Foundation
In December 1884, one month after the G.A.A. was founded, a group of men gathered in Clondalkin to
form a Gaelic Football Club. Among those present were D. Molloy, J. Wixted, J. Carroll, J. Keogh, C.
Ryder, P. Doran, The Errity Brothers one of whom, Tom, was later to win All-Ireland Senior medals
with Dublin in '92', '94, '98, '99 and 1902.
Towers won their first competition, the Baltyboys Tournament in 1889 They won their first Dublin
Trophy — the Junior League in 1910 with Matt Nolan as Captain. They again won the Junior League
and Junior Championship in 1926 and — would you believe it — with Matt Nolan again as Captain.
Success in the Leixlip Tournament of 1928 is noteworthy because St. Mary's Leixlip included the two
Kildare "greats" Larry Stanley and Matt Goff. The Club had attained Senior status in the thirties and
three of it's members, Tom Dowd Paddy Hickey and Billy Dowling played for Dublin and Leinster.
The Club lost the 1941 Junior Championship but won the 1942 League to regain Senior status. They
contested the Intermediate Championship finals in 1948,1950 and 1951 and defeated O'Dwyers in the
I.L.F. in 1951, and went on to win the Intermediate Championship in 1952.
Winners of the Under 21 Dublin Championship in it's inauguration year 1964, this same team
challenged strongly for senior championship honours up to 1970 G. Freyne. P. Barrett, G. Gray, D.
Keating, T. Higgins and C. Dowling were all prominent members of that team.
Paddy Delaney, Tony, his son, Fred Kavanagh and Michael Egan are all holders of All-Ireland medals.
Things Change and Yet Remain the Same!
Sean McNamara discovered the following match report of Round Tower v Henry Grattans in "An
Sport", 17th September 1887, when he was researching for our Club history in the National Library.
"On Sunday the Henry Grattans (Inchicore) journeyed up the Naas Road as far as the pretty village of
Clondalkin with it's famous Round Tower, from which the Local Gaels take their name..... At half past
one o'clock the ball was thrown in by Mr. Patrick Abbott of Wolfe Tones, who acted as referee.....
This club (Towers) has improved wonderfully and play a rattling game only for the bad habit they have
of constantly arguing and finding fault with every decision of the referree (although on this occasion he
was appointed by themselves)".
The reporter then goes on to tantalizingly state:
"From this till the finish the play was very hot....... but... at the call of time it was found the Grattans
had won by 1 - 2 (one forfeit) to five points (two forfeits) for the Round Towers".
Obviously, the poor referees were being abused in the pioneer days. They still shoulder more than their
fair share of criticism today and one wonders if things will change over the next 100 years.
1914 Saturday Post
The photo to the left of the 1914 Round Towers G.A.A. Football Team who won the prestigious
"Saturday Post" Final. This win was noteworthy because it was a Tournament with a standing akin to
the modern day Senior Championship.
Towers beat McAllisters (referred to in the report as "a city team") by six points Matt Nolan and
Christy Nolan were the heroes for Towers and "throughout the whole game the defence of Towers was
excellent".
Towers received a set of gold medals for their victory and a number of these medals can still be seen in
Clondalkin.
The Round Tower team was as follows:—
Mathew Nolan, John and Andrew Minahan, John Toole, John Fitzgerald Ml Bennett, Thomas Dunbar,
James and David Power, John Stynes Christy and Michael Nolan, Peter Hand, Pat Blackburn, James
Taaffe
1926 Round Tower Junior Champions 1926
Round Tower Junior Football Champions 1926
The Round Towers team that won the Junior Championship and League football titles of 1926. Back
row (from left): C. Nolan, C. Loughlin, M. Loughlin, P. Keogh, T. Byrne, J.Fitzgerald, T. Byrne, J.
Clarke. (Centre): T. Brown, President; W. Kinsella, W. Broggin, C.Stynes, M. Nolan, Captain; C.
Kelly, T. Coates, P. Connor. (Front): M. Coates, W. Dowling, M.Foley, Ft. Matthews.
The team to the left captured the Junior Football Championship and the Junior League title in 1926.
The team was captained by Matt Nolan, then over 40 years of age. Matt was also captain in 1910 when
Towers won the Junior League title when defeating near rivals Thomas Davis by one point in the final.
This extraordinary man won an All-Ireland Junior medal in 1914 when Dublin defeated Mayo in the
final.
Senior Team 1965 - Runners up Senior Championship
Back Row, (1. to r.): M. Delaney, M. Carolan. L. Kelly, V. Boggans, D. Keating, P. Barrett 0'Lanney,
P. Looney, F. McGiveran, R. Barrett, L. Smith, J. Keogh, C Dowling K O'Reilly
Front Row (I. to r.): P. Delaney, T. Keogh, D. Delaney, P. McGarty, V. Maguire, T. H/ggins, L Carr,
G. Freyne, M. Cranny, N. Smith.
Paddy Delaney, his son Tony, Fred Kavanagh, Michael Egan and Jim Gavin are all holders of AllIreland medals.