Adrigole G.A.A. Club On The Ring Of Beara Peninsula Of West Cork Is Home To One Of Ireland’s Most Dedicated Clubs

Nestled under mountains and looking out across Bantry Harbour lies a rural G.A.A. club deep in the Beara Peninsula of West Cork. Although the club is relatively small in population it possesses the heart of a lion and from a village setting, the club is at the heart of the community far and wide.

They come across as a united group of people who just want the very best for their club and community and within their ranks they have many club officers all firing the same lament. We have a proud tradition to uphold and maintain and the legacy they inherited from their forebears is immense.

Adrigole is the home club of two former Cork football giants of the 1960’s and 70’s, Kevin Jer O’Sullivan and Bernie O’Neill, two former players who have Adrigole at the pulse of their lives.

Adrigole gaelic football club was founded in 1927 and have officially taken part in Beara (the division) competitions since then. Gaelic football was played in the locality for many years prior to 1927 and hurling was also on the menu many years ago and currently the club talk about reinstating the camán.

Club colours are red and white hoops and previous colours were purple and yellow.

The club competed at junior level from 1927-1975 inclusive, upgraded to intermediate in 1976-1979 inclusive, senior 1980 and 1981. Intermediate 1982 and 1983 and back to junior in 1984 and that is the current top grade of the club in 2017.

In 2006 Adrigole won the Cork junior county football championship and returned to the intermediate grade for another period..

Team achievements

A notable achievement and great honour of times past was winning the county intermediate football championship on 19th August 1979 when they defeated Kildorrery of north county Cork 2-09 to 1-06 at Pairc Uí Chaoimh.

Prior to that the club won the county intermediate league in 1977 and county division 4 league in 2009

The mid 1960’s was a halcyon journey for the vibrant Beara club when they produced many fine athletes capable of competing at high altitude grades and they had many memorable achievements during that period.

Strong under-age teams emerged and won many Beara divisional competitions from under 12 to minor grade. Notable successes were later achieved at minor grade and in 1997 repeated again in 1998. The club also won the county minor 12- a- side championship and league competitions.

No other club in the county have won both these competitions back to back.

In 2000 the Adrigole minor team won the county 12-a-side league and were defeated in the county championship. Club records reveal Adrigole won the Beara junior “A” championship in 1929, 1938, 1961, 1962, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

The Beara junior “B” championship commenced in 1996 with Adrigole winning in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2010 & 2011. The commemorative cup for this competition was presented to the Beara divisional Board by the Adrigole club in memory of one of their great players, Donal Jim O’Sullivan, who died tragically in 1972.

In November 2006, Adrigole finally won the trophy which had eluded them for so long. The junior ‘A’ Cork county football championship trophy journied through the dales and vales all over West Cork as Adrigole made their way home after claiming this huge prize. They defeated Grenagh of north Cork in the final on a score line of 0-5 to 0-3.

Player achievements

The following players won championship medals with Cork.

Mort O’Shea - 1911 All Ireland senior football championship

Sean O’Shea - 1937 All Ireland minor hurling championship

Jim downing – 1951 All Ireland junior football championship

Colm O’Shea 1957 - Munster senior football championship

Bernie O'Neill 1965 - Munster u21 football championship

John O'Shea 1971 - Munster minor football championship

Bernie O'Neill 1967, 1971 - Munster senior football championships

Sean Murty O’Shea – 1972 all Ireland minor football championship

Kevin Jer O'Sullivan - 1973 All Ireland senior football c’ship and Munster football championships 1971 and 1974.

Sean Murty O’Shea – 1974 Munster football u21 championship

Kevin Green - 1977 Munster minor football championship

Joseph Joe O'Sullivan - 1980 National League medal

Denis Harrington - 1987 Munster Minor football championship

Michael Harrington - 1993 & 1996 Junior football championship

Brendan Jer O'Sullivan – 2002 Munster Senior football championship

Kevin Jer O’Sullivan (jnr) - 2005 Munster minor football championship

Barry Goggin - 2007 All Ireland junior football championship (captain)

David Harrington - 2013 All Ireland junior football championship

Kevin Jer O’Sullivan was an All-Star in 1972 & 1973

Kevin Jer O’Sullivan, Sean Murty O'Shea, Eddie Power and Bernie O'Neill, played on Munster football teams in Railway Cup competitions with Sean O'Shea and Kevin Jer winning medals.

The following players won All Ireland senior medals with Scoil Phobail Bheara in 1994:

Joe Downing, John Lock O’Sullivan, Aidan Finn O’Sullivan, Aidan Con O’Sullivan,

In 1997 two Adrigole players had the distinction of winning 4 county medals.

Brendan Jer O'Sullivan and Tim O’Shea both won county minor 12-a-side championship and league medals, under 21 county football championship medals and senior football championship medals with Beara.

Tim O’Shea and Paul Goggin won Munster vocational medals with Cork in 1998 and 2000 respectively.

Brendan Jer O’Sullivan played with Ireland in the international rules series in 2001 (winners) and 2002

David Harrington won a Sigerson Cup medal with UCC in 2014 

Club grounds

The football pitch in Adrigole was developed in 1978 and the catchment area formerly consisted of Adrigole and Glengarriff until 1982 when a separate club was formed in Glengarriff.

In 2001 Adrigole undertook a major drainage project of their football pitch. They received a grant from the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation, under the Sports Capital Programme in 2000.

The club fundraised locally to raise the remainder of the funds to complete the project and in 2002 a further upgrade was undertaken with pitch lighting and the club were again successful in obtaining a grant from the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation, under the sports capital programme 2001. The club also received grants from the Munster GAA Council.

Adrigole GAA club acknowledges everyone, both within the community and far and wide, who assisted in the fundraising for these two major club projects.

Editors Note!

Due to time constraints this historic summary of the Adrigole GAA club awaits updating and will be updated as soon as the information is forthcoming in the matter of further titles won since last documented.

Also on our update records we will itemise the role of ladies within the club on and off the field over many years.