Croom GAA Club

Croom G.A.A. has a long and proud history, which dates back to the foundation of the G.A.A. in 1884. Records show that the club was formed at a meeting in the Town Hall in March 1884. At that time the club was known as Croom Abu’s, called after the war cry of the Fitzgerald clan who occupied Croom Castle. There are no reliable records available to show who the elected officers of the day were, but the names of Denis Spencer-Lyons and his friend James. F. Halvey were closely linked with events. Lyons went on to become chairman of the County Board 1894 - 90 and contested the position of President of the Association at congress in 1898 - but was unsuccessful. Halvey was elected Vice-President at that same congress.
From its inception Croom very quickly became a force in hurling. The club played in the West division from 1902 and in a period from 1907 to 1943 contested a total of twenty - three West senior hurling finals, winning fifteen. 1907, 1908, 1919, 1924, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1943 and going forward to claim six county senior hurling titles, 1908, 1919, 1924, 1929, 1940 and 1941. A junior county title was also won in 1922, along with a county minor in 1936.

In 1950 Croom could only muster enough players to compete at junior level and stayed at this grade until the mid sixties - regaining senior status again after winning the junior championship in 1965. Meanwhile, Croom were one of three clubs who were moved from the West division to the South division in 1956 in an effort to balance the divisions.

Croom first entered a junior football side in the West in 1954 and continued at this level in the South - winning a South junior championship in 1958 and again ‘64 and ‘67and finishing as county champions that same year. This was the beginning of a very successful era for football in Croom, winning seven South senior and two county senior titles in a period from 1973 - 1983. Many underage honours were also taken in this period. A South senior hurling crown was won in 1982 but this signalled a barren period for hurling in Croom which lasted until the mid nineties, when a new era dawned for the club. Underage coaching and the emergence of a crop of the finest hurlers and footballers ever to come from the area, resulted in a county junior hurling title in 1996, followed by an intermediate crown in 1998. In between these, the club won back to back minor hurling titles in ‘96 and ‘97. Four years later in 2001 the long awaited county U21 hurling title was won, after heartbreak in the finals of the two previous years. As mentioned already this was also a good period for football in the club, with the minor win of 1998 followed by back to back U21 titles in 1999 and 2000. County junior football was claimed also in 1999.
Since the turn of the Millenium, Croom has competed at the highest level in senior hurling - coming close on two occasions, with narrow semi-final defeats. Our footballers have also competed strongly but have failed to regain senior status again, coming close in 2000 when beaten in the intermediate final by Gerald Griffins.
Pairc na nGael on the Church Road in Croom has been the home to our club for almost 120 years. It was also the venue over the years for many county championship games because of its central location. Before the development of the Gaelic Grounds, Croom also hosted National League games. The grounds which were rented for many years were finally purchased by the club in 1974. Dressing rooms and the boundary wall were erected and it was one of the first venues in the country to have flood lights erected for training purposes. These grounds have served us well but are now, well due some modernisation and development.

Croom has been well served over the years by quality club officers and committee member - too many to mention. We have also been honoured by the high office attained by many of our members at county board and national level. The Trojan work done by our coaches and selectors at senior and Bord na Nog and our many club volunteers, Lotto etc. is much appreciated.

When it comes to providing players to county teams, Croom has not been found wanting. Most of the present panel have represented the county at various levels from U14 to senior and some have attained the ultimate honour of All-Ireland medals. Peter Lawlor - who captained the last - Stephen Lucey, Mark O’ Riordan and Mickey Cahill as well as Thomas Carmody were all members of that magnificent squad who completed the treble of U21 All-Ireland hurling titles in 2002. Patsy Cahill won an All-Ireland Intermediate medal in 1998 marking no less a man than Henry Shefflin. Lucey, Lawlor and O’ Riordan were joined by club captain Hugh Flavin on the Limerick squad that lost the 2007 senior final to Kilkenny. Donal Murray was on the losing side of the 1980 decider against Galway. Goalkeeper, Ger Flynn, was on 2005 minor side that fell at the final hurdle. John Galvin Jnr was captain of the U21 footballers that reached the All-Ireland final in 2001, that failed narrowly to Tyrone.
Back in its early days Croom had many other All-Ireland winners. Paddy Buskin was on the Kilfinnane team that brought the first All-Ireland to Limerick in 1897. In 1910, Croom had three players on the team that lost to Wexford, Tom and Mick Mangan and Mick Feely. Feely, Jack O’ Shea and Ter Mangan won in 1913. In 1921, Garrett Howard, Tom Mangan and Mick Mullane - Garrett is the only Limerick man to win five All-Ireland - three with Limerick 1921, 1934, 1936 and two with Dublin 1924 and 1927. In 1934, Garrett was joined by Jim Roche who went on to win three All-Irelands 1934, 1936 and 1940 and Jack O’ Connell who won his in 1934. Jim Roche later became a referee at local and national level and Jack O’ Connell served as county secretary from 1939 - 1966. For Peter Cregan and his brother Tom the 1940 All-Irelands must be memorable as Peter won a senior and Tom won a minor on the same day.

And back to the present we wish todays Croom team all the best in their quest to bring the club its first senior hurling title in sixty-six years and almost one hundred years since their first success.
Croom Abu!