Douglas win Parish League…in 1991.

I just got this great image from Patrick Costello (red top in the back row). This is the victorious Douglas GAA team that defeated “Over Laune” in the Killorglin Parish League Final in 1991.

The Parish League is where the local national schools and their catchment areas put a team into the Parish league. Everyone of all ages can play as long as you are not on the Laune Rangers A team.

If there was a position outside of “Rank Outsiders” then we were just below it. We battled and I do mean battled every game to get to the final and we beat the favourites of the tournament. I’d love to say we hammered them but it was only four points.

It was the first time in 20 years they ran the league and 1991 was the last time they ran the competition because of all the teams kicking the hell out of each other, local pride and all that. It is rumored to start again this year after eighteen years. If you visit Killorglin on any weekend and visit Clifford’s Bar, you will find many drinking athletes (beer belly for speed adjustment) boasting to all the younger and fitter players, “Say what you want, but Douglas are the reigning Parish League Champions”. Local pride and honour will never die…

So why is all this important, well. This is the image that we have selected to go up on our meeting room wall, all 6 x 2.5 metres of it on our new digitally printed wallpaper. Another important point is I’m the goalkeeper, Stephen O’Sullivan.