This weekend St. Mary’s GAA Club, Athenry will pay tribute to an extraordinary group of hurling and football players from the 1960’s that captured the first of many underage county titles won by the club in the past fifty years. Established in it’s present format in 1966, with the introduction of the ‘Parish Rule’, success came quickly for the club’s underage teams. In the four years that followed a talented bunch of players won three county minor hurling titles, an under 16 county title and North Board minor and under 16 football titles.
Several of the players involved went on to represent Galway with distinction, winning All-Ireland medals in both codes.
To celebrate the fiftieth anniversary and acknowledge their achievements and legacy a gathering of players, officials, family and friends of those involved has been organised by the Club for Saturday next 12th August in the Raheen Woods Hotel. The function gets underway at 6:00pm and will, no doubt, be an opportunity for those present to recall wonderful memories of some great days.
The Athenry team that defeated Castlegar in the 1967 County Minor Hurling Final at Pearse Stadium by 6-5 to 3-3: Front Row: (left to right.) Patsy Kelly, Luke Glynn, Anthony Poniard (Captain), Johnny Mullins, Tom Coffey, Gerry Kelly, Ray Glynn, Second Row: (left to right) Noel O`Grady, Eugene Glynn, Noel Kelly, Christy Coffey, Tom Burke, Joe Glynn, John Crosby, Stephen Cloonan, Vincent Madden, Pake Ruane. Back Row: (left to right) Fr. Martin Gleeson, Paddy Gannon, John J Burke and Gerry Donoghue.
