Naomh Fionnbarra GAA

Naomh Fionnbarra GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in based in Cabra, in the north city area of Dublin. The club was found in 1945 and has football, hurling and camogie teams. In 2020 the Senior football and hurling team had won back to back football and hurling championships in the same year for the first time in their history. And in 2024 our senior football team had won their football league and had got promoted.

Naomh Fionnbarra

Founded:	1945
County:	Dublin
Colours:	Blue and white
Grounds:	Fassaugh Avenue, Cabra
Playing kits
Standard colours

History

Naomh Fionnbarra Hurling Football Camogie club was founded in Cabra in 1945. The Primary founders were Jack Casserly, Joe Brady, Ned Wolahan, and Bill Bracken.

The club started by running Roads League for juveniles, and later, they entered the Dublin Juvenile Leagues. The club was the first in Dublin to run road leagues, which are still being run today.

In the early 1940s, members such as Jack Casserly used to sell raffle tickets around the doors for firewood to raise money for the young club.

In 1946, the under-14 team reached the hurling final in the '15 Acres' but did not win.

The club won its first trophies in 1947, in an under-15 hurling league and an under-16 football league.

In 1950, Gerry Kehoe joined the club and worked to establish juvenile teams. Kehoe was an experienced athlete, having won a Wicklow minor medal and an All-Ireland junior football medal in 1938 with London. Kehoe held various positions, promoting and building the club, until his death at the age of 69 in 1980.

As the club grew, Seamus Nolan became involved, and the club entered a Junior Hurling Team. Nolan was from Waterford and was one of the first residents on Bannow Road, and the club used his house to hold their meetings in the 1950s.

The club won the junior D league in 1952, the junior C League Smith Cup in 1953, and the Miller Shield in 1954.

In 1958, the club won the B league in hurling. The same year, the club started a camogie section, which was run by Jim Byrne and his wife Maureen Byrne. They won an Intermediate Championship in 1958.

In the late 1950s, Seamus Nolan got permission for the club to start selling programmes in Croke Park to sell programmes in order to raise funds for the club.

Larry Kearns joined the club, and in the late 1950s and early 1960s, he and Gerry Kehoe led the juvenile teams to success in hurling and football leagues.

St Finbarr's School has played a big part in the continual supply of players for the club as far back as 1943, when the school teams became the first primary school to win the hurling and football in the same year.

In 1961, a development committee was established to gain the club its own clubhouse, with Gerry Kehoe, Donal Massey, and Paddy Dillon as club chairman. The club was offered a piece of land behind the church on Killkearnan Road, but did not have the necessary funds to develop.

The club was considered to be more focused on hurling than football. However, the junior footballers won the Junior Championship and Junior A League in 1961. The team won a football Championship in 1962 and the Camogie section lasted up until 1968.

Under the management of Joe Brady, John Myles, and Ned Wolahan, the team beat St Vincent in Parnell Park. This was the start of what would be called the "Golden Decade" as the club won a number of championships and leagues to go both senior hurling and football in a 12-year period.

In 1965, the junior hurlers won the junior hurling league and championship. In 1966, the football team progressed to the senior ranks by winning the inter-football championship. In 1968, the under-13 footballers lost in the A-league final. In 1969 they won the double in inter-championship and league.

The Hurlers won the senior hurling league in 1970 and 1971. In the 1973, 1974, and 1975 seasons, the club team won a number of juvenile leagues in under-12, 13 and 14, but lost senior football status in 1976.

At this point, with many established members such as Gerry Kehoe, Seamus Nolan, Nancy Keogh and John Myles getting older, a number of younger members took more interest in the workings of the club and its teams. Others involved included Mick Brown, Timmy Mullane, Phil Lynch, Joe Glynn, Madaline Kehoe, Paddy Keogh, Joe Casserly, Willy McAuley, Sean Myles, Hughie Flanagan, Gerry Kehoe, Mary Myles, Johnnie Smithers, Nicky Kehoe, and Mick Hopkins.

In 1974, the club committee approached the city council to build a clubhouse on the site of Bogies that now houses the community centre, but were refused.

In 1978, Gerry Kehoe was the club's representative on the old Cabra community council and the issue of Charleville House came up on the agenda. It was proposed to knock it down as both the Legion of Mary and the Pigeon Club had been using it, and due to vandalism, the building had been abandoned. Gerry Kehoe proposed to the council that the club would take over the abandoned building. The club executive gave permission, which led the building to be the club's premises for the next 16 years.

