O'Tooles GAC (Irish: Cumann Uí Thuathail) is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Ayrfield, Dublin, Ireland, formed in 1901.
History
Early years
O'Tooles GAC was formed in 1901 at 100 Seville Place in the north inner city of Dublin from the Gaelic League branch. The Gaelic League branch held their inaugural meeting in February 1901. Francis Cahill was one of the founding members of the club and Brother J.A. O’Mahoney, who was superior of O'Connell School was elected as the first president.
On Thursday 8 October 1901, after Irish classes, the club's first hurling team was formed. The captain of the team was Edward Keegan, with Thomas Keegan elected as secretary and John Taylor as treasurer. In 1905, captained by Tim O'Neill, the club won their first competition, the Saturday Junior Hurling League.
August 1902 brought about the formation of the football team, with the clubs first major success arriving in 1910 in the form of the minor league.
In 1910, the St. Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band was formed with Tom Clarke elected president and playwright Seán O'Casey elected secretary.
Easter Rising
On the morning of Monday 24 April 1916, around 1,200 members of the Irish Volunteers and Irish Citizen Army arrived at a number of locations in Dublin. Among them were over 70 members of the O'Tooles club including two executed leaders, Tom Clarke (3 May) and Seán Mac Diarmada (12 May). Others involved included Liam Ó Briain, future TD and a professor of languages. Frank Robbins, future President of the Dublin Council of Trade Unions and Tom Ennis who was later a Free State Army General.
O'Tooles members who fought in the Easter Rising G.P.O. Jacob's St Stephen's Green Four Courts Boland's Mills South Dublin Union Ashbourne David Begley James Barrett James Brougham Dan Begley Toby Breslin Edward Keegan Patrick Birney Michael Brady Vinny Byrne Joseph Connelly Sean Cody Tom Clarke James Cassells James Donnelly Jim Dempsey James Redmond Michael Colgan Patrick Duffy Patrick Kelly Tom Crimmins Liam Daly Joseph Duffy Bernard Murphy Michael Croke Tom Drumm Robert Humphreys Sean O'Moore Tom Ennis James Hannon Tom Kehoe Thomas Yourell John Fitzharris James Kenny James Lawless Thomas Smart Frank Henderson Thomas Losty Michael Lawless John Halpin Sean Kerr Sean Lynch Johnny McDonald Charles McMahon Thomas Leahy William Lynch David O'Leary Laurence Mackey Mick McDonnell Diarmuid O'Leary Michael Mackey Paddy McDonnell Tim O'Neill Seán Mac Diarmada Michael Meade Liam O'Briain Patrick Mitchell Owen Meade Frank O'Brien John O'Neill James Murran Willian O'Brien Thomas J. Roche Edward O'Hanrahan Frank Robbins Hugh Thornton Joseph O'Hanrahan Sean Rogan Frank Thornton Michael O'Rourke Patrick J. Weafer Sean O'Rourke Thomas Wheatley Kathleen Pollard Josephine Pollard Patrick Rooney James Sheils Denis Shelly Thomas Shelly Jim Slattery Michael Smith Johnny McDonnell
Bloody Sunday On 21 November 1920, Dublin and Tipperary played a football challenge match in Croke Park. As a result of a mass shooting by the British Forces 14 innocent people including one player (Michael Hogan from Tipperary), died. It is estimated that around 60 – 100 people were also injured. O'Tooles have a deep connection with the events of this day as they contributed 12 players to the Dublin team with 9 players starting.
Dublin Number Position Name 1 Goalkeeper Johnny McDonnell 3 Full back Paddy Carey 4 Left corner back William Robbins 5 Right half back John Synnott 7 Left half back Jack O'Reilly 11 Centre forward Paddy McDonnell (c) 12 Left half forward John Carey 13 Right corner forward Joe Synnott 14 Full forward Stephen Synnott
Substitutes: Tom Carey, Joe Norris & Tom Fitzgerald
Football An amalgamation of O'Tooles and another local club Emeralds brought the golden age of football to the Seville Place club. The 1916 Dublin Intermediate Football Championship which was played in 1917 due to the number of players interned after the 1916 Rising heralded the beginning of the club's most successful football teams.
From 1918 to 1931, O'Tooles won 10 Dublin Senior Football Championship titles and produced the county's first five-in-a-row club team. During this period the club also contributed the majority of players to All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winning Dublin teams, including producing All-Ireland winning captains in Paddy Carey and Paddy McDonnell.
Year Winners Runners-up1946O’ToolesParnells1931O’ToolesErin's Hope1928O’ToolesO'Dwyers1926O’ToolesGarda1925O’ToolesKickhams1924O’ToolesUCD1923O’ToolesGarda1922O’ToolesSt. Mary's1920O’ToolesKickhams1919O’ToolesMcCrackens1918O’ToolesCollegians
Hurling A Dublin Intermediate Hurling Championship was won 1956 and 1961 with a Dublin Junior Hurling Championship arriving in 1982. In 1969, O’Tooles made the breakthrough and won their first Dublin Senior Hurling Championship. Further success was achieved in 1977, 1984 and 1990.
