Club History
There was a team from the Town called The Magpies who wore Black and White jerseys. These were the colours adopted by the club when it affiliated in 1927. The colours did change to green and subsequently blue but have long since returned to the traditional Black and White.
After 1927 things became more structured when clubs in Beara affiliated with the GAA. The first meeting of The Beara GAA Board took place in The Berehaven Hotel, Castletownbere on the 7th of April 1927. There was four officers elected of which three were from Castletownbere. They were Pat O Neill – Vice Chairman, Mikie Crowley – Secretary and Richard O Sullivan – Treasurer. Two Castletownbere members Dan Downing and Jim O Sullivan were named on the committee. Castletownbere didn’t enter a team in the 1927 Beara championship but in 1928 they competed in their first official Beara Championship when they lost to Garnish in the first round. In 1934 another team from the parish called the Derrymihan Woodbines entered a team in the Beara Championship.
Castletownbere G.A.A. team 1930’s: Front row from left to right: John O’Sullivan, Jim Stack, Donal O’Shea, Tommy Brennan, Ted Lowney, Johnny Sheehan, Donal O’Sullivan. Back – Joe Hanley, Michael O’Brien, Joe Dudley, John O’Brien, Jack Ruth, Danny O’Neill, Arthur Hanley, Con Murphy, Paddy Crowley, Jim FitzGerald, Chris O’Shea, Derry Murphy, Fergus O’Neill and Arthur Merwick.
In 1978 Castletownbere entered the Intermediate ranks and played at this level until 1986 when they won the Cork County Intermediate Championship. Like nine years previously Macroom proved to be a happy hunting ground when captained by Liam O Driscoll and trained by Donal Holland ‘The Town’ beat Kilshannig by 1-8 to 0-7.
The club has also sampled under age success in the county championship wining the County Minor B Title on three separate occasions. In 1996 Michael O Leary captained Castletownbere to win their first Minor Championship defeating Canovee in the final. This was followed a few years later in 2002 when captained by Kieran Hanley we beat Gabriel Rangers to take the title. The feat was repeated the following year when captained by Richard Power we defeated Béal Atha’n Ghaorthaidh in the decider. Philip O Donoghue trained the 1996 team and he was a selector with Jimmy Murphy, Darren Murphy, Peter O Leary and Sean Regan on the 2002 and 2003 teams.
Although strictly not regarded as a championship as it is not played at fifteen a–side the club did win a County Minor 12 a – side competition (Minor C Championship) in 1992. The team captained by Michael Lynch and trained by Deccie Wiseman beat Ballyhooley in the final.
Ladies Football
In 1967 the club won an U-14 hurling championship when they defeated Adrigole in the final which was played in Eyeries. In July of the same year Castletownbere lost to Adrigole in a junior hurling match which was also played in Eyeries. The final score in the game which was eleven a-side was 5-10 to 6-3. Castletownbere lined out as follows: Sean O Sullivan, Canice O Driscoll, John Cronin, Michael Hanley, Paddy E O Sullivan, Mylie O Sullivan(1-0), Barry Cremin(1-2), Denis Hanley, ? O Donovan(1-1), Sean O Sullivan, Pierce Lyne(2-0). Sub: Derry O Sullivan(1-0).
In 1968 Deccie Wiseman, Mick Murphy, Joe O Sullivan, Anthony O Regan and Paddy E O Sullivan played on the Beara team that was beaten by Inniscarra in the first round of the county junior hurling championship. Beara played in the Carbery junior hurling championship in 1969. Castletownbere had a number of players on the team that lost to Dohenys in the first round.
Since the 1960’s there has been work carried out on underage hurling at various stages but at present the club concentrates solely on its football exploits.
Castletownbere Camogie Team
Castletownbere Camogie Team mid 1930’s. Front from right Nora Crowley, Julia Ruth, Maureen O’Donovan, 2nd row left to right Annie O’Shea, Pauline Ruth, Sheila Lynch ?????????, Back ??? Vera Lynch, Eva Lowney, ??Handball