Sixmilebridge Hurling Club was founded in 1904. The first recorded matches were at Junior hurling and football level against Newmarket on Fergus with the hurlers winning and the footballers losing 2-7 to 0-2.
The first recorded championship success was in 1940. Kilkishen were defeated in the Intermediate “B” championship in Newmarket. A further 10 years elapsed before Sixmilebridge won the Junior “A” title and then in 1951 they won the Intermediate Championship beating Turnpike of Ennis in the final.
The following year the ‘Bridge reached the County Senior final only to be beaten by Scariff. In 1954 Sixmilebridge won their first ever senior trophy winning the Clare Champion Cup against Newmarket on Fergus on a scoreline of 4-6 to 2-6.
The next county final appearance was in 1962, where they lost to Ruan in a replay 3-9 to 2-8. After this defeat Sixmilebridge slipped into senior wilderness for more than a decade.
1968 saw the formation of a minor club. In 1970 the Minor “A” Championship came to the village for the first time, and the following year the U.14 title was also a first time visitor to the ‘Bridge. The U.14 title was won again in 1975 and they represented Clare in the Feile na nGael competition.
Committee: Martin Murray (RIP), Tom Reidy (RIP), Tim Crowe, Christy Murray, Noel Murphy (RIP), Jimmy Corry (RIP), Fr. Hugh O Dowd (RIP), Pat Lonergan (RIP), John Corbett.
The U.21 “A” title and the Intermediate title came to the ‘Bridge in 1971. However they had to wait until 1976 to contest the third Senior County final in the club’s history. Newmarket on Fergus were the opponents and they emerged victorious on a scoreline of 1-11 to 1-5.
In 1977 Sixmilebridge won their first senior championship defeating Kilkishen by 1-6 to 1-5 in the final. They were beaten in the Munster club championship by St. Finbarrs of Cork in a replay.
Senior Championship Winning Team - 1977 (Captain Sean Stack)
In 1979 the ‘Bridge won the senior championship, the U.21 (first of 3 in a row) and the Minor (first of 2 in a row) as well.
Seven and a half acres of land were bought in 1978 and the new pitch and dressingrooms were opened by Paddy Buggy in 1982.
O'Garney Park Sixmilebridge in 1982 preparing for the grand opening
They won the senior championship in ’83 and again in ’84 winning their first Munster club championship beating Patrickswell in the final in the GAA Centenary year.
Centenary year Munster Club Champions
County titles also came in ’89, ’92, & ’93. In 1995 the ‘Bridge had three reasons to celebrate. The Tommy Morey memorial stand was officially opened, the U.14 won the All-Ireland Feile competition, and the senior hurlers won the senior hurling championship and the Munster title and went on the win the All-Ireland senior club championship on St. Patrick’s Day 1996.
All Ireland Club Champions 1996
On the Clare scene we were delighted to have 4 members of the Clare panel who brought the Liam McCarthy back to Sixmilebridge in 1995. Local GP Dr. Paraic Quinn and County Secretary Pat Fitzgerals also formed part of the backroom team when Clare ended an 81 year famine.
Fitzy, Holly, Rusty & Fletcher parade Liam in 1995
The club contested 4 county finals in a row from 1999 to 2002 being successful on 2 ocassions. We also won county titles in 2013 and 2015.
We celebrated our centenary year in 2004 when Uachtaran Sean Kelly unveiled a new plaque. We launched our club website on this night which revolutionised how our club communicated.
The club undertook a major redevelopment in 2005 which included development work at our training grounds at Cappa Lodge, construction of new dressing rooms and gym as well as the revdevelopment of our main pitch at O'Garney park with a sand based surface and top quality floodlighting. The club is now the second home for Clare GAA after Cusack Park.
O'Garney Park at Night
Our minor club had its most successful year in 2009 when we contested every underage final in the county (losing only MinorA) while 2013 saw the club complete an unprecedented 5 in a row at U16A level. In 2015 we took club communicaiton to a whole new level with the launch of our new club app for engaging with our members. A relaunch of our website coincided with the launch of our new indoor huring arena in November 2016.
Snippets from the past
Some members of the 1916 Junior team that won the championship were: Mickey O’Halloran - Jimmy Lynch - George Reidy - Clune Bros.
On June 1st 1924 Sixmilebridge formed part of the Mid Clare team that played East Clare to raise funds for the GAA in Clare. The teams comprised of the best of junior and Senior teams.Jim Markham played on the Junior team and Michael O'Halloran played with the seniors.
When James O'Reagan from SMB was county board delegate, one of the motions he purt forward was that the county secretary be directed to communicate with Mr. Sullivan manager of the West Cclare Railway, asking him to allow all gaelic football and hurling teams as well as delegates to meetings of the board to travel to all events at half fare.
Sixmilebridge played Clarecastle in the first round of the football championship in 1948.
In the Junior Football Championship of 1962 in the 1/4 final Sixmilebridge defeated Doonbeg.
In 1965 the Sixmilebridge G.A.A. Club had 2 AGMs, one for hurling and one for football, and two separate committees were formed.
A.G.M. 1945
Chairman: Tom Sheehan Vice Chairman: J. Markham Sec/Treasurer: Paddy Begley Committeel: T. Quinn, Phil Flynn, T. Mulready, P. Carmody, J. McInerney, M. Conlon;
In 1944 the club had a credit balance of £24. 2s 9d.
The main costs at the time were (SURPRISE !!!) hurling balls.
Prominent members of the Cappa team that qualified for the Junior Final of 1947 were : Sonny O’Dea, James Liddy, Dick Barron, Joe Mc Inerney, Sean Meehan, - Jim Malley.
Cappa put forward a motion in 1948 to abolish the parish rule - It was defeated.
The 'Bridge team in the 1936 Junior final was: Michael Reddan Paul Carmody - Sean Carmody - Sean Flynn Michael Power - John O’Meara - Patrick Flynn James O'Malley - James McNamara Patrick Fahy - Michael O' Halloran - Louis Hickey Bobby Flynn - Fintan Flynn- Thomas Markham.
Club History - Camogie Club
The earliest records of camogie in the village date back to the 1950's and the 1960's culminating in the success of 1967, when the the club won the Conway Cup. Tere beaten in the final by Kilkishen.
Throughout the remaining eighties success was achieved at all underage levels, together with major success stories at junior and senior level. Who can ever forget the year 1989, when the senior team won both the Munster League and Championship. This team won NINE Senior County Championships in a row.
The 1990's started of well with the senior team winning yet another senior title and at underage level the U12 team winning the championship,in 1991 and retaining it again in 1992. Unfortunately we had to wait again until 1994 when the U16 team won the U16 championship and 1996 when the Minor team took the U18 title.
From 1996 to 2003 the club experienced a lean period. However, in 2003 our U12 girls won the U12A championship and the U11 ground camogie title. We hope that this success will become an inspiration and lead Sixmilebridge Camogie Club to the dominant position in Clare camogie similiar to the 1980's.
1983 County Camogie Champions
