Ballykelly GAA
| Baile Uí Cheallaigh | ||
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| Founded: | 1953 | |
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| County: | Kildare | |
| Colours: | Maroon and White | |
| Grounds: | Highbridge, Ballykelly, Lackagh, County Kildare | |
| Coordinates: | 53°09′25″N 7°03′11″W / 53.157°N 7.053°WCoordinates: 53°09′25″N 7°03′11″W / 53.157°N 7.053°W | |
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Ballykelly Gaelic Football Club is a Gaelic football based Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club in County Kildare, Republic of Ireland, north of Monasterevin. Following the progress of many modern GAA clubs, they field teams from U6 to senior in both ladies' and men's football.
The present-day club was founded in 1953. At their inaugural meeting, the room was packed to capacity, such was the interest aroused, and they immediately began fundraising. They started to train in An Cullen's field in Borraderra and so intense was their interest in the game that they even trained on Christmas Day.
With the dedication to duty it was not surprising that the fledgling club made an enormous impact and in the first year 1953 won the junior "B" Championship. They went on to win the Intermediate Championship in 1955 and again in 1960 - two major trophies in the space of five years - a feat many clubs have not achieved in their entire history. They have gone on to win the Junior "A" Championship in 1974, the Intermediate in 1975 and the Under 16 Championship in 1989, as well as the junior League Division 2 in 1972, the Senior League Division 2 in 1974 and 1978 and the Under 16 League in 1988. Between Ballykelly and Monasterevin during the 1970s almost every major Gaelic football honour came to the town.
The Ballykelly girls' Under 14 team was registered in the spring of 1994, twenty years after the first All Ireland ladies' football final was played. The squad consisted of 21 players in an age group from 10 to 14. The squad comprised players who came from families who supported all three clubs in the parish.
The teams prospered in their first year and the following season saw six of the players called up for county teams. The team's success continued for a further year drawing fresh players from all over the parish but by in 1996 the successful run was over, partly due to the original squad becoming older. However, some of the girls did continue playing for the boys' team.
In 1997 an amalgamation between Ballykelly and Athgarvan was arranged, meaning that some players were now representing Ballykelly on the boys' panel and Athgarvan with the ladies' team. During this season two of the players, Maire Dowling at centre half forward and Margeret McCormack in goal, contributed to the capture of the county shield with the under 14 boys' team and the club was also being represented at intercounty level by several of the girls.
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