Douglas Hurling & Football Club

DOUGLAS HURLING & FOOTBALL CLUB

A hurling team representing Douglas was first included in the draw for the Cork County Senior Hurling Championship in 1887. From 1914 to 1918 there was no mention of a Douglas team being fielded and in 1918 the Castletreasure Club came into being. On April 15th, 1922 Castletreasure brought a County Intermediate Hurling title to the parish when they defeated Inniscarra in the county final. Following the breakup of the Castletreasure Club in 1926, there was no club in the parish and St. Columbas club was formed. The club colours were a black jersey with single green band.

In 1938 the club was renamed to Douglas Hurling and Football Club and in the same year the club purchased Pitch 1, which we still use today. In the early years Hurling was the most popular sport and football only came to prominence in the 1950s.

In 1962 Douglas defeated Midleton to win the County Junior Football title, a win credited to a strong underage structure. From 1962 to 1965 Douglas played senior football, until demoted to Intermediate grade. Football continued to go downhill, and the club ended back at Junior grade in 1968.

Douglas won their first hurling title in 1966 defeating hot favourites Mayfield in the City Championship final.

Douglas had Five Glorious Years of Football – 1970 to 1974 winning multiple City Division Junior Championship and league football titles including the double in 1973.Between 1979 and 1986 Douglas played in five hurling finals, the highlight winning the Junior A and B City Championship v Na Piarsaigh in 1983 and the regrading to Intermediate in 1985 for the first time in 30 years.

Throughout the years various committees and members worked hard to develop facilities and playing fields. Pitch 1 was purchased in 1938, pitch 2 was purchased in the eighties and re-developed in 2014, the current bar and clubhouse was opened in 1982, the indoor hall was opened in 1998, new dressing rooms and a gym were opened in the 2002, and Pitch 3 was opened in 2019.

The first attempt at organizing Street Leagues was 1955 and in 1978 the club set up the first independent Street Leagues committee. The leagues at U5 to U11 have proved to be an outstanding success and this together with a strong connection with local schools have guaranteed a steady stream of young players which ultimately guarantees the future of GAA in Douglas.

The current club colours date back to the early 1950’s, when having one set of jerseys for 4 teams the club managed to negotiate a second set from Sunbeam for a bargain at £12. The colour of that set of jerseys is what we wear today.

Douglas now plays at Senior grade in both hurling and football and while we haven’t yet won a county senior title in either code there are regular underage county titles and we have had many notable successes at adult level in the last 15 years: