One of the oldest clubs in Meath, Enfield Football Club founded shortly after the GAA itself. Like many clubs in the country, early records are long lost, if indeed any records were kept at all in those early days. What we do know is that there was a football team in Enfield in 1904. A hurling team was formed sometime later. In those days the Parish Rule did not apply or if it did most clubs did not adhere to it.

The first honours to come to the club was in 1919 when the junior football championship was annexed. The final was played in the Showgrounds (now Pairc Tailteann), against Kilbeg, and was won by a very tight margin. The game was actually played in 1920, being held over due to the troubles. Enfield wore green jersies with a gold sash at the time, and had players from Summerhill, Rathcore, Longwood, and Johnstownbridge

The Davy brothers, Dick, Billy, Tommy, and Joe all played on the team,as did Ned Kearney, Mick Hanley, Pat Hosey, Pat Kenny, Gerry Conway, Jimmy Ennis, Luke Forde, the Ryan brothers, the Leech brothers (Dick, Brian, George, and Jim), and Richard and Michael Dunne.  Dick Davy also played for Dublin at the time,and this probably influenced the club when they switched to their blue and white strip.  In charge of the Enfield team was Frank Lynch, a well known referee at the time, and a tankman in Enfield Railway Station.  Jim Foran was another important mentor of the team at the time.

The hurling team suffered a huge loss in 1928 when a young sixteen year old player, Luke Kenny, died tragically after playing a hurling game. Another Kenny, Mick, a brother of Luke went on to win a National League medal when Meath defeated Kerry in 1933.  Both of these Kennys were uncles of the present day Joe Davy and Noel Kenny.

Enfield did not purchase a playing ground of their own until 1945 when they got the present ground from the Land Commission, on the Dublin Road, at the end of the village. Prior to that the club played all their games in what was known as Cooney’s Field, now New Inn.

Ned (the farmer) Daly, R.I.P., won an All Ireland junior medal with Meath in 1947.  Enfield had two players, Jack Grey at centre half forward, and Mickey Greville at full forward, on the Meath All Ireland Minor winning team of 1957.  It is said that Fr. Michael Flynn, R.I.P. was good enough to have played for Meath and possibly have won an All Ireland medal in 1954, but for his pastoral duties.  

Other players of note down the years were Tom Browne, who played in the All Ireland Senior final in 1966, and unluckily missed out in 1967.  Gene Foran and Derry O Neill played in an All Ireland Colleges final for St. Finians in the early sixties.  Other players fondly remembered and considered as good an anyone in the county in their time were Andy Barrett, Bill Daly, Barney Hyland, Eamonn Mulvihill, and Joe Doran to name but a few.

Enfield had to wait until 1964 to win their second junior championship beating Senschalstown in the final. That team included the O’Neill brothers, the Greville brothers, the Doran brothers, the Kenny brothers and the Foran brothers. Also on that team was a man called Tony Brennan who was later to win an All Ireland senior medal with Meath in 1967, becoming the first, and only, Enfield Player to win an All Ireland senior medal. In the previous year Enfield had two players playing for Meath in the All Ireland senior final. Tom Browne and Tony Brennan played against Galway in 1966 when Galway won their third All Ireland in a row

After their win in 1964, Enfield, now an intermediate side, had a lean period, playing in one county semi-final in 1968 being their only claim to fame.

In 1970 Enfield joined with Rathmolyon, from the other end of the parish, and played in two consecutive county intermediate semi-finals before parting to go their separate ways in 1977, and returning to the junior grade

Again a lean period followed before a young team captured the Division III championship in 1987 by beating St. Pauls in the final. This team had the Barrett brothers, the Heffernan Brothers, the Cosgrave brothers, the Griffin brothers, and the Gillespie Brothers.  The majority of this team was to gain the Div IV league title by beating Athboy in 1991.

This team produced another batch of players to win honours with their county.

John Hyland won a junior medal in 1988, and then came Enfield’s only man to win two All Ireland Football medals. Jason Henrick won a minor All Ireland in 1990 and an U21 All Ireland when Meath beat Kerry in Portlaoise in 1993.  We would have loved to have seen how Glen Gordon’s career would have developed had he not emigrated to Australia with his family.  As it was Glen played in a Leinster minor final with Meath in 1989.

Later on Gene Greville had the honour of playing on the Meath U 21 team which reached the All Ireland final in 1997.