Pádraig Pearse's GAC Kilrea ( ga, CLG Pádraig Mhic Piarais Cill Ria) is a

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...

club based in

Kilrea Kilrea ( , ) is a village, townland and civil parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It gets its name from the ancient church that was located near to where the current Church of Ireland is located on Church Street looking over the tow ...

, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the

Derry GAA The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) ( ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Coiste Chontae Dhoire) or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in County Londonderry ...

and currently caters for both

Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...

and

Camogie Camogie ( ; ga, camógaíocht ) is an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women. Camogie is played by 100,000 women in Ireland and worldwide, largely among Irish communities. A variant of the game of hurling (which is played by men onl ...

. The club is named after Irish patriot

Pádraig Pearse Patrick Henry Pearse (also known as Pádraig or Pádraic Pearse; ga, Pádraig Anraí Mac Piarais; 10 November 1879 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, nationalist, republican political activist and revolutionary who w ...

. Underage teams up to U-12s play in South Derry league and championships, from U-14 upwards teams compete in All-Derry competitions.

2019 Championship Football

2018 Championship Football

2017 Championship Football

History

The first Kilrea Gaelic football club was established on 15 November 1943. The club was named O'Cahan's Kilrea and played in blue and gold jerseys. Many of the inaugural Minor team of 1946 went on to help Kilrea win the Junior Championship in 1951. In the early 1950s the club changed its name to the Kevin Barry's, named after the patriot

Kevin Barry Kevin Gerard Barry (20 January 1902 – 1 November 1920) was an Irish Republican Army (IRA) soldier who was executed by the British Government during the Irish War of Independence. He was sentenced to death for his part in an attack upon a Bri ...

and played in black and amber colours. Its nickname was "the B's". Soon after, in 1956, the current club, Pádraig Pearse's GAC Kilrea, was formed, and chose to play in red and white jerseys. The club won Junior League and South Derry Championships before moving to compete in Senior football in 1958. In 1966 the Pearses won the inaugural Under 16 Championship. Part of that team was

Martin O'Neill Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, (born 1 March 1952) is a Northern Irish professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. Starting his career in Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playi ...

, who would later go onto play professional soccer and manage

Glasgow Celtic The Celtic Football Club, commonly known as Celtic (), is a Scottish professional football club based in Glasgow, which plays in the Scottish Premiership. The club was founded in 1887 with the purpose of alleviating poverty in the immigran ...

and

Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...

. Members of this team went on to win the County Minor title in 1970. The club won the 1971

Derry Junior Football Championship The Derry Junior Football Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Premier Electrics Derry Junior Football Championship) is an annual Gaelic football competition contested by lower-tier Derry clubs. The competition receives coverage in ...

and won the Derry Intermediate Championship four years later. History will be made with current squad, a fine mix of youth and experience will guide Kilrea to the JML.

Pearse Park

Work was commenced on Pearse Park in late 1977 and opened two years later. A second training pitch which was completed in 2001. A new club pavilion opened, with a dedicated club gym and four changing rooms, along with an upstairs functional room, in 2004. Pearse Park has remained at the same site on the Drumagarner Road since the club was founded.

Honours

Senior

Derry Intermediate Football Championship The Derry Intermediate Football Championship (currently also known for sponsorship reasons as the ''M&L Contracts Derry Intermediate Football Championship'') is an annual competition between the mid-tier Gaelic football clubs affiliated to Der ...

: 1 **1975 *Division 1 Senior Football League:1 ** 1981 *

: 1 ** 1971 * Derry Senior Reserve Football Championship: 1 ** 2013

Under-21

*Derry Under-21 Football Championship:1 ** 2010

Minor

*Ulster Minor Club Football Championship: 1 **2008 *Derry Minor Football Championship: 4 **1970, 2004, 2007, 2016 *Derry Minor Football League: 2 **2006, 2007, 2016 *South Derry Minor Football Championship: 2 **1970, 1990 *South Derry Minor Football League: 2 **1970, 1990

Under-16

*Derry Under-16 Football Championship: 3 **1966, 1987, 2005, 2015 *South Derry Under-16 Football Championship: 3 **1966, 1987, 2005 *South Derry Under-16 Football League: 2 **1983, 2005

Under-15

*Ulster Óg Sport: 1 **2006 *Derry Óg Sport: 3 **1982, 2006, 2008

Under-14

*Derry Féile na nÓg: 2 **2003, 2011 *Derry Under-14 Football Championship: 3 **2002, 2003, 2012 *South Derry Under-14 Football Championship: 2 **2002, 2003 *South Derry Under-14 Football League: 3 **1981, 2003, 2005 *South Derry Under-14 'B' Football League: 2 **1987, 2011

Camogie

*Senior Derry Intermediate Camogie Championship: 2 **2008,2010 Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.

Notable players

* James Kielt

External links

Kilrea GAC WebsiteKilrea Camogie Club

References

{{Derry clubs Gaelic games clubs in County Londonderry Gaelic football clubs in County Londonderry