Brief Club History

2009 has witnessed the celebration of 125 years since the foundation of the GAA in Ireland. That the organisation has survived and flourished through all those years is a tribute to all the volunteers in every parish who have worked tirelessly to promote Gaelic games.

In 1904 Dominic Quinn, Daniel Black and Willie McLaughlin founded the first GAA club in Cushendun known as the Brian Boru’s. The club participated in the first Feis-na-nGleann in 1904 and after defeating Glenarm, lost to Carey in the final of the "Shield of Heroes”. In 2004 the club celebrated its centenary in a large marquee located in the grounds of Glenmona House. Nicky Brennan (then president of the GAA) and other GAA dignitaries from throughout Ireland joined in the celebrations. It was a wonderful occasion, enjoyed by all, bringing back many happy memories of hurling contests down through the years.

Running a club in a small parish like Cushendun has always been a very difficult task. When the numbers needed to field a team are hard to get two or three individual members can upset the apple cart by not turning up for training or not abiding by the club rules.

During most of their existence Cushendun has been a junior hurling club but on a few occasions has moved up to the senior ranks. The club played Gaelic football in 1934 and 1972 but history and tradition in a small parish meant that the game was never popular and it failed to flourish for any significant period of time. The pinnacle of the clubs achievements has been the winning of the All County Senior Championship in 1931. Since that date the Intermediate Championship has been won on three occasions-1973, 1992 and 2007. The Junior Championship was also secured in 1963 along with several Feis competitions and leagues. Camogie has been played with a fair degree of success during several periods throughout the past century but has always been difficult to maintain. With the continued development of juvenile teams it is hoped that the club will be able to field a senior camogie team within the next few years.

One of the major highlights of the clubs history was the construction of the new pitch in 1967/68 followed by the building of the new pavilion which was officially opened by then president of the GAA Jack Boothman in 1995. A second floodlit pitch was added to the complex at Lig-na-Arigid Park in 1999.

With an ageing senior team the club is currently going through a difficult period in its history. It is hoped the amalgamation with Cloughmills and Glenravel at underage to form St Brendan’s will help secure the future existence of the club. It is essential that this is achieved as our club, though not the most successful, has a very important role to play in the community of Cushendun.

Apart from the obvious development of Gaelic Games recent studies indicate that a GAA club benefits a community by: offering it a sense of identity, promoting a healthy lifestyle, improving employability of playing and non playing members, providing cultural and social entertainment, providing a valuable link between the school and the community and reducing the amount of drug and alcohol abuse in a community.

Tribute must be paid to all those who have worked so hard to organise events, look after the upkeep of the pitches, wash jerseys, make sandwiches train junior teams and transport them through out the county.

We hope that such dedication will ensure the continuation of the club within the parish for many years to come.