St. Abbans Adamstown G.A.A. Club
There is much evidence to suggest that games of hurling and gaelic football of some description were being played in the Adamstown, Newbawn and Raheen areas long before the official founding of the G.A.A. in November of 1884.
When considering the history of gaelic games in the area, the townlands of Old Court, Carrigbyrne, Courthoyle, Doononey, Ballyclemock and Raheenduff deserve mention as teams operated for relatively short periods in all of those places at some stage along the way from that memorable date in 1884 up to the late 1960’s. In 1969 representatives from Adamstown, Newbawn and Raheen assembled together on a few occasions, and following much debate they eventually agreed to unite under a single banner with the name of "Naomh Abain Magh Arnai†(St. Abbans Adamstown). Adamstown and Raheen were curacies of Newbawn until 1972 when the then Bishop of Ferns Donal Herlihy divided them by promoting Adamstown as an extra parish, but they all remained together as a single unit within the G.A.A.
The local press stated in 1887 that "Young men from around the Carrigbyrne area are training hurling and with some more practice should be every bit as good as the players of former years†just another indication that gaelic games were being played in the area before the official founding.
P.D. O’ Gorman and Edward Kinsella represented the newly formed Adamstown club at the county convention fixed for noon on Wednesday 17th October 1888 while L Barron represented the club at the convention in Wexford town on Wednesday 16th October of the following year.
The earliest report of a match involving Adamstown played after the official founding was in hurling against Boolavogue in 1887 that stated "Adamstown lost the match but they still looked resplendent in their white and green jerseys and capsâ€.
One of the first recorded gaelic football matches involving Adamstown after the official founding was against Mulgannon in 1888, and they also played the famous Blues and Whites club from Wexford town in July of 1889 at Bridgetown.
A team representing Adamstown were beaten by Ballymurn in the county junior hurling final of 1916. Gaelic games were at a low ebb for a period following the 1916 rising, the arrival of the black and tans, and the civil war.
In 1923 groups of young men began to reappear with their hurley sticks in fields around Old Court, Carrigbyrne and Ballyclemock, which led to a parish league being organised from which the best were picked to form an Adamstown team..
The golden era followed between 1925 and 1942 when 11 county senior hurling titles were won and much more besides.
Gaelic games still thrive in the area and long may this continue.