History of Garryowen GAC
Gaelic Football, Hurling and Camogie
When the well-known Eildon Emeralds Hurling and Football teams folded in 1955 following the completion of the construction of the famous Eildon Weir, many of the players and supporters headed to Sydney for further employment. Others, including John Haugh and two sets of Red and White jerseys, returned to Melbourne. When the St. Mary's club was formed shortly afterwards in Sydney by ex-Eildon Emeralds players, the jerseys were requested to be sent north, John Haugh duly obliged, with the older set, of course, holding onto the almost new ones with the intention of starting a new Club in Melbourne.
Together with his flatmates, Ben McNamee (R.I.P.), Billy Leo and Pat Kirby, John organised a meeting, with some other Gaels in November 1955 to form the new hurling and football club. Those present at the inaugural meeting were: Jim Geaney (Kerry), John Haugh (Clare), Mick Hoare (Kerry), John Kelly (Wexford), P.J. Kelly (Kerry), Paddy Kirby (Kerry), Billy Leo (Limerick), Ben McNamee (Louth), Morris Moriarity (Kerry), Pat Mulhall (Laois), and Eddy O'Sullivan (Kerry). The name of the club, Garryowen," was chosen from three names put forward that night. We played our first Football and Hurling games on Easter Sunday, 1956.
During the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, the Hurlers were moderately successful, winning the Knockout in 1959 and the league in 1960, 1961, 1963, and 1964. They took out the double in 1967. With regard to football, apart from winning the Knockout in 1956 and competing in the Knockout final of 1964, the footballers really struggled, At one stage, the Club went six years without winning a Football game. However, the devotion of families such as the O'Gormans, the McNamees, the Furlongs, the Flatleys, the Laceys, and the McMahons never wavered during these lean times, and it was this that laid the foundations for successes in the '70s, ‘80s, and '90s. It was with the arrival of Our "Kerry" contingent (Ted and Nially O'Sullivan, Sean O'Connor, early to mid-seventies) that Our Footballing fortunes started to change, culminating with us winning Our First Dr. Mannix Cup in 1976. The '70s, ‘80s, and '90s have been very successful for Garryowen, with us winning 30 hurling titles and 23 football titles. During that time, we also appeared in 11 league football finals in a row (1986–1996). 1998 saw the formation of Our Ladies Football Team. They managed to reach the League final, which was a magnificent achievement in their First Year of existence.
Current Teams at Present
Seán Sabhat as Garraí Eoin
Seán Sabhat as Garraí Eoin
Seán South from Garryowen (Seán Sabhat as Garraí Eoin)
Seán South (Irish: Seán Sabhat; c. 1928 – 1 January 1957) was a member of an IRA military column led by Seán Garland on a raid against a Royal Ulster Constabulary barracks in Brookeborough, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, on New Year's Day 1957. South, along with Fergal O'Hanlon from County Monaghan, died of wounds sustained during the raid. South has subsequently been commemorated as a martyr by Republicans.
For more about our namesake, Seán South, click here.
Seán South from Garryowen Lyrics
As a member of Garryowen GAC, there is almost never an event at which we do not sing this song!
Sad are the homes round Garryowen
Since they lost their joy and pride
And the banshee cry links every vale
Around the Shannon side that city of the ancient walls
the broken treaty stone, undying fame surrounds your name, Sean South from Garryowen
T'was on a dreary New Years Eve
As the shades of night came down
A lorry load of volunteers approached the border town
There were men from Dublin and from Cork, Fermanagh and Tyrone
And the leader was a Limerick man - Sean South from Garryowen
As they moved along the street up to the barracks door
They scorned the danger they might face
Their fate that lay instore
They were fighting for old Ireland to claim their very own
And the foremost of that gallant band
Was South from Garryowen
But the seargent spied their daring plan
He spied them trough the door
The Sten guns and the rifles a hail of death did pour
And when that awful night had passed
Two men lay cold a stone
There was one from near the border and one from Garryowen
No more wil he hear the seagull's cry
Over the murmurring Shannon tide
For he fell beneath a Northern sky brave Hanlon by his side
They have gone to join that gallant band
Of Plunkett, Pearse and Tone
A martyr for old Ireland
Sean South from Garryowen