AGHABULLOGUE GAA CLUB
This pen of mine will wander back one hundred years or more
To tell the tales of happenings and mighty deeds of yore.
The fame of Aghabullogue will ring through ages yet unborn
My own beloved native land and as fresh as sun at morn.
Your sons have graced God's own good earth
Your daughters fair and lovely
Yes, let us rise with strength and pride
To play the game of hurling.
On the first of November 1884 in Hayes Hotel in Thurles the Gaelic Athletic Association was founded. Before this however hurling and football was played in certain townlands of the parish of Aghabullogue. In 1887the Muskerry Light railway was opened in Peake and Coachford and Aghabullogue G.A.A. organised a tournament which attracted 33 teams. Aghabullogue went on to beat a fancied St. Finbars in the final, but greater glories were ahead. In 1890, Aghabullogue won out the Cork championship and went on to beat a team representing Waterford in Youghal. Killmoyley (Kerry) were next to be overcome by the Aghabullogue men. Now out of Munster, aghabullogue disposed of the Ulster representatives and were due to meet the winners of Connaught and Leinster. Castlebridge (Wexford) got a walkover from Connaught and the final was set for Clonturk, Drumconda in Dublin, not far from todays headquarters Croke Park.
The game was a hotly contested affair and noted for the rough play of the Wexford men. Aghabullogue captain was allowed to withdraw his men from the field and Aghabullogue were awarded the match. A newspaper reort in the Wexford People at the time read;
Clad in white, they (Aghabullogue) shot through the field like sheets of lightening and were as sure footed as mountain goats. There were hundred yard champion scratch men on the Wexford team but they were outpaced by the Aghabullogue men.
A great welcome awaited the first team to win an All-Ireland hurling title for Cork on their arrival in Peake. In the years that followed Aghabullogue continued to be a force to be reckoned with. In 1899 a team tavelled to London to play hurling and a number of the team stayed on. In 1900 a London Irish team played in the All-Ireland final captained by an Aghabullogue man ~ Dan Horgan. In 1928 a G.A.A. club was formed in Rylane by the Lane familky who had bought a farm here. Members of the team were; the Lane brothers, C. Connors, P. Walsh, G. Ivory & P. Respin (both local Gardaí), Mick Kelleher, & Ned Goggin. In 1934 Fr. Jack Fitzgerald of Macroom was appointed to Aghabullogue and one of his first tasks was to bring hurleys to Rylane National School, and he received permission from Alan Browne to let the boys play in the field where the community hall now stands. However hurling was soon suspended during school hours when Jerry O' Riordan (Miney) broke his leg at play time. On the 21st of April 1942 a Rylane team beat Grenagh in a championship match in Coachford, It was to be Rylane's last match as a team though. Aghabulogue went on to contest and win many more divisional and county titles the most significant of which in recent times are the 1983 county final in which they were beaten by St. Catherines and the 1991 Junior decider where they beat Aghada from East Cork in a thrilling replay.
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