Many great players have passed through our Club, namely Eddie Boyle winning 2 Senior championship medals in 1935 & 1939 going  on to be described by the National media as the “PRINCE OF FULL BACKS”. James Thornton captaining Leinster to a Railway Cup success in 1948 was also a member of the Kickhams 35 & 39 success. A native of the area Stephen White won a Junior championship medal with the Kickhams in 1947 and later becoming one of the finest footballers in Ireland and was a member of the Associations Centenary team. The great Con Cotterill was a member of the 39 Cooley team and later went on to win All-Ireland medals in both hurling & football with Cork. Pete Mc Grath has also given great service to our Club having managed our senior team for a period of 3 years while also managing the Ireland team for the International rules. Indeed our Club have forged a great friendship with Pete and his close friend Mickey Harte whom both still attend coaching sessions on a regular basis in our grounds. True legends of our games and both keen to attend the programme were it to attend Cooley.

Robert Kearney now an International rugby player for Ireland delayed signing his professional contract to allow him play for the Club in the Louth senior championship final in 2004. Rob kicked a fine point in that final which unfortunately our Club lost by the minimum margin. Our ladies team were successful at national level in 1997 when winning the All-Ireland junior Club title and a number of these players went on to win an All-Ireland junior title with Louth of which two won All-star awards.

Cooley Kickhams opened a new Sports Complex in 1988 within the grounds which at the time cost   £ 200,000 but it  boasted a playing arena 36m X 15m with a height of 6metres and a viewing balcony, changing rooms, kitchen, referees facilities and meeting rooms.

For 7 years the association held a Minor International tournament in Fr. Mc Evoy Park on August bank holiday weekend to coincide with Poc Fada na hEireann and Cooley Vintage Festival, with teams attending from New York, Lancashire, London, Scotland, Warwickshire, Hertfordshire and Kilkenny.

Like most Clubs Cooley have had their highs and lows, one of those lows most certainly was when an epidemic of the foot & mouth disease hit the community  and all normal life ceased including our beloved games in 2001. The Department were using the Club facilities at that time for a period of 7 weeks during the cull of all livestock. However one beast did survive the cull that being “an TAIN BO CUAILGNE” and he is still prancing around the Club grounds.

In June 2006 the Club opened an extension to the existing Sports Complex which included changing rooms, gymnasium, sauna, playgroup facilities, computer room, Club shop, bar/ function room and a viewing stand. An Uachtarain Nicky Brennan attended the official ceremony and described the facilities as “state of the art” and one of the finest G.A.A. buildings in the country. Since opening, the function room has catered for numerous weddings, parties, concerts and Club functions housing up to 300 patrons for full dinner parties which was cooked in the commercial kitchen included in the building.

Some splendid views are apparent from inside the function room such as Slieve Foy and Queen Maedbhe’s Gap to the West and on the North looking across Carlingford Lough to the foot of the mountains of Mourne.

The famed Jimmy Magee was born just a stone throw away from the Club grounds and at a recent function in the Club was presented with a Celtic cross medal and made an Honorary member in recognition of his achievements as a sports commentator.