A historic first 'A' grade County Final win for Naomh Brid.

For some clubs, their Roll of Honour runs to a county mile in distance. Many of their titles come in ‘A’ grade championships. Others, there Roll of Honour is considerably shorter and when titles are won, they tend to be in the lower grades of competition.

Last Saturday proved to be a memorable day in the history of one West Waterford G.A.A. Club who won its first ever ‘A’ grade county final.

The past few weeks have proven to be exciting for the club.

Having beaten Dungarvan 3-1 to 0-6 in the Western semi Final of the Feile Peil competition, Naomh Brid took on a very fancied Ballinacourty side in the Western Final but had to settle for second best going under nine points to three.

However, in the championship, things were much better.

Setting out on the road that would lead to ultimate success, Naomh Brid opened the championship with a 2-7 to 1-3 victory away to Dungarvan. A heavy 8-3 to 1-2 defeat followed at home to Ballinacourty before a 7-3 to 0-7 victory was recorded at home to the Brickey Rangers.

With just four clubs playing in the top grade, it was decided that teams would play the league section of the competition home and away.

When the first phase fixtures were reversed and Dungarvan travelled to Modeligo to play Naomh Brid in early March a 1-7 to 2-1 victory was recorded. Ballinacourty again proved too strong for Naomh Brid, this time winning 6-10 to 2-2 in Abbeyside on Saint Patrick’s Day when Naomh Brid visited Bushy Park for their reverse fixture with the Brickeys the home side ran out 3-6 to 2-4.

Results from their six games set Naomh Brid up in a semi final with Dungarvan which Naomh Brid won 3-1 to 0-5 which set up a fourth game in the matter of a few short weeks with Ballinacourty.

The law of averages would suggest that when two sides meet over a period of time, there has to be a time when a side’s luck would change.

On what was a woeful day for anyone to tog out for a football game Naomh Brid on April 13 took on Ballinacourty and ran out winners 0-6 to 1-2, the first time that Naomh Brid won an ‘A’ grade Championship in the clubs history. (The club did win a under 12 ‘A’ competition in 1995 but under 12 is a Tournament, not a championship).

The win over Ballinacourty set Naomh Brid up for a County Final meeting with De La Salle.

In the opening half, Naomh Brid were totally in goal Gavin Dalton from a Penalty and James Walsh hit goals for Naomh Brid in the opening twenty five minutes which helped their side to a 2-4 to 0-1 lead at the break, but in the second half it was the city side that were on top hitting two goals against Naomh Brid’s solidary point. However, the display served up by Naomh Brid was good enough for them to hold out for a richly deserved 2-5 to 2-1 victory.

Naomh Brid’s County Final winning Panel: Ben Dunford, Kevin Curran, Adam Dunford, Jack Cullinan, Reece Stringer, Killian McCarthy, Killian Tobin, Gavin Dalton, Dan Booth, Michael Horgan, Sam Murphy Nix, James Walsh, Anthony Reddy, Matthew Hickey, Cian Geary, William Weiss, Michael Walsh, Evan McKenna, Jack Fraher, Aaron Foley, Jack Hickey, Tadhg Walsh.

The Naomh Brid Juvenile Club was formed on Monday 20 January 1986.

For a number of years previous to this, both the Sliabh gCua/St. Mary’s G.A.A. Club and the Modeligo G.A.A. Club on their own were finding it increasingly difficult to field juvenile teams, so the obvious thing to do was for both clubs to come together, join what resources they had and form a new club, especially as the two clubs were assisting each other for a year or two before the formation of the new club.

At its first A.G.M. John Dalton was elected Chairman, David Fitzgerald was elected Secretary, Tommy Kenneally (R.I.P.) was elected treasurer and was assisted by Jerry Connors (R.I.P.), the clubs first P.R.O. was Nick O’Donovan and the priests living in Touraneena and Modeligo were made club patrons.

In the early years of the clubs history, the already named officers and those that succeeded them as well as the various selectors with the different teams did tremendous work in both hurling and football. People like Sean Whelan (R.I.P), Ned Ryan, Vince O’Donovan, Joe Coffey, Ned Power, Pat Hearne and Pat Troy amongst others were instrumental in the early success of the club.

In more recent years, a new group of coaches and administrators have got involved and they have continued the good work began by those who came before them.

Since the formation of the Naomh Brid club, despite small numbers to pick from (even if it is from a large area as some rightly point out), the club has been very successful, winning its fair share of divisional titles in both hurling and football.

County Finals over the years have been hard to come bye but in recent times this has been put to right. Naomh Brid has also produced a number of very good players that have played for Waterford in different grades of hurling and football at all levels.