In early 1980, a major fundraiser was held by Fred Turner and a number of club members to get money to build a new club house. The initiative was well supported by the people of Cabra.

In 1983, the club formed a camogie team for the second time. That year was one of the most successful years in the club's history, with the hurlers winning the league, championship and Doyle cup in a two-month period. The team was managed by Philly Lynch, Timmy Mullane and Phelim Brady.

In 1984, the footballers, having won the city inter-league lost out in a playoff with St Anne’s by a point to go to the final to go senior. The intermediate football team won the Stephens cup in 1984 and a number of the juveniles teams won leagues.

Jackie McKeogh was among a number of the women put in a junior camogie team, which resulted in a camogie section being set up in 1985. Jackie McKeogh, Eilish Langan, Eileen Farrell, Orla Langan, and Kim McKeogh were all involved in getting this section up and running. Also in 1985, the senior hurlers reached the quarter-final of the senior hurling championship, losing out by two points to Eoghan Ruadh who reached the final.

At this time, a number of young people became involved in running the teams and working on the committees. Joe Lyons, Tommy Mc Donagh, Peter Fizgearld, Mick Ward, Ray O’Reilly, Shane McGill, Vincent Kehoe, Declan Fagan, Kenneth Broughan, Paul McManus, Hugh Flanagan, Seamus Kehoe, Paul Turner, Stephen Morgan, John Morgan, Tomo Kelly, Jimmy Fagan, Robert Brady, Paul Farrell, Thomas ‘Big Mac’ Mc Donald, Anto Keogh, Tony Smith, Terry McKeogh and Anthony 'Gossey' Costello.

In 1992, the club submitted plans for a new clubhouse at Charleville house, but planning permission was refused, but Dublin Corporation offered the club the playground site on Faussagh Avenue, which had been lying idle for a number of years. The club had a general meeting and the members agreed to the move. The club drew up plans for the site, with three members (Joe Casserly, Eilish Langan and Timmy Mullane) putting their houses as security to allow the club to borrow IR£200,000.

In 1993, the senior hurlers won the senior hurling league and the junior football team won the Mooney Cup under the management of Paul Farrell. The Senior Hurling selectors were Joe Moran, Joe Lyons and Tommy McDonagh.

The new clubhouse was opened in Cabra in 1995.

In 1996, a small Irish language crèche was started by Elish Langan and Ellen Farrell, which developed into a school with 250 pupils by 2010.

In 1998, the under-12 camogie team won the A Championship. The same year, the adult camogie team won the Junior B Championship under the selectors of Joyce Carroll and Dessie Pool.

In 2000, the club built a new gym complex with a weight room, sauna, squash court, gym hall and changing rooms. The club also installed an all-weather pitch when the City Council gave the club the remainder of the old playground. The same year, the club regained senior football status by winning the Intermediate Championship. The minor hurlers also won their first ever championship when they beat Na Fianna on a scoreline of 0-9 to 0-8 in the Minor B championship. The minor team also won the Division 3 hurling title and Division 5 football title. The manager was Robbie McCarthy, with selectors Jim O’Donnell, James Whelan and club coach Paul McManus.

In 2001, the adult camogie team won the Junior A championship in 2001 under selectors Beatrice Casserly and Lee McKeogh. The same year, the junior football team won the league under the selectors of Paul Farrell, Gerry Kehoe and Harry Byrne. In 2007 the Intermediate team won the league under the management of Peter Fitzgerald, Mick Ward, Ray O’Reilly and Ciaran Stone. The under-14 team also won the Division 2 Féile and won division 7 in 2003. The mentors were Ronnie O Brian, Joe Glynn, Linda Lyons, Paul McManus and Paddy Whelan. Noel Paget, Dermot Smithers, Tony Smithers and Sean Kehoe were the managers of the division 7 team.

In 2002, the club won the A Championship again at under 12 level. The mentors were Madeline Paget, Vincent Kehoe, Karl Homes and John Brown.

In 2005, the adult camogie team won both the intermediate league and the championship double to progress to senior status under the management of Derek Sweetman, Catherine Kirby and Timmy Mullane.

