Ballymun Kickhams GAA

Ballymun Kickhams (Irish: Ciceam Bhaile Munna ) is a GAA club in Ballymun, Dublin, Ireland. The club has a clubhouse and its home pitch, Pairc Ciceam, just off the Ballymun (junction 4) exit of the M50. Ballymun also has a full size astroturf pitch. The club derives its name from Charles Joseph Kickham (1828–1882). They last won the Dublin Senior Football Championship in 2020.

Ballymun Kickhams

Ciceam Bhaile Munna
Founded:	1969
County:	Dublin
Nickname:	The Mun, The Ballymun
Colours:	Red and Green
Grounds:	Pairc Ciceam
Coordinates:	53°25′00.61″N 6°15′53.49″W / 53.4168361°N 6.2648583°W / 53.4168361; -6.2648583
Playing kits
Standard colours
Senior Club Championships
All Ireland Leinster champions Dublin champions Football: - 1 4

History

 

C.J. Kickham's GAA Football Club, predecessor of the current club, pictured in August 1912

The club was set up in 1969 following the merging of two clubs, Ballymun Gaels and C.J. Kickhams.^{[1][failed verification]} Senior status was first achieved in 1978 when Ballymun Kickhams beat Fingal Ravens in the Intermediate league final. In 1981 Ballymun made it to their first Dublin Senior Football Championship Final. The club's Intermediate team participated in the 2010 RTÉ series Celebrity Bainisteoir, with Today FM's Maireád Farrell.

Ballymun Kickhams won their first Dublin Football Championship in 1982, won their second in 1985 before claiming their third in 2012. Ballymun claimed the Division 1 league title in 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988 and, most recently, in 2009. On Sunday 9 December 2012, Ballymun Kickhams won their first Leinster Senior Football Final, defeating Portlaoise, in Mullingar.

In 2011, the U14 Ballymun Kickhams team won the All Ireland Division 1 Féile for the first time in the club's history.

In March 2013, Ballymun Kickhams reached the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Final, a game which Roscommon GAA club St Brigid's won.

In 2015, the Ballymun minor team, managed by former Dublin senior footballer, Paddy Christie, won a historic treble. They won the Minor 'A' Football Championship, Division 1 League Title and Leinster Minor Football Championship.

As the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in 2020, Brendan Hackett was Ballymun Kickhams coach.^[2][3] He led the club to the 2020 Dublin Senior Football Championship.^[4] As of 2022, Hackett was still managing the club.^[5]

Notable players

• Paddy Christie^[6]
• Evan Comerford
• Dermot Deasy
• Gerry Hargan
• Kevin Leahy
• James McCarthy
• John McCarthy
• Gerry McCaul
• Philly McMahon
• Ian Robertson
• Barney Rock
• Dean Rock
• John Small
• Paddy Small

Managers

Manager	Years
—	1969–2000s?
Paul Curran^[7]^[8]	c. 2011–2014
Paddy Carr^[9]^[10]	c. 2016–2017
Brendan Hackett	c. 2018–2022

Honours

• All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship runner-up: 2013
• Leinster Senior Club Football Championship winner: 2012-13; runner-up: 1982-83
• Dublin Senior Football Championship winner (4): 1982,^{[citation needed]} 1985,^[7] 2012,^[7] 2020
• Dublin AFL Division 1 winner: 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 2009, 2019
• Dublin Intermediate Football Championship winner: 1979
• Dublin Junior B Football Championship winner: 2016
• Dublin Under 21 A Football Championship (6): 1990, 1991, 1996, 2007, 2008, 2018
• Dublin Under 21 B Football Championship (1): 2013
• Dublin Minor A Football Championship (5) 1951, 1952, 1953 (as Kickhams), 1977, 2015
• Dublin AFL Div. 4 winner: 2014
• Dublin AFL Div. 6 winner: 2017

References

1. "Watch: Eir Sport To Air Story Of Hope And Persistence About Ballymun Kickhams". Balls.ie. 24 May 2019.
2. "'2020 will be remembered as the hardest championship that there's been in Dublin'". Hogan Stand. 15 September 2020.
3. "'2020 will be remembered as the hardest championship that there's been in Dublin'". The42.ie. 14 September 2020.
4. "Ballymun Kickhams cruise to Dublin SFC victory over Ballyboden". RTÉ. 27 September 2020.
5. McKeon, Conor (28 August 2022). "Ger Brennan lined up to become new Monaghan senior football manager". Irish Independent. Ballymun Kickhams manager, Brendan Hackett and outgoing Monaghan minor boss Mark Counihan were also reportedly interviewed.
6. "Christie Patrick". Hogan Stand. Vol. 7, no. 24. 13 June 1997.
7. "Curran dismisses omens as Kickhams fully focused". Irish Examiner. 9 November 2012. Ballymun recently collected their first Dublin title since 1985, holding off favourites Kilmacud Crokes to secure a one-point victory.
8. "Ballymun begin search for new manager after Curran steps down". Dublin GAA. 22 November 2014.
9. "Ballymun boss Paddy Carr linked with Donegal manager role". Irish Independent. 19 August 2017.
10. "Dublin senior finalists need a new manager after 2009 All-Ireland club winning boss steps down". The42.ie. 11 December 2017.

External links

• Official website  
• "From Chorzów To Croke Park - Jendrulok's GAA journey". RTÉ. 5 May 2020.