Club History

The Dr. Crokes Club has entered  it's 3^rd century of unbroken service to the Gaelic Athletic Association, Killarney District and the county of Kerry. It is amazing that a Gaelic Club, founded in 1886, during English rule, could have survived a time that is looked upon  as  poor and war torn, with risings against the establishment of the time-.. a civil war and two world wars.

  During this time the Dr. Crokes had national heroes in politics and some prominent members spent time in English prisons.In theworld of  Gaelic games we begin  with Dick Fitzgerald (was he the best ever?), and his six club mates  who backboned the Kerry team that brought the first All Ireland title to the Kingdom in 1903. Another club mate, Eugene O’Sullivan , at one time a Nationalist M.P, took charge of backroom affairs as Chairman of the County Board, and this set-up went on to capture four more titles that gave Kerry a kick-start that never slowed down again.

  A reminder of those players on the first winning Kerry team was highlighted again as we moved in to Dr Crokes 3rd century. When Kerry won the All Ireland in 2004 , the club had three players on the winning team, Colm Gooch Cooper, Eoin Brosnan and sub keeper Kieran Cremin. Gooch was man of the match and was named Texaco footballer of the year in 2004.. These heroics were also a reminder of club players in between those years who were also All Ireland medal holders and who were household names all over the country in their own era e.g. Paul Russell, Dee O’Connor, Tim O’Donnell, Bill Landers, Murt Kelly, Billy Myers, Teddy O’Connor, Dan Kavanagh, Tadhgie Lyne, Tom Long, Donie Sullivan, who when this futile exercise of picking  “Millennium Teams ”, is pursued - the only problem is not who to select, but whom to leave out

.A total of 77 senior All Ireland medals have been won to date by Dr Croke players.

  In addition to the Kerry players  Dr Crokes own  Dr Eamon O’Sullivan  surely the best  coach ever   trained eight All Ireland winning teams, beginning in 1924, and  ending in 1962.

;Dr Crokes have had four green playing fields, first in The Cricket Field, Flesk Bridge up to the 1930's. In 1936 the magnificent Fitzgerald Stadium was built by the Dr Croke club members in memory of Dr Croke and Kerry legend Dick Fitzgerald. In the past 20 years two new playing complexes have been acquired and developed by  by the club at  Deerpark and Lewis Rd.to cater for the ever increasing number of teams, men,ladies,football and hurling, juvenile and adult.

 Dr Crokes clubmen  have published   5 books – Dick Fitzgerald's “ How to play Gaelic Football ” (1914), Dr. Eamonn's “ The Art and Science of Gaelic Football ” (1958), the Clubs Histories – “ Dr. Crokes Gaelic Century ” (1886-1986), and Decade of Glory 1986-1996 .Pat O’Shea’s co- authored “ Gaelic Football, Training Drills ”, (1996).

 Count in “ Small ” Jerry O’Leary, Kerry Selector on many occasions, football historian, a man very much involved in the purchase of Croke Park and Michael O’Connor’s contribution to the Fitzgerald Stadium, the playing fields of Kerry, while Chairman of Kerry’s “ Bord na bPairc”, and as treasurer and Chairman of the Munster Council.

  Fr. Tom Looney, when writing of the Clubs early years, said that the senior team had played tournaments and challenges before the County Board was formed. He also stated that the Club captain – John Langford – was one of the committee members at the inaugural meeting of the Kerry county board and that the Club lost the first Kerry County final to Laune Rangers, “in what all agreed was the finest match ever witnessed”.

  Another County final was lost in 1900 before the beginning of a glorious spell when their deeds spread far and wide, and they became known as the “ Clean Air Boys ”, or Dickeen Fitz’s team. Four county championships in a sixteen –year run including 3- in- a- row 1912,1913 and1914 and were still a strong force into the 1920’s. When eventually time caught up with to them, they were defeated, the Kerryman made the comment that “ the Dr. Crokes and Tralee Mitchels who have figured in all the final honours for years are down and out for the present. It cannot be denied either combination that in their heyday they had few if any equals in Ireland.”

  The club did go into decline, having very lean times on the football field in the 1930’s, 40’s and early 50’s, which was surprising because they could still call on some top class players – three county players at any given time, and the administration was well organized. It seems now, that every club goes through a period like this, where an explanation cannot be found why good players with a good set up just can’t perform , and it is also well known that it is very hard to come out of a downside like this.

  Well , out of it they came in the 1950’s , becoming once again the dominant team in East Kerry, winning ten O’Donoghue Cup’s in another fifteen year spell, but unfortunately failing in the final stages of the County Championship. Maybe no great success in winning for a few years after, but this time the standard was held, and entering the 1980’s with a youth policy in place for some years , everyone had hopes for a repeat of the early glory years – this time they were not disappointed.

  Everything seemed to come right on the century year  (1986), when the Dr. Crokes were again performing against the best and winning – County Intermediated, County Club Championship, County League, a set back again in two County Finals, but eventually going on to become Kerry County Champions, Munster Club Champions on two occasions, and then the ultimate prize – the All Ireland Club Championship, won in Croke Park on St. Patrick's Day 1992. What another fabulous period for the Dr. Crokes players, supporters, mentors, and anyone else in the county who felt elated anytime Kerry football won out. People who had read and heard about Dick Fitz’s team were now living in another exciting time indeed.

  Memories abound of 1992 travelling to Cork, Clare, a holiday in the sun, a trot over to London to play their champions “Parnell’s”, up to Galway to play Corofin, and then Croke Park to decide the issue with “Thomas Davis from Tallaght. Seanie O' Shea climbing the steps of the Hogan to accept the cup, Connie the “All Star ” receiving Man-of-the-Match, “ Tatler ” the trainer with Donie and Tadghie, Mike Neeson and Teddy Counihan – Joint Chairmen. Down in the train , the crackers along the track, the parade through the town and John Moynihan, Murt Galvin and Donie Sheehan, not quite believing it all. What a way to end a century !

  Looking back now, in  the new Millennium , would the men who gathered together under a gaslight on Nov 2, 1886 be proud of the achievements of their club and the way the association itself has progressed. Hopefully, they would , and maybe as well appreciate the additions to the one senior team that started it all.

  Hurling, which played such an important role within the club in the 1920’s, and 30’s and 40’s, was revived and organized on centenary year. In a short time they have made a huge impact – winning East Kerry competitions, County League Division 3, and were crowned Intermediate Champions of Kerry for 1999 and again in 2000 .

  Camogie was a game the Dr. Croke ladies were very proficient  in the  1920/1930's. Now the ladies are very much into the football, showing the same  expertise and skill and forging a name for themselves in the County and already under age players have gone on to represent Kerry and have won All Ireland medals at under 14’s and 16’s.

  Of course, the ladies have been in the administration side for many years playing a very important role in the social side of the Club.

  Now we have three Senior teams – A,B & C, an under 21, minor, under 16’s,14’s,12’s, and coaching every Saturday mornings for under 6,8, &10’s. It is worth noting that all the teams playing in competitions have brought honour and glory to their club by putting the Dr. Crokes  to the forefront.This was once again very evident when they were called upon to show support for the new playing fields and Clubhouse in Lewis Road.

  In the administrative side, where on occasions through the years only one man was running affairs, the Club officers have a number of sub- committees to help streamline so many aspects of the Club today. In a time where mobile phones and computers are a necessity, life seems to be a long way from men gathered around a gas light in November 1886, we hope the ideals are still the same.

Ar scath a cheile a mhaireann na Crocaigh