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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

O'Tooles GAA

O'Tooles GAC (Irish: Cumann Uí Thuathail) is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Ayrfield, Dublin, Ireland, formed in 1901.

History

Early years

O'Tooles GAC was formed in 1901 at 100 Seville Place in the north inner city of Dublin from the Gaelic League branch. The Gaelic League branch held their inaugural meeting in February 1901. Francis Cahill was one of the founding members of the club and Brother J.A. O’Mahoney, who was superior of O'Connell School was elected as the first president.

On Thursday 8 October 1901, after Irish classes the clubs first hurling team was formed. The captain of the team was Edward Keegan with Thomas Keegan elected as secretary and John Taylor as treasurer. In 1905 the club won their first competition, captained by Tim O'Neill, they won the Saturday Junior Hurling League.

August 1902 brought about the formation of the football team, with the clubs first major success arriving in 1910 in the form of the minor league.

In 1910, the St. Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band was formed with Tom Clarke elected president and playwright Seán O'Casey elected secretary.

On the morning of Monday 24 April 1916, around 1,200 members of the Irish Volunteers and Irish Citizen Army arrived at a number of locations in Dublin. Among them were over 70 members of the O'Tooles club including two executed leaders, Tom Clarke (3 May) and Seán Mac Diarmada (12 May). Others involved included Liam Ó Briain, future TD and a professor of languages. Frank Robbins, future President of the Dublin Council of Trade Unions and Tom Ennis who was later a Free State Army General.

O'Tooles members who fought in the Easter Rising
G.P.O. Jacob's St Stephen's Green Four Courts Boland's Mills South Dublin Union Ashbourne
David Begley James Barrett James Brougham Dan Begley Toby Breslin Edward Keegan Patrick Birney
Michael Brady Vinny Byrne Joseph Connelly Sean Cody
Tom Clarke James Cassells James Donnelly Jim Dempsey
James Redmond Michael Colgan Patrick Duffy Patrick Kelly
Tom Crimmins Liam Daly Joseph Duffy Bernard Murphy
Michael Croke Tom Drumm Robert Humphreys Sean O'Moore
Tom Ennis James Hannon Tom Kehoe Thomas Yourell
John Fitzharris James Kenny James Lawless Thomas Smart
Frank Henderson Thomas Losty Michael Lawless John Halpin
Sean Kerr Sean Lynch Johnny McDonald Charles McMahon
Thomas Leahy William Lynch David O'Leary
Laurence Mackey Mick McDonnell Diarmuid O'Leary
Michael Mackey Paddy McDonnell Tim O'Neill
Seán Mac Diarmada Michael Meade Liam O'Briain
Patrick Mitchell Owen Meade Frank O'Brien
John O'Neill James Murran Willian O'Brien
Thomas J. Roche Edward O'Hanrahan Frank Robbins
Hugh Thornton Joseph O'Hanrahan Sean Rogan
Frank Thornton Michael O'Rourke
Patrick J. Weafer Sean O'Rourke
Thomas Wheatley Kathleen Pollard
Josephine Pollard
Patrick Rooney
James Sheils
Denis Shelly
Thomas Shelly
Jim Slattery
Michael Smith
Johnny McDonnell

On 21 November 1920, Dublin and Tipperary played a football challenge match in Croke Park. As a result of a mass shooting by the British Forces 14 innocent people including one player (Michael Hogan from Tipperary), died. It is estimated that around 60 – 100 people were also injured. O'Tooles have a deep connection with the events of this day as they contributed 12 players to the Dublin team with 9 players starting.

Dublin
Number Position Name
1 Goalkeeper Johnny McDonnell
3 Full back Paddy Carey
4 Left corner back William Robbins
5 Right half back John Synnott
7 Left half back Jack O'Reilly
11 Centre forward Paddy McDonnell (c)
12 Left half forward John Carey
13 Right corner forward Joe Synnott
14 Full forward Stephen Synnott

Substitutes: Tom Carey, Joe Norris & Tom Fitzgerald

Football

An amalgamation of O'Tooles and another local club Emeralds brought the golden age of football to the Seville Place club. The 1916 Dublin Intermediate Football Championship which was played in 1917 due to the number of players interned after the 1916 Rising heralded the beginning of the club's most successful football teams.

From 1918 to 1931, O'Tooles won 10 Dublin Senior Football Championship titles and produced the county's first five-in-a-row club team. During this period the club also contributed the majority of players to All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winning Dublin teams, including producing All-Ireland winning captains in Paddy Carey and Paddy McDonnell.

Year Winners Runners-up
1946 O’Tooles Parnells
1931 O’Tooles Erin's Hope
1928 O’Tooles O'Dwyers
1926 O’Tooles Garda
1925 O’Tooles Kickhams
1924 O’Tooles UCD
1923 O’Tooles Garda
1922 O’Tooles St. Mary's
1920 O’Tooles Kickhams
1919 O’Tooles McCrackens
1918 O’Tooles Collegians

Hurling

A Dublin Intermediate Hurling Championship was won 1956 and 1961 with a Dublin Junior Hurling Championship arriving in 1982. In 1969, O’Tooles made the breakthrough and won their first Dublin Senior Hurling Championship. Further success was achieved in 1977, 1984 and 1990.

During the 1990s, O'Tooles who three county titles in a row in 1995, 1996 and 1997 and reached the Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship final in 1996.

In 2002, O’Tooles defeated north side rivals and defending champions Craobh Chiaráin after a replay on a score line of 1–13 to 2–7.

Year Winners Runners-up
2002 O’Tooles Craobh Chiaráin
1997 O’Tooles St. Vincents
1996 O’Tooles Kilmacud Crokes
1995 O’Tooles St. Vincents
1990 O’Tooles St. Vincents
1984 O’Tooles Kilmacud Crokes
1977 O'Tooles Faughs
1969 O'Tooles Faughs

Present day

As of 2023, they currently compete in the Division 2 league and the Senior 3 championship in hurling. In football they are in the Division 3 league and the Dublin Intermediate Football Championship.

Honours

Dublin Senior Championships

Dublin Senior Leagues

Other Dublin Championship Wins

Other Wins

  • Boland Cup:
    • Winners: 1966, 1969
  • Smithwicks Cup:
    • Winners: 1968, 1969

Notable players

Senior inter-county footballers

Dublin


Kildare & Dublin


Meath & Dublin
  • Joe Norris, All-Ireland winner with Dublin

Senior inter-county hurlers

Dublin


Kilkenny & Dublin

Notable members

References

  1. ^ Wren, Jimmy (17 July 2022). "The History of O'Tooles GAC".
  2. ^ "Dublin GAA Roll of Honour". 17 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Famous Kildare athlete retires". Leinster Leader. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  4. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Larry Stanley Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  5. ^ "Legends of the Club: Con Clarke will forever have Larriers in his heart". Irish Independent. Retrieved 13 August 2022.