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Geraldines GFC was founded
in 1904 and is the second oldest of Louth's affiliated clubs
after Dundalk Young Irelands. Initially the club was known
as Dundalk Geraldines.
From 1904 to 1917 it was one of the
major clubs in Co. Louth winning Senior Championships in 1913,1915,
and 1916. Joe Donnelly of Geraldines played on the 1910 All-Ireland
winning Louth team, as did the great Joe Johnston in 1912.
In 1917 after a rowdy match against O'Rahilly's from Dundalk
the club decided not to affiliate in 1918.
In 1920 the club was reformed to raise
money for a new church in Blackrock. Prominent in its reformation
was Joe Donnelly. It was based in Dromiskin although many
of its players came from Blackrock/Haggardstown. Geraldines
won both the Junior and Senior Championships in 1920. In 1926
they contested their eighth senior final. Losing out to Drogheda
Wolfe Tones. The club failed to affiliate in 1929.
In 1934 the club re-affiliated in its
Haggardstown base and today is very much a Haggardstown/Blackrock
club. The great John Lynch and Gerry Donnelly who had won
Senior Championship medals with both Dundalk Geraldines and
Dromiskin Geraldines played on this team, giving continuity
to the Geraldines tradition.
In 1939 Geraldines won the Junior Championship.
The heading in ' The Democrat' was ' Another Title For Great
Club'. The club had many league successes in the fifties but
had to wait until 1966 before gaining another Junior Championship
success. The great Frank Lynch who had won an All-Ireland
medal with Louth in 1957 and was picked on Louth's Team of
the Millennium, captained the team. His cousins Roger and
Ronan Lynch were part of Louth's effort in 1950, when beaten
by Mayo in the All-Ireland final.
Geraldines can boast one of the finest
club grounds in the county, which was officially opened by
Liam Mulvihill in 1979. In 1993 Peter Quinn opened Halla Na
Gearaltaigh. In recent years Geraldines have hosted two Senior
Championship Finals. The expansive pitch is also particularly
suitable for hurling matches. Due to its central location
it has been used for many College matches. Geraldines GFC
has recently purchased land for a second pitch.
Geraldines lost the Senior Final in
1969 to Newtown Blues. In 1979 they won the Intermediate Championship
and in 1982 finally won the Louth Senior Championship defeating
close neighbours Kilkerley Emmets in the final. In 1995 Geraldines
again won the Intermediate Championship and finished runners
up in 1999 and 2002. In 2004 they won the Intermediate 2 leauge,
At present Geraldines compete at Intermediate Grade, but will
move to Senior after winning the Intermediate Championship
in 2005. The club celebraterated its Centenary next year 2004.
St. Fursey's is the under-age wing
of Geraldines GFC. It provides coaching and matches for teams
from Under 10 to Under 18 levels. The team reached the Minor
Final in 1987 going under to Ardee St, Mary's. In 1995 St.
Fursey's made history by winning the Louth Minor Championship
for the first time. The nucleus of the team had competed at
Feile in Meath in 1992 winning Division 3.
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