Memories come flooding back as Trim club puts history in focus

Generations of Trim GAA players, members and their families came together in the club's new centre recently for the launch of an exhibition of photographs of club teams and actitities from the past century. Since 2004, the club has been collecting photographs of various teams, players and events that happened on its playing fields at home and afar and people who administered in the club, as part of a major history project. Fifty of these photographs were framed for full-time display, while many more were on exhibition for the night. Guest of honour was Peter Darby, who captained Meath to All-Ireland triumph in 1967, captained Trim to Keegan Cup glory in 1962, toured with the Meath team in Australia in 1967, and distinguished himself as a hurler and footballer for Trim and Meath in the 1950s and '60s. Others in attendance included Joe Fitzsimons, holder of a junior football medal from 1934, and numerous county hurling medals from the 1940s, as well as the Kelly brothers, Sonny, George and Frank, dual players of the 1950s and 1960s. Sonny was captain of the Trim team beaten by Navan O'Mahonys in the first contest for the Keegan Cup in 1953. Between them, the brothers have 22 senior hurling medals. Memorabilia brought along to the exhibition included a 1915 senior hurling medal and a 1918 junior hurling medal. Much of the material is being collected for a book on the history of Trim GAA being worked on by Seamus Brennan and Frank McCann. Trim's present representative on the Leinster Championship-winning Meath senior football team, Brendan Murphy, was present with the Delaney Cup. Speakers included Trim club chairman, CJ Murtagh, Stephen Nally of sponsors SuperValu, Trim, and Loman Dempsey of the clubhouse committee. MC for the evening was LMFM head of sport, Brendan Cummins. Trim Clann na Gaels formed in 1906 and were very successful at senior football level, reaching the county final in both 1906 and 1908, but were beaten on both occasions by Castletown. Clann na Gaels also fielded in hurling and, in 1906, played their first senior hurling game against Athboy. Victory was recorded in the 1924 junior hurling championship, and the junior football championship in 1934. Trim also reached the senior hurling final where they lost to Kilmessan. The club had a very successful year in 1935, winning the O'Growney Cup by beating Dunboyne and winning the senior hurling championship with an unexpected win over Kilmessan. A hurling championship three-in-a-row came along in 1940, 1941 and 1942. They also won the junior football championship in 1940, beating Ardcath. Between 1949 and 1960, Trim won eight senior hurling championships. They won the intermediate football championship in 1949 and reached the senior football championship final in 1953. Trim won the Feis Cup football title in 1961, beating St Vincent's, Ardcath. Later that year, they narrowly lost the senior football championship final to Navan O'Mahonys. In 1962, Trim won their only senior football championship title by beating Ballinlough. They reached their first senior hurling final since 1960 when they met Athboy in 1987, going on to complete a three-in-a-row by beating Kildalkey in 1988 and Kilmessan in 1989. Three further titles were won when Kilmessan were beaten in the finals of 1992, 1994 and 1995. In more recent years, Trim won the 1998 final replay against Kilmessan in 2000, a bloodless victory when Kilmessan did not field, and in 2001, beating Dunderry after a replay.