In its first year, Naomh Brid contested an under 16 hurling western final but had to settle for second best. Twelve months on, using the Sliabh gCua name, a Sliabh gCua and Modeligo combination won an under 21 western final but defeat was the team’s lot in the County final suffering against Rathgormack. The years between 1988 and 1992 were very successful years for the Naomh Brid Club.

1988 saw the club win its first ever under 12 hurling championship. 1989 saw the club put together a very good under 16 football team, a team that won a western football title but missed out on the county title.

In hurling the Naomh Brid’s under 16 team qualified for the western final in 1990 but again had to settle for second best. In the same year, Naomh Brid won the minor western football and went on to play a Mount Sion side that included Tony Browne in the final. The city side needed two attempts to defeat Naomh Brid.

A side from Touraneena and Modeligo using the Sliabh gCua name, won the ’B’ under 21 football championship in the west of the county and went on to beat Erin’s Own in the county final at Kill. This was a first county final win for the combined Sliabh gCua/St. Mary’s and Modeligo G.A.A. Clubs since they joined forces in 1986.

In 1991 Naomh Brid, having produced a good under 16-football team in 1989 and a good minor football team in 1990, regrouped and put in a terrific effort during the course of the year to win a western final. The side went on to play Portlaw in Fraher Field. Naomh Brid ran out winners to record a first ever-county final win for the Naomh Brid Club.

In 1992 the club won an under 14 football and under 16 hurling championship but had to settle for second best to their opponents in both County Finals.

In 1994 Naomh Brid won a western minor hurling title but was defeated in the county final at the hands of a strong Passage side at Cappoquin. 1994 saw the club run its first mixed league for the younger children in the area. Both boys and girls from the parishes of Touraneena and Modeligo were invited to Kirwan Park each week to take part in mixed leagues over the course of a few weeks in the summer. These leagues ran for three years and it was no major surprise that the standard of football improved each week.

Between 1994 and 1997 Naomh Brid qualified for four under 12-football titles. It was no coincidence that these mixed leagues played their part in preparing the teams for the championships, which began around the same time the leagues, were being run. In 1994, Naomh Brid qualified to play Dungarvan in the final at Cappoquin but the final was never played.

1995 was a great year for the club. Using mostly the team that qualified for the 1994 final, the under 12-football team reached the ’A’ final against Kilgobnet. This game was played at the Club Grounds in Dungarvan. Naomh Brid came out on top winning 3-3 to 2-1. This was Naomh Brid’s first ever win in an ’A’ grade competition.

The club also had a very good under 16 panel of players in 1995. In hurling and football, the club reached both divisional finals. In hurling Naomh Brid took on St. Mary’s (East) in the county final at the Ballyduff Lower G.A.A. Club Grounds. On the night Naomh Brid were defeated 1-13 to 1-12. Of Naomh Brid’s total of 1-12 on the night, Pat Fitzgerald who later went on to play senior hurling for the county hit 1-10.

In football, St. Mollerans provided the opposition for Naomh Brid at Fraher field but like in the hurling, Naomh Brid had to settle for second best.

In 1996, Naomh Brid qualified for a third successive under 12 final. Just like twelve months previously, Kilgobnet were to provide the opposition and again, Naomh Brid came out on top in this game.

In 1997 for the fourth successive year, Naomh Brid qualified for a western under 12-football final. This time, Cappoquin again was the venue for the final and St. Oliver’s provided the opposition. Naomh Brid ran out victors in this game.

The under 16 hurling team were also reach a western final which doubled up as a county final as in the east of the county at the time they did not play ’C’ grade competitions in hurling. Ballyduff provided the opposition for Naomh Brid in the final and they needed two attempts to overcome Naomh Brid.

Naomh Brid and Stradbally renewed rivalry at under 16 level in 1998 when the two sides clashed in a western final football final at Lemybrien. Naomh Brid were to win by a narrow margin but were to be outclassed in the county final by St. Mary’s. The clubs under 16 hurling team also reached a western final but had to play second best to An Gaeltacht.

The club over the next few years was to go through a few lean years. A number of players for different reasons decided to give up playing hurling and football and a number of people who were administrators or selectors with the club for a number of years decided also to call it a day. A number of new people had to be found to get involved in the club, and it took these people a few years to get their ideas and visions for the club in place. The club struggled for a few years to field teams particularly at under 16, minor and under 21 levels.

However it was not all doom and gloom, as the club contested both an under 14 and 16 hurling county final against Clashmore in 1999 and 2000 and a western under 12 hurling final in 2000 but had to settle for second best on each occasions.

