UCD's Rich Footballing History
UCD Gaelic Football Club was founded unofficially in 1900. The official club history started in the 1911/1912 season. The club colours are St. Patrick’s Blue and Saffron. The club motto is AD ASTRA and Comthrom Feinne.
The Sigerson Cup is named in honour of Dr. George Sigerson, who donated the salary from his post at UCD so that a trophy could be purchased for the competition. The cup was first presented in 1911, with the inaugural winner being UCD. In the early years the tournament only UCD, UCC and UCG took part. Dr. Sigerson wished to foster unity amongst the then constituent Colleges of the NUI. He was also a founder of the State and was President of Seanad Eireann in 1922.
UCD participated not alone in the varsity games but also in Dublin and National competitions in hurling and football. The Dublin Senior championship was won for the first time in 1943 with Donal Keenan of Roscommon as captain.College players were prominent in All-Irelands in the forties and fifties; player such as Donal Keenan of Roscommon in 1943 and 1944 and later to be Uachtaran C.L.G., P.J Duke of Stradone and Cavan, Padraig Carney and Sean Flanagan of Mayo in 1948 and Des Benson of Cavan.
UCD won three Sigersons in a row in the fifties and the Dublin Senior league in 1958. The Sigerson was won again in 1960 and 1961 with Sean Murray of Longford the driving force both on and off the field. Great servants to the club emerged from the early 1950 era and continued to serve UCD long after their student days were over - Cathal Young, Seamus Conaty, Garreth O’Reilly amongst others. The Dublin championship was added again in 1963 and 1965. UCD became the first University GAA club to tour America in 1968.
UCD vs New York in Gaelic Park, June 1968 with Club President Brendan Devlin of Tyrone on extreme left.
Brendan Devlin
Brendan Devlin is honoured by the naming of a GAA pitch in Belfield. He gave outstanding service to UCD both as a player and an administrator. He was born in Pomeroy Co Tyrone in 1920 and attended St. Pat’s Armagh and later Blackrock College in Dublin. He obtained a Batchelors of Engineering from UCD, He played minor and senior football for his native Tyrone. He was a member of the historic UCD team that won the Dublin championship for the first time in 1943.
This team included amongst others Donal Keenan of Roscommon, a future president of the GAA. Phelim Murray, Cavans Barney Cully, Des Benson, TP O’Reilly, Jack Culleton of Wexford, the famed Doctor Dick Stokes of Limerick All Ireland winning fame and Silky Smith of Dublin. Brendan along with Paddy McDonnell and GAA President Joe Stuart were the bulwarks of GAA in UCD until Brendan’s untimely death in 1970.
1970s
The Seventies proved to be a magnificent era for the college when not alone were six Sigerson Cups won in seven years but two Dublin, Leinster and All- Ireland club finals were captured in 1974 and 1975. UCD won a famous Sigerson in Galway after in a replay after a tempestuous drawn game that attracted the largest modern crowd in College football history.
The UCD Senior team which played against Clanna Gael from Armagh in the drawn All-Ireland Club final in 1974. UCD won the replay and retained the title in 1975. The team was managed by Eugene McGee of Longford and Gerry Dineen of Cork. Eugene later managed Offaly to the 1982 All-Ireland senior football championship.
FRONT ROW from left: Jackie Walsh (Kerry), Benny Gaughran (Louth), J.P. Kean (Mayo), Paddy Kerr Captain (Monaghan), Enda Condren (Laois), P.J. O'Halloran (Meath), Michael Judge (Galway).
BACK ROW: Joe Waldron (Galway), Eamon O'Donoghue (Kildare), John O'Keeffe (Kerry), Pat Duggan (Dublin), Ivan Heffernan (Mayo), Ollie Leddy (Cavan), Garrett O'Reilly (Cavan), Kevin Kilmurray (Offaly).
The replay was won on a score of 0-14 to 1-04 with P Gilroy, F O’Donoghue and D O’Connor in the starting line up. Dr. Pat O’Neill later went win All Ireland victories with Dublin as a player and a manager. Denis ‘Ogie’ Moran won eight All- Ireland medals with Kerry while John O Keeffee won seven. UCD was awash with a host of brilliant inter county players from the four corners of Ireland.