In 2008, the senior hurling team was promoted to Senior League Division 1, and in 2009, they won the intermediate championship and reached the Leinster GAA Hurling Club Championship final. They were managed by Joe Brady, Joe Moran, Willy McAuley, Martin Costelo, Nicky Kehoe and John Byrne.

In 2010, the intermediate football team won the league. Under the management team of Joe Lyons, Liam Keating, Derek Sweetman and Ray O’Reilly.

In 2011, the club won its first ever Senior Hurling B championship by beating St Patrick’s of Palmerstown by a point. The final scoreline was 1-19 to 3-12 under the tutelage of Clare native Dave Fogarty. His backroom team was Joe Brady, Joe Moran, Nial Brady and Paddy Travers.

In 2012, the club won the under-21 B hurling championship after beating St Brigid's under the management team of Nial Brady and Seamus McGrattan.

In 2013, the club won its first-ever Minor Football B championship by beating Trinty Gaels under the management team of Joe Lyons, Ian McDonnell, Anthony Costello, Derek Sweetman and Gerard O’Reilly.

In 2014, the senior hurlers won promotion back to the Division 1 ranks after a playoff win against Crumlin after extra time in Bray Emmets.

In 2016, the club won its first ever senior hurling league and championship double with a Senior 2 league title and second Senior B Hurling championship within the space of a month. They beat Naomh Barróg in the championship final on a scoreline of 1-16 to 2-10. The manager was Nial Brady with selectors Lee McKeogh, Shane Langan, Seamus McGrattan, Sue Keogh, Joe Brady, and Joe Moran. The team was coached by Tipperary native Richie Horgan.

In 2018, the intermediate camogie team won the Intermediate 2 Camogie Championship after a 2-7 to 1-9 win over Naomh Olaf. The manager was Thomas Gleeson with Timmie Mullane and Johnny Browne as selectors and Donal Ryan as coach.

In 2020, all league games were cancelled as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The county board decided that only championships would go ahead that season. The senior hurlers won their third Senior B championship in 10 years by beating Cuala B on a scoreline of 2-14 to 0-17. This was followed six days later by the Intermediate footballers, who won their first championship at that level since 2000, when they beat Naomh Barróg on a scoreline of 3-10 to 2-11. The senior hurlers were managed by Nial Brady with a backroom team consisting of Brendan Quinn, Shane Langan, Sue Keogh and Declan Fagan with Thomas Gleeson as coach. The intermediate footballers were managed by Keith Russell with a backroom team of Ian McDonnell, Gerard O’Reilly, Johnny Morgan, Paddy Quinn and Cian Hall Quinn with Chris Moore as coach.

Roll of Honour

• Miller Shield 1954

• Under-15 Hurling League Winners D2 1958

• Under-15 Hurling League Winner D1 1959

• Under-16 Hurling League Winner D2 1959

• Minor Hurling League D2 Winner 1960

• Minor Football League D2 Winner 1961

• Junior B Camogie championship winners 1998

• Junior A Camogie Championship winners 2001

• Inter Camogie league 1958, 2005

• Inter Camogie Championship 1958, 2005

• Intermediate 2 Camogie championship 2018

• Senior Camogie shield winners 2006

• Ladies Football Championship 2007

• Inter Hurling League 1967,1983

• Dublin Intermediate Football Championship winners 1966, 2000, 2020

• Dublin Junior Football Championship winners 1961

• Dublin Minor B Football Championship winners 2013

• Dublin AFL Division 3 intermediate football league Winners 2007, 2010

• Dublin AFL Division 3 junior 5 winner 2001

• Dublin junior football 7 winners 2011

• Senior Hurling League D2 winners 1969, 1972, 1992, 2016

• Dublin Senior B Hurling Championship winners 2011, 2016, 2020

• Dublin Intermediate Hurling Championship winners 1969, 1983, 2009

• Dublin Junior Hurling Championship winners 1965

• Dublin Minor B Hurling Championship winners 2000

• Minor football D 5 winners 2000

• Minor hurling D 3 winners 2000

Notable players

• John Casserly

• Sean Moyles

• Paddy Moyles

• Phelim Brady

• Kevin Crooks

• Mick Brown

• Paddy Keogh

• Sean Kehoe

• Anto Costello

• Derek Mc Mullen

• Stephen Costello

• Eamon Dillon

• Siobhan Kehoe

• Paul Turner

• Ray O’Reilly

External links

• Official Club Website