Bandon GAA celebrated a historic 2015 playing year when over 200 people gathered at the Munster Arms Hotel on last Friday night to honour the players who were victorious in the junior football county championship and the minor B football county championship. 

The victorious junior football county champions from forty years ago in 1975 were guests of honour on the night. 

MC on the night was Martin Kelly and he and his fellow organizers Hilary O'Driscoll and Tom O'Donoghue ensured that everything moved along smoothly. 

They did a fantastic job. Martin opened proceedings by asking people to pray for the deceased members of the club and the late Mr. John Corcoran, Chairman of St Mary's Club who had passed away so unexpectedly only last week. 

Guest speakers were Monsignor Kevin O'Callaghan PP, Mr. Pearse Murphy Cork County Board and Mr. Joe Crowley Chairman of the South West Carbery GAA Board. 

Monsignor O'Callaghan paid special emphasis to the junior footballers doing the victory for the 'place'. That place is Bandon and the people present and those that have gone before us were from the place and developed fantastic playing facilities for the place of Bandon GAA Club over many years. 

The people persevered with Bandon GAA in the lean times but the foundations were being laid for future success all the while by the Underage Club and the previous club executive members. 

Special mention was made of the fantastic team captain Pat Prendergast who came from the place, grew up in the place, trained there and did everything in his powers to win a county title for Bandon which he finally achieved in 2015. 

Pearse Murphy treasurer of the Cork County Board paid special thanks to the club for maintaining excellent playing standards in hurling and football despite a lot of opposition from other field sports in the locality. 

He praised the fantastic work done by the clubs County board delegates Michael Kelly and Ger Collins. 

Joe Crowley Chairman of the South West Board praised the Bandon footballers for the positive way they played the game with none of the negative stuff synonymous with inter-county teams. He wished the team the very best in the 2016 intermediate county championship. Joe paid warm tribute to the late John Corcoran of the St Mary's Club. 

After medals were presented to the minors and the junior footballers, Club Chairman Colman O'Mahony took over the MC duties and gave a fascinating insight into the heroics of the 1975 winning side. He read an extract from a December 1975 edition of the Southern Star written by the late great Denis Burke who was PRO of the club in 1975. 

The men that were so warmly honoured from that historic victory over Carrignavar were Padraig Crowley, Frank Long, Robert Wilmot (Captain), Darragh Taffe, Dan Crowley, Noel Crowley, Jimmy Gabriel, Jim Fitzgerald, Noel McNamara, Paddy Keogh (Selector), Liam Kelly, Donal Crowley and John Slattery.