James Stephens GAA Club launch new booklet on club's history - Kilkenny Live

There was a trip down memory lane as James Stephens unveiled 135 Years of History, a booklet which documents the history of the club from its foundation in 1887 to 2022.

The booklet highlights the landmark achievements and developments of the club in a bullet point presentation format. It covers all events from the purchase of the second hand set of red and green jerseys from the disbanded Erin’s Own club in 1924 for £1.10 which coincidentally was also the club’s breakthrough year when beating Thomastown to win the Kilkenny junior championship.

Other landmark dates such as the purchase of the Larchfield grounds in 1970 are included as well as the purchase in 2007 of the 37.5 acres on the Kells Road and subsequent clubroom development projects. The booklet also highlights the nine Kilkenny senior hurling championship victories, the four Leinster and three All-Ireland club titles captured by the club as well the junior, minor and All-Ireland Féile title successes enjoyed over the decades.

Conscious of the many families from around the county and further afield who have been welcomed into the club and parish in recent years and whose sons and daughters are now lining out on club hurling and camogie teams it was deemed appropriate to produce an information booklet outlining the club’s rich history at this time.

The booklet is an interesting read potentially prompting discussions and even debates around different events in the club’s long history. It is also complementary to the club’s books, A Hundred Years of Gaelic Games in The Village by the late Christy Leahy and From The Arch To The Pump by former chairman, Tom Lanigan.