About our club

Canovee GAA Club is situated on the northern side of the parish of Kilmurry, and is a club of the Muskerry division of County Cork. The club, which was re-formed in 1893, changed names a number of times in the early years of its existence. It began life under the name Carrigadrohid Castle Defenders, later to become known as St Johns and finally settled on the name Canovee around 1910. 

Gaelic Games, and in particular hurling, were played in the Canovee area long before the foundation of the G.A.A. and Canovee had a hurling team of note in the middle of the 19th century. Football became popular about 1880 and players from Canovee played with the Kilmurry Parish Team, which reached the County Senior Semi-Final in 1890. John Hinchon, Knockavullig and Con Moynihan, Bawnatemple were selected on the first Cork County Senior team. In 1896 St. Johns, Canovee, tasted success in the Ryecourt Tournament, a very important competition at that time, by defeating Clondrohid. In the beginning Canovee was both a football and hurling club. Football soon became the predominant game, however, with players of hurling lining out with other local teams. 

Over the years the club has won many Mid-Cork and County titles at Junior and Intermediate levels and many of its players have gone on to represent the county. From various records it appears that the first title won by the club was at Junior level in 1911 when Canovee defeated Mourneabbey in the County final. The following year the club reached the Minor County Final. The trophy, that year however, was eventually awarded to the opponents, Banteer, after a heated replay, which was abandoned before the end.

Little record is available of the club during the 1920's but a Junior team was again entered into competition in 1932. The following year the team reached the Final. A motion to disband the club in 1939 was defeated only by the casting vote of the chairman, Mick Dunne. It was to be the beginning of the best year yet for the club. 

Later that year  1939 Canovee won its first Mid-Cork title beating Kilmurry in the final. 

The team was:
Neilus Foley, Bill Quinlan, Jack Hinchion, Paddy Dunlea, John Coleman, Jack Lane (capt.), Denny Quinlan, Curry O'Shea, Tommy O'Leary, John Quinlan, Jon Murphy, Neil Moynihan, Denny Hinchion, John Lucey, Dermot Moynihan. Fr. Con Lucey, Jerh Murphy, Jimmy Moynihan and Dan Hayes played in the semi final against Ballincollig. Tom O'Riordan, Jack Warner and John Barry Murphy later played in the county championship.

The title was won again in 1943 and 1946 was the first year of a famous five-in-a-row. In 1950 the club won its first county Junior title and, the following year, Canovee were promoted to Senior.

The 1950 Junior team was; J. Dromey, T.O'Sullivan, J. Young, J. Browne, M. Jones, E. Kiely, D. Moynihan, J. Murphy (capt.), J. Finnegan, J.Twomey, N. Moynihan, J.J. Hinchion, T. Bailey, M. Finnegan, T Atkins, D. Connors, J. Hinchion, D O'Sullivan, N. Twomey, T. Hinchion, D. Finnegan, R. Hinchion. 

1950 was also the year that the County Junior team was captained by a Canovee man, Dan O'Sullivan. Dan received an early promotion to the Senior team and his captaincy reverted to J.J. Henchion, who went on to bring the All Ireland Junior trophy to Canovee amid scenes of great excitement.

A win, against Macroom, for Canovees' second team in the Mid-Cork final of 1955 followed a number of lean years for the clubs Senior team. The Minors did however win the Mid-Cork in 1952. Canovee returned to Junior ranks 1957 and won the Mid-Cork in 1961 and '62. They also won the 'B' Mid Cork in 1964 and again in '65. In 1968 Canovee won the Mid-Cork playing Kilmurry in the final and went on to be County champions defeating Adrigole in a memorable final. 

1970 saw the Under 21 team win the championship and the Moynihan Cup for the first time. At Intermediate grade the club won the County championship in 1973 beating Glanworth in the final. 

The 1973 panel was; Sean O'Mahony, T.J.Lyons, Denis Mehigan, T.O'Leary, Dan O'Brien, John Collins (capt.), Ted O'Mahony, Liam Nash, Tadg Nash, John Ring, Paddy Mehigan, Con Dunne, Gerard Lucey, John Dunlea, Noel Dunne, John O'Sullivan, Con Kelly, Ml Mehigan, Jerry Kelly, Con Lehane, Ted Dunne, Ml O''Sullivan, D O'Shea, and Ted Dunne.

It was back to Senior the following year, after a lapse of 18 years, where the club stayed, with little success, for two years before returning to Intermediate in 1976 and Junior in 1979 when they again won the Mid-Cork. Two years later the 'B' team emulated this feat. 

In 1982 Canovee won the Mid-Cork for the fourteenth time and also won the '81 and '82 league finals. The 'B' team also took the honours in 1984. 1986 brought victories in the U12 and U21'B' championship with the U14's taking the honours in 1987.

It was up two grades to U16 for the honours the following year, 1987, when that team won the third Mid-Cork trophy for the Club at that level. 

Teams from Canovee failed in their bids for silverware over the following few years until 1991 when the U15 team won the Mid-Cork and a similar team went on to win at U16 the following year. In 1993 it was again the turn of the U14's. 1994 was a good year for the Canovee club with a County Final victory at Minor 'B' grade and a Mid-Cork win for the U13 'B' team. 1996 brought wins at Mid-Cork level for U21'B', Minor 'B' and U13'B' players, making it a very successful year for the Club.

The 'U14' team kept the flag flying again in 1997 when they finished Mid-Cork champions. 1998 was another fruitful year with a victory in the Muskerry Cup as well as at U16 and U21 in Mid-Cork competitions. There was also a County win at Minor'B' grade.

1999 saw a welcome return of the Mid-Cork Junior trophy to Carrigadrohid after an absence of seventeen years and was a fitting end to the 20th century for the club. 

The new millennium began well with wins at Mid-Cork level for The Minor 'A', U13'A', U14 andU12 teams, and the following year, 2001, the U12 team were again successful.