GAA has been present in the local Gowna area since as early as 1889 and the club went under the name of Scrabby West Breffnians or 'Breffnies' as they were otherwise known.

Gowna's first major football success came in 1916 in the form of a junior championship.

Gowna GFC, as we know it today, was officially reformed in 1976 and has gone through some major developmental change.

After reforming in 1976, Gowna claimed the Junior title in 1982 and won the Intermediate in 1985.

[3] After a 20-year wait, in which they lost finals in 2007[4] and 2021,[5] Gowna claimed their eighth senior crown in 2022.