During the 1990s, O'Tooles who three county titles in a row in 1995, 1996 and 1997 and reached the Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship final in 1996.
In 2002, O’Tooles defeated north side rivals and defending champions Craobh Chiaráin after a replay on a score line of 1–13 to 2–7.
Year Winners Runners-up2002O’ToolesCraobh Chiaráin1997O’ToolesSt. Vincents1996O’ToolesKilmacud Crokes1995O’ToolesSt. Vincents1990O’ToolesSt. Vincents1984O’ToolesKilmacud Crokes1977O'ToolesFaughs1969O'ToolesFaughs
Present day As of 2025, they currently compete in the Division 3 league and the Intermediate championship in hurling. In football they are in the Division 4 league and the Dublin Intermediate Football Championship.
Honours
Dublin Senior Championships Dublin Senior Hurling Championship: Winners (8): 1969, 1977, 1984, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2002 Runners-up (5): 1973, 1981, 1982, 1985, 2011 Dublin Senior Football Championship: Winners (11): 1918, 1919, 1920, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1928, 1931, 1946 Runners-up (6): 1927, 1929, 1930, 1935, 1938, 1964
Dublin Senior Leagues Dublin Senior Hurling League: Winners (3): 1969, 1985, 2006 Dublin Senior Football League: Winners (9): 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1929
Other Dublin Championship Wins Dublin Intermediate Hurling Championship: Winners (3): 1917, 1956, 1961 Dublin Junior Hurling Championship: Winners (1): 1982 Dublin Intermediate Football Championship: Winners (1): 1916 Dublin Junior Football Championship: Winners (2): 1922, 1945 Dublin Under 21 Hurling Championship: Winners (3): 1974, 1981, 2004 Dublin Minor A Football Championship: Winners (10): 1911, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1924, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1954, 1957 Dublin Minor B Football Championship: Winners (1): 2012 Dublin Minor E Football Championship: Winners (1): 2021 Dublin Minor A Hurling Championship: Winners (5): 1911, 1920, 1953, 1975, 1993 Dublin Féile na nGael Division 4: Winners (2): 2016, 2021 Dublin Senior 4 Camogie Championship: Winners (1): 1996
Other Wins Boland Cup: Winners: 1966, 1969 Smithwicks Cup: Winners: 1968, 1969
Notable players
Senior inter-county footballers Dublin
Paddy Carey, All-Ireland winning captain with Dublin Paddy McDonnell, All-Ireland winning captain with Dublin Johnny McDonnell, All-Ireland winner with Dublin Joe Synnott, All-Ireland winner with Dublin John Synnott, All-Ireland winner with Dublin Peter Synnott, Leinster Senior Football Championship Winner Jack O'Reilly, All-Ireland winner with Dublin William Robbins, All-Ireland winner with Dublin Joe Stynes, All-Ireland winner with Dublin. Played with Bohemian F.C. Uncle of AFL player Jim Stynes
Kildare & Dublin
Larry Stanley, All-Ireland winning captain with Kildare & All-Ireland winner with Dublin
Meath & Dublin
Joe Norris, All-Ireland winner with Dublin
Senior inter-county hurlers Dublin
Ger O'Meara Kevin Ryan Kevin Flynn - Former Dublin Captain Michael Carton - 2013 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Winner Liam Ryan Peadar Carton - 2007 Leinster Under-21 Hurling Winner Philip Brennan - Former Dublin Captain Brendan McLoughlin
Kilkenny & Dublin
Eamon Morrissey - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Winner Jamesie Brennan - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Winner
Notable members
Francis Cahill - Founding Member and Teachta Dála for Dublin North Seán O'Casey - Irish Playwright Liam Ó Briain - Irish Language Expert and Easter Rising Veteran Tom Clarke - Signatory of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic Seán Mac Diarmada - Signatory of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic Larry Stanley - High jumper who represented Ireland at the 1924 Summer Olympics Frank Robbins - President of the Dublin Council of Trade Unions Tom Ennis - Captain of the first O'Tooles team to win the Dublin Senior Football Championship. Stationed at the D.B.C tower in O'Connell Street during the Easter Rising under the orders of James Connolly and Free State Army General Edward Keegan - Founding member and first hurling captain. Stationed at the South Dublin Union during the Easter Rising Michael O'Hanrahan - second in command of Dublin's 2nd battalion under Commandant Thomas MacDonagh during the Easter Rising Con Clarke - Dublin County Board Chairman, O'Tooles Chairman and winner of Senior Hurling Championships as player and manager. Jimmy Wren - Club Historian and Dublin Senior Hurling Championship winner in 1969
References
External links O'Tooles' GAC Official Website Official Dublin GAA Website