Carlow GAA

Carlow Senior Football Championship

Carlow clubs have a decent record in the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship. Éire Óg have five Leinster titles while O'Hanrahans claim one to their credit. Éire Óg were deprived of the All-Ireland club title in 1993 by Cork's O'Donovan Rossa of Skibereen. They were defeated by 1-7 to 0-8 after a replay in Limerick, after being controversially denied a winning goal in injury time. The team had to make do with immortality of a different kind; you will see them togged out in 1920-style kit, posing as the Tipperary Bloody Sunday team in Neil Jordan's film Michael Collins, against a Kilmacud Crokes team filling in as Dublin.

Carlow have claimed very few honours at senior level. They won a Leinster title in 1944. The final was played in Athy due to the war and Carlow beat Dublin by 2-6 to 1-6. Carlow also lost Leinster finals in 1941 and 1942 to the same opposition. Kerry fisherman-publican Paddy "Bawn" Brosnan kept Carlow from reaching an All-Ireland final in 1944. His second half goal put Carlow out of the All-Ireland semi-final by 3-3 to 0-10. Ten years later Carlow reached the National League final with a famous 1-10 to 1-7 win over Armagh, but were well beaten by Mayo in the final.

Carlow won a 'B' All-Ireland in 1994, and an O'Byrne Cup in 2002. They defeated Wicklow by 2-10 to 0-8. Other significant performances include reaching the Leinster Minor Football Championship final in 2007, when they lost to Laois. The Carlow Vocational Schools team won the VEC All Ireland Championship in 1973, while Carlow CBS won a B All Ireland in Croke Park in 2015. An Under-21 team that came within a point of beating Dublin in 1984. In the 1980-81 National League Carlow once fielded a one-club selection so that Éire Óg could prepare for their first Leinster Club final. Tommy Dwyer, at 6'7, was one of the tallest midfielders in GAA history.

Carlow Senior Hurling Championship

Carlow have won three Christy Ring Championships. After losing the 2006 final to Antrim at Croke Park, they beat Westmeath in a classic final (after extra time) by 3-22 to 4-16 in 2008. This was their first "Division 2" win since 1992 and their first in the re-arranged All-Ireland structure which sees four divisions in hurling since 2009.

They repeated the trick the following year, defeating Down at Croke Park to win a two in a row and earn automatic promotion to tier one for 2010. They played at this level until 2016 which saw them relegated from the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship. The very next year however they won the 2017 Christy Ring Cup for a record equaling third time gaining promotion to the top tier of hurling once again.

Carlow's last appearance in a Leinster championship semi final was in 1993, when they were beaten by Kilkenny by 18 points.

In 2013, Mount Leinster Rangers shocked the hurling world by winning the Leinster Club Hurling Championship, beating Ballyboden St Endas of Dublin in the semi-final and Oulart the Ballagh of Wexford in the final. The following February, they beat 2012 champions Loughgiel Shamrocks to reach the All Ireland final. They were eventually beaten by Portuma.

The Carlow Gaelic games colours

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships

• Joe McDonagh Cup: 1
  • 2018
• Christy Ring Cup: 3
  • 2008, 2009, 2017
• All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship: 1
  • 1992

• All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championships: 1
  • 1962
• All Ireland U21 B Championship:
  • 2008
• All Ireland Minor B Hurling Championships: 5
  • 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005

Provincials

• Leinster Intermediate Hurling Championships: 1
  • 1962
• Leinster Junior Hurling Championships: 2
  • 1906, 1970
• Leinster Minor Hurling "B" Championships: 1
  • 1998
• Kehoe Cup Championships: 6
  • 1986, 1990, 1992, 1999, 2005, 2006

