Carbery Rangers GAA Club

A Brief Club History

The Carbery Rangers club was founded in the year 1887. The first meeting was held on November 10th 1887 in a house which stood on the site which in now the Celtic Ross Hotel.

The first officers elected at that meeting were:

• President: Geoff Wycherly Ardagh
• Treasurer: P. D. Keohane, Ross
• Secretary: T. J O'Mahoney Ross
• Captain: Michael Hubbert Ross
• Committee: J. O'Donovan, P. O'Donovan, Tim Collins,
  D. Hayes, John Deasy, Con Cahalane, S. Hicks.

As far as the name of the club is concerned, we are fortunate in so far as some of the earliest match reports give the name Carbery Rangers or in some cases Rosscarbery Rangers. This title was changed briefly in 1890 to the name Michael Dwyer in response to a request that all clubs should adopt patriotic names. As to why the name Carbery Rangers was chosen in the beginning we just don't know, but it can be assumed that it had connotations of athletic ability, durability, and fearlessness in the rangers part of the title. The Carbery part obviously came from the title of the barony, the colours of the club at the beginning would seem to have been green and gold, as the report of the monster meeting held in Ross early in 1888, refers to the members of the newly formed G. A. A. club being dressed in their "orange & green "uniforms.

The present colours of the Carbery Rangers are green, white, & gold hoops, a design that dated back most likely to the time when the club was reorganised prior to 1900.

The first match played by the club under G.A.A. rules was played on the 4th of December 1887 at Downeen in a field which was part of lands of castle Downeen, the field which was situated a fair distance from Ross but it did not deter a Hugh throng of people from attending the match ,up to 4,000 people are said to have witnessed the game against (O' Briens) Skibbereen and resulted in a win for the Rangers. The first championship was won in 1906, this was the West Cork senior football championship, the team reached the county final but lost to Fermoy in the intervening years the club won the West Cork intermediate on one occasion and the junior on nine occasions. In addition to this we have won under age titles from under 12 to under 21 on numerous occasions. Hurling has been played in the club from time to time and two West Cork junior B titles in 1942 and 1963.

The club has also been heavily involved in scor since its inception and has won county titles in novelty act, and question time and recitation as well as numerous West Cork titles in solo singing and ballad group and dancing.

The club purchased a field at Curriheen in 1970 and this was developed into a first class pitch with dressing rooms and facilities. Recently the club developed a second playing pitch in Ardagh and hope to commence playing there in 2003.