Saint Johns Volunteers GAA club

St John's Volunteers GAA club of Wexford town was founded by Robert Hassey, Nick Reid and Richard Goodison and became affiliated to the G.A.A. in the year 1893.

The club was in existence around 1886 but were not allowed to partake in the championship because of a rule prohibiting no more than three clubs' within a three-mile radius (Wexford already had in the area, The Blues and Whites, The Mulgannon Harriers and The Selskar Young Irelands).

This rule excluded them and despite a constant application on their own behalf and the requests from the other clubs in town to relax the rule their plight went on until 1893.

The first Wexford Championship was played for in 1886 and with the club not let field a team because they were excluded by the above rules, many players from the Volunteers area left for other clubs in the intervening years.

Once accepted into the organisation, The Volunteers quickly made their mark and within two years had become Senior champions of Wexford in 1895 beating a Young Irelands team who turned out with the majority of a selection that had won the All-Ireland for Wexford in 1893.

Their next Senior success was in 1898 and it was not until 1909 when next the club was to claim a title at junior status. The Volunteers succeeded in adding a junior hurling title to their honours in 1911 but lost the senior football final that year.

Success was not to come to the club again until 1925 when a Novice football town league took place. This league is still regarded as the most famous of all other leagues ever to take place since. Having won this tournament in 1925 the team went on to repeat the feat and reach greater playing heights in 1926.
In the year 1928 the club failed to win its first minor title losing by a point in the final. The year 1929 saw the clubs juveniles win the league. The club won a junior football town league in 1933. It was in 1935 that saw the dawn of a golden period for the Volunteers club.

The minors from the club were to win six county championships in the years 1935'36'37'38'39'40. It was to be 1996 before they became minor champions again. They also recorded two junior championships in 1936 and 1937. After forty-one years since they won their last premier title the club became senior county champions again in 1939. Such was the talent available to the club that they went on to win five championships in a row 1939'40'41'42'43' losing out in 1944 at the final hurdle for a sixth title. In 1946 the clubs junior hurlers were beaten in an exciting county final and it was not until 1948 that saw the club win their next championship at senior football level.

They retained the title in 1949 and won the 1953 and 1956 senior championships in what was the last time to date to contest a senior football final.

Taking up the Hurleys' again the Juniors won the town league in 1952 and in 1979 saw the club win the junior B final and the U-12 final.

Hitting on some lean years from that time the next bit of success was again at U-14 in 1981 this was a title they won again in 1994 and 2003. Other titles the club accumulated were the Juvenile and Intermediate in 1983, the U-21 in 1997, Juvenile again in 1998. In the competitions for cups, shields, and tournaments the Volunteers were the premier club over the years. The seniors winning the Cherry Shield, club tournaments, and fund raising matches between clubs from Carlow, Wicklow, Waterford, Tipperary and Laois.

Under-age teams have won the Jim Byrne and O'Loughlin Cups and they were Feil Péil winners in 1990,1994 and 1997.

So strong was the club in the forties that it supplied ten players for duty on Wexford's football team in a championship game against Carlow in 1941.

The Volunteers club of today still contributes to all grades of our county teams. The club looks forward to regaining its proper place in Wexford G.A.A. circles again and it has renewed its interest in Under-age hurling once more.

Their vision in the quest for honours see them work daily and unceasingly at every project and their aim is to make the St John's Volunteers club great again.

TOM McGRATH Goalkeeper on the Wexford Senior Football team that won four in a row All-Irelands 1915'16'17'18.

FRANK FURLONG who won three All-Ireland Senior Football medals in 1915'16'17.

BARNEY ROICE Who won two All-Ireland Senior Football medals in 1915'16.

PAT CORCORAN who won All-Ireland Hurling medal in 1910.

OLIVER (HOPPER) McGRATH who won All-Ireland Hurling medal in 1960.

WILLIE GOODISON who played at centre-back for Wexford, Leinster and Ireland. Willie also refereed the 1955 All-Ireland football final between Dublin and Kerry.

BRENDAN CORISH Wexford footballer, and a former Tanaiste, and Leader of the Irish Labour Party.

MICK DILLON who went on to Captain Kilmacud Crokes to win an All-Ireland Club Championship 1995.

JOHN MORRIS Wexford and Leinster, who holds the record appearances of any player in Wexford for All-Ireland championship games, from his first selection in 1944 to 1954, He played in 28 championship matches and that record still stands to the present day.

KEVIN ROCHE the only Wexford town player to turn out for Wexford at championship level in minor and senior hurling on the same day the year was 1940.

FOOTBALL:

Senior 11
Intermidate 1
Junior 4
Junior B. 2
U-21 1
Minor 7
Juvenile 2
U-14 3
U-12 1
Cherry Shield 4
Loch Garman Cup 1
Wexford Park Cup 1
Graigcullen Cup 1
Stradbally Cup 1
Wicklow Gold Medal and Cup Tournament 1
Jim Byrne Cup 1
O'Loughlin Cup 2
Feil Péil 3

HURLING:

Junior Hurling 1
Junior Hurling town league 1

The Volunteers club holds the distinction of having won county titles at every grade of football, promoted by Wexford County Board.

The club acquired their own pitch at Pairc Carman in 1982 and they have almost finished a large new clubhouse at Mannix Place, and in 2001 the club went on a trip to Boston in the U.S.A. where they played a series of matches with the local team Notre Dame.