Best Club Rivalries in the GAA

[Uladh]

Most parishoners on the sounthern side of the border would consider themselves pats or roche players

[Uladh]

I'd say roche would have a better chance pedro!

[corn02]

Agree about not arguing on a message board about in-house problems or non problems in my eyes, but have to ask, what club does not have parents running the young underage teams?

[davereilly]

Well in Westmeath the two biggest would probably be Athlone v Garrycastle and Mullingar Shamrocks v The Downs in football, Lough Lene Gaels v Castlepollard in hurling.

Until the early 80's Athlone was the only club in the town until a fight over holiday money led to the formation of Garrycastle and a long drawn out court case.  Alot of the current Garrycastle team would be sons of those who led the breakaway.  Back in 2000 Des Dolan temporarily left the county panel after the on field treatment he got off Athlone defender Ollie Keating who was a Westmeath selector at the time.  Last year Garrycastle won their first ever championship game against Athlone.

The Downs - Shamrocks rivalry was also born in the 80's.  The Downs along with Athlone were the kingpins of Westmeath and in 86 Shamrocks finally beat them, starting a winning run which lasted till 2003.  In that game there was a massive sideline brawl, instigated by the Downs manager who has since led Shamrocks to two u-21 titles.  Earlier this year members of both teams brawled outside a Mullingar niteclub and Shamrocks won a championship encounter last month. To add spice, there were two sets of brothers in opposition and whats even more bizzare, one of the Shamrocks players father has a child with one of The Downs players wife.    No love lost there.

The Gaels and 'Pollard played in about 7/8 county finals against each other in recent years and generally hammer the crap out of each other.  Both teams are backboned by a group of brothers, and of course the brothers playing for Pollard are first cousins of those playing for the The Gaels. Lovely stuff.

I often heard of the rivalry here from Jim Moore he played for The Downs in the 80's winning championships while his brother Ned was playing for Shamrocks - is this correct? Jim then moved to London and started a successflul business and got involved in the Tara club and got Martin Murtagh and Darragh Deering over to play when he became Chairman, Murtagh is now Manager of Tara. Jim reckoned he would be ran out of the Downs at the time - although his financial clout was the only thing that saved him!!

In Westmeath would it not be Mullingar Shamrocks vs. St. Loman's in football? And maybe The Downs and Shandonagh?
Hurling what about Plunkets vs. Cullion, or Ringtown vs. Clonkill?


Meath Hurling:
Rathmolyon vs. Na Fianna (big time parish rivals)
Trim vs. Boardsmill (same parish)
Kildalkey vs. Killyon (Many Killyon players from Kildalkey parish)
Kiltale vs. Kilmessan (neighbouring parishes, played in 2007 final)

Meath Football: (South Meath)
Trim vs. Boardsmill
Dunboyne vs. Donaghmore/Ashbourne
Ballivor vs. Kildalkey (same parish)
Moynalvey vs. Summerhill (neighbouring parishes)
Summerhill vs. Na Fianna (neighbouring parishes)
Moynalvey vs. Dunsany (same parishes of Kiltale vs. Kilmessan respectively)
Na Fianna vs. Everyone

[milltown row]

Naomh Gall and Cargin have been bitter rivals for a few years up here in Antrim, not much between us but all the games between us are usually very heated affairs. be it div 1, 3, or 4.

[shark]

In Westmeath would it not be Mullingar Shamrocks vs. St. Loman's in football? And maybe The Downs and Shandonagh?
Hurling what about Plunkets vs. Cullion, or Ringtown vs. Clonkill?

This thread seems to get revived every few months!

To answer your questions,
The Downs and Shandonagh never meet since Shandonagh have never been senior and The Downs have never not been.
Cullion and Plunketts had a rivalry when Plunketts were intermediate but that wont happen again and Cullion are presently the weakest team in the county.
Ringtown would consider Castlepollard their rivals, and everyone hates Clonkill (mostly due to success, All-Ireland champs in February).
Shamrocks and Lomans is a funny one, a serious rivalry underage but at senior level Lomans havent stepped up to the plate (Shamrocks beat them out the gate in last years championship).

[screenexile]

Derry's biggest rivalry comes head to head this Friday night at Ballinascreen... Bellaghy v Ballinderry. I fancy the Shamoroks to win this one though comfortably enough!

[davereilly]

This thread seems to get revived every few months!

To answer your questions,
and everyone hates Clonkill (mostly due to success, All-Ireland champs in February).
[/quote]

Oh you don't need to tell me that everyone hates Clonkill, I happen to come from Kiltale (Meath SHC Champions) who were hammered by Clonkill in the Leinster IHC, and go to school in Mullingar with loads of Clonkill heads, everyone there hates them

[Oakleafer93]

i remember a few years a go there was a fierce rivialrary between balinderry and glack. in one such occasion, glack were up by 5 points and balinderry got rattled and started a fite and the game was abandoned. enda muldoon got roasted that day by ur man micheal form glack. then they went for a pint after the game.

Ballinderry must have a habit of that, they started a big riot in Lavey one day, barrackaded the changing rooms so Lavey couldn't get out.

[Farrandeelin]

This will be relevant in the summer as Crossmolina, Ballina and ourselves (Knockmore) are in the same group of the first round of the Mayo championship!

[DoYerJob Linesman]

Ballinderry must have a habit of that, they started a big riot in Lavey one day, barrackaded the changing rooms so Lavey couldn't get out.

Check yer facts there lady.

[Oakleafer93]

Ballinderry must have a habit of that, they started a big riot in Lavey one day, barrackaded the changing rooms so Lavey couldn't get out.

Check yer facts there lady.

Why what ahave I gotten wrong?

[aroundincircles]

Clonoe and coalisland in tyrone big rivalry which can get bitter especially when clonoe the smaller club won senior and reserve championship last year beating coalisland in final after being 10-1 down with 20 minutes to go. No doubt Coalisland will try and change that ,interesting fact massive Big club like coalisland have never i repeat never beat clonoe in the champioship. Not bad for the small club living in the shadow of the townies and big club  coalisland.

[Hoopeddefender]

Was a man not beaten to death a number once in a game between Moortown and Ardboe?

[screenexile]

Ballinderry must have a habit of that, they started a big riot in Lavey one day, barrackaded the changing rooms so Lavey couldn't get out.

Check yer facts there lady.

Why what ahave I gotten wrong?

It actually happened in Ballinderry (And I'm guessing DYJL will say Lavey started it also... I wasn't there so I dunno).