J.K. Bracken's GAC
J.K. Bracken's Gaelic Athletic Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club serving the parish of Templemore, Clonmore and Killea in County Tipperary, Ireland.
JK Brackens compete in the Tipperary GAA county and Mid-Tipperary divisional competitions and is one of only two clubs in Tipperary that consistently complete at senior level in both the hurling and Gaelic Football. The club is also nationally renowned as one of the country's leading GAA Scór clubs, and in 2016 began the promotion of GAA Handball within the parish. Currently, the club fields 21 teams from under 6 up to senior grades and has approximately 250 playing members.
The club is named after Joseph Kevin Bracken, "the radical stonemason from Templemore", who was one of the seven founding members of the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1884. Furthermore, Bracken was the first Chairman of the Tipperary County Board, he served as vice-president of the GAA, and of the original seven signatories, he was the longest serving member on the GAA national executive. He was an elected representative and chairman of Templemore Urban District Council, and was a member of the oath-bound republican organisation the IRB
JK Brackens GAA club have the unique honour to have their club named after both a founding members of the GAA and a local parishioner.
History
Pre-Formation Era – the 1980s
There was always a strong tradition of Gaelic games in the parish even pre-dating the GAA, however before 1992 the parish had a disjointed approach to representation in club GAA competitions, with the Éire Óg Club represented the area in football, Clonmore intermediate hurling and the Killea club for junior hurling.Throughout the decade prior to the club's formation, combined parish teams were entered in various competitions. In 1980 Clonmore and Killea amalgamated as Clonmore / Killea and enter hurling teams competing at junior, intermediate and senior levels. This arrangement continued until the GAA centenary year of '84 when Clonmore and Killea agreed to enter Junior and Intermediate competitions as single clubs but competed as one club at senior level, and it was under the name of JK Brackens that this group played as. The following year JK Brackens competed at Minor and Under 21 hurling only, however in ’86 and ‘87 the Brackens represented the parish at senior grade once more. A senior JK Brackens selection did not feature in 1988 as Clonmore had won promotion to senior ranks by virtue of winning the County Intermediate Huring Championship of 1987. Instead ‘The Brackens’ were represented at minor and under 21 grades only, and it was at these grades that JK Brackens claimed their first silverware, winning Mid Minor B and Mid Under 21 B hurling titles in 1989 and 1990 respectively.
The period from ‘79 to ‘91 was up to that point the most successful period for hurling in the parish, with Killea winning Junior A Mid titles in ‘89 and ‘91,, Clonmore winning Intermediate Mid title in ’79, ’84, ’86 and Mid and County honours in 1987. Add to this Minor and Under 21 B titles in ‘89 and ‘91 for the JK Brackens selection, the case for a single GAA club for the parish grew strong impedes with the common consensus amongst players and local GAA officials was that to compete and grow the games of hurling and football that a ‘one parish, one club’ approach must be adopted, just like the majority of GAA clubs throughout Ireland. It was also believed that Gaelic football in the parish would receive a major boost with the inclusion of Templemore Éire Óg in a Clonmore Killea partnership and so it subsequently proved, with local Gaelic football benefiting from increased player participation, game preparation and on-field success.
Foundation to Present Day
In 1991, the three parish GAA clubs approached the county board to assist an amalgamation and the county chairman appointed Michael Frawley of Emly to oversee and assist the process. Following a lengthy exercise in which county board appointees visited the parish on over a dozen occasions, the three clubs democratically voted their clubs out of existence for a 5-year period, and backed the formation of a single club. One of the most influencing factors in this decision was the voice of the playing personnel, who voted by 56 to 3 in favour of an amalgamation.In February 1992, at a special convention in Páirc Shíleáin, the attendance of close to 150 members of the three clubs, gave their overwhelming support to the new venture, and the JK Brackens GAA club was officially formed merging the former GAA clubs of Templemore Éire Óg, Clonmore GAA and Killea GAA, and thereafter was ratified by Mid and County Boards, and by Croke Park for a five-year period. In 1997 some members of the Killea GAA club decided to leave the partnership and reform into their old entity however many player from that catchment area decided to play under the Brackens flag and likewise, some players from Templemore and Clonmore have chosen to hurl Junior B with Killea GAA. The JK Brackens Juvenile GAA Club was also formed in 1992. Its formation was less complicated as its predecessor, the Templemore Éire Óg Juvenile Club had catered for the youth of all the parish including Killea and Clonmore.
