Muintir Bháire GAA

Muintir Bháire GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Durrus, County Cork, Ireland. The club fields teams in Gaelic football only. The club take part in competitions organized by Carbery division of Cork.

History

There are references to a club in Durrus in 1888 playing Skibbereen. However there was a near total failure of the potato crop in 1890 and a mood of panic gripped the area, resulting in a drop in the number of clubs from 38 to 2. In the early years rules were loose and matches sometimes developed into a melee. In the 1930s the playing field was in Clashadoo opposite the former schoolhouse. Teams would often travel to matches in the back of Jackie Cronin's lorry. Over the years players from the area included Robert O’Sullivan (he is a brother of Danny O’Sullivan publican and later joined the Gardaí) he played minor football for Cork in the 1968s.

The G.A.A in the parish went through many changes. The only record that exist of any Trophies won was a West Cork Junior 2 title in 1932 with a team captained by Bill Kennedy from Dunmanus.(dec:2004) The Parish was destined to wait 60 years to repeat this feat. The parish were represented by a side called Western Stars in the 60s but that too collapsed due to emigration and lack of leadership. This was all to change when two committed individuals Tim Cronin & Sean O Suilleabhain organised a meeting to form a new club in the early 70s & it was agreed to call Muintir Bhaire. With Tim as Chairman and Sean as Runai it was all systems go. The most notable even came in the mid 70s when the reached a West Cork Junior Final but alas defeat was their lot. Emigration was again to play a part in the near demise of the Club during the 80s when the brightest and best left the area to seek their fortune in the U.S.A. The arrival of Joe O Driscoll N.T. to the local school coincided with a crop of talented pupils put the Club back on track winning games @ Fe 12 & 14.