Muintir Bháire GAA

Muintir Bháire GAA

Founded:	1959
County:	Cork
Club colours:	Maroon and White
Coordinates:	51°37′09.02″N 9°31′33.63″W / 51.6191722°N 9.5260083°W / 51.6191722; -9.5260083Coordinates: 51°37′09.02″N 9°31′33.63″W / 51.6191722°N 9.5260083°W / 51.6191722; -9.5260083
Playing kits
Standard colours

Muintir Bháire GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Durrus, County Cork, Ireland. The club fields teams in Gaelic football only. The club take part in competitions organized by Carbery division of Cork. Since the population of the area is small, the club is weak and mainly operates in the lowest grade available.

History

There are references to a club in Durrus in 1888 playing Skibbereen. However there was a near total failure of the potato crop in 1890 and a mood of panic gripped the area, resulting in a drop in the number of clubs from 38 to 2. In the early years rules were loose and matches sometimes developed into a melee. In the 1930s the playing field was in Clashadoo opposite the former schoolhouse. Teams would often travel to matches in the back of Jackie Cronin's lorry. Over the years players from the area included Robert O’Sullivan (he is a brother of Danny O’Sullivan publican and later joined the Gardaí) he played minor football for Cork in the 1968s.

The G.A.A in the parish went through many changes. The only record that exist of any Trophies won was a West Cork Junior 2 title in 1932 with a team captained by Bill Kennedy from Dunmanus.(dec:2004) The Parish was destined to wait 60 years to repeat this feat. The parish were represented by a side called Western Stars in the 60s but that too collapsed due to emigration and lack of leadership. This was all to change when two committed individuals Tim Cronin & Sean O Suilleabhain organised a meeting to form a new club in the early 70s & it was agreed to call Muintir Bhaire. With Tim as Chairman and Sean as Runai it was all systems go. The most notable even came in the mid 70s when the reached a West Cork Junior Final but alas defeat was their lot. Emigration was again to play a part in the near demise of the Club during the 80s when the brightest and best left the area to seek their fortune in the U.S.A. The arrival of Joe O Driscoll N.T. to the local school concided with a crop of talented pupils put the Club back on track winning games @ Fe 12 & 14.

The early 90s again saw the club in fold up mode but the arrival of Frank Arundel and Tom Coughlan launched the club to new heights & success was soon to follow winning West Cork titles Fe 21 (C)96 & Fe 21 (B)in 98. Greater things were around the corner the turn of the century saw the West Cork Junior (B) cup in the Parish for the first time in 60 years captained by Sean Tobin. Team trainer Careagh's Tony O Driscoll and Tipperary's Jack McNulty with selectors Tom Coughlan and Vincent Cronin had greater plans for the team. This was realised in 2003 when the first ever Cork Junior B Football Championship title came to the Parish. This was indeed an Historical occasion & amid scenes of great joy as Sean Tobin became the first Muintir Bhaire man to raise a Cup In PAIRC UI RINN. To date the only Muintir man to play senior football with Cork is Sean Levis (Brahlish). The Club were promoted to Junior 1 in 04 and to date (2010) have competed with distinction contesting the West Cork final in 2007 where they were defeated by Bandon. They won the West Cork Junior League in 09 defeating Kilmacabea in the final. The club were without a ground of their own until 2009 when the farm of the Late Jimmy Dukelow at Crotees was purchased and currently plans are on hand to develop magnificent playing facilities over the coming years!

Achievements

• Cork Junior B Football Championship Winner 2003
• West Cork Junior B Football Championship Winners 1947 (as Durrus), 2000, 2003 Runners-Up 1949, 1984
• West Cork Junior C Football Championship Winners 1998
• West Cork Junior D Football Championship Runners-Up 2007
• West Cork Minor C Football Championship Winners 2003 Runners-Up 2001
• West Cork Under-21 C Football Championship Runners-Up 2003

Notable players

• Sean Levis - Cork senior footballer 2002- 2004

References

• Official Muinter Bháire Club website