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Fiercest Club Rivalries

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Replying To lilywhite1:  "Sarsfields and Moorefield in Newbridge."
Try currin gaa which is in Monaghan, Cavan and fermanagh.

A row about who the currin players represent on the cointy was settled long ago. Monaghan county team have the right to select players from Cavan and Fermanagh part of the club.

Funnily enough a cassidy lad elected to play for Cavan in the 1920s although he lived in the Monaghan part of the parish

Bernardo (Monaghan) - Posts: 594 - 02/05/2019 14:24:04    2181454

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Rathnew v St Patrick's, Wicklow Town

Small families, same parish, cousins play cousins, in some families, brothers play brothers depending on the arrangement within the family between husband and wife about which club they demand the children play for. With both clubs being relatively successful, Rathnew obviously more successful, this match can be Wicklow's to Galatasaray and Fenerbahce. Often the parade is where the first boxes are thrown.

Wicklowman (Wicklow) - Posts: 1138 - 07/05/2019 20:47:28    2182370

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Replying To Bernardo:  "Try currin gaa which is in Monaghan, Cavan and fermanagh.

A row about who the currin players represent on the cointy was settled long ago. Monaghan county team have the right to select players from Cavan and Fermanagh part of the club.

Funnily enough a cassidy lad elected to play for Cavan in the 1920s although he lived in the Monaghan part of the parish"
Was he any relation

mhunicean_abu (Monaghan) - Posts: 1044 - 07/05/2019 21:29:18    2182378

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Replying To Meathmaverick:  "What way does it work in newbridge Lilywhite?
Is the town split in half ? certain schools are feeder schools for each club or is it all random?
Must have been a real buzz around newbridge when they met in county finals."
Meathmaverick, the division between Sarsfields and Moorefield in Newbridge is on a north south divide. So yes basically the town is split in two. Generally the border is at main street/ Charlotte Street between the Bank of Ireland on one side and a chemist on the other side and is refereed to locally jokingly as the demilitarised zone. South of that is Moorefield and north is Sarsfields. That's the general distinction but doesn't arbitrarily follow in that you would have a few Moorefield supporters in the North though they are very much a rare species. There would be more Sarsfields supporters on the Southside since the first County council houses were built the supporters were mixed but Sarsfields supporters were and still are in the minority in those housing estates.

There is also the flags issue when the teams meet in a county final. This is based on the geography. From the bank corner Northwards, Sarsfields are permitted to put their flags on the lampposts, Likewise Moorefield to the South from the chemist opposite. The only exception is if a business owner wants to put up his flag he may do so, if he is inside 'enemy' territory. However to the north there is never a business with a Moorefield flag. From Charlotte Street each team is allotted one side of the street until the Railway station. Beyond that it is Sarsfields flags only as it is on the approach road to their clubhouse. The same applies to lampposts outsides the houses on the approach to the Moorefield clubhouse. These rules have evolved over the years and are rarely violated and if they are the chairmen of both clubs will sort it out between them.

Certain schools act as a feeder for the teams so it's not really random . One School would provide mostly Sarsfields players but not exclusively so while a second would provide exclusively Moorefield. Leaving aside the girls secondary there is a mixed secondary but I'm not sure of the ratio from that one. Sarsfields have acquired a few players over the years from rugby playing Newbridge College. The Sarsfields heartland of Roseberry is next door to the college. No Moorefield flags ever fly there.

There is an electric atmosphere on County final days when the teams meet. The rivalry is intense and sometimes bitter, but generally good natured but has been known to come to blows over the years. The nature of the rivalry is such that it divides families never mind friends. In some case it's Husband against wives, boyfriends and girlfriends, cousins against cousins brother against brothers, sisters against. Uncles and Aunts against nephews and at least in one case a father against a son. Some pubs are Sarsfields and some are Moorefield. One pub has been described as an ecumenical one where on match days members of the two tribes congregate after the game. Generally there is respect if sometimes grudging on both sides for the other.

Both clubs keep each other on their toes and both have large memberships and huge nurseries every Saturday. Should both reach the championship final this year it will be particularly tense and bitter affair. Moorefield are going for three in a row, attempting to equal Sarsfields three in a row record which no other Kildare club has achieved. Without doubt both teams have been the two best in Kildare over the last 18 years.

