 The club is named after Joseph Kevin Bracken, "the radical stonemason from Templemore", who was one of the seven founding members of the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1884.Furthermore, Bracken was the first Chairman of the Tipperary County Board, he served as vice-president of the GAA, and of the original seven signatories, he was the longest serving member on the GAA national executive.He was an elected representative and chairman of Templemore Urban District Council, and was a member of the oath-bound republican organisation the IRB (Irish Republican Brotherhood)

JK Brackens GAA club (along with only 2 other GAA clubs) have the unique honour to have their club named after both a founding members of the GAA and a local parishioner.