Seir Kieran is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in a parish and electoral division (ED) of the same name in County Offaly in Ireland. The population of Seirkieran is approximately 460. Seir Kieran takes its name from Saint Ciarán of Saighir, who founded the parish as a civitas (a monastic city) in the 5th century. The club's playing facilities are situated in the village of Clareen in County Offaly.James Nowlan: The Alderman and the GAA in his Time, page 20
Seir Kieran caters mainly to players of the games of hurling and camogie. However, the club has also competed in the Offaly football competitions and reached the Offaly Senior Football Semi-final in 1927.The Music of the Ash, page 309 Founded in 1887, for 67 of its 128 years, and continuously since 1970, the club has competed in the Offaly Senior Hurling Championship, winning the Sean Robbins Cup on four occasions. Seir Kieran has also had success at junior, intermediate, and under-age levels, for example, winning the Offaly Junior 'A' Hurling Championship for the seventh time in 2014.
Players from Seir Kieran were on each of the four Offaly teams that have won the Liam MacCarthy Cup, and eleven hurling All Star Awards have been won by five players from Seir Kieran: Eugene Coughlan (1984, 1985); Johnny Dooley (1994, 1995, 2000); Kevin Kinahan (1994, 1995, 1998); Billy Dooley (1994, 1995); and Joe Dooley (1998). Three players from the club have captained the Offaly Senior hurling team: Joe Dooley (1997), Johnny Dooley (2000), and Joe Bergin (2014).
History Foundation and early years (1887 to 1912)
The advent of the GAA club at Clareen in 1887 coincided with the drive to build a new parish church, as the old one (erected in 1795 in the townland of Breaghmore) had become structurally unsound. The first secretary of the club, from 1887 until he emigrated in 1895, was Frank Pilkington of Bell Hill. Pilkington went on to become secretary to the Offaly GAA Club in New York.The Music of the Ash, page 219
In 1907, the Offaly hurling championship was divided into Senior and Junior grades and, in 1912, Seir Kieran beat Roscore (3-0 to 1-1) to win the Offaly Junior final.The Music of the Ash, page 13
During this period, Seir Kieran adopted their black and amber colours (similar to the Kilkenny county colours). In November 1911, John Drennan of Conway Hall, Kells, County Kilkenny donated a set of black and amber jerseys to the Kilkenny County Board, GAA. It is reported that prior to this gesture, he had won a large amount of money on a horse whose jockey wore those colours.Kilkenny: The GAA Story page 322 John Drennan was a brother of Fr. Jeremiah Drennan, parish priest of Seir Kieran from 1904 to 1921. It is possible that Fr. Drennan emulated his brother's gesture by presenting the club with a set of jerseys identical to the Kilkenny ones.Approach The Fountain
1910s to 1930s From 1915 to 1918, Jimmy Corrigan of Clareen served as secretary to the GAA's Offaly County Board. Corrigan played much of his club hurling with the Birr GAA club, as he taught at the workhouse schools in the town.Magic Memories, page 10 He was also secretary to the Birr Sinn Féin Club, and (clandestinely) a lieutenant in the Volunteers. He died aged 27 in October 1918, and Celtic cross-shaped commemorative headstone was erected over his grave in the Seir Kieran New Cemetery.The Music of the Ash, page 18
Seir Kieran reached the 1920 Junior Hurling Final. On account of the War of Independence and the Civil War (when the Clareen Company, 4th Battalion, IRA comprised several Seir Kieran hurlers),Relating to Roscomroe, page 281 this final could not be played off until 13 May 1923, when Clara defeated them (Clara 5-2, Seir Kieran 2-1). In the Junior final for 1923 proper, played at Kilcormac on 18 November, Seir Kieran won their second title with a 4-0 to 1-0 victory over Tullamore.
In 1929, PJ Grogan of Clareen captained Offaly to what was their second Junior All Ireland hurling title. On the club scene, Seir Kieran lost the 1927 Offaly Senior Hurling (South County) final, going down to Drumcullen by 3-3 to 2-4.The Music of the Ash, page 227 Discontent with the Land Commission's subdivision of the Kilmaine estate militated against unity of purpose in the club, and Kilmaine House itself was burned down in the early hours of Monday 23 July 1926.Midland Tribune, 12 March 1927 – KILMAINE HOUSE – Burning Compensation Claim By Land Commission – 'A Blackguardly And Disgraceful Act' In the Junior Championship of 1929 Seir Kieran overcame Birr and Coolderry before losing to Shannonharbour (5-3 to 2-2) in the semi-final, on 8 September 1929. In May 1931, John Coughlan of Seir Kieran played in goal for the Offaly Minors (against Westmeath at Clara).Midland Tribune, 13 May 1931
Intermediate success The first Intermediate title came in Ballyduff, Tullamore on 20 September 1931, when Seir Kieran beat Clara by 5-7 to 2-5. The club played at Senior grade for the following two seasons. The 1932 panel was augmented by Dick and Willie Conway from Roscomroe, a district of Kinnitty Parish with historic ties to Seir Kieran.Relating To Roscomroe, page 53 Other players included Mick Leahy, Kieran Grogan, Dan Murphy and Jim Killeen. Originally from Lusmagh, Jim Killeen and his brother Mick had come to Clareen as young boys.The Music of the Ash, page 31
Seir Kieran were a diminished force after Killeen moved to Killdangan in North Tipperary in the mid-1930s, but they recovered to claim the Offaly Intermediate hurling final of 1938 against North Portarlington. Played at Tullamore on 27 August 1938, this match also served as the Junior final of 1937, with the result that Seir Kieran won both titles in the same game.The Music of the Ash, page 52 In 1939, the team advanced to the Offaly Senior hurling final against Coolderry. Coolderry won by 6-4 to 2-2 to claim their 14th title.The Music of the Ash, page 54
