Club History
Rathgarogue Art McMurroughs was founded in 1902, and success came quickly. They won the Junior Hurling Championship in 1903 and were successful in the Senior Hurling championship in 1905 and 1912 (there was no Intermediate championship at the time). The Rathgarogue Art McMurroughs went out of existence in 1914-1915 and a team from the Rathgarogue area did not take the field again until 1950.
The GAA in the Cushinstown/Terrerath side of the parish was some time later getting off the ground. Teams took the field from Cassagh and there was a team from Camblin, but the first records of a team from Cushinstown being affiliated to the GAA was in 1925 when they played in the New Ross District Football Championship. The following panel played on the day: Pat Whelan (capt), Martin Byrne, Davy Byrne, Martin Quigley, Martin Cosgrave, Mickey Byrne, Robert Bennett, Patrick Bennett, Paddy Monahan, John Summers, Marks Cooney, John Morrissey, John Coleman, John Kennedy, Lar Kennedy, Joe Kennedy, Tom Kennedy, Bill Byrne (goal keeper), Stephen Kelly, Jimmy Doran, Michael Rice and Michael Murphy. The chairman and selector was Mickey Kelly, Ballinaboola.
The whole parish was united and played together from then until 1950 when Rathgarogue re-formed. There were two teams in the parish until 1964. Titles were lost during that sporting civil war - men from Rathgarogue played for Cushinstown and vice versa, with even members of the same family lining out in opposition to each other on occasion. In 1962 the half parishes met in the District Junior Hurling Final, with Cushinstown coming out on top after a hard encounter, however they lost in the County Semi-Final. A united team would surely have won the County Title that year. After many years of disunity both clubs merged, and Rathgarogue-Cushinstown became one club. This is the beginning of the club we have now.
The newly merged forces of Rathgarogue-Cushinstown played many a stirring battle with great rivals and near neighbours Adamstown. Rathgarogue-Cushinstown and Adamstown met regularly in the District Junior Hurling Finals and the annual clash of the teams was the highlight of the year for both parishes, with O'Kennedy Park, New Ross always packed to capacity. On four occasions in those 1960's finals against Adamstown, teams from the parish came out on top. However Our Lady's Island, Shelmaliers and Blackwater put paid to their hopes at the County Semi-Final stage, and the Hollow Rangers (now Marshalstown-Castledockrell) denied them in their one County Final appearance.
The club had to wait until 1977 for their next County Final appearance when Glynn-Barntown beat them in Junior Hurling decider. However the club had the makings of a great team and success wasn't long postponed and the signs were there that Rathgarouge-Cushinstown were ready to assume the mantle as the District's hurling flag-bearers. The breakthrough came in the 1979 when they beat Clonee in the County Junior Hurling Final. This win might have been expected, but what wasn't expected was the upsurge in the club's football fortunes as there was little or no tradition of the big ball game in the parish prior to this.
The Junior Footballers won the County Title in 1980, and the following year they contested both the Intermediate Football and Hurling Finals. The hurlers lost to neighbours Rathnure, but the footballers beat Naomh Eanna to to capture the title and go into the Senior Football ranks for the first time ever.
In 1985, the Junior B Hurlers won the county title, and in 1990 the Junior B footballers were champions.
1991 was a particularly special and joyous year for the club as both the Intermediate Hurlers and Footballers won the county title. The footballers beat Fethard by one point in their final while the hurlers disposed of Marshalstown after a pulsating replay to win a history-making double.
The GAA in the Cushinstown/Terrerath side of the parish was some time later getting off the ground. Teams took the field from Cassagh and there was a team from Camblin, but the first records of a team from Cushinstown being affiliated to the GAA was in 1925 when they played in the New Ross District Football Championship. The following panel played on the day: Pat Whelan (capt), Martin Byrne, Davy Byrne, Martin Quigley, Martin Cosgrave, Mickey Byrne, Robert Bennett, Patrick Bennett, Paddy Monahan, John Summers, Marks Cooney, John Morrissey, John Coleman, John Kennedy, Lar Kennedy, Joe Kennedy, Tom Kennedy, Bill Byrne (goal keeper), Stephen Kelly, Jimmy Doran, Michael Rice and Michael Murphy. The chairman and selector was Mickey Kelly, Ballinaboola.
The whole parish was united and played together from then until 1950 when Rathgarogue re-formed. There were two teams in the parish until 1964. Titles were lost during that sporting civil war - men from Rathgarogue played for Cushinstown and vice versa, with even members of the same family lining out in opposition to each other on occasion. In 1962 the half parishes met in the District Junior Hurling Final, with Cushinstown coming out on top after a hard encounter, however they lost in the County Semi-Final. A united team would surely have won the County Title that year. After many years of disunity both clubs merged, and Rathgarogue-Cushinstown became one club. This is the beginning of the club we have now.