The newly formed Club was an immediate success with the Intermediate footballer and hurlers both winning Mid championships in ‘92 and there was also several titles won at Minor, U16, U14 and U12 levels. The footballers repeated their achievement in ’93 and also added county honours, thus winning promotion to senior ranks where they have remained since. The Mid Intermediate Hurling championship was ultra-competitive at this time and included teams such as Drom-Inch GAA and Upperchurch-Drombane GAA. JK Brackens had to wait until ’96 and ’97 for further Intermediate titles to add to the trophy cabinet. ‘Brackens lost two successive county finals in both of these years however they won promotion to senior level by virtue of winning two divisional crowns in a row, and have subsequently competed at senior grade since.
1997 was also the year that the 'Brackens won their first county hurling title winning the Under 21 B championship in a side captained by Eamonn Corcoran. Further B hurling county titles were claimed in 2002 and 2004 at U21 and Minor levels respectively. The club had to wait until 2002 for their first title at senior level, winning the Mid Senior Football Championship, a historic achievement as they were the first parish side to claim the trophy in 38 years. They have subsequently won the title 5 time since the turn of the millennium thus breaking the dominance of Loughmore-Castleiney GAA. Brackens won their title in senior hurling silverware winning the Cahill Cup in ’07 and ’08, and they won their first county titles at senior level in 2005 and 2006, winning the Tipperary Division 1 Football League, the former year a first senior county title for the parish in 69 years.
In 2016 the club took a major step forward in the promotion of Gaelic games within the parish when it was agreed that the club would join Killea GAA at minor and under 21 levels under the name JK Brackens Óg. In effect, this arrangement extended the agreed structures of the juvenile club up to 21 years of age, and therefore the teams had the full pick of the parish while players were free able to represent their own half at the parish at adult hurling. This agreement also allowed players from Killea to play football with JK Brackens at Junior and Senior grades, as their club had no affiliated Gaelic football teams. The foresight of both clubs proved an instant success when the Brackens Óg line-up completed a historic double, winning the Mid Minor A football crown and the parishes first Minor A hurling title in a squad that boosted 3 members of the All-Ireland winning minor team of that year.
JKB Óg created further history in 2018 capturing the Minor and Under 21 A county titles becoming only the 6th Tipperary club to complete this remarkable double, and also bridged a parish gap of 45 years since a last A county title.
Significant historic milestones at juvenile level include an Under 12 County hurling title in 2003, the club's first A championship county title, and the same group of players won the A football crown at Under 14 in 2005.
