Erin's Own begin 60th anniversary celebrations this weekend

A club rich in Cork hurling history after such a swift rise to the top, Erin’s Own GAA are celebrating their 60th anniversary as a club, beginning with their first event of the year – a dinner dance in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Saturday, March 9.

The history around the eventual formation of the club is special, and combined the areas of Little Island, Glounthaune, Knockraha & Brooklodge.

Different clubs with unique traditions that existed at various different times – the catalyst for the eventual formation of a parish club came down to the success of an under 14 team in 1963.

The group played under the title of Little Island, but at the time, it was in effect, a parish team.

The historic meeting took place in Knockraha Hall on November 2, 1964, and the first committee of the proposed club was formed under the chairmanship of Little Island’s Tim Sheehan – and Erin’s Own was born.

“We're celebrating our 60th anniversary across the whole year, and we have a number of different events planned,” begins chairman Seán Dunne. “The first one is a dinner dance in the Radisson which will be for the adults on March 9.

“Then in May, we're planning an event with our juvenile section and the intent there is that we educate our juvenile players around our history, and give them an appetite to create their own history.

“The celebration across the year is for everybody who's been affiliated with the club, be it past or present,” says Seán. “So we're encouraging as many people to take part as possible, those from the area and living in the parish.

GROWTH

“We're using it as an opportunity to fundraise for the club. It will be for future club development, and that has gone really well. I suppose the point I'd like to get across is that we've been amazed by the generosity of local businesses supporting the club.

It speaks to the goodwill that exists in the parish for all the volunteer efforts that happen in the club on a weekly basis.” Throughout their 60 year history, Erin’s Own have been on an upward trend that has taken the club right to the pinnacle of Cork hurling – on three separate occasions.

“In the 70s, we won four East Cork Junior A Hurling titles. Then in the 80s, we went up to Intermediate and we won two county Intermediate Hurling titles.

“Then from 1992 to 2007, we won three county Senior Hurling titles, as well as two county Junior Football titles and we won the All-Ireland Hurling Sevens in 2006 as well,” Dunne explains. “We've gone from Junior to Intermediate to Senior, and been successful across those decades.

“Then more recently in the last two years, we won back to back Junior A Hurling and Premier Junior Hurling titles, and our ladies junior football team have won their first ever county title at adult level. So the club is thriving on all fronts, but we're showing progression within every decade.” 

While the club’s stature and trophy cabinet have grown at a steady pace, so has the numerical side of the club. Erin’s Own sit with around 1000 members, and 650 players.

“From a numbers point of view, we're as big as we've ever been, and we're getting bigger as a result of the housing development locally,” he says. “While that puts pressure on our facilities, it's a good problem to have because every club wants numbers.

“But what it does mean is we're beginning to plan for the next 10 years to see what we need to provide in terms of facilities, playing surfaces and everything necessary for the ever increasing numbers.” 

While added sponsorship and fundraising over the course of the year will certainly go a long way in continuing to push Erin’s Own forward, it can’t be done without one of the most important factors in every GAA club – underage coaching.

“There's a huge focus on increasing the standards of coaching at juvenile level. Our juvenile teams are run superbly well, and the focus is on retaining and developing our players.

“That has transmitted itself through the fact that we have four adult hurling teams for the first time ever, as well as an adult football team on the men’s side. It’s also translated as well into the success of the Ladies club at an adult level as well, so it’s really beginning to bear fruit.

The link for Dinner Dance tickets is here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/erins-own-60th-anniversary-dinner-dance-tickets-816374115957?aff=oddtdtcreator&lang=en-gb&locale=en_IE&status=30&view=listing