Monday next, 15 December will be a special day in the history of the Clonea GAA Club when the President of the GAA, Jarlath Burns launches its club history entitled The History of Clonea GAA 1886-2025.

The 500-page book with over 300 photographs documents the history of the GAA in the parish that is so strongly identified with hurling. It is the most comprehensive published history of any Waterford sports club. 

Hurling had disappeared in Waterford at the time of the formation of the GAA in 1884 and the story in Clonea begins in November 1886 with the formation of a football club that later joined forces with Rathgormack to form the Clodiagh Campaigners, a club that contested the Waterford Senior football title in 1889. 

The Clonea Hurling Club was founded in 1902 and was instrumental in developing hurling in the county in the first decade of the new century. Senior titles were won  in 1902, 1903, 1905 and 1907 and the club entered two teams every year in the championship between 1902 and 1910. The important role played by the Kirwan family from Kilcanavee in the development of hurling at this time is documented. The early chapters of the book are to a large extent a history of hurling in Waterford in the early 1900s.

Clonea won Junior hurling titles in 1929 and 1939 but found the step up too Senior too much of a challenge. However, the commitment to hurling never wavered. The 1940s brought new challenges and in 1942 a team from the parish, Erin’s Hope won the Junior title; the Clonea club was threatened with expulsion in 1944 after the response to the penalties imposed after an over enthusiastic match with St Molleran’s. These stories are covered in detail in the book.  

The years between 1947 and 1953 were great years for the club; the 1952 Senior title was captured for the fifth and last time and the club was unlucky to  lose to Erin’s Own after a replay in 1947. Clonea players played a significant role in Waterford’s 1948 All-Ireland title victory with John Cusack starring at full-back after making his championship debut in the Munster final, Billy Galvin was ever present in the campaign and Jimmy Galvin was a panelist. Davy Shanahan was a selector; Paddy Joe O’Sullivan filled a similar role when Waterford won the All-Ireland title in 1959. 

The period from 1954-1969 were lean years for the club; the 1960s were especially challenging as the club struggled to field a team at times. The turning point came in 1970 when the Junior title was won for the third time. Since then Clonea have competed at Intermediate and Senior level without revisiting the Junior ranks.

All aspects of the club are explored in the book’s 35 chapters including  underage developments, the winning of a Junior football title in 1987;  the development of Páirc Cluain Fhiadh; the connection with the  John Mitchel’s Club; the challenges presented by competing in the Intermediate and Senior grades since 1970, and the more recent strong positive connections with the Rathgormack football club. A chapter is also devoted to those who played hurling with Clonea and went on to achieve greatness in other sports – uniquely three men who won championship medals with Clonea later represented the Republic of Ireland in soccer at full international level. The modern day history of the Clonea Camogie Club is also explored in words and pictures concluding with the recent county Intermediate final loss to Lismore. 

Members of various Power families have been associated with the Clonea Club since the beginning (appropriately for an area known as Clonea Power) and the book concludes with an attempt to unravel the  identify of these families in the final chapter entitled Where Are All the Powers From?.

The book was researched and written by the former Clonea player and John Mitchel’s and Waterford footballer Tom Hunt and is published in association with Hero Books, the company of former Meath All-Ireland winner, Liam Hayes.   The launch will take place on Monday next (15 January) at 7.00pm in the Clonea Parish Hall with the President of the GAA, Jarlath Burns, the guest of honour.      

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