Seandun Division
JAFC 2006, JAFL 1994, 2001, 2006; JBFC 1991; JBHC 1991; JBFL 1992;JBHL 1991, 1999; MacCurtain Cup 1992, Seandun Cup 1981, 1991; McSweeney Cup 2003,2004,2005, 2006; Craobh Rua Cup 1991, 1998; MAFC 1988, 1990, 1992; MBFC 2002,2006.
East Cork
JHL 1964, JBHC 1982
History
White’s Cross GAA Club was formed in 1957 with Fr. Bernard as President. Denis O’ Connell was the first chairperson, with Declan Burke and Danjoe Kelleher acting as secretary and treasurer respectively. The club won its first silver-ware in 1964 when they were crowned East Cork Junior Hurling League Champions.
White’s Cross made much progress during the 1980’s. In 1981 the Seandun Cup was won and this was followed up one year later when the first championship title was brought to the club – an East Cork Junior Hurling Championship. Up to this time the club was using lands kindly made available to them at Ballinoe and Piercetown to train and play their games. However White’s Cross purchased their own grounds at Ballinvriskig in 1983 and the present club dressing-rooms were built in 1988. This was followed up in 1997 when an extensive drainage and levelling of these grounds was undertaken.
The centenary year of the GAA, 1984, brought success at under-age when an East Cork Under 12 Football Championship was captured. A decision to enter the City Division, for more regular games, did not deter this team who continued to bring silver-ware to the club the following years in Under 13 and Under 14 competition. One member of that particular team, Conor McGauran went onto play minor football for Galway for two seasons, when his family moved to live in Salthill.
An amalgamation with Whitechurch at minor level in 1988 brought instant success with the team winning the City Division Minor Football Championship. This was followed up with similar successes in 1990 and 1992. The clubs also amalgamated at Under 16 in 1990 and won a further Football Championship at that grade that year.
The early 1990’s were also particularly historic at Junior level when the team progressed from a struggling Junior C outfit to a team which captured A grade silver-ware in both hurling and football. Promotion to Junior B grade in 1991 was followed with instant championship victories in both codes and the hurling team contested a County Final against present senior outfit, Castleyons. This roller-coaster ride continued through 1992 when the Junior A Hurling MacCurtain Cup was captured and the Junior B football league (the team played A Grade Championship that year), and in 1994 the footballers won the Junior A Football league.
There then followed a number of lean years, when a Craobh Rua Cup (1998) and a B Hurling League title (1999) were all there was to celebrate. That was until 2001 and the landmark decision to amalgamate at all levels was taken. A second Junior A Football League crown was captured in this first season. This was followed up with Minor and Under 16 Football Championship successes in 2002.
The year 2002 will also be remembered for less happy reasons and none more so than the death of our Club President, Joe O Callaghan. Joe gave over forty years of sterling service to the Club, and was involved in every capacity; varying from treasurer to grounds-person, from chief fund-raiser to selector. Ní bheidh a leithéid ann arís.
Amalgamation
Two small clubs trying to maintain their identity against larger neighbours in the same parishes, respectively. Two rural clubs competing in the City division. Two clubs with few successes to boast of, yet ambitious to share the stage with more prestigious rivals. Two clubs with well established roots prepared to come together in an effort to create a sum greater than the parts. White’s Cross and Whitechurch, a few miles apart, yet in different parishes, even different dioceses, originating in different divisions and even separated by other club territories, have come together in an unlikely amalgamation in an effort to provide a better future for their players and supporters. The decision to amalgamate was not taken easily by either club. “ We set up a sub-committee to examine the future options of the club”, said Whitechurch secretary, Tim Mulcahy. “To compete at the highest level, we simply didn’t have the playing personnel to cover injuries, holidays, changing work patterns, students away at universities. Even worse, there was a big drop off in under-age due to smaller family size. Finally there was a chronic shortage of back up support, selectors and coaches. The best option was to amalgamate with another club” Fortunately another club had reached a similar conclusion. “ We were finding it increasingly difficult to get the required commitment necessary to compete successfully at Junior A level, from a sufficient panel of players”, said White’s Cross secretary Conor Kelleher. “Some players could simply not give such dedication to the sports and wanted to play the games at a less competitive level. With the new arrangement of fielding Junior A and B sides in both codes all interests are catered for. Furthermore we are drawing on a relatively small catchment area and face unrelenting competition for underage players. The opportunity of providing regular games for these young players at their age was paramount in our decision to join forces with Whitechurch ”. After short negotiations, a similar resolution was put to both AGMs at the beginning of the 2001 season and the decision to amalgamate was resoundingly passed by both clubs. “It helped enormously that we had combined together at minor and Under 16 level for over twelve years. The players on both sides had played together as minors, knew each other well and got along well.” White’s Cross continued as a Football Club, while Whitechurch took responsibility for Hurling.
WHITECHURCH
Cork County Board records show that a team from Whitechurch entered the first ever Minor Competition back in 1904 (minor at that time meant the second team, not under-age) and reached the final of the Football Championship, only to be beaten by a team called Geraldines, from Blackrock. It lasted a few years, but the troubled times saw its demise. It was reformed as a hurling club for some years in the twenties, then died due to lack of numbers. In 1959 the club was revived in football as a sister club to Blarney Hurlers in the Mid Cork Division. That union dissolved in 1968 and Whitechurch went on its own in hurling and football. Two Junior B Hurling Championships in 1968 and 1970 meant promotion to A grade but the club could not survive the intense competition in Muskerry at that time. The football team reached the final in 1970 but lost to a Ballyvourney side that eventually reached senior grade. A decision to join with Grenagh saw the football team in the 1973 final only to lose again. There followed a number of lean years on their own, where the footballers dropped to B grade and all efforts to revive hurling failed.
Then in 1984 a decision was made to join the City Division to provide a regular programme of games. The same year saw hurling revived. These decisions paid off handsomely with a clean sweep of the football trophies, a final place in Junior B hurling and qualification in the County B Hurling Championship. In the following years the club played in one County Hurling and one Football B final, one Divisional Junior A Football and one Hurling final, without success. “At times it seemed as if luck had completely deserted us, losing on three occasions to last minute goals”. However there was consolation with an under-21 hurling win, and Junior B successes in Hurling and Football.
The amalgamation has strengthened the first hurling team but it lost the first round of the championship both last year and this year. Progress via the back door brought us to the quarter final stage last year but a penalty conceded in extra time resulted in a one point defeat. Again this year Whitechurch provided the shock of the Championship by beating favourites Na Piarsaigh, only once again to lose out by the narrowest of margins to St. Vincents.
THE FUTURE
While things are proceeding well at the moment, both clubs know that there are major challenges ahead. They could adopt the political slogan “much done, much to do”. Top of the wanted list is the winning of a Junior A title in hurling and football. “The purpose of the amalgamation was to be in there competing with the best in the division. Well, we have shown we can do that. Now we must show that we can beat the best”.
Success at underage must be built on. “Our aim is to put in place structures to ensure that each under age team has the best coaching available to it. We can now do this within the clubs”. Finally both clubs are committed to improving and developing their facilities. Whitechurch are planning to develop a second playing pitch and White’s Cross are presently extending their clubroom and dressing rooms. Having survived past challenges, they are confident that united they can go on to greater achievements.