Ilen Rovers
| Fanuithe Aidhleann | ||
| County: | Cork | |
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| Colours: | Green and White | |
| Grounds: |
Páirc na hAidhlean, Church Cross, Co.Cork, Ireland Rath, Baltimore, Co.Cork, Ireland |
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| Coordinates: | 51°29′54.25″N 9°21′12.55″W / 51.4984028°N 9.3534861°WCoordinates: 51°29′54.25″N 9°21′12.55″W / 51.4984028°N 9.3534861°W | |
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Páirc na hAidhlean, Church Cross, Co.Cork, Ireland
Ilen Rovers is a Gaelic football club in County Cork, Ireland. The club is affiliated to Cork GAA and Carbery GAA divisional boards. The farming and fishing community of Ilen Rovers hails from the estuary of the River Ilen, the West Cork river that flows through Skibbereen before entering the sea near the fishing port of Baltimore, the gateway to the islands of Sherkin, Cape Clear and Heir. The club crest depicts this rural geographical area showing the Beacon to the south and Kilcoe castle to the west with the Ilen flowing between and the sea beyond.
The Club was founded in 1973 and so comprises players from the parish of Rath and the Islands and the parish of Aughadown, the two parishes that bound the river estuary. In the club's first year, three teams were affiliated under 14, under16 & minor. Success was instant, winning the SW minor B championship, in that first year. This prompted the club to enter under 21 and junior B teams in 1974, with the under 21's losing the SW championship final. They were runners up in the same competition in 1975, before winning this championship at the third attempt in 1976. However the promising start failed to transfer itself to the junior team. In fact the club lost the first round of the junior B championship every year from 1974 - 1982. Finally their championship jinx was broken in 1983, and the team went all the way to championship success. Four fruitless years followed in junior A, before the club re-graded for the only time in their history in 1988. The Junior B championship was won again that year and history was made when the team reached its first county final, only to lose to Abbey Rovers after a replay.
The early 1990s were barren years for the club, at all grades, until 1995, when the minor team won league and championship double, and followed this with Cork Minor B Football Championship honours, beating Newtownshandrum in both league and championship finals. The achievement sparked new enthusiasm within the club and in the following year, 1996, the club won its first West Cork Junior A Football championship in its first final appearance.
A second junior A title was won in 1999, sparking off a remarkable period of success for the club. Three SW junior A titles were won in a row, 1999, 2000 & 2001. It was a setback to lose the Cork Junior Football Championship final in 1999 by a point to Youghal, but 2001 yielded dividends capturing the title by overcoming Kinsale. The first year up in the intermediate grade, 2002, was a successful one, winning the county league title and also the All Ireland junior 7 a-side. They returned the following year to win the Cork Intermediate Football Championship, beating Carrigaline in the final. This was followed up by winning the inaugural Munster Intermediate Club Football Championship in this grade, beating St Senan's of Limerick in the provincial decider and the first All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship title by defeating St Michael's of Donegal.
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