Milltown GAA (County Kildare)

Milltown
Baile an Mhuilinn
Founded: 1888
County: Kildare
Colours: Green and Red
Grounds: Christy Dowling Park, Milltown
Coordinates: 53°12′16″N 6°51′10″W / 53.204413°N 6.852647°W / 53.204413; -6.852647Coordinates: 53°12′16″N 6°51′10″W / 53.204413°N 6.852647°W / 53.204413; -6.852647
Playing kits

Standard colours

Milltown is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in Milltown, County Kildare, Ireland which played a leading role in developing the games in the county.

History

Local resident and Home Rule M.P Matt O Shea, Joseph Kelly, and Peter McCormick were the 3 mainstays of the early GAA club in Milltown, McCormick serving as secretary from its foundation on January 8, 1888. RIC records from 1890 show that Milltown Harringtons had 60 members with officers listed as Pat Flood, Peter McCormack, John Tiernan and James Kelly. Nicholas Hannigan attended the 1889 convention.

Milltown were 1892 Senior Football semi-finalists. Local man, Pat “Darkie” Ryan, came on in the second half of the 1928 All Ireland final, which was incidentally the last time Kildare lifted the Sam Maguire. Milltown created one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Kildare Senior Football championship in 1948, when they beat Raheens by 1-4 to 0-6 in their first senior championship match. Christy and John Dowling played on Kildare senior teams at the time.

Milltown were one of the few Junior B teams to win the Jack Higgins cup when they scored a big win over Johnstownbridge in 1967. In fact, the late 60's and early 70's was somewhat of a glory period for Milltown with the club winning the Intermediate Championship in 1972, and remaining a strong Senior team for several years after. This team is regarded as being the strongest ever to play in the Milltown colours and were only beaten in a Quarter Final replay by the eventual county champions, Carbury, in 1974.

Milltown won the Junior Championship in 2008 defeating Robertstown by a single point. Emmet Mullhall is Milltown's most famous present player, having been a member of the Kildare panel on the countys last appearance in an All-Ireland final in 1998. Colin O'Shea, a real star for the future, played in the 2009 Minor Leinster final.

At some underage grades Milltown, along with Allenwood, Ballyteague & Robertstown, form part of the highly successful combined Parish of Allen club, Na Fianna.

Milltown have been affiliated to the GAA since 1888, and have affiliated each year since. This makes us the oldest club still in continuous existence in County Kildare.

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