Honours
- Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Roinn II - Séamus Ó Riain Cup: 2019
- Mid Tipperary Senior Football Championship: 2002, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2019
- Mid Tipperary Intermediate Hurling Championship: 1992, 1996, 1997
- Tipperary Intermediate Football Championship: 1993
- Mid Tipperary Intermediate Football Championship: 1992, 1993, 2002
- Tipperary Under-21 B Hurling Championship: 1997, 2002
- Mid Tipperary Under-21 B Hurling Championship: 1990**, 1993, 1997, 2002, 2009, 2014
- Tipperary Under-21 A Football Championship: 2018*, 2019*
- Mid Tipperary Under-21 A Football Championship: 1998, 2008, 2014, 2017*, 2018*, 2019*
- Mid Tipperary Minor A Hurling Championship: 2016*
- Tipperary Minor B Hurling Championship: 2004
- Mid Tipperary Minor B Hurling Championship: 1989**, 2004, 2012
- Tipperary Minor A Football Championship: 2018*
- Mid Tipperary Minor A Football Championship: 1992, 1994, 1998, 1998, 2000, 2007, 2012, 2014, 2016*, 2017*, 2018*
- Mid Tipperary Junior A Hurling Championship: 1997, 1998
- Tipperary Junior A Football Championship: 2018
- Mid Tipperary Junior A Football Championship: 1997, 1999, 2000, 2018
- Mid Tipperary Junior B Hurling Championship: 1999
- Tipperary Junior B Football Championship: 2003
- Mid Tipperary Junior B Football Championship: 2003, 2007
Notable players
This lists outlines current or former JK Brackens players that have represented and won provincial or national honours with Tipperary. Further information on parish and club players who have represented Tipperary County teams throughout the years can be seen on this page http://www.tippgaaarchives.com/?page_id=14| Player | Tipperary Teams Represented | Honours Won | Notes |
| Brendan Bane | Minor Football 1986 U21 Hurling 1989, 1990 Junior Hurling 1988, 1991, 1992 | Munster U21 Hurling 1989, 1990 All-Ireland U21 Hurling 1989 Munster Junior Hurling 1988, 1991 All-Ireland Junior Hurling 1991 | |
| John Bane | Minor Football 1995 | Munster Minor Football 1995 | |
| Martin Bohan | Minor Football 1968 Masters Hurling 1994, 1996 | Munster Masters Hurling 1994, 1996 All-Ireland Masters Hurling 1994, 1996 | |
| David Bourke | U21 Football 1998 Junior Football 1998 Intermediate Hurling 1998 | Munster Junior Football 1998 All-Ireland Junior Football 1998 | Bourke has also won an All-Ireland Championship with the London Hurlers in the 2005 Nicky Rackard Cup, alongside former Bracken's player Paul Doyle Bourke also has won a Fitgibbon Cup medal with WIT in 2000 |
| Martin Bourke | Junior Hurling 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1992 Masters Hurling 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 | Munster Junior Hurling 1985, 1988 Munster Masters Hurling 2000, 2001, 2003 All-Ireland Masters Hurling 2000, 2001, 2003 | Bourke became the first player from the parish to captain a Tipperary side to honours in the 1988 Munster Junior Hurling Final Bourke was captain when Templemore CBS won its first Harty Cup and Dr. Croke Cup in 1978 |
| Seamus Bourke | Minor Hurling 1975 U21 Hurling 1977, 1978 Senior Hurling 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 Junior Hurling 1985, 1987, 1988 Masters Hurling 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 | Munster U21 Hurling 1978 Munster Junior Hurling 1985, 1988 Munster Masters Hurling 2000, 2001 All-Ireland Masters Hurling 2000, 2001 | Bourke was part of the UCD Fitzgibbon Cup winning teams of 1978 and 1979 |
| Shane Bourke | Minor Hurling 2006 U21 Hurling 2008, 2009 Senior Hurling 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 | All-Ireland Minor Hurling 2006 Munster U21 Hurling 2008 Munster Senior Hurling 2011, 2012, 2015 | Bourke was part of the UCC Fitzgibbon Cup winning teams of 2009 and 2012, captaining the 2012 team |
