100 years a ‘Going! - By Honourable Member

Noel O'Connor 

Camogie in Newcastle West is almost 100 years old and hopefully sometime in 2023 the club will celebrate its 100th birthday with suitable hullabuloo, a cake bedecked with 100 candles, a recall and celebration of a century of Newcastle West Camogie happenings.

It wasn’t always plain sailing and the club died on many occasions. However, every dying was followed by a resurrection , and thus camogie was played in the 30s, 40s, 50s 60s! It was particularly strong in the 1930s, coinciding with the Mick Mackey era, a golden age of Limerick hurling, with local man Danny Flanagan (Killoughteen) a member of that famous Limerick team and no doubt inspiring an interest in the game. There were two clubs in the parish in that era, Killoughteen and Newcastle West, with many of the players eg Nora Kennedy, Biddy O’Donnell , playing county. It was without doubt a special time for camogie in the parish.

The club was strong for a time in the 1960s – when the legendary Pat Condon was at the helm, assisted by Maurice McAuliffe, Stephen O’Donovan and the indomitable Bridie O’Sullivan. After the high of that decade came the low of the 70s and much of the 80s – with no Newcastle West Camogie Club. This was rectified in 1988 when local women Patsy Curtin and Anna Brouder revived the club. It has been going strong ever since and starting with Mike Nash and Marian O’Sullivans u14s of 1997, has won every county title(except u21 which is now discontinued) at least once, climaxing in a first Co. Senior Championship Title in 2019.
For the progress made since 1923 full credit to all involved -players, mentors, sponsors, supporters, parents, the Newcastle West GAA Club who make their excellent facilities most generously available, and other clubs within and outside the parish who have facilitated training and games.

Today the club is vibrant, hardworking, committed, dedicated, conscious of the challenges facing it. Long may it continue to be so. If the club were to have a mission statement it might include the following:

1. Keep the game alive in the parish so that those who wish to play it have an opportunity to do so.
2. Strive to improve standards
3. Give players and all involved enjoyment, satisfaction, fulfilment, joy!
4. Win as many county and All-Ireland titles as possible!!!!!!

Onwards and upwards Newcastle West Camogie Club.