Killoe Erin’s Pride played in the 1905 final but lost to Longford Leo Casey’s.
Killoe won the football and hurling double in 1907
Near neighbours Clonbroney won their first and only title in 1919 with a final win over Killoe.
Davy Sheeran featured against Longford Slashers in the finals of 1959 and 1960, a few years after helping Slashers to their first title in 1954.
The Killoe team of 1960 trained at Devine’s field in Esker, and would retire to team talk and tactics from Seamus McGuire and Davy Sheeran on a blackboard in Esker Hall.
The Sean Connolly Cup was first presented in 1960. Billy Morgan accepted from a gracious Slashers clubman and county board chairman Liam Ó hÓisín (a Mayo man).
Killoe played in 5 finals between 1983 and 1995 with 5 different goalkeepers – Mick McKeon, Kevin Bracken, Seamus Finnan, Pat Masterson and Sean Clarke.
Brendan Lennon was captain in 1987 and received the Fr Phil McGee Award for man of the match. In 35 years, he is still the only player from a losing side to receive this award.
Declan Rowley kicked the all important 50 to overcome Slashers in the 1988 semi final. The Esker man then captained his side to a final victory over Mostrim, bringing an end to a 28 year wait.
Jimmy, Terry and Tommy McCormack were central to that 1988 breakthrough success. All three had joined their native Killoe from Clonguish that year, having won a number of titles with the Newtownforbes side in the seventies and early eighties (Jimmy was man-of-the-match in 1981).
Killoe won the semi finals of 1987, 88, 93 and 95 by a single point.
Killoe and Granard played in the final of 1993. Only one player from either side (Brendan Lennon) featured on the entire Longford senior football squad that year.
Killoe men have won the Man of the Match Award on 4 final occasions – Brendan Lennon (87), Frank Kennedy (88), John McCormack (93) and John Toher (95). While there was no official award in 1960, Mickey Bracken was adjudged by most to be the man of the match on that occasion.
Tommy McCormack has returned as manager to the club he led to county titles in 1993 and 1995. Athlone native Dessie Dolan was the first outside manger in 1988, while John Doherty and John Reilly managed the runners-up of 1983.
This Sunday’s final will be the eighth county senior championship game this year for Killoe Young Emmets – more games than they have featured in during any previous championship campaign.