If one of them is in a county final the supporters of the other would support whoever their opponent is even if that team was the one that deprived their team of a place in the final. When one of them loses in a final the other will celebrate. Very few players in the history of both clubs have played senior for both. Therefore transfers of senior players between clubs is unheard of. It would be like a member of the DUP joining Sinn Fein or vice versa. On county final nights both teams and their supporters will go to their respective clubhouses to either celebrate or lick their wounds but the players and officials of the losing team will be invited by the winners for a drink on the Monday.
Apologies if the post was a bit long but it's difficult to describe the rivalry between the two teams in a few sentences.

lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 2989 - 08/05/2019 14:25:45    2182493

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Replying To lilywhite1:  "Meathmaverick, the division between Sarsfields and Moorefield in Newbridge is on a north south divide. So yes basically the town is split in two. Generally the border is at main street/ Charlotte Street between the Bank of Ireland on one side and a chemist on the other side and is refereed to locally jokingly as the demilitarised zone. South of that is Moorefield and north is Sarsfields. That's the general distinction but doesn't arbitrarily follow in that you would have a few Moorefield supporters in the North though they are very much a rare species. There would be more Sarsfields supporters on the Southside since the first County council houses were built the supporters were mixed but Sarsfields supporters were and still are in the minority in those housing estates.

There is also the flags issue when the teams meet in a county final. This is based on the geography. From the bank corner Northwards, Sarsfields are permitted to put their flags on the lampposts, Likewise Moorefield to the South from the chemist opposite. The only exception is if a business owner wants to put up his flag he may do so, if he is inside 'enemy' territory. However to the north there is never a business with a Moorefield flag. From Charlotte Street each team is allotted one side of the street until the Railway station. Beyond that it is Sarsfields flags only as it is on the approach road to their clubhouse. The same applies to lampposts outsides the houses on the approach to the Moorefield clubhouse. These rules have evolved over the years and are rarely violated and if they are the chairmen of both clubs will sort it out between them.

Certain schools act as a feeder for the teams so it's not really random . One School would provide mostly Sarsfields players but not exclusively so while a second would provide exclusively Moorefield. Leaving aside the girls secondary there is a mixed secondary but I'm not sure of the ratio from that one. Sarsfields have acquired a few players over the years from rugby playing Newbridge College. The Sarsfields heartland of Roseberry is next door to the college. No Moorefield flags ever fly there.

There is an electric atmosphere on County final days when the teams meet. The rivalry is intense and sometimes bitter, but generally good natured but has been known to come to blows over the years. The nature of the rivalry is such that it divides families never mind friends. In some case it's Husband against wives, boyfriends and girlfriends, cousins against cousins brother against brothers, sisters against. Uncles and Aunts against nephews and at least in one case a father against a son. Some pubs are Sarsfields and some are Moorefield. One pub has been described as an ecumenical one where on match days members of the two tribes congregate after the game. Generally there is respect if sometimes grudging on both sides for the other.

Both clubs keep each other on their toes and both have large memberships and huge nurseries every Saturday. Should both reach the championship final this year it will be particularly tense and bitter affair. Moorefield are going for three in a row, attempting to equal Sarsfields three in a row record which no other Kildare club has achieved. Without doubt both teams have been the two best in Kildare over the last 18 years.

If one of them is in a county final the supporters of the other would support whoever their opponent is even if that team was the one that deprived their team of a place in the final. When one of them loses in a final the other will celebrate. Very few players in the history of both clubs have played senior for both. Therefore transfers of senior players between clubs is unheard of. It would be like a member of the DUP joining Sinn Fein or vice versa. On county final nights both teams and their supporters will go to their respective clubhouses to either celebrate or lick their wounds but the players and officials of the losing team will be invited by the winners for a drink on the Monday.
Apologies if the post was a bit long but it's difficult to describe the rivalry between the two teams in a few sentences."
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Fair play Lilywhite. I hope you're getting a proper journalist's fee for this!

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7336 - 08/05/2019 15:25:18    2182508

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Replying To lilywhite1:  "Meathmaverick, the division between Sarsfields and Moorefield in Newbridge is on a north south divide. So yes basically the town is split in two. Generally the border is at main street/ Charlotte Street between the Bank of Ireland on one side and a chemist on the other side and is refereed to locally jokingly as the demilitarised zone. South of that is Moorefield and north is Sarsfields. That's the general distinction but doesn't arbitrarily follow in that you would have a few Moorefield supporters in the North though they are very much a rare species. There would be more Sarsfields supporters on the Southside since the first County council houses were built the supporters were mixed but Sarsfields supporters were and still are in the minority in those housing estates.