UCD also instituted the All Ireland sevens competition, which was the first sponsored GAA event. UCD defeated Nemo Rangers of cork on a Scoreline of 1-11 to 0-12 in the 1975 final. The line out was: Ivan Heffernan, Michael Judge, Garreth O’Reilly, Connie Moynihan, P.J. O’Halloran, Eamon and Fran O’Donoghue, The Gentle Mick Carty, Pat O’Neill, Brendan Dunleavy, J.P. Keane, Jackie and Barry Walsh, Pat Duggan, Bren Heneghan.
In 1985 after a gap of six years the Sigerson returned to Belfield when the team captained by Bill Sex of Kildare. The winning team was: S Maguire, JJ McKearney, S McGovern, S O’Neill, P Smith, N McCaffrey, A Healy, W Sex, M O’Donoghue, S Ryan, D Flanagan, J Lyons, M Lynam, N Clancy, P McNamee and S Rodgers.
Over time UCD has been fortunate to have the services of Graduate officials such as Dr. JJ Stuart (Uachtharan C.L.G 1958), Paddy McDonald, Brendan Devlin, Gerry Dineen, Eugene McGee, Cathal Young, Sean Murray, Adrian Wynne and Seamus Conaty amongst others to supplement the vibrant enthusiasm of student members.
UCD won the Sigerson in 1996 after a lapse of 11 years. The team was captained by Facthna Collins and managed by John Reilly, Tommy Sullivan and Seamus Rodgers.
The victorious 1996 team.
UCD football scholarships
UCD awarded the first GAA scholarships in Ireland in 1994. Trevor Giles of Meath (pictured below in action for UCD) was the first recipient. He was followed by John Divilly and Derek Savage of Galway - all 3 won Celtic Crosses.
Scholarship students Ciaran McManus of Offaly and Declan Meehan of Galway represented Ireland in the International series in Australia as did Tyrone’s Cormac McAnallen who died tragically young in 2004 after winning all the honours in the game.
David Nestor of Mayo and Fachtna Collins of Cork have all won provincial medals. Nigel Crawford and Trevor Giles won an All-Ireland in 1999 with Meath.
Brian Dooher, Tyrone, won three All-Irelands with Tyrone and captained the 2008 winning team.
The late Sean Murray (extreme right), UCD stalwart and visionary.
Included in the photo are (L-R): Jodie Gilhooley, David nestor (Mayo),
Derek Savage (Galway), Dr Art Cosgrove (then UCD President), and Niall Collins (Laois).
First U21 title
UCD bridged a 29 year gap when they won the Dublin under 21 championship for the first time since 1971. The team was captained on the day by John lynch deputising for the injured Niall Collins. Pat ONeill captained the 1971 team and Garret O'Reilly the 1969 team.
2006 Dublin County Champions
Champions 2003 – All Ireland Freshers B heroes all.
UCD hopes to continue to serve the needs of its students at all levels by providing games in the Fosters Lager sponsored internal leagues and to help with the demands of student life. UCD also wishes to compete at the highest possible level with its elite team by attracting students to the college.
The support of the scholarship graduates committee founded by the late Sean Murray and corporate sponsors Kepak, Gandon and First Active has contributed greatly to revitalising games on campus. UCD is unique in GAA annals because it has produced five Presidents of the Association from its graduates: Seamus Gardiner (Tipp), Dr.Stuart (Dublin), Hugh Byrne (Wicklow), Donal Keenan (Roscommon) and Jack Boothman (Wicklow).
References taken from St. Patricks Blue and Saffron by Prof. Paddy Meenan
UCD Roll of Honour:
Sigerson Cup: 33 times
Leinster and All Ireland Club Champions: 1974 and 1975
Dublin Senior Championship: 1943, ‘63, ‘65, ‘73, ‘74, 2002 and 2006.
Under 21 Dublin champions: 1968, 1969, 1971, 1999, 2000, and 2001.
Ryan Cup Winners: 2004
Freshers B All Ireland: 2003
Intermediate All-Ireland: 1999, 2005
PHOTOS:
Ciaran McManus, a UCD footballing legend, with the ever camera-shy Red Barry in the background celebrating their 2002 Dublin championship.
Football committee: Mick O Dowd, Gerry McGill, Adrian Wynne, Bren Dardis and Emyln Hughes.
An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern with All-Ireland Medal Winners and UCD Scholarship students Derek Savage and John Divilly.
John Lynch and Niall Collins receiving the Dublin Under 21 Championship Cup in January 2000.