| Paddy Cadell | Minor Hurling 2016, 2017 U21 Hurling 2018 U20 Hurling 2019 Senior Hurling 2019 | Munster Minor Hurling 2016 All-Ireland Minor Hurling 2016 All-Ireland U21 Hurling 2018 Munster U20 Hurling 2019 All-Ireland U20 Hurling 2019 All-Ireland Senior Hurling 2019 | Cadell captained the victorious Our Lady's Templemore Harty and Croke Cup teams of 2017 Cadell was selected captain of the 2017 Tipperary minor hurling panel Cadell was part of the UCC Fitzgibbon Cup winning teams of 2019 and 2020 Cadell is one of only three GAA players to hold All-Ireland hurling medals at Minor, U20, U21 and Senior levels, and has a distinct record of All-Ireland medals at 6 different grades |
| Jim Cahill | Minor Hurling 1985, 1986 Minor Football 1986 U21 Hurling 1989 U21 Football 1987, 1988, 1989 Junior Hurling 1992, 1993 | Munster U21 Hurling 1989 All-Ireland U21 Hurling 1989 | |
| Sean Collum | Minor Hurling 1989, 1990 Minor Football 1989, 1990 U21 Hurling 1992, 1993 U21 Football 1992, 1993 Junior Hurling 1995, 1996 Intermediate Hurling 1997 Senior Football 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 | Senior Football Tommy Murphy Cup 2005 All-Ireland Senior B Football 1995 | Collum captained the 1993 Tipperary Senior football team to their first appearance in a Munster final in 49 years Collum coached the victories UCD Fitzgibbon Cup team of 2001 |
| Éamonn Corcoran | Minor Hurling 1995 U21 Hurling 1997, 1998 Intermediate Hurling 1997, 1998 Senior Hurling 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 | Munster Senior Hurling 2001, 2009 All-Ireland Senior Hurling 2001 National Hurling League 1999, 2001, 2008 | Corcoran was the club's first senior All-Ireland winner since its foundation He is the club's only All Star, he was selected at right wing back on the 2001 team Corcoran has won 2 Fitzgibbon Cups with WIT in 1999 and 2000, and was awarded the Player of the Tournament for both years |
| Pa Delaney | Junior Hurling 1988 | Munster Junior Hurling 1988 | |
| Ian Delaney | Minor Hurling 2003, 2004 U21 Hurling 2006, 2007 | Munster Minor Hurling 2003 U21 Munster Hurling 2006 | Delaney was a member of the Roscommon senior hurling team that won the 2015 Nicky Rackard Cup |
| Aidan Doyle | Minor Hurling 1996 Minor Football 1996 U21 Hurling 1998 Intermediate Hurling 1998 | Munster Minor Hurling 1996 All-Ireland Minor Hurling 1996 | Doyle was man of the match in the drawn All-Ireland final scoring 4 points from play |
| Lyndon Fairbrother | Minor Hurling 2015, 2016 U21 Hurling 2017, 2018 | Munster Minor Hurling 2015, 2016 All-Ireland Minor Hurling 2016 All-Ireland U21 Hurling 2018 | Fairbrother was awarded the 2015 Young Hurler of the Year by the Munster Council Fairbrother was a member of the victorious Our Lady's Templemore Harty and Croke Cup teams of 2017 |
| Tomas Hamill*** | Minor Hurling 2011, 2012 U21 Hurling 2013, 2014, 2015 Senior Hurling 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 | Munster Minor Hurling 2012 All-Ireland Minor Hurling 2012 Munster Senior Hurling 2015, 2016 All-Ireland Senior Hurling 2016 | Hamill represented JK Brackens at juvenile level only. At senior club level he represented Killea from 2011 to 2013, transferring to Moyne Templetouhy in 2014 Hamill also has won a Fitzgibbon Cup with WIT in 2014 |
| Declan Lynagh | Minor Football 2007 U21 Football 2010 | Munster U21 Football 2010 | |
| Dean McEnroe | Minor Football 2012 U21 Football 2014, 2015 Junior Football 2014, 2015 | Munster Minor Football 2012 Munster U21 Football 2015 | |
| Kevin Mulryan | Minor Hurling 1998, 1999 Minor Football 1998, 1999 U21 Hurling 2001, 2002 U21 Football 2000, 2001, 2002 Junior Football 2000 Senior Football 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 | Munster Minor Hurling 1999 Senior Football Tommy Murphy Cup 2005 National Football League Division 3 2009 | Mulryan was a selector over the victorious Tipperary Minor Football panel which won Munster honours in 2012 |