There is also the flags issue when the teams meet in a county final. This is based on the geography. From the bank corner Northwards, Sarsfields are permitted to put their flags on the lampposts, Likewise Moorefield to the South from the chemist opposite. The only exception is if a business owner wants to put up his flag he may do so, if he is inside 'enemy' territory. However to the north there is never a business with a Moorefield flag. From Charlotte Street each team is allotted one side of the street until the Railway station. Beyond that it is Sarsfields flags only as it is on the approach road to their clubhouse. The same applies to lampposts outsides the houses on the approach to the Moorefield clubhouse. These rules have evolved over the years and are rarely violated and if they are the chairmen of both clubs will sort it out between them.

Certain schools act as a feeder for the teams so it's not really random . One School would provide mostly Sarsfields players but not exclusively so while a second would provide exclusively Moorefield. Leaving aside the girls secondary there is a mixed secondary but I'm not sure of the ratio from that one. Sarsfields have acquired a few players over the years from rugby playing Newbridge College. The Sarsfields heartland of Roseberry is next door to the college. No Moorefield flags ever fly there.

There is an electric atmosphere on County final days when the teams meet. The rivalry is intense and sometimes bitter, but generally good natured but has been known to come to blows over the years. The nature of the rivalry is such that it divides families never mind friends. In some case it's Husband against wives, boyfriends and girlfriends, cousins against cousins brother against brothers, sisters against. Uncles and Aunts against nephews and at least in one case a father against a son. Some pubs are Sarsfields and some are Moorefield. One pub has been described as an ecumenical one where on match days members of the two tribes congregate after the game. Generally there is respect if sometimes grudging on both sides for the other.

Both clubs keep each other on their toes and both have large memberships and huge nurseries every Saturday. Should both reach the championship final this year it will be particularly tense and bitter affair. Moorefield are going for three in a row, attempting to equal Sarsfields three in a row record which no other Kildare club has achieved. Without doubt both teams have been the two best in Kildare over the last 18 years.

If one of them is in a county final the supporters of the other would support whoever their opponent is even if that team was the one that deprived their team of a place in the final. When one of them loses in a final the other will celebrate. Very few players in the history of both clubs have played senior for both. Therefore transfers of senior players between clubs is unheard of. It would be like a member of the DUP joining Sinn Fein or vice versa. On county final nights both teams and their supporters will go to their respective clubhouses to either celebrate or lick their wounds but the players and officials of the losing team will be invited by the winners for a drink on the Monday.
Apologies if the post was a bit long but it's difficult to describe the rivalry between the two teams in a few sentences."
class post!!!! very well written too, last part there about the losing team being invited is interesting but also noble of the winners.

theweanling (Cavan) - Posts: 414 - 08/05/2019 15:37:43    2182515

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Carrick Swans and Carrick Davins in Tipp. There used to be only one club in Carrick-on-Suir before a feud caused a split.

Killarney.87 (Tipperary) - Posts: 2513 - 08/05/2019 16:11:37    2182533

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Thanks GrenandRed and theweanling for your kind comments.

lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 2989 - 08/05/2019 21:14:01    2182601

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Replying To lilywhite1:  "Meathmaverick, the division between Sarsfields and Moorefield in Newbridge is on a north south divide. So yes basically the town is split in two. Generally the border is at main street/ Charlotte Street between the Bank of Ireland on one side and a chemist on the other side and is refereed to locally jokingly as the demilitarised zone. South of that is Moorefield and north is Sarsfields. That's the general distinction but doesn't arbitrarily follow in that you would have a few Moorefield supporters in the North though they are very much a rare species. There would be more Sarsfields supporters on the Southside since the first County council houses were built the supporters were mixed but Sarsfields supporters were and still are in the minority in those housing estates.

There is also the flags issue when the teams meet in a county final. This is based on the geography. From the bank corner Northwards, Sarsfields are permitted to put their flags on the lampposts, Likewise Moorefield to the South from the chemist opposite. The only exception is if a business owner wants to put up his flag he may do so, if he is inside 'enemy' territory. However to the north there is never a business with a Moorefield flag. From Charlotte Street each team is allotted one side of the street until the Railway station. Beyond that it is Sarsfields flags only as it is on the approach road to their clubhouse. The same applies to lampposts outsides the houses on the approach to the Moorefield clubhouse. These rules have evolved over the years and are rarely violated and if they are the chairmen of both clubs will sort it out between them.

