Kilcoo GAC

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Kilcoo Owen Roes
Eoghan Rúa Cill Chua
Founded:1906
County:Down
Nickname:The Magpies
Colours:Black and White
Grounds:Páirc Eoghan Rua, Kilcoo
Coordinates:54°14′09″N 6°01′24″W / 54.23583°N 6.02333°W / 54.23583; -6.02333
Playing kits
Standard colours
Senior Club Championships
All Ireland Ulster
champions		 Down
champions
Football: 1 2 23

Kilcoo Owen Roes (Irish: Eoghan Rúa Cill Chua) is a Gaelic Athletic Association club from Kilcoo, County Down, Northern Ireland.

It is the most successful club in the Down Senior Football Championship, having won the competition 21 times. The club has also won the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship twice and the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship once.

Páirc Eoghan Rua, home to Kilcoo GAC

History

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Kilcoo GAC was founded in 1906, although there were records of GAA being played there since the 1880s; a proper club wasn't formed until then. The club's first competitive match took place on 13 January 1907 against local team Liatroim (who were the first club formed in the county). The match ended with Kilcoo 0–0 Leitrim 0–5. Kilcoo won a first Senior County Championship in 1917, defeating Killyleagh in the final. The club won the 1922 championship, then followed the glorious "four in a row" 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, and further titles in 1932, 1933 and 1937.

21st century

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Kilcoo won their first Down senior football championship title in 2009, after 72 years. This launched an unprecedented period of success for Kilcoo who won eight titles in ten years, including six titles in a row between 2012 and 2017.[citation needed]

2009

Kilcoo started the 2009 Down Senior Football Championship campaign with a game against local rivals Bryansford. Kilcoo came out on top winning 2–9 to 1–9. Next up was county champions Mayobridge in a waterlogged Hilltown pitch. Kilcoo, who went into this match as the underdog,[citation needed] rallied in the last five minutes to come from six points down to win 1–10 to 1–8. In the semi-final against Burren, Kilcoo prevailed on a scoreline of 0–12 to 0–10, with goalkeeper Stephen Kane saving a penalty in the first half.[citation needed] Kilcoo had reached a first senior final since 1948, and had the chance to bridge a 72-year gap when the club last won the title in 1937. Only Loughinisland stood in the way. Kilcoo settled in the second half and came out on top, leaving Loughinisland scoreless in the second half also.[citation needed] The final was score 2–9 to 1–4. When the final whistle blew, the Kilcoo supporters invaded the pitch in celebration.[citation needed] Captain Gerard McEvoy collected the Frank O'Hare Cup, while Anthony Devlin collected the Man of the Match award.[citation needed] The team arrived back home to Kilcoo that evening to heroes welcome in front of a large crowd who assembled in the village.[citation needed]

The team then ventured into a first-ever Ulster Senior Club Football Championship campaign with a meeting against Donegal GAA club St Eunan's. Kilcoo won the game by a scoreline of 0–13 to 0–9. The next opponent was Derry GAA club The Loup. Kilcoo played well but were unable to hold onto the lead, and the match ended Loup 1–12 Kilcoo 1–11. In November 2010, Kilcoo Minors retained their title as they overcame Rostrevor to gain back-to-back titles. Kilcoo won the minor championship for the third consecutive year, beating Warrenpoint by a scoreline of 1–12 to 0–10, and the senior team also won the League, beating Mayobridge by a scoreline of 2–16 to 1–06.[citation needed]

The Kilcoo team that won the 2009 Down Senior Football Championship 2012

Kilcoo won a second Down SFC title in four years, defeating Mayobridge. Conor Laverty scored a goal in the first minute of the final in Newry. Kilcoo withstood some late pressure to beat Mayobridge by a scoreline of 2–8 to 1-8, and regain the Down Club Championship.[citation needed]

2013

Three injury-time points helped Kilcoo snatch a 0–9 to 0–7 victory to retain the Down SFC title in Newry. Burren led by 0–7 to 0-6 as three minutes of stoppage time was signaled and Darragh O'Hanlon converted a 50-metre free to draw the sides level. Paul Devlin then landed a decisive free, and added an insurance point from play with the last kick of the game. Burren captain Dan McCartan was sent-off for a second yellow card offense during a last few minutes. It was Kilcoo's third Down SFC title in five years.[1]