| Tom Murphy | Minor Hurling 2015, 2016 | Munster Minor Hurling 2015, 2016 All-Ireland Minor Hurling 2016 | |
| Alan O'Riordan | Minor Football 2011 Junior Football 2015 | Munster Minor Football 2011 All-Ireland Minor Football 2011 | |
| Colin O'Riordan | Minor Hurling 2012, 2013 Minor Football 2011, 2012, 2013 U21 Hurling 2013, 2014, 2015 U21 Football 2014, 2015 Senior Hurling 2014 Senior Football 2014, 2015 | Munster Minor Football 2011, 2012 All-Ireland Minor Football 2011 All-Ireland Minor Hurling 2012 Munster U21 Football 2015 National Football League Division 4 2014 | O'Riordan became the only the second clubman to captain a victories Tipperary side when he led the U21 footballers to the 2015 Munster Championship He was only 15 when he won an All-Ireland Minor Football title He became the second clubman to be nominated to an All-Star for the 2014 Football team He was vote GAA U21 Player of the Year in 2015 In 2015, O'Riordan was signed by the Australian Rules Football team Sydney Swans where currently plays |
| Kevin O'Riordan | Minor Football 2007, 2008 U21 Football 2010, 2011 | Munster U21 Football 2010 | |
| Andrew Ormond | Minor Hurling 2017 U20 Hurling 2019 | Munster U20 Hurling 2019 All-Ireland U20 Hurling 2019 | Ormond was a member of the victorious Our Lady's Templemore Harty and Croke Cup teams of 2017 |
| Darren Owens | Minor Football 1995 U21 Football 1996 | Munster Minor Football 1995 | Owens scored the winning goal in the Munster minor decider of 1995 |
Note: *** Represented JK Brackens at juvenile level only
GAA Scór
JK Brackens places a substantial emphases on the cultural aspects of the GAA and has become one of the county's leading Scór clubs gaining recognition nationally. This arm of the club is centered in Clonmore village where these activities are given the same level of credence as on the field activities.Recent significant successes include Scór Sinsear Set Dancing Munster titles in 2013 & 2017 and an All-Ireland title in 2013. Furthermore, Clonmore man Noel Joyce has won treble Munster and All-Ireland Scór titles in 2013, 2015 and 2017 in the Recitation competition. Additionally, in 2015 Noel coached Ciarán Byrne to claim Scór na nÓg Munster and All-Ireland awards.
Playing Fields
Páirc Shíleáin
Páirc Shíleáin is the home grounds for the JK Brackens GAA club, is located in the Town Park area of Templemore Town. The pitch was first levelled, sodded and enclosed by local Templemore GAA volunteers in 1924 but this tenancy was initially a turbulent one and involved many strict conditions from landlords Templemore UDC, including no training, a fee per match played and ground sharing with the newly formed Templemore RFC. A suitable agreement was eventually reached between Templemore GAA and the Urban Council in ’53 and the venue was officially opened on 8 May 1955 when the Tipperary played Wexford in a senior hurling tournament. On that occasion the grounds were dedicated to St. Sileann, the patron saint of Templemore.Tipperary hosted the Kilkenny hurlers on 28 May 1980 marking the officially opening of the clubhouse, The Carroll and Grant Pavilion, named in memory of two local Gaels, Arthur Carroll and Bill Grant who both won All-Ireland football medals with Tipperary in 1920,. A spectator stand was completed in 1994, Tipperary beating Dublin in a hurling challenge on that occasion.
Since the club's foundation, Páirc Shíleáin has been the club's home ground for training and matches for both senior and juvenile clubs. Over these years several additional facilities have been added such as a spectator stand extension, a clubhouse extension, electronic scoreboard, hurling wall with an additional training area