Did you know that the inaugural meeting of the Castleisland Gaelic Sports Club was held in August 1885, (only 8 months after the G A A was founded), at Millview. A team called Castleisland played championship games in 1889 and 1890 against Killarney, (Croke), Lixnaw, (Sir Charles Russells), Castlegregory, Tralee,(John Mitchels) and Killorglin (Laune Rangers). Castleisland Desmonds were one of the first clubs to affiliate to the newly County Board and played in the first County Senior Final against John Mitchels. In 1903 Denny Breen and Roddy Kirwan played on the first Kerry team to win an All Ireland.
The first major honour was won in 1950 when a Castleisland District won the County Senior Championship.1951 saw the present Desmonds club reformed and remains so to this day. The current grounds was purchased for £600 and the first game (Kerry v Cork) was played on Sunday May 4th 1952. In the late 1970s and 80s the club won every honour that they competed for; All Ireland Senior Club Championship in 1985, 2 Munster titles, Kerry Club Championships;County Intermediate Championships, County Leagues, North Kerry Leagues and Championships and their latest victory was in the All Ireland Celebrity Bainisteoir when they brought more glory to the Club by defeating Ballymun Kickhams in the final on Friday October 29th at Parnell Park.
The only honour to elude the Club was a County Senior Football Championship although many Desmonds players were part of the Castleisland District team that lost the 1979 final against a star studded Austin Stacks; however the Castleislan District victorious 1950 side saw Willie Lyons, Jimmy McCarthy, Tadhg Prendiville, Con O Connor, Dermot Hanifin and Jerry O Sullivan bring County Senior Football Championship medals to the Desmonds Club in that particular year.