The newly merged forces of Rathgarogue-Cushinstown played many a stirring battle with great rivals and near neighbours Adamstown. Rathgarogue-Cushinstown and Adamstown met regularly in the District Junior Hurling Finals and the annual clash of the teams was the highlight of the year for both parishes, with O'Kennedy Park, New Ross always packed to capacity. On four occasions in those 1960's finals against Adamstown, teams from the parish came out on top. However Our Lady's Island, Shelmaliers and Blackwater put paid to their hopes at the County Semi-Final stage, and the Hollow Rangers (now Marshalstown-Castledockrell) denied them in their one County Final appearance.
The club had to wait until 1977 for their next County Final appearance when Glynn-Barntown beat them in Junior Hurling decider. However the club had the makings of a great team and success wasn't long postponed and the signs were there that Rathgarouge-Cushinstown were ready to assume the mantle as the District's hurling flag-bearers. The breakthrough came in the 1979 when they beat Clonee in the County Junior Hurling Final. This win might have been expected, but what wasn't expected was the upsurge in the club's football fortunes as there was little or no tradition of the big ball game in the parish prior to this.
The Junior Footballers won the County Title in 1980, and the following year they contested both the Intermediate Football and Hurling Finals. The hurlers lost to neighbours Rathnure, but the footballers beat Naomh Eanna to to capture the title and go into the Senior Football ranks for the first time ever.
In 1985, the Junior B Hurlers won the county title, and in 1990 the Junior B footballers were champions.
1991 was a particularly special and joyous year for the club as both the Intermediate Hurlers and Footballers won the county title. The footballers beat Fethard by one point in their final while the hurlers disposed of Marshalstown after a pulsating replay to win a history-making double.
History of Fr. John Grennan GAA Park
After decades of playing hurling and football in fields kindly given by the farmers who were involved in, or sympathetic towards, the GAA, the club took the decision to purchase their own pitches in the late 1970s , and a sub committee was appointed to search for a suitable field.
It wasn't until 1984 that former club chairman Jack Sutton agreed to sell the field where the pitches are now located to the club. The development of the pitch was carried out by the Kehoe Brothers Boley in 1985. In 1986 the grass was sown and the first training session to take place on the new pitch was on Tuesday, 22nd September, 1987.
Work on the club house started in 1994 and were finished in 1995. The first A.G.M. was held in the meeting room in January 1996. Fr. John Grennan Memorial Park was officially opened in 1999 by Liam Griffin and Wexford played Waterford in a Senior Hurling challenge match on the day to acknowledge the significance of the day.
Fund raising has been going on since land for the new pitches was purchased in 1984. The first major fund raiser was a house to house collection throughout the parish. It was later decided to hold a Mayoral Election and three candidates were chosen, Martin O'Dwyer, Ballywilliam, Paddy Bennett, Terrerath and Wally O'Brien, Cushinstown. The three candidates put in a tremendous amount of work in the lead up to the election night and it was Cushinstown's Wally O'Brien who received the mayoral chain, and the funds raised were more than expected. Money from the National Lottery was acquired in 1992 and the next big fundraiser was a £10 draw for £10,000. Grants were received from the Leinster and Central Council for the purchase of the field and from the Leinster Council for the building of the Club House.
Today funds for the day to day running of the club are raised from the running of the fornightly club lotto and through the selling of the Model County Draw tickets.
It wasn't until 1984 that former club chairman Jack Sutton agreed to sell the field where the pitches are now located to the club. The development of the pitch was carried out by the Kehoe Brothers Boley in 1985. In 1986 the grass was sown and the first training session to take place on the new pitch was on Tuesday, 22nd September, 1987.
Work on the club house started in 1994 and were finished in 1995. The first A.G.M. was held in the meeting room in January 1996. Fr. John Grennan Memorial Park was officially opened in 1999 by Liam Griffin and Wexford played Waterford in a Senior Hurling challenge match on the day to acknowledge the significance of the day.
Fund raising has been going on since land for the new pitches was purchased in 1984. The first major fund raiser was a house to house collection throughout the parish. It was later decided to hold a Mayoral Election and three candidates were chosen, Martin O'Dwyer, Ballywilliam, Paddy Bennett, Terrerath and Wally O'Brien, Cushinstown. The three candidates put in a tremendous amount of work in the lead up to the election night and it was Cushinstown's Wally O'Brien who received the mayoral chain, and the funds raised were more than expected. Money from the National Lottery was acquired in 1992 and the next big fundraiser was a £10 draw for £10,000. Grants were received from the Leinster and Central Council for the purchase of the field and from the Leinster Council for the building of the Club House.
