100 years ago... the Stars were born
The Starlights GAA Club is celebrating a significant milestone this year with the 100th anniversary of its formation. The club was formed in 1917 during Ireland’s struggle for freedom, when Wexford were the football kingpins of the country.
Wexford hosted the first ever football championship match in Ireland when Taghmon and Kilmannon met in the inaugural Wexford Football Championship in February 1887 and that was followed by a remarkable period of football success culminating in the county’s four All-Ireland Senior Football titles in a row between 1915 and 1918.
The timing was just right for the formation of a new football club for Enniscorthy.
There are many theories about the origins of the name Starlights – but as we approach the 100th anniversary, the most popular and the most romantic version seems to be that on a starry night 100 years ago, at No 3 Lower Duffry Gate, Jimmy Murphy and his friend Joe O’Brien were standing in Murphy’s doorway discussing the idea of starting a football team for all the lads on the Duffry.
It had been the main topic amongst them for some time and the big issue was what they would call themselves. As Jimmy and Joe talked excitedly about starting this new club it came to them suddenly like a bolt from the heavens above that the new club should be called the Starlights – and the rest as they say is history. Well at the very least it’s our story and we’re sticking to it and in truth the bright yellow star emblazoned on the jersey certainly does add credence to it.
A romantic name no doubt for a football club and almost unique. There are very few clubs around the country called Starlights, in fact I only found one at Santry in Dublin which was formed in the 1950s and lo and behold their secretary thinks that there could well be a Wexford link to their name.
Established in 1917 the Starlights won their first ever title in Junior in 1921 and less than a decade after their formation they moved up into the senior ranks and did a remarkable hat trick, winning the senior championship in 1927/28 and 1929. In 1933 they beat the Sarsfields in the senior decider and won titles back to back in 1936 and 1937. In 1961 they were beaten by their old opponents the Sarsfields and were beaten again two years later in 1963 by Ballyhogue.
In 1971 Bellefield GAA Grounds – the home of the Starlights – became the home of the newly formed Rapparees/Starlights, with the amalgamation of the Starlights and Emmets footballers and the St Aidan’s and Shamrocks Hurling Clubs. The name Rapparees was chosen for the hurling team from the legendary Enniscorthy side, the Red Rapparees 1904-1914.
Under the new regime the Starlights had to wait until 1983 to capture their next Senior County title defeating the Wexford District, and were back in the final again in 1988, but were beaten by a great Duffry Rovers side.
In the 1990s it was very much the case of you step out and we step in again as the Rapparees and the Starlights contested six county finals between them from 1993 to 2001 – Rapparees appearing in the 1993, 1996, 1998 and 2001 finals and Starlights contesting the 1994 and 2000 finals, alas all to no avail until, finally, after all the heartbreak, the Starlights beat Duffry Rovers in the 2002 final and brought the coveted trophy back to Enniscorthy and Bellefield to major scenes of joy and jubilation.
The Stars repeated that triumph in 2004 beating the Sarsfields in Wexford Park and in 2007 were back in the Senior Football Final again only to lose out to Clongeen.
The Starlights have been synonymous with Bellefield, the town of Enniscorthy and indeed Wexford football for almost a century, with their brilliant history, it is only fitting that they are back once again in the county final in this, their 100th year.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish them well on county final day and with their anniversary celebration and ask the people of Enniscorthy to show their support and appreciation for the wonderful sporting entity that is the Starlights.