im not from the area and im just wondering why there is 2 clubs in the town of Leixlip?-Leixlip and Confey
I believe confey was formed relatively recently,1989 i was told.
surely not just because of population as Leixlip has a smaller population than Celbridge and Naas who both have just one club.
Surely they would have been better off and be in a stronger position to stay as one club?why did this split come about?

KingOfSting (Kildare) - Posts: 33 - 27/11/2009 23:19:04    496619

coz confey players werent getting their game

LovelyCounty (Leitrim) - Posts: 69 - 27/11/2009 23:48:53    496634

KingOfSting
County: Kildare
Posts: 25

496619 im not from the area and im just wondering why there is 2 clubs in the town of Leixlip?-Leixlip and Confey
I believe confey was formed relatively recently,1989 i was told.
surely not just because of population as Leixlip has a smaller population than Celbridge and Naas who both have just one club.
Surely they would have been better off and be in a stronger position to stay as one club?why did this split come about?

A split never came about, the village of Leixlip is divided into two parishes; St. Mary's and Confey. The Leixlip (St. Mary's) club was founded back as far as 1900 or before as far as I know. Confey, the younger team was only founded in 1989 by local residents. Up until the 1980's Confey was much the smaller of the two parishes in terms of population, schools, shops etc, and never had a local GAA team, nor soccer team (Leixlip United / Confey FC are the two main clubs now). The GAA club itself was founded by five or six "country" men, one of whom Creighton Park is named after. The idea behind setting up the club I suppose was as a means of keeping up their involvement in GAA, and as a way of providing a closer to home team for kids in the parish. The club was formally recognised by the GAA in early 1989 and moved into the grounds it still holds now, at Cope Bridge the following year. It was initially a football club with the first hurling team formed a few years after the clubs foundation.

Geographically speaking there's only about a mile and a half between both grounds.With St. Mary's parish occupying the southern and western part of the town, while Confey is situated up Captain's Hill, being much the smaller of the two in terms of population and size. The Rye River flows through the village and is generally seen as a crossing point between both areas.

That's pretty much all I can give you without getting to tied up boring details of the town and it's layout and the history between the two parishes all that, no split ever occured, just the foundation of the Confey club to provide for locals of the small parish.

if_in_doubt (Kildare) - Posts: 3694 - 28/11/2009 00:33:52    496658

an old rivalry that occurred long before the ball was bounced in leixlip

sexyface (Kildare) - Posts: 175 - 28/11/2009 00:58:51    496677

2parishes both wanted their own gaa simple as

Rambo (None) - Posts: 109 - 28/11/2009 03:22:21    496705

fair enough, but strange enough to have 2 'parishes that share the same town all the same.

KingOfSting (Kildare) - Posts: 33 - 28/11/2009 14:59:05    496843

probably better off as two parishes ,serious bit of rivalry there now

Birrbuck (Kildare) - Posts: 34 - 02/12/2009 09:26:54    500315

Birrbuck
County: Kildare
Posts: 16

500315 probably better off as two parishes ,serious bit of rivalry there now

True that. Be like turning around to Celtic and Rangers and saying "sure there's no need for two teams in Glasgow, would ye not just join together lads?"

if_in_doubt (Kildare) - Posts: 3694 - 03/12/2009 08:56:35    501634

there are many that the thought of those two parishes merging makes them sick, as wit any celtic ranger fans

Birrbuck (Kildare) - Posts: 34 - 03/12/2009 18:21:10    502168

well unlike Celtic and Rangers who dominate their league,Leixlip and Confey together would surely be a much greater force in Kildare,rather than Leixlip constantly remaining a step away from the title break through,and Confey operating as an intermediate club (speaking in footballing terms).
Looking at the respective underage teams' situations ,paticularly in Confey, it seems that the 2 clubs of this town could do operating as 1 club now more than ever. When Confey set up in '89 as the town's second club there was a much younger population in the area than today.

However i am just playing devil's advocate ,before anyone starts giving grief.

KingOfSting (Kildare) - Posts: 33 - 04/12/2009 00:55:32    502622

KingOfSting
County: Kildare
Posts: 30

However i am just playing devil's advocate ,before anyone starts giving grief.



I think you are. If you lived in the area then you might have some sort of idea but it sounds like you are just trying to stir up trouble. Confey and Leixlip are two separate identities. The two clubs have had success in recent years unlike 'sole-parish clubs'..... when was the last time Suncroft won a Senior Hurling Championship (Confey 2007 & 2008) or Athy won a Minor Hurling Championship (Leixlip 2009)? As for the football aspect, you say Confey are intermediate club and would profit from joining Leixlip.....do you actually know your football...Confey defeated Leixlip in this year's SFC and if it were not for some shocking refereeing in the play-off final then Naas would have been relegated.
Picking the best from the two clubs obviously would make a stronger outfit but that's like asking Sarsfields and Moorefield to join together....NEVER GONNA HAPPEN!!!!
My argument with you is that you belittle the two clubs achievements.... Confey won Leinster Intermediate title in 2006 and performed well at senior level, running Sarsfields close in a SFC quarter in 2008, their hurlers won 2007 & 2008...... Leixlip have also been on the brink of SFC success in recent years and who is saying they cant go on and win it next year.... St. Laurence's were knocking on the door long before they won it.....on top of that...the two clubs are currently dominating the Senior Ladies Football scene at the moment..... how many clubs can claim to have (apart from Celbridge) and roughly speaking next year as COnfey will be back at intermediate level in football....three senior teams competing....
I think you should leave Leixlip and Confey to get on with it......both clubs have fine traditions and to all the southern boys who say the clubs are in Dublin....totally wrong..... if you dont believe me.,...try get a train from Leixlip or Confey to Croke Park when Kildare are playing in Croke Park...... you do be lucky to squeeze in the door.... I'd say 65 percent of Kildare fans going to support Kildare in Croker come from Maynooth, Kilcock, Leixlip, Celbridge and Confey

yearofthelily (Kildare) - Posts: 279 - 04/12/2009 16:36:11    503090

i definitely agree with that figure. im from maynooth so i got on there but by the time the train hit leixlip on leinster final day it was already jammers! some people just decided not to get on and wait for d next one!!! it was so stuffy it was sickening!

IdeaSuns (Kildare) - Posts: 49 - 05/12/2009 15:37:13    504047

i agree wit the last two post, but lads u cant use the train from leixlip as a representation of how many ppl from that area go to croke park to support kildare.. u shud kno well dat ppl come in huge crowds from south kildare and park up thier cars before hitting dublin to get the train, saves them hitting bad traffic on match day.

Birrbuck (Kildare) - Posts: 34 - 09/12/2009 19:03:12    508793