Today funds for the day to day running of the club are raised from the running of the fornightly club lotto and through the selling of the Model County Draw tickets.
Roll of Honour
Club Chairmen
1925- early 1930's Mickey Kelly (Cushinstown)
1930's-1955 Jamsie Kinsella (Cushinstown)
1950-1964 Fr. John Byrne & Aidan Somers (Rathgarogue)
1956 Davy O'Connor (Cushinstown)
1957- 1964 Jamsie Kinsella (Cushinstown)
1965-1971 Jamsie Kinsella (Rathgarogue/Cushinstown)
1972-1974 John Bolger (Rathgarogue/ Cushinstown)
1975-1977 Michael Murphy (Rathgarogue/Cushinstown)
1978 Jack Murphy (Rathgarogue/Cushinstown)
1979-1984 John Bolger (Rathgarogue/Cushinstown)
1985-1987 Fr. John Grennan (Rathgarogue/Cushinstown)
1988-1990 Norman Farragher (Rathgarogue/Cushinstown)
1991-1994 Walter O'Brien (Rathgarogue/Cushinstown)
1995-1998 Noel Dunne (Rathgarogue/Cushinstown)
1999 Paddy Bennett (Rathgarogue/Cushinstown)
2000-2006 Robbie O'Connor
2007-Present John Bourke
Adult Club Roll of Honour
1902 County Junior Hurling Champions
1903 County Senior Hurling Champions
1912 County Senior Hurling Champions
1979 County Junior Hurling Champions
1980 County Junior Football Champions
1981 County Intermediate Football Champions
1985 County Junior "B" Hurling Champions
1990 County Junior "B" Football Champions
1991 County Intermediate Hurling Champions
1991 County Intermediate Football Champions
2006 County Intermediate Hurling Champions
Underage Roll of Honour
1978 County U-16 Hurling Champions (with Rathnure)
1978 County U-16 Football Champions (with Rathnure)
1979 County U-14 Football Champions (with Rathnure)
1980 County U-18 Hurling Champions (with Rathnure)
1993 County U-21 Hurling Champions (with Rathnure)
1989 County U-16 Hurling Champions
1991 County U-12 Hurling Champions
1991 County U-18 Football Champions
1994 County U-16 Football Champions
1997 County U-18 Hurling Champions
2006 County U-16 Hurling Champions
1925- early 1930's Mickey Kelly (Cushinstown)
1930's-1955 Jamsie Kinsella (Cushinstown)
1950-1964 Fr. John Byrne & Aidan Somers (Rathgarogue)
1956 Davy O'Connor (Cushinstown)
1957- 1964 Jamsie Kinsella (Cushinstown)
1965-1971 Jamsie Kinsella (Rathgarogue/Cushinstown)
1972-1974 John Bolger (Rathgarogue/ Cushinstown)
1975-1977 Michael Murphy (Rathgarogue/Cushinstown)
1978 Jack Murphy (Rathgarogue/Cushinstown)
1979-1984 John Bolger (Rathgarogue/Cushinstown)
1985-1987 Fr. John Grennan (Rathgarogue/Cushinstown)
1988-1990 Norman Farragher (Rathgarogue/Cushinstown)
1991-1994 Walter O'Brien (Rathgarogue/Cushinstown)
1995-1998 Noel Dunne (Rathgarogue/Cushinstown)
1999 Paddy Bennett (Rathgarogue/Cushinstown)
2000-2006 Robbie O'Connor
2007-Present John Bourke
Adult Club Roll of Honour
1902 County Junior Hurling Champions
1903 County Senior Hurling Champions
1912 County Senior Hurling Champions
1979 County Junior Hurling Champions
1980 County Junior Football Champions
1981 County Intermediate Football Champions
1985 County Junior "B" Hurling Champions
1990 County Junior "B" Football Champions
1991 County Intermediate Hurling Champions
1991 County Intermediate Football Champions
2006 County Intermediate Hurling Champions
Underage Roll of Honour
1978 County U-16 Hurling Champions (with Rathnure)
1978 County U-16 Football Champions (with Rathnure)
1979 County U-14 Football Champions (with Rathnure)
1980 County U-18 Hurling Champions (with Rathnure)
1993 County U-21 Hurling Champions (with Rathnure)
1989 County U-16 Hurling Champions
1991 County U-12 Hurling Champions
1991 County U-18 Football Champions
1994 County U-16 Football Champions
1997 County U-18 Hurling Champions
2006 County U-16 Hurling Champions
