Kinlochshiel
| Kinlochshiel | |||
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| Full name | Kinlochshiel Shinty Club | ||
| Gaelic name | Comann Camanachd Cheann Loch Seile | ||
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| Nickname | Shiel | ||
| Founded | 1958 | ||
| Ground | Kirkton, Balmacara | ||
| Manager | Johnston Gill | ||
| League | Orion Premiership | ||
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Kinlochshiel Shinty Club is a shinty club based in Balmacara, near Kyle of Lochalsh, Lochalsh, Scotland. The club has two sides, a senior team which were champions of North Division One in 2011 and a reserve team in North Division Two. Kinlochsiel also has an under 14's team and an under 17's team.
History
The club was the result of an amalgamation of three clubs Kintail, Lochalsh and Glenshiel, who first joined forces in 1958. These teams competed for the Conchra Cup alongside Lochcarron
The club won its first trophy in the form of the Sutherland Cup in 1962 and the Strathdearn in 1975. Whilst the club have been successful over the years, a troublesome patch in the 1990s led to Kinlochshiel dropping down to the lowest division in the North and working their way back up the leagues and re-establishing a reserve team. This has reaped long term benefits and the club are now considered one of the best teams outside the top flight. The club boasts international players Finlay MacRae and Keith MacRae in their ranks.
In 2006, the club was joined by the wider shinty community in mourning for Johnny "Ach" Macrae, referee co-ordinator for the Camanachd Association and former North Player of the Year who died at the age of 50. His funeral was attended by over 3000 people.
2007 was a very successful year for the club as they won North Division Three and the Balliemore Cup. The club won the Balliemore Cup on 1 September 2007 against Glenurquhart in a rearranged match at Newtonmore after the first game was rained out on 17 August 2007 in Oban. The first team also missed out on promotion to the Premier Division, coming second in North Division One. In 2009, the club reached the Balliemore Cup Final for the fifth time, losing 5-1 to Strathglass. Again, the club reached the Balliemore Final in 2010 and defeated Lochaber Camanachd on penalties after a late comeback which so them go 4-3 down in injury-time then force extra-time with the last hit of the ball. The final save in the penalty shoot out gained internet notoriety as it was accidentally saved by keeper Graham Kennedy with his head - technically a foul which should have resulted in a retake - and also an unwise decision to make regarding personal safety.
Co-manager Keith Loades stepped down in December 2010, leaving Johnston Gill in sole charge of the team for 2011. Gill then guided the team to North Division 1 success in stunning form, winning the league with a 100% record. In 2012 the team will compete in the shinty top flight: Scottish Hydro Premier Division.
The club intends in the medium term to move from its traditional home at Kirkton to a new field at Reraig, which the club purchased in 2010.
After the successful 2011 season, which saw Shiel become the only team to ever win the league with a 100% record, the 2012 season has seen them reach the Camanachd Cup semi-final, which they lost to Inveraray, and consolidate strongly in the Premiership with wins against Kingussie, Newtonmore and Kyles.
Clash of the Ash
The club is the only team specifically referred to in the Runrig song, Clash of the Ash, in the line;
"Tell me who’s gonna mark the Kinlochshiel Bear He’s hard as nails, quick as a flash He comes down from the caves For the clash of the ash"
- Clash of the Ash, C&R MacDonald, 2007
External links
- Kinlochshiel Website
- West Highland Free Press with coverage of Kinlochshiel Games
- Johnny "Ach" Macrae's Funeral Coverage and Obituary
- Keith Loades steps down
- Clash of the Ash Lyrics
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