In the 1940s, Seir Kieran won a number of Intermediate hurling titles. Seir Kieran won the 1943 final against Clara by 7-5 to 5-1. After winning a replay in the 1947 semi-final (won by 3-6 to 3-2),The Music of the Ash, page 280 Seir Kieran won the Intermediate final against Carrig & Riverstown by 5-3 to 2-4. Although the team made little headway the following year, the club took some heart from Seamus Mulrooney's displays with Offaly in the 1948 Leinster Minor Hurling Championship.The Music of the Ash, page 63
Junior success 1950 to 1969 During the 1950s, emigration impacted the club. Also, in June 1952, John Dooley of Clashroe, Roscomroe was fatally injured by an accidental blow to the head when playing for Seir Kieran,Relating to Roscomroe, page 150 which further shook the club's confidence.The Music of the Ash, page 87
Despite this, Seir Kieran sustained their Senior challenge both in 1953 and in 1954 when they reached the semi-final (which they lost to Coolderry). By 1955, though, the club could not muster 15 Senior players, and so had to concede a walkover to Shannon Rovers in the championship.The Music of the Ash, page 70 The following year, at Intermediate grade, the club joined forces with neighboring parish Kinnitty with similar problems. The amalgamated team, known as "St Flannan's", won through to the 1956 Intermediate Hurling final against Ferbane. St Flannan's (wearing green and white) emerged victorious by 4-7 to 4-1.The Music of the Ash, page 281 Promoted to Senior grade in 1957, St Flannan's were defeated in their opening match to Shannon Rovers – a result which put an end to the Kinnitty-Clareen combination.
By 1958, the club was again playing under the Seir Kieran banner and won passage to the 1958 Junior Hurling final. Delayed until 8 March 1959, this final saw Seir Kieran defeating St Columba's (Durrow) by 4-6 to 1-1. This was the parish's fourth title at Junior grade. A reporter for the Midland Tribune described the challenge that this posed to the club's viability, especially once they stepped up to Senior grade in 1960 and 1961: "Coolderry had a few newcomers but Seir Kieran were less lucky. Limited to the smallest parish in Ireland, they had to rely on several veterans who still keep the colours flying, and here lay their weakness – the lack of vigorous youth. That they still maintain a Senior team is a tribute to the players and club officials; that they take to the field year after year with high hopes is a tribute to all concerned."Midland Tribune, 12 July 1961
Another boost came in October 1961, with the acquisition of six acres adjacent to Clareen crossroads, as a permanent home for the club. Development of these facilities was coupled with more organised training of players and Seir Kieran defeated the new St. Rynagh's GAA club (Banagher and Cloghan combined) in the Junior hurling semi-final of 1962. However, in the final on 21 October, they were defeated (3-10 to 1-1).The Music of the Ash, page 289 against Edenderry in Tullamore.
In the 1965 Offaly JHC, Kinnitty needed three attempts before beating Seir Kieran by 2-10 to 3-6. In 1968, a last-minute Joe McKenna goal separated Shinrone and Seir Kieran after a replay. This led to success in 1969, when Seir Kieran became Offaly Junior Hurling champions for the fifth time. Once again, the Junior final was deferred until the following spring. On 26 April 1970, the team travelled to Tullamore and defeated Clara by the minimum (3-2 to 1-7).The Music of the Ash, page 291
Return to the top flight, 1970 to 1974 On 7 June 1970 (in their first Senior hurling game since July 1961), the Clareen team nearly toppled reigning champions St Rynagh's. Damien Martin's goalkeeping enabled St Rynagh's to battle back for a draw (Seir Kieran 4-6, St Rynagh's 2-12). However, in the replay on 12 July, St Rynagh's won by 4-13 to 2-3.
In 1974, Seir Kieran defeated St Carthage's (Rahan) to advance to the 'B' final, played in Birr on 24 November 1974. Lusmagh took an early lead which they still held when the game was abandoned in the second half. At a County Board Disciplinary Committee hearing on the Wednesday before Christmas, both clubs were fined £20; while two Seir Kieran players and one Lusmagh player were suspended for six months.
At county level, club members Kieran Mooney and Sean Bergin represented the club in 1974, when an Offaly side recorded their first-ever win over Dublin in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship. The semi-final against Kilkenny took place at Croke Park, where Mooney put Offaly's opening goal past Noel Skehan. Kilkenny, however, ultimately advanced without undue trouble.
Schools hurling and underage hurling Even more encouraging for the club's future was the organized effort being made at the primary school level, led in Clareen's case by successive principals of the Seir Kieran National School: Frank McNamara; Tony Hogan; Damien White; Majella Gibbons; and Jonathan Dunne. In 1974, a team captained by Joe Dooley won Seir Kieran's first Bord na Scol hurling championship. Seir Kieran went on to clim the Offaly U-14 'B' hurling title for 1976 – its first under-age championship.
Although ultimately unsuccessful, Seir Kieran had also won through to both the Minor 'B' and the U-21 Hurling Finals of 1974. Of the Minor 'B' Final against Killeigh, the Midland Tribune reported that: "At no stage was full back Eugene Coughlan allowed to relax his most extraordinary talents". Other club members, such as Paddy Mulrooney, Noel Bergin, Jimmy Connor, Mick Coughlan, Johnny Abbott and Joe Mooney, also featured.
At the club's AGM for 1975, an intense discussion took place on how to bring on all of the young players. This resulted in something of a "new departure" for Seir Kieran – the establishment of a Minor Club with Seamus Mulrooney as its first chairman.The Music of the Ash, page 92