It's always great to know we are supporting a worthy, local cause. Thanks to Brian and Courtwood GAA for this lovely letter...
Courtwood GAA club are very grateful for the continuing and generous support from Rosie and Jim and we are very proud of the successful business that has been set up by this local couple. They have kindly sponsored our annual Family Fun Day road race, the Canal 5K, since its inception in 2010. The money that events such as these bring in helps to fund the activities and we would not be able to function without this support. In addition to this Rosie and Jim has also sponsored club gear bags and club team ware since 2014.
Courtwood GAA is a Gaelic football club, located in the north east corner of County Laois in Ireland. The club is located in the eastern half of Emo parish with a small catchment area south of the village of Ballybrittas and mainly covered by the local school Rath NS. This catchment area is bordered on one side by County Kildare and by neighbouring clubs in Laois, Annanough, O'Dempseys and Emo. Although we have previously competed in the Junior C hurling championship, at adult level, the club is a football club only. We field football teams in the Intermediate and Junior C championships.
At juvenile level Courtwood plays in an amalgamation with fellow parishioners, Emo, called St. Paul’s. Courtwood also amalgamate with Emo and The Rock at minor and Under 21 level. Through our juvenile club we provide facilities to over 200 children and young people across all of our teams, and once again Rosie and Jim have been very generous in their support for our endeavours at underage level.
The current Courtwood club was reformed in 1962. However there has been a long tradition of Gaelic football in the Courtwood area since the foundation of the GAA in 1884, evidence exists of a club named Courtwood existing as early as 1888 and competing in the earliest known Laois Senior Football Championships. The 1892 Laois Senior Football Championship final was actually played in Courtwood.
Down through the years Courtwood has enjoyed success on the field of play. Courtwood has won the Laois Junior Football Championship three times (1970, 1986 and 2014) and the Laois Intermediate Football Championship twice (1971 and 1987) and won one league title Laois All-County Football League Division Three in 2015. In 2006 Courtwood won the Laois Junior "C" Football Championship.
At underage level, Courtwood have successfully combined with Emo on a number of occasions to win county titles. The two club won the Laois Minor Football Championship in 1964 and 1965 and the Laois under 21 Football Championship in 1966 and 1967. The two clubs also combined to win the Under 21 title again in 1989 and 1990 and the Under 21 B title again in 2012.
Courtwood, on its own, won the 2003 Laois Minor "B" Football Championship and Emo/Courtwood accomplished this in 2008. In 2011 and 2012, an Emo, Courtwood and The Rock minor combination won two Laois Minor "B" Football Championships and two Laois Minor Football League B titles.
Courtwood is the home club of Fergal Byron, the 2003 All-Star goalkeeper who was also instrumental in Laois's 2003 Leinster SFC triumph. He was joined in 2007 on the Laois senior panel by Niall Donoher, a minor and under 21 star with Laois.
In 2014, former Courtwood player Eddie Kinsella refereed the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final between Kerry and Donegal, with his four umpires Alan O'Halloran, Pat O'Connell, Arthur O'Connor and Niall Murphy also all club members.
Once again we would like to thank Rosie and Jim for all of their support over the last five years and we wish them every success and look forward to working with them into the future.
Brian Nolan
Secretary, Courtwood GAA
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