Spa-Killarney Athletic Club was originally founded in 1974 by Tadhg O’Sullivan, the then principal of Lissivigeen National School, and the new club participated in the County Athletics Finals for the first time that year. The first officers of the Club were Tadhg O’Sullivan (Chairman), Joe McAuliffe (Secretary) and Archie Cronin (Treasurer).

Later that year at a meeting in the Parish Hall, John O’Halloran of Muckross asked if Muckross would join with Spa/Killarney given that both areas on their own were fairly small in size. This was agreed, and thus Spa-Muckross Community Games was formed.