According to records, Dundrum GFC was first established in 1932. However, due to a lack of funds, players and a venue, the club folded in 1941. There is a paucity of factual information about this period in the club’s history, and so, little is known about club activities around this time.

Fast forward nine years to April 1950 and the club was on the brink of reforming. A chance meeting between Tommy McShane (RIP), Pat McClean (RIP) and Jerome Flynn took place in EJ Flynn’s (RIP) shop. After a while the conversation turned to football which prompted Pat McClean to suggest a reformation of the team in the village. Pat saw this as a viable proposition as there were many players from the village playing for other clubs such as Annsborough, Ballykinlar and Bryansford. It was decided that these players would be approached to see whether they would be interested in returning to play for the club. A meeting was pencilled in for the 12th of May and all interested parties were asked to be present.

On the 12th of May 1950 a large gathering of enthusiastic players and local GAA enthusiasts gathered in the parochial hall to form the team and committee. The election of officers was as follows:

President – Rev. Fr. Gogarty (RIP)
Chairman – Mr WP Glavin (RIP)
Treasurer – Mr EJ Flynn (RIP)
Secretary – Mr Aloyisus Rooney (RIP).

The team entered the Down League setup in 1951 and success quickly followed. In August 1952 the Summer League was captured and the following year the Lecale League was annexed. Then in 1957 the side captured the Junior Championship for the first time. The way the League was structured at the time meant that in 1958 after coming second in the Junior League the team got promoted to the Senior League for the 1959 season. This stay in the top echelon of Down football was short lived as the side were immediately relegated in October of that year. This marked the end of the 50’s and during this period of relative success home games were played at no less than four different venues. These included McKibben’s meadow, McCormick’s, Joe Rooney’s field and John Walsh’s along the river.

The 1960’s began with not one but two All Ireland Medals coming to the club. These were won by Eddie McKay who was goalkeeper on the all conquering Down teams of 60’ and 61’. Eddie also picked up two National League medals in 60’ and 62’.

The 60’s started with so much promise but as the years went on the Senior team found it more difficult to fulfil fixtures. This was due to the fact that there was little coming through from the juvenile ranks. Therefore the club folded in 1966.

In 1972 the club was revitalised again due to the increased numbers of youth coming through the local schools. Names such as McCormick, Redmond, McKibben, Forsythe, McShane and Smith became synonymous with the Senior team and together with a few older, more experienced players Dundrum won their second Junior Championship in 1976.

Shortly after winning the Junior Championship Walsh’s meadow was sold and the team began to play again at Joe Rooney’s field. This pitch was susceptible to flooding on occasion, so under the chairmanship of Pat Lennon it was decided that the club should look in to the prospect of acquiring their own pitch. In 1979 this dream became reality when Joe Rooney’s field was purchased for £10,000. At this time the club had only £350 in the bank. However, a grant from the Department of Education was secured to help with the funding. The grant was to be awarded on the condition that a strip of land on the road side of the railway track was to be bought. In stepped Jarlath Carey who negotiated a price of £12,500 for the piece of land from Mr and Mrs R Savage. After this the bank interest rate was settled at 16% plus 2% going to the National Trust. The committee then sold Joe’s house plus a 4 yard wide path around the pitch for £9,500. This left a balance (overdrawn) of £13,000.

At the time the decisions made by those leading the project came in to question. One wag joked that the club had bought a field but the tide was out. However, the committee carried on undaunted and began to enquire about planning grants and loans from Croke Park. Added to this was £6,500 worth of interest free loans from club members. The club in due course paid these back but for the exception of three who gifted their amount to the project.

During this period the De Courcey Way housing development was being built. At this time the club struck a deal with the developer which led to the soil from the site being used for the new pitch. It was envisaged that this soil (23,000 tonnes of it) would raise the pitch above the high level water mark. This it did and following on from planning permission being granted, work started in earnest on the 14th of February 1983. Cunningham and Walsh Contractors were to carry out the task of developing the new grounds with Mr Vincent Murray being utilised as the architect.

All the work at the pitch was completed in early October 1983. However, it wasn’t until May of 1985 that the first game was played there. That day Dundrum Seniors drew with parish rivals Ballykinlar 0-09 apiece.

In the following years many efforts were made to ease the debt that the construction of the new pitch had brought about. Numerous functions and Guest Teas were organised but although they made a profit, something was needed on a larger scale. Then in late 1987 a GAA club from Elphin, County Roscommon, approached the Chairman Jack Kielty (RIP) to join in with them in a grand scale draw. The club agreed to this and along with the Bowls and Badminton committees, people set about selling tickets. One notable aspect of this exciting departure was that Oliver Doran managed to sell a staggering 170 tickets at £100 a go. The draw was made in Athlone on the 18th of December 1988. Although there were no local winners, the cash raised by it led to a clear profit for the club of nearly £20,000.

Funnily enough the club’s upturn in financial fortunes coincided with a revival of the Senior team. In 1987 the team won promotion from Division 4 and within twelve calendar months Division 3 was conquered with the Seniors sitting pretty in Division 2 by 1989. Astute managers such as Eddie McKay, Eddie Campbell and Ned King all had a big part to play in the side’s success at this time. A tremendous fifth place finish in Division 2 in 1992 was testament to how far the club had progressed over the years. During these exciting times the club furnished three players to the successful Down All Ireland winning team of 1987. Patrick Kielty (later to be of TV fame), John Kielty and Martin Carey all played their part in this historic winning team.

After slipping back in to obscurity in the mid 90’s, the Senior’s had only a Junior Championship final appearance in 1997 to show for their efforts. However, in recent years it has been clear to see that the hopes and aspirations for the future can be easily realised with a superb line of talent coming through the juvenile ranks.

A GAA club is not all about football. Over the years Dundrum have immersed themselves in the Scor as well as many innovative youth and coaching initiatives. Off the field of play tribute must also be paid to those hard working committee members who work extremely diligently to keep the club up and running. Thoughts also return to those members who have since passed on. Former chairman Jack Kielty (RIP), ardent lifelong supporter Gerry McComiskey (RIP), Mr Dundrum himself Tommy McShane (RIP) and the club’s first secretary Aloysius Rooney (RIP) are just some of the many characters whom the club have lost.

2005 turned out to be a superb year for the club. The Senior team won the Junior Football Championship for the first time in 29 years. Paul McComiskey brought an All Ireland Minor medal back to the club and John Morgan coached that young band of warriors to glory. Long may it continue!

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