Drom-Inch GAA - History

History

Drom & Inch Gaa club finds its origins back as far as 1887, when hurling was played by the separate teams of Drom, and Inch. The club is located in the heartland of hurling in Co. Tipperary. Recent history shows an emerging club that has established itself as one of the top clubs in Tipperary, both in terms of facilities and competitive teams. Drom & Inch have enjoyed success over the past 5 years at every level on the pitch and a landmark achievement in 2008 when 4 of Tipperary's 15 players, that won the National Hurling League and Munster Championship, came from the parish they were Séamus Butler, Séamus Callinan, Éamonn Buckley and James Woodlock. Drom & Inch has often had players on All Ireland winning Tipperary teams down throughout the years. Drom & Inch have won county titles in hurling at every age from U-12 to Intermediate level. The facilities in Bouladuff grounds are one of the best in the county. It has 4 large dressing rooms, a kitchen, male & female toilets, meeting room, hydrotherapy tank, scoreboard, dugouts, sandbank, ball-wall and roofed stand.

125 years ago this year the ball was set rolling for the GAA following a meeting in Hayes’s Hotel Thurles on 1 November 1884. Through the following years clubs around the country began to affiliate to the organisation. By 1887 Drom & Inch were affiliated. Two men who were credited with a great amount of work done in the club at that time were John Laffan of Drom and John Brolan of Inch.

Success in the early years was limited to a few Mid Junior titles. In 1937 however the club claimed its first ever county title by winning the Co. Junior Hurling Final. In a game that was not played until 30 October 1938, they defeated Killenaule on a scoreline of 6-2 to 5-0. At this time there was no intermediate grade so Junior Hurling was second to senior at this time.

Through the early years of GAA in Drom and Inch, at times each side of the parish fielded separate teams. However since the early 1960s Drom & Inch have compteted as one and it was from that time that success started to come on a more regular basis.

Mid U13, Minor, U-21, Junior and Intermediate hurling championships were brought to the parish in the 1960s and in 1970 a county Intermediate title was the clubs greatest success to that time. Eamonn Butler captined that team and in 1971 Eamonn captioned Tipperary to an All Ireland Intermediate title. This set the team up well for senior status. Following some good showings in senior hurling, including reaching the County Semi Final in 1973, things came together in 1974 and Drom & Inch, captained by John Dwyer, won their first Mid Senior Hurling Championship beating Thurles Sarsfields in the Mid Final. 1975 saw the first success in football with a Mid & County Junior Championship. Ten years after the first senior Mid title Drom-Inch, captained by Martin Fahy, repeated the success in 1984, by defeating Moycarkey in a replay on a score line of 1-9 to 1-8. This win along with Mid Junior football and County Minor B hurling titles earned the club the Mid Club of the Year award.

Success eluded the club in 1985 but a Mid U14 Hurling title in 1986 started an unprecedented run of 23 consecutive years up to the present time of winning a title at some grade from U12 up to Senior for Drom-Inch. In the late 1980s plans were put in place for a new hurling field to be developed in Inch and on 13 May 1990 the new grounds were officially opened.

Success continued into the 1990s with a number of Mid Junior and Intermediate titles won. However it was at underage level that the club was really shining and much juvenile success through the 90’s worked its way through to 2 County U21 titles in 2000 and 2001. While success at senior level was not instant it did come. In 2005 Drom & Inch reached the county senior hurling final for the first time. Although unsuccessful against Thurles Sarsfields in Semple Stadium that day, the following year Paul Ryan lifted the cup for a Mid Senior title and Éamonn Buckley did likewise in 2008. In Junior hurling, a County Junior A title in 2005 and 3 Mid Junior B titles from 2003 to 2005 promoted the teams to Intermediate and Junior A level. For a club that draws on a relatively small population to be competing at the three top levels of Tipperary hurling is a remarkable achievement but is a great reflection of the work and dedication of the people of the Drom, Inch and Barnane to bring the club, its facilities and standards to where they are today. The dedication of Drom and Inch people has not been confined to work in their own club. The aforementioned John Laffan was said to have been in Hayes’s Hotel at its foundation and later sent hurleys to New York to encourage the creation of hurling teams there among the emigrants from the area. Pat Ryan from Maherareagh was chairman of the London Co. Board for many years. In the current time Mattie Ryan of Drom is in his first year of Mid Board Chairman and Paudie Butler of Inch is the first ever National Director of Hurling in the Gaelic Athletic Association.

2011 saw the club achieve its best ever year on the hurling field, one which no-one will forget, Drom & Inch crowned Tipperary Senior Hurling Champions for the first time in their history. After so many defeats the euphoria of winning the senior title for the first time was celebrated for months!. Adding to the senior win in 2011 was the all conquering U14 team which won county A titles in hurling and football, minor B hurlers winning county final and Junior B hurlers winning county final.