Certain schools act as a feeder for the teams so it's not really random . One School would provide mostly Sarsfields players but not exclusively so while a second would provide exclusively Moorefield. Leaving aside the girls secondary there is a mixed secondary but I'm not sure of the ratio from that one. Sarsfields have acquired a few players over the years from rugby playing Newbridge College. The Sarsfields heartland of Roseberry is next door to the college. No Moorefield flags ever fly there.

There is an electric atmosphere on County final days when the teams meet. The rivalry is intense and sometimes bitter, but generally good natured but has been known to come to blows over the years. The nature of the rivalry is such that it divides families never mind friends. In some case it's Husband against wives, boyfriends and girlfriends, cousins against cousins brother against brothers, sisters against. Uncles and Aunts against nephews and at least in one case a father against a son. Some pubs are Sarsfields and some are Moorefield. One pub has been described as an ecumenical one where on match days members of the two tribes congregate after the game. Generally there is respect if sometimes grudging on both sides for the other.

Both clubs keep each other on their toes and both have large memberships and huge nurseries every Saturday. Should both reach the championship final this year it will be particularly tense and bitter affair. Moorefield are going for three in a row, attempting to equal Sarsfields three in a row record which no other Kildare club has achieved. Without doubt both teams have been the two best in Kildare over the last 18 years.

If one of them is in a county final the supporters of the other would support whoever their opponent is even if that team was the one that deprived their team of a place in the final. When one of them loses in a final the other will celebrate. Very few players in the history of both clubs have played senior for both. Therefore transfers of senior players between clubs is unheard of. It would be like a member of the DUP joining Sinn Fein or vice versa. On county final nights both teams and their supporters will go to their respective clubhouses to either celebrate or lick their wounds but the players and officials of the losing team will be invited by the winners for a drink on the Monday.
Apologies if the post was a bit long but it's difficult to describe the rivalry between the two teams in a few sentences."
That's brilliant, fair play to you!! I've family who played senior for Sarsfields as they lived on the north side yet their father had played for Moorefield. I've always felt that having the two teams from the one town only helped making the two clubs stronger. I'd always thought the border was there are mcdonnels pub on main street. Great support and plenty of colour always for both teams.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 1898 - 08/05/2019 23:14:02    2182614

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Replying To lilywhite1:  "Thanks GrenandRed and theweanling for your kind comments."
Brilliant to see you getting the recognition you deserve on the main page lillywhite. Well done my old friend.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 09/05/2019 08:06:15    2182641

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Replying To Bon:  "That's brilliant, fair play to you!! I've family who played senior for Sarsfields as they lived on the north side yet their father had played for Moorefield. I've always felt that having the two teams from the one town only helped making the two clubs stronger. I'd always thought the border was there are mcdonnels pub on main street. Great support and plenty of colour always for both teams."
Thanks Bon. While it could be argued that McDonnells is the border the generally accepted one is the bank of Ireland corner/ Charlotte street. Moorefield can have their flags as far as Young's chemist and Penny's opposite and Sarsfields can have theirs as far as the bank on one side and the post Office on the other.
Then there is a gap between main street and the right angled Charlotte street where no flags fly hence the term demilitarized zone.

lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 2989 - 09/05/2019 10:15:36    2182664

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Replying To royaldunne:  "Brilliant to see you getting the recognition you deserve on the main page lillywhite. Well done my old friend."
Thanks royaldunne for your kind comments. I appreciate it my friend.

lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 2989 - 09/05/2019 10:17:46    2182665

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Replying To lilywhite1:  "Thanks Bon. While it could be argued that McDonnells is the border the generally accepted one is the bank of Ireland corner/ Charlotte street. Moorefield can have their flags as far as Young's chemist and Penny's opposite and Sarsfields can have theirs as far as the bank on one side and the post Office on the other.
Then there is a gap between main street and the right angled Charlotte street where no flags fly hence the term demilitarized zone."
Ah right, makes perfect sense. This rivalry is a prime example of how two clubs in such close proximity in one town can drive each other on, hence they've dominated football between them for as long as I can remember.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 1898 - 09/05/2019 11:22:49    2182687

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In West Dublin, Clondalkin Round Towers and Lucan Sarsfields.

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2517 - 09/05/2019 12:23:03    2182702

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Arles Killeen v Arles Kilcruise in Laois is absolutely bitter.

CmonAymonow (Laois) - Posts: 160 - 09/05/2019 16:18:53    2182775

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