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Bantry Blues GAA

Bantry Blues GAA Club formed in 1884 is a Club that is steeped in football and hurling history and as a Club produced an abundance of talented players that has represented both Club and County with distinction down through the years. When the Kelleher Shield was first put up for competition in 1913 the Blues beat a gallant Millstreet team in the final to claim the Shield by a score of 2-7 to 1 goal. It fell to the Father of former Taoiseach and Dual Cork star Jack Lynch to bring the Shield home some days later on the Train that used to run from Cork to Bantry at that time. The famous footballer Marty O Shea from Adrigole played on that team and two years previous in 1911 had won an All- Ireland football with Cork.

The Blues are more associated with Football rather than Hurling. We won the Cork County Junior Championship in1928 and went on a roll in the thirties – contesting five Intermediate Football Finals and wining three. The legendary Tim Cotter Captained the Team in 1934, the jubilee of the GAA when The Blues took the first of the Intermediate titles. Nine Bantry players including Tim Cotter and the mighty fullback Timmy Harrington were on the Carbery side of 1937 when the Divisional Team won its first Senior County Championship. Tim Cotter played on the Munster Railway Cup selection of six consecutive years and many regard him as the Bantry footballer of the Millennium.

The 40s 50s and 60s were lean decades for Bantry Football , where the wining of major trophies were concerned. For outstanding players like the quicksilver centrefielder Davy Murphy and center back Pat Daly with the safe hands, the reward in trophies was paltry indeed. However that wonderful unique spirit that is still evident to this today in the Club ensured that the Club survived the lean period to become the force that it is today.

The Blues won the Junior County Football Championship again in 1972 and won the Intermediate Final in 1975 to become a Senior Club. The graceful Declan Barron and the inspirational Donal Hunt – two of Bantry`s best Footballers were thrilling crowds at this time and both men were on the victorious Cork Senior Football team of 1973 which captured the All- Ireland title after a lapse of 28 years.

In 1981 Bantry Blues lost the County Senior final to Nemo Rangers who later went on to win the All- Ireland club championship. Many of the Senior team of that time immigrated to the United States and the club lost out to an abundance of talent during that decade. Players such as Vincie McCarthy, Mark Delaney, Eamonn Desmond, Pat McCarthy, Anthony Delaney Mike Lynch ,Shane Hurley, John McCarthy, Patsy Keohane, Jerry O'Shea, and many more could not be easily replaced and thus the club suffered a lean period.

In the 80s the Bantry underage teams were particularly well served, notably by local teacher and Kerryman Jerry Sheehan – and there is no doubt that this led to the glorious success of the 90s when the great Blues that featured – among other fine performers Mark O'Connor and Damian O'Neill won the U/21 County twice – and the for the first time in the history of our town won the Senior County in 1995 and repeated that success in 1998. In 1999 Philip Clifford captained the Cork Senior Football team to the All-Ireland Final received an All-Star Award and acclaimed Young Footballer of the Year. The lesson surely learned is to look after the youth.

BANTRY PLAYERS WHO HAVE PLAYED FOR CORK
M. Donegan B. Murphy S. McCarthy
D. McCarthy D.Hunt D. Barron D.Barron(Jnr) P.Coakley N.Roycroft
Tim Harrington William Lynch W.O'Connell Damian O'Neill,
P.Daly Mark Delaney, Dan Dineen, Des McCauley
L.O Sullivan, Richard Coffey, Mark O'Connor, J.Vaughan
Robert O'Sullivan, Garda White T. Birmingham
S. Vaughan M.Keegan David Williams
D.Clarke M. Studdart, Pat McCarthy
Tim Cotter, Pat O'Driscoll M.Hurley
J.Keane C. McGrath T.Connolly
P. Murphy, T. Fitzgerald, V.O'Callaghan
W.Cotter M.Fitzgerald Niall Twomey
Graham Canty Jeremy Canty Andy O'Shea
Stephen Dineen, Kieran Cronin, Philip Clifford

Hurling:
Ted Foley Tadhg O Sullivan Jerry O'Riordan, Derry Scully

Railway Cup for Munster: M.Donegan, Tim Cotter M.Studdart Donal Hunt (capt. 1972)

Declan Barron, T.Harrington, Mark O Connor

Played For Kerry:
Teddy O'Connor(All-Ireland winner, 1946)

One must remember the people behind the scenes who have served the Club well down through the years. People of the calibre of Cornie Kelly, Vivian O'Callaghan, Pat O'Donovan, Barry O'Neill, Paddy Minehane, Dr Denis Cotter, Ethine O'Mahony, Terry O'Neill, Ted Daly, Noel Crowley, Pat Delaney, Pat Connolly, Pat Joy. - and many others and particularly the supporters who have dedicated their precious time to make the Bantry Blues the Club that it is today.

"Come on the Blues"