League to honour soccer heritage at Derdimus

Sunday will be a red-letter day for local soccer as the Kilkenny & District League unveil two plaques remembering their proud history.

The heritage plaques at the league’s headquarters in Derdimus will feature memorable occasions dating back to the foundation of Kilkenny AFC in 1893. The subsequent foundation dates of 1910 when Kilkenny Celtic was formed and the first Kilkenny AFC League in 1911 to the first Irish Free State League in 1926. Also recorded is the 1948 League when soccer was reorganised after World War II.

The second plaque honours the achievements of various Kilkenny teams. The League went on to win five national FAI Oscar Traynor Cup titles in 1976, 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2002. They won the FAI Youths’ interleague in 1984 and 2011. Emfa won the League of Ireland Shield in 1987 and the LOI First Division title in 1997. Evergreen Ladies won the Ladies FAI Women’s Cup final back to back in 1973 and 1974.

The plaques also recognise some other considerable milestones in the history of soccer in Kilkenny such as the purchase of its grounds at Derdimus in 1979, the opening of Derdimus Park in 1983 and the all weather astro-turf pitch in 2016. The rebranding of Emfa in the League of Ireland as Kilkenny City in 1989 is also recorded.

The League also commemorates and remembers all of the great players, administrators and referees who battled on through very difficult times for soccer in Ireland and who have served Kilkenny soccer so well for over 130 years. It was neither popular or welcome for the first 70 years of its existence. The lifting of the GAA Ban on ‘foreign games’ in 1969 was a serious game changer in terms of the growth and popularity of the game in rural Ireland.

Guests of honour will be the ‘older statesmen’ of Kilkenny soccer Joe Doyle, Tom Hogan and Ber Scott as well as many of the players who represented the K&DL and its member clubs over the past 75 years or so.