In the early nineteenth century every European country including Ireland had its own traditional sports and past times, which were practiced with a great deal of enthusiasm but in an extremely disorganised and haphazard manner. During the course of the century however sport began to be taken very seriously and became far more organised with set rules and proper playing facilities. The playing of traditional sports was encouraged and people of athletic sports were encouraged and their neighbours held people of athletic ability in high esteem. By the 1870’s the English games of rugby and cricket had become very popular in Ireland.

Interest in Ireland’s national sports began to decline and it seemed they were in danger of becoming obsolete. What was needed was a central body that would organise competitions, draw up rules and regulations and instil a sense of pride in the national sporting heritage. With these ends in view, a group of interested sportsmen met in Hayes’ Hotel in Thurles on 1^st November 1884 to found the GAA, a purely Irish-based and Irish controlled body. While the GAA was the brainchild of Michael Cusack and PW Nally, the principal members of the founding committee were Michael Cusack, Maurice Devin (President) and J.K. Bracken. To give the association a degree of Status Cusack invited Parnell and Davitt to act as patrons together with the nationalist archbishop of Cashel T.W. Croke.

No subsequent organisation has exceeded it in size and few have inspired such dedication and enthusiasm among their members and supporters. In the next two years following the founding of the Association the main emphasis was on athletics but later football and hurling were to take priority. It was not until late ’87 that the bulk of the clubs in West cork were formed. The Doheny's were the first club in West Cork to affiliate to the GAA in November 1886, Bantry, Clonakilty, Carbery Rangers and Skibbereen became affiliated teams in the last four months of 1887.

John Beamish: He was a great worker for the GAA and was involved in every major and minor sporting event in the parish. He was a publican and also an agent for the quarries.

Dr. Eugene Crowley: Unfortunately there is not much info available on Dr. Crowley. He practised medicine in Drimoleague but lived in Drinagh town.

Jeremiah O’Driscoll: No info found.

Jerome Beechinor P.L.G. He was considered one of the gentry in 1888 but was very popular with the locals. He was also involved in Athletics and often offered his fields as a venue for a football match.

Timothy Dempsey:Owned a pub at the corner of Chapel St. where Crowley’s pharmacy now stands.

 

Considering that now, Clann na nGael is a Drimoleague–Drinagh team that plays together for the honour of the entire parish it is fitting that the first match played was also a Drimoleague-Drinagh combination. The first match played by a team representing the entire parish took place in Drinagh on between Drimoleague-Drinagh (O’Connells) and Leap (Geraldines) in Drinagh. The ball was thrown in at 3 o’ clock after O’Connells won the toss. It is a credit to the men who organised the game that they overcome the difficulties of limited and time consuming transport facilities to select a team from such a large area. The name ‘O’ Connells’ was used in connection with the team representing the parish. In the early years of the GAA most clubs adopted patriotic names to show their nationalistic beliefs and the title was in honour of Daniel O’Connell.