Na Piarsaigh to mark 40th Anniversary of club’s formation

2022 marked 40 years since the formation of Na Piarsaigh GFC and to honour this memorable moment, the club are set to hold an Anniversary Dinner Dance this Saturday night (February 18th) in the Fairways Hotel, Dundalk.

The team was founded on 27th November 1982 as a Gaelic football club for the rapidly growing Holy Family Parish area. 

Fr Vincent Duffy was the driving force behind the formation of the club and their grounds, situated on the Blackrock Road. It is officially named Pairc an tAthair Ui Dubhaigh in honour of him.

Their first game was a challenge match against Stabannon Parnells played on the 30th of January 1983. The purchase of land and a house called “Cox’s” on the Blackrock Road, which is now the club grounds, was approved at an EGM of the club held in Bay Estate School on May 6th 1984.

Na Piarsaigh’s first major championship success arrived in 1993, with an against the odds Junior Championship victory over Glyde Rangers, 2-6 to 0-10 in Haggardstown. It has now been 30 years since that breakthrough win and this winning team will be honoured on the night.

The club progressed from strength to strength over the years and added another Junior Championship in 2002 following a 0-13 to 1-8 victory over town rivals Dowdallshill.

Barry Magill acted as captain for the team, and he was joined by Gerry Stewart, Kenny Sullivan, Paul Smith and Eugene Burns as surviving members of the 1993 Junior Championship win.

Another club which was formed in the area was Blackrock Camogie and Hurling Club, a side which was also setup and established from scratch, largely to provide access to kids in the immediate area to play the games. And vitally, to do it with their friends, while representing their community.

As two clubs with common histories, Na Piarsaigh CPG and Blackrock formed an alliance in recent years, culminating in the two clubs merging to form Na Piarsaigh-Blackrock CLG in January 2022.

The 40th Anniversary Dinner Dance will be the first formal social event for the club since this merger and will be a great opportunity for club members, be they long-standing or new to the scene, to celebrate the club’s history and look forward to future successes both on and off the field.

Alongside the food and music that will be on offer, there will also be a raffle on the night with some huge prizes up for grabs.

They include a 43” Sony Android Smart TV alongside a wall bracket, valued at €799, and a Dublin jersey signed by the panel that won five All Irelands in a row back in 2019.

If you are interested in attending, the final call for tickets is today, February 15th. To reserve your place please contact Joe Woods (0851707514), Michael Woods (0876231264), David Boyle (0860243218) or Des McCann (0877954207) to sort out payment and collection.