Erin’s Own Gaelic Athletic Association was founded in 1885 and since then has been the main sporting organization in the Castlecomer area.
The Club has won multiple titles in all grades of Hurling and Football except for one – Senior Hurling. The Senior Football title was won in 2002 and again in 2006. Intermediate Titles were won in 2003 and also the intermediate the league and Aylward cups in 2007. We have reached the Senior Semi Final on several occasions since 1959 and reached the final in 1979 only to lose out to Ballyhale Shamrocks in a replay.
Our time will come.
Bord Na nOg was formed in the early 2000’s to focus on the groups up to minor grade and have targeted coaching and development for our teams and players. It has been a fruitful number of years with several underage titles, bigger numbers playing and lots enjoyment and participation across the board.
The prince grounds has been home to Erin’s Own G.A.A. since the 1950’s. During the 50’s the Club did not actually own the prince. It was owned by the Wandesforde family – Landlords of the Castlecomer Estate. Erin’s Own purchased the property outright in the 1960’s.
In the early days hurling was not the only sport to be played in the Prince, there was actually quite an amount of Hockey played there also and even some cricket. In the70’s & 80’s the club regularly loaned the pitch to the local soccer team while they were acquiring and developing their own fine premises next door.
During the emergency the field was ploughed up for agricultural purposes. In the late 1950’s, when ‘Comer won the Junior Championship what was then a modern facility was built in the Prince – Dressing Rooms and Showers. This was one of the few such facilities in the county at the time.
The building was galvanised with timber supports and a timber floor while the showers were “cold” and were supplied by a large rainwater tank on the roof. This facility really stood the test of time and served the Club right up until the present building was erected in 1994. When the team was training for the championship in ’58 they would finish up a session with a run to the Deerpark mines where they were allowed use the “Baths” (new hot showers for the miners).
On 19th. May 1986 Erin’s Own acquired a second property at Ballycomey, just on the Kilkenny side of the town. The money for the purchase of the grounds was raised through the “Piltown Draw” and thanks to some visionary club members they saw our club future in Ballycomey. The field was levelled, and a fine pitch constructed and there was enough money in the kitty to commence building a clubhouse. However, disaster struck when the club was notified by the County Council that the property could not be used for sporting purposes. A few worrying years passed when it was feared that a ball would never be struck in the new field. However, following all sorts of appeals and deputations on 16th. June 1993 permission was granted, and the spirits rose.
The “Kitty” unfortunately had dwindled away over the years, and it was back to scratch. The pitch was progressed, and railings were erected. The goals went up and little by little “Ballycomey” started to come to life. With day to day running costs in the club so high any plans for building were put on the back burner.
Towards the end of 1998 Kieran Meally thought it was time to get something built in Ballycomey. He volunteered to spearhead the drive. At the A.G.M. Kieran was formally appointed chairman of the newly to be formed Development Committee with permission to assemble his own committee. This was done and on 25 Jan. 1999 the first meeting was held. First item on the agenda was at Kieran’s insistence, that the grounds be called “Canon Kearns Park” in memory of the late Canon John Kearns former Parish Priest of Castlecomer.
In January 2000, with development imminent the club suffered a major setback, Kieran passed away following a brief illness. At the first meeting following Kieran’s passing there was another unanimous decision made.
– The Club House would be named “Áras Ó Meallaigh” in honour of Kieran Meally.
In the intervening years work has been ongoing and the construction of a second building with excellent dressing rooms, gym facilities, storage facilities and a ball wall to the back further enhanced Ballycomey as one of the better club grounds in the region.
We are proud to have given so much back to our community and now that we have embraced Ladies Football and Camogie into our club we are striving to grow and strengthen in the years to come.
