in January 1972.[5]
Honours
[edit]- Kilkenny Senior Football Championship (4): 1901, 1908, 1910, 1911
- Kilkenny Junior Football Championship (1): 1924
- Kilkenny Junior Hurling Championship (2): 1931, 1965
- Southern Kilkenny Junior Football Championship (2): 1924
- Southern Kilkenny Junior Hurling Championship (7): 1931, 1949, 1955, 1958, 1960, 1965, 1967
Notable players
[edit]- Frank Cummins: All-Ireland SHC-winner (1967, 1969, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1982, 1983)[6]
- Denis Heaslip: All-Ireland SHC-winner (1957, 1963)[7]
- Dick Holohan: Leinster SFC-winner (1911)[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "Club titles". Hogan Stand. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
- ^ "Leinster Senior Football Finalists" (PDF). Leinster GAA website. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ "New book on history of hurling in Ballyhale Parish launched in Knocktopher". Kilkenny Live. 3 December 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
- ^ "Passing on the torch along Ballyhale's unique path". Irish Independent. 5 December 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
- ^ "Shamrocks GAA History". Ballyhale Shamrocks GAA website. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
- ^ "Worldly Cummins has parish pride". Irish Examiner. 16 March 2010. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
- ^ "Denis Heaslip: Meet the Kilkenny legend 'in the style of DJ Carey, only faster'". Irish Examiner. 26 September 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
- ^ "Begrudgery puts Kilkenny back in the firing line on All-Ireland football weekend". Irish Examiner. 18 September 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2023.