2014

Kilcoo completed a three-in-a-row of Down SFC titles with victory over Burren in Newry. Goals in each half by Ryan Johnston and late ones from Conor Laverty and Donal Kane helped Kilcoo ease to an easy win.[2]

2015

Kilcoo won the Down SFC title again, this time with defeating Castlewellan on a scoreline of 0-11 to Kilcoo's 3–10.[3]

2016

Kilcoo completed a historic five-in-a-row in Down by defeating Clonduff 3–11 to 0–9 in the 2016 final at Páirc Esler. [4]

2017

Kilcoo clinched a sixth successive Down SFC title by edging out Burren 0–13 to 0–11 at Newry. Four Donal O'Hare points helped Burren lead 0–7 to 0–6 at half-time, and the St Mary's club still led 0–9 to 0-8 five minutes into the second half. However, Kilcoo hit five of the last seven points, as Dylan Ward and Paul Devlin both finished with four points. [5]

2018 onwards

In the 2018 county final, Burren prevented Kilcoo from landing a record seventh straight Down SFC title with a 2–12 to 2–9 win.[6]

Mickey Moran took over as Kilcoo manager ahead of the 2019 season.[7] The Magpies regained the county title thanks to a Dylan Ward goal in the 51st minute to see off St Peter's Warrenpoint. In a tight match, Kilcoo emerged victorious by 1–12 to Warrenpoint's 0–14.[8] Kilcoo went on to reach the Ulster Club SFC final for the third time.[9] On 1 December 2019, Kilcoo won a first Ulster Club SFC title, with a narrow 2-11 to 2–9 win over Naomh Conaill.[10]

In 2021, Kilcoo claimed a third consecutive Down SFC title after defeating Burren.[11] The club then won a second Ulster Club SFC title, defeating Derrygonnelly in the final.[12] After getting past St Finbarr's in the semi-final, Kilcoo reached the All-Ireland final for the second time.[13] On 12 February 2022, Kilcoo faced Dublin champions Kilmacud Crokes in the All-Ireland Club SFC final. Jerome Johnston's late goal in extra-time secured a one-point win and the club's first All-Ireland title.[14]

Karl Lacey was appointed as manager of Kilcoo for 2023, and led the club to the 2023 Down Senior Football Championship title.[15] In November 2023, it was reported that he was to stay with Kilcoo for 2024.[15][16] His departure from Kilcoo was announced at the end of January 2025, having led the club to the 2024 Down Senior Football Championship title and then to that year's Ulster Senior Club Football Championship final.[17][18]

Honours

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Kilcoo snatch late win over Burren". BBC.
  2. ^ "Kilcoo defeat Burren in Down final". BBC.
  3. ^ "Three in row for Kilcoo after easily seeing off Down". Belfasttelegraph.
  4. ^ "Down SFC: No stopping Kilcoo's drive for five - HoganStand".
  5. ^ "Kilcoo clinch six-in-a-row in Down". BBC.
  6. ^ "Burren claim honours in Down to shatter Kilcoo's seven-in-a-row dreams". RTÉ. 14 October 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  7. ^ "Mickey Moran appointed as Kilcoo boss for 2019". Gaelic Life. 16 November 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  8. ^ "Back to black: Kilcoo return to Down throne after edging out Warrenpoint". The Irish News. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  9. ^ "Kilcoo hold their nerve to reach another Ulster decider". RTÉ. 17 November 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  10. ^ "Kilcoo crowned Ulster champions for first time after thrilling win over Naomh Conaill". The42.ie. 1 December 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  11. ^ "Kingpins Kilcoo hold off late Burren fightback to take Down title again". The Irish News. 8 November 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  12. ^ "Kilcoo too strong for Derrygonnelly as they defend their Ulster title". RTÉ. 16 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  13. ^ "Kilcoo reach final after titanic battle with St Finbarr's". RTÉ. 29 January 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  14. ^ "Kilcoo snatch All-Ireland from Kilmacud in dramatic fashion with 81st minute winning goal". The42.ie. 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Lacey staying on as Kilcoo manager". Hogan Stand. 29 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  16. ^ "Lacey to remain in charge of Kilcoo". Donegal News. 28 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  17. ^ Roche, Frank (31 January 2025). "Karl Lacey departs Kilcoo hotseat after two years in charge of Down kingpins". Irish Independent.
  18. ^ "Lacey leaves Kilcoo after two years in charge". BBC. 31 January 2025.
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