| Ard Fhíonáin | |||||||||
| Founded: | 1910 | ||||||||
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| County: | Tipperary | ||||||||
| Club colours: | Maroon and White | ||||||||
| Grounds: | Ardfinnan GAA ground | ||||||||
| Playing kits | |||||||||
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| Senior Club Championships | |||||||||
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Ardfinnan GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in County Tipperary, Ireland. The club draws its players and support from the small town of the same name. The area comprises three parishes of Ardfinnan, Grange and Ballybacon and their surrounding hinterlands. The club is known by its supporters as "the village" in south Tipperary. The team's home ground is on the main Ardfinnan to Clonmel road (the R665) just outside the village.
Ardfinnan GAA club only play gaelic football but the village of Ardfinnan also has a senior hurling team, Ballybacon-Grange GAA who play their games in Goatenbridge village which is around three miles from Ardfinnan.
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Ardfinnan GAA club was formed in the village of Ardfinnan in 1910. There were games played on the green in Ardfinan village between local teams until in 1910 the GAA club was founded. At that time the woolen mills had a big influence on the club as a lot of players were employed there. At this time the club were a junior club although they entered the Tipperary senior championship in 1912 for the first time but were beaten by Fethard. At this time Ardfinnan were known as the magpies because of the jersey being black and white. The colour of the jersey was not liked by many who wore it so a collection was made for a new set of jersey which were Green with a white band and white shamrock, that shamrock still remains on the jersey's to this very day. The club played senior in 1917 and 1918 but due to the War of Independence there was very little football played in the period between 1919 and 1922. Ardfinnan reached their first South Final in 1927 but were beaten by a Carrick on Suir side who went on to win the County Title. In 1928 Ardfinnan had two players on the Tipperary County Team that beat Kerry in the Munster Senior Football Championship, they were Ned Lonergan and John O' Leary, to date this was the last time Tipperary beat Kerry in a Munster Championship. The 1960s will be remembered in history as Ardfinnan's golden era, during this period Ardfinnan won the county senior title three times 1962, 1963, 1964, the South senior title 5 times including the four in a row from 1961 to 1964 and then 1968.
In May 1988, the club's new GAA grounds were officially opened. The grounds consisted of a playing field, a covered stand, four changing rooms and a car park for up to 80 cars.
In November 2005, Ardfinnan won their first county title since 1974 with a 1-5 to 1-4 win against Loughmore-Castleiney. That title ended a 31 year famine with a late winning point by player manager Peter Lambert.[1] [2]