While the history of hurling in Lixnaw long precedes the founding of the GAA, the club was officially founded in 1888. As reported in the Kerry Sentinel newspaper on Saturday, November 17, 1888, the new club was designated Erin's Hope - Lixnaw and Irremore Branch. The first president was John Trant with Michael Ryan as vice-president. William O'Halloran and John J. Quilter were honorary secretaries with Denis Daly as treasurer. The first club captain was Thomas McCarthy with John Brosnan as vice-captain. During the following year the separation of the sporting codes became evident with hurling being principally played in Lixnaw and football in Irremore. The hurling club in Lixnaw went by the moniker "Sir Charles Russell" for a time, in honour of a supporter of the Irish Land League. The naming of clubs and teams in such a fashion being commonplace at the time. The division of the Lixnaw and Irremore elements of the branch took place at this time and the latter competed with some success in the County Football Championship. The Irremore area continues as a source of players for both Finuge and St. Senan's Gaelic football clubs. While football was also played in Lixnaw at this time, the predominance of hurling was increasingly evident. When neighbouring Ballyduff, representing Kerry, successfully contested the 1891 All-Ireland hurling final, they included players from Kilmoyley and Ardfert and three men from Ahabeg in Lixnaw, Maurice Fitzmaurice, Maurice Kelly and John Murphy.
Maurice Fitzmaurice, Steve Grady, John McElligott, Jack Kennedy, Moss Fitzmaurice, Christy Ring, Eugie Stack, Jimmy Hogan, Richie McElligott, Topper McElligott, Moss Lyons, Johnny Conway, Sean Flaherty, Paul Galvin, Eamonn Fitzmaurice, Ricky Heffernan, John "Tweek" Griffin, James Flaherty, Michael Conway, Shane Conway
The club has worn a green and gold jersey from the earliest records available. The traditional pattern worn is green with a gold hoop. The use of an alternate kit to address a clash of colours has only occurred since 2003, when it was used for the first time in the Kerry Senior Championship final. As is generally the case with all GAA clubs, its use is not agreed to lightly given the strong affiliation between club and colours. The alternate or change kit used by many clubs is a variation or inverse of the normal kit or will use a neutral white jersey. Atypically, Lixnaw have adopted the use of a distinctive blue jersey, which mirrors the alternate kit used by the Kerry team over many decades. While the green and gold jersey is synonymous with Lixnaw, the blue alternate has been associated with a number of memorable successes on the field of play. The club's crest was designed in 2001 and consists of an image of the Hermitage in Lixnaw with a representation of the nearby river Brick and a salmon on a shield and circlet bearing the name of the club, celtic knotwork and crossed hurleys.
