Kilchreest National Schools role of honour in Hurling;
1991 11 a-side B Co. Finalists (Lost to New Inn)
1994 11 a-side B Co. Champions (Defeated Tynagh)
1996 11 a-side B Co. Champions (defeated Carnmore)
1997 11 a-side A Co. Champions (Defeated Killeeneen)
1998 11 a-side A Co. Finalists (Lost to Killeeneen)
1997 11 a-side Co.Champions
Our School Team –Kilchreest N. S.
Hello my name is Sean B. I play for Kilchreest N. S. Hurling team. I played in two school finals. In 1997 we got to the 11aside final and we had to play Killeeneen. We won that day and we were very happy. Our captain was Kenneth B. and he got most of our scores. Everybody played well on the day. In 1998 we got to the 11-aside final and we had to play Killeeneen and lost. The first day we drew and on the second day they won. Justin Kelly played well for us both days and so did our super goalie Robert Donohue.
1996 11 a-side B champions
St. Thomas's Hurling Club
St. Thomas’s GAA Club
St. Thomas’s GAA Club was founded in 1968. The Club is made up of three parishes, Kilchreest, Castledaly and Peterswell. In 1968 we won the U-14 County A Title. We then won the U-16 A County Title. We won a number of South Galway Junior Finals. We were beaten in the county Junior Semi-Final in 1972, by one point by Eyrecourt. Two years later we were went on to win the Junior Title beating Castlegar in Ballindereen. In 1975 Kitomor beat us in the Intermediate Semi-Final. In 1978 Thomas’s reached their first Intermediate County Final by beating Loughrea in the Quather-Final Portumna in the Semi-Final and beaten in the final by Kilbecanty, but went up Senior that year. In 1979 we were beaten in the first round of the Senior Championship. In 1980 it was a great year for the Club with our Junior Team and U-21 Team winning County Titles. The Club didn’t win much in the early 80’s. They were beaten in the U-16 B Final in 1982. We were beaten in the U-21 A Semi-Final after a replay in 1985. In 1989 the Club had a very successful year at Senior Level. We reached the Senior County Semi-Final for the first time ever, but beaten by Athenry. They qualified for the Semi-Final by beating, Tynagh, Gort and beating Ballindereen in the Quather-Final after a replay.
Also in 1983 St. Thomas’s reached there first ever County Junior B Football Final. The Club had a few Lean-years up to 1995. In 1995 we had a very good U-21 team. They Qualified out of their group for the Quather-Final. They played hot favorites Ballindereen in the Quather-Final winning comfortably. In the Semi-Final we beat Abbey-Duniry after a replay and in the Final they beat Killiomor in a very exciting match. The scoreline was,
2-9 to 0-10 and the match was played in March 1996. Earlier in 95 our Senior team was relegated to Intermediate. So in 95 our main aim was to get back up Senior. We qualified from the group. We beat Athenry in the Quather-Final, Letrim-Kilnadeama in the Semi-Final we beat our Neighbors Craughwell. The score-line was 2-10 to 1-8. Unfortunately we regulated back down Intermediate. In the mean time we won the County U-16 B Final twice in 1997
By
Clive Kelly.
Om the 30th Oct. 1999 the under sixteen hurlers of our parish club, St. Thomas’s won the final by two points. They beat Athenry in a very good match. It was played in Loughrea and the pitch was very wet. There was great celebration after the match with bonfires all along road home. They watched the video of the match in the castle Inn. Robert Murray the captain of the team when collecting the cup thanked the trainer and managers Bernard Forde, Joe Callinan and Martin Fahy.
By Ciaran.
When my friend Paul Gleese I and were 7 we decided that we would join St Thomas’s hurling club under 10’s . With all that talent such as Stephen Donoghue, Sean Burke and Claude Geoghegan we thought we could beat every team. We were very wrong. Sean told us that we never won the championship before. St Thomas’s were in a very difficult group this year as well. In our first match we bet Gort by 1 goal and five points to 1 goal and 3. In that match I was on the sideline. In the next match Kilconioren bet us by 2 points. In the next match I was on the field and I scored the winning goal. The final score was 3 points to Kilconioren and 1 goal and 3 points to St Thomas’s. After that match we got through to the quarter final on points difference with Kilconiren. We bet Abbey Duniry in the quarter final. We won the Semifinal after that, to be continued..
1994 11 a-side B Champions with their principal Mr. Daly.
Hurling in Galway;
Galway hurling team has always been successful especially since the late 1980’s when in 1987 and ’88 our senior hurling team won the All -Ireland final. In recent years the minors (u\18) and U-21’s have made up the lack of success at senior level.
The Galway minor teams have meat. Kilkenny a lot of times in semi – finals and only won six times and Kilkenny have won 12 times. I will name every one up along. In 1935, 37, 39, Kilkenny won and in 1951, Galway drew with Kilkenny and in the replay Galway won. In 1956,Kilkenny won. In 1958, Galway won. In 1972, 74, 76, 78, Kilkenny won. In 1982, Galway won. In 1984, 88, 90, Kilkenny won. In 1992 Galway
Drew with Kilkenny and Galway won the replay. In 1996, Galway won against Tippeary and in 1999, Galway won against Tippeary and let’s hope they will win next
Year. Galway (u-21)’s have got to 10 finals and won 7 lost 3. In 1972, 78, 1983, 86, 1991, 93, 96, and won and lost in 97, 98, 99, and let’s hope they will win next year.
Camogie.
We also play camogie in the school and have been successful in the past, just the same as the boys. Below is a photo of our 1998 team with teacher and trainer Miss Keely.
Below, the team of 1994, the runners up in the mini-7's with their trainer, Paula Burke.
John Conroy and Richard Murray (past pupils, visiting the school with the All-Ireland minor cup won in 1999
What is HURLING?
Conor and Michael are going to tell you about the most popular and national sport in Ireland, hurling. In our school, hurling is the most popular sport. Hurling is a field game unique to Ireland. It is played all over Ireland, and by Irish emigrants all over the world. Let us explain to you what the sport entails exactly. Firstly, Hurling is a sport played by two teams of 15 players using sticks (called hurleys ) and a small round leather ball (called a sliotar). It is played in an open field of appox one-hectare in size. It is similar to field hockey but much faster, more dangerous and exciting and the rules are a lot less restrictive. It is the fastest field game in the world. It is played by teams of all ages and levels all over the country. The top-level competition is played between countries. This is the All Ireland final and is played each September. The Liam McCarthy cup is presented to the winner.
The game of hurling is a run on an amateur basis (which means that no-one gets paid for playing). The game is regulated and controlled by the GAA the Gaelic Athletic Association.
Hurling is the greatest game on Earth.
We will be adding lots more to this page in the near future, so please call back!
E-mail us at
kilchreest.ias@tinet.ie