• • Paddy Quirke (Naomh Eoin, Myshall) - Dual All Star (Hurling & Football), Railway Cup Hurling and Football.
  • Tommy Dwyer (Tinryland) - International Rules Football, Railway Cup Football.
  • Luke Kelly (Leighlinbridge) - Leinster SFC Winner 1944.
  • Edward Coady (Mount Leinster Rangers) - Christy Ring Cup SH Winner 2008, 2009 Christy Ring All Star Winner, Leinster Hurling Club Winner Intermediate, Carlow Hurler Of The Year Winner 2006, Winner of first All Ireland Club Hurling Title in Carlow 2012. Leinster Senior Hurling Club Championship Winner 2013 first Carlow Club or Team to Win a Leinster Championship at Senior 2013.
  • James Hickey (Mount Leinster Rangers) - Christy Ring Cup Winner SH 2008, 2009 Christy Ring All Star Winner, Leinster Hurling Club Winner Intermediate, Carlow Hurler Of The Year Winner 2009 Winner of first All Ireland Club Hurling Title in Carlow 2012. Leinster Senior Hurling Club Championship Winner 2013 first Carlow Club or Team to Win a Leinster Championship at Senior 2013.
  • Jim Morris (Ballon) - Leinster SFC Winner 1944.
  • Jimma Rea (O'Hanrahan's) - Leinster SFC Winner 1944.
  • Simon Rea (Éire Óg) - Railway Cup SF.
  • Mark Carpenter (O'Hanrahan's) - Railway Cup SF, Leinster Club SF 2000.
  • Tom "Drakes" Walker (O'Hanrahan's) - Railway Cup SF.
  • Colm Hayden (Éire Óg) - Railway Cup SF, 5 Leinsters in 1990s with Éire Óg.
  • Johnny Nevin (Old Leighlin GFC/Naomh Brid HC) - Railway Cup SF, SH, All Ireland B 1994, Carlow championship 1997, All Ireland over 40s runner up 2008.
  • Andy Murphy (Tinryland) - Railway Cup SF.
  • "Paks" Connolly (Clonmore) - Railway Cup SF.
  • Martin Molloy (Clonmore /Rathvilly) - Railway Cup SF.
  • Luke Dempsey (Ballinabranna) - Manager of Westmeath, Longford and Carlow.
  • Thomas Walshe (Fenagh GFC/Ballinkillen HC) - Railway Cup SF.
  • Rory Dunbar (Carlow Town) - Christy Ring Winner 2009 2008 & Minor 2002.
  • Cyril Hughes (St Andrew's, Bagenalstown GFC/Ballinkillen HC) - Railway Cup SF, Manager of Carlow and Wexford.
  • Des Murphy (Naomh Eoin, Myshall) - Christy Ring Cup SH 2008, All-time most SH appearances.
  • Brendan Murphy (Rathvilly) - Leinster MFC Runner-Up 2007, Professional Australian Rules Player.
  • Tommy 'The Boy Wonder' Murphy (Graiguecullen) - Team of the Millennium as Laois player, originally Carlow before the Graiguecullen expulsion.
  • Brendan Hayden Snr. (Tinryland GFC/St Fintan's HC) - Railway Cup SF.
  • Vincent Harvey (Éire Óg) - Former Carlow manager.
  • Ned Doogue (O'Hanrahan's) - Railway Cup SF.
  • Eamonn Long (O'Hanrahan's) - Railway Cup SF.
  • Cran Hogan (Éire Óg) - Railway Cup SF.
  • Willie Quinlan (Éire Óg) - Railway Cup SF, All-Ireland B Football 1994.
  • Andrew Corden (O'Hanrahan's)- O'Byrne Cup 2001.
  • Peeney Whelan (Tinryland) - Railway Cup SF.
  • Jim English (Erin's Own, Bagenalstown) - All-Ireland SHC 1947 (with Wexford), Railway Cup SH.
  • Garvan Ware (Éire Óg) - Railway Cup SF, 5 leinsters in 1990s with Éire Óg.
  • Mark Mullins (Erin's Own, Bagenalstown) - All-Ireland B SHC 1992, Cork SH captain 1995.
  • Jim Treacy (St Mullins) - All-Ireland IHC 1961.
  • Joe Hayden (Éire Óg GFC/Carlow Town HC) - Railway Cup SF, 5 leinsters in 1990s with Éire Óg.
  • Niall English (O'Hanrahan's GFC/Carlow Town HC) - All-Ireland 'B' SH 1992.
  • Shane Kavanagh (Naomh Eoin, Myshall) - Christy Ring Cup 2008, Railway Cup SH.
  • Richie Moore (Éire Óg GFC/Carlow Town HC) - All-Ireland B SF 1994.
  • Willie Doyle (O'Hanrahan's) - International Rules 1985.
  • Hugh Brennan (Éire Óg) - Mayo minor, 5 Leinsters in 1990s with Éire Óg, All Ireland B captain 1994.
  • Ned Gladney (St Mullins) - All Ireland and Leinster 1961, 1962, eight county titles, and Full Forward on Team of the Century. The first man to captain Carlow at senior level.
  • Stephen Sheil (Kildavin/Clonegal) - Intermediate Hurling of the Year 1997 - Played with the county from the age of 13 (1996 until 2004) He was rated one of the top defenders in the county and in all of Leinster. He won titles not only for County Carlow but also for county Wexford. He is the youngest of 3 boys, with Thomas and Derek also togging out in the county colours. Stephen’s father Stephen Senior also played for Carlow in both hurling and football.
  • Jamie McGrath (St Mullins) - Fired St Mullins to victory in a county final, scoring 4 goals and 1 point to claim man of the match award