An under 16 hurling championship in the west of the county was won in 2001, when Naomh Brid beat An Gaeltacht at Bushy Park. In 2002, Naomh Brid won an under 11 ground hurling western final but were beaten by Passage in the county final.

At this time, the Kilgobnet/Colligan Minor Club having changed its name from St. Patrick’s in the mid-1990s were also having trouble in fielding juvenile teams as were Naomh Brid. The logic thing for both sides was to sit down and talk to each other about putting joining up and entering teams together into the various underage competitions fielding players as close to the upper age limit as is possible on each team.

For the 2003 championships it was agreed that Naomh Brid would assist Kilgobnet/Colligan in hurling and be known as St. Patrick’s and in football Naomh Brid would be assisted by Kilgobnet/Colligan and that for 2004 competitions the name of Naomh Brid would be used in hurling competitions and St. Patrick’s in football.

Over the last few years, Naomh Brid and St. Patrick’s assisting each other has worked well with the clubs winning at least one county final each year.

In 2003, St. Patrick’s reached a western division three under 14 hurling final but were beaten by Ballyduff in Lismore. A few weeks later the same two sides met in the county division four hurling final at Cappoquin. This time it was St. Patrick’s who came out on top with Eanna Power playing a blinder for St. Patrick’s in goal on the night. Naomh Brid won a western under 12-football title during 2003, defeating The Nire in the final at Cappoquin, and in hurling St. Patrick’s were defeated in a Western Final against Clashmore after a replay at Bushy Park.

In 2004, St. Patrick’s reached an under 14 western final against Kilrossanty but had to settle for second best. In the same year, Naomh Brid put in a terrific effort to defeat St. Oliver’s in an under 12 hurling western final. In 2004 county finals played at under 12 level for the first time. After defeating St. Oliver’s, Naomh Brid took on Passage in the County Final. The game ended in a draw and after the replay, Naomh Brid came out on top. This was a first ever hurling county final win for Naomh Brid and a first juvenile County Final win for Naomh Brid. (Juvenile in G.A.A. terms in Waterford is 16 and under).

2005 saw Naomh Brid reach an under 12 western final against St. Oliver’s. The game ended in a draw. The replay took place at a few days later. It looked as if the game was heading to extra time until Conor Skehan popped up to score 1-1 in the last few minutes of the game to snatch victory for Naomh Brid.

Ferrybank provided the opposition for Naomh Brid in the county final. Ferrybank were expected to provide stiff opposition for Naomh Brid in this game. On the day, Naomh Brid were brilliant.

From the off every one of the Naomh Brid players gave it his all. Everything that Ferrybank threw at the Naomh Brid team they were able to cope with. Even when reduced to fourteen players early in the second half did not deter the Naomh Brid players. Every one of the other players dug even deeper. In the end, Naomh Brid ran out deserved winners.

In 2006 St. Patrick’s defeated Kilrossanty to win the Western Final at under 16 level in football. They went on to take on Ferrybank in the County Final. In a low scoring game, St. Patrick’s ran out winners. Naomh Brid were defeated by Fourmilewater in a brilliant county under 16 hurling final. In under 11, Naomh Brid defeated An Gaeltacht to win a ground hurling western final but had to play second best to St. Saviours.

In under 14 hurling, Naomh Brid played Cois Bhride in a division two western final at Cappoquin. Cois Bride had a very good team and ran out winners. Naomh Brid also reached the semi finals of the county championships. In both under 12 and 14 football St. Patrick’s were defeated at the semi final stages in both competitions. At minor level both Naomh Brid and St. Patrick’s competed in both the hurling and football championships.

Over the past few years the Naomh Brid and Saint Patrick’s combination have pulled off some good results including winning under 14 and 16 hurling finals in recent years and in 2012, expectations were high that Naomh Brid would do well in the Minor ‘A’ Hurling Championship, and they did, but key players missing a number of games meant that the side did not reach the heights that some were expecting.

A lot has been achieved in the years since the Naomh Brid club was formed in January 1986. In the next few years, with hard work, determination and co-operation from everyone, a great deal more success will follow in the next few years.

Seeing young players from a rural area compete and taste success at the highest level is grade to see. The past ten years have seen players from the area reach levels that may not have been able to had the two small Juvenile clubs stayed on their own and play in the lower grades as they were pre 2003.

However, using two names rotating each year between hurling and football can lead to a little bit of confusion. Maybe, now is the time for one name and one colour shirt. It happens in other areas where clubs have been forced to join, so why not here.