Lancashire GAA
Gaelic games governing body in the UK
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lancashire County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), known as Lancashire GAA or CLG Lancasír, is one of the county boards outside Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic games in North West England and the Isle of Man. The county board is also responsible for the Lancashire county teams. With Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, London, Scotland, Warwickshire, and Yorkshire, the board makes up the British Provincial Board.
| |
| Irish: | Lancasír |
|---|---|
| Founded: | 1926 |
| Province: | Britain |
| Ground(s): | Old Bedians, East Didsbury |
| County colours: | Blue Yellow |
| County teams | |
| NHL: | Division 4 |
| Football Championship: | All-Ireland Junior Football Championship |
| Hurling Championship: | Lory Meagher Cup |
History
The first Gaelic games recorded in Lancashire were in Liverpool in 1901, with Liverpool Young Irelands defeating Manchester Martyrs in front of around 300 spectators. By 1906, both hurling and camogie were being played regularly in Aintree.[1]
In 1926, Liverpool GAA, the predecessor to Lancashire GAA, became one of the first affiliated boards of the newly-formed British GAA alongside London. The two boards fielded teams annually, in both hurling and football, to play each other for the P.J. O'Connor and Sam Maguire cups respectively. The teams reported Gaelic games around this time were mainly in Liverpool, including Earlestown, Eire Og (now known as John Mitchels), Exiles, Gaels, Kathleen ni Houlihans (a camogie team), Thomas Ashes, and Terence McSwineys, as well as Granuaile in Southport and St Brigid's in Manchester. Liverpool GAA was renamed to Lancashire and District in 1934,[2] and by 1938, only Eire Og remained by the same name, with Sean O'Donovans as the only other club playing hurling and football, and Patrick Pearses and Kevin Barrys playing football only.[1] Club camogie matches were also reported in 1945 between two teams in Manchester, Lamh Deargs and Oisín.[3]
By 1952, there was reported to be 9 clubs playing in Lancashire: Lamh Deargs , Shamrocks, Harp and Shamrocks, and Oisín all in Manchester, John Mitchels in Liverpool, St John's in Rochdale, St Brigid's in Wigan, St Vincent's in Altrincham and St Brendan's in Stockport.[4] Through the 1950s new teams sprouted up across the county; including Cu Chulainns in Preston, Shannon Rangers in Bolton, St Werburgh's in Birkenhead, and Wolfe Tones in Warrington;[5][6] while a select Lancashire league camogie team travelled over to Ireland to play St Mary's and Lurgan in friendly matches.
In the early 1980s there were only three ladies Gaelic football teams in Manchester; Oisín, St Lawrences and St Richards, the last of whom became Tir Conaill Gaels in 1986.[7] By 1989, there were 6 ladies’ football teams in the Pennine area forming the Pennine League: Emerald Gaels (featuring many of the then defunct Tir Conaill team), St Lawrences, Pride of Eireann and St Brendans all in Manchester, Shannon Rangers in Bolton, and Brothers Pearse in Huddersfield.[7] The Lancashire County Board affiliated to the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association in 1989,[8] and the county team were dominant in British ladies' Gaelic football through the 1990s, winning the All-Britain County Championship in 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997.[7]
The men's county football team won four successive All-Britain Football Championships between 2010 and 2013, with a fifth title coming in 2016. Lancashire also reached the semi-finals of the All-Ireland Junior Football Championship in 2010 and 2011, losing to Kerry and Kildare respectively. In hurling, Lancashire competed in the Lory Meagher Cup for the first time in 2015, and entered the National Hurling League in 2018, winning the Division 3B title on their first attempt.
The county crest depicts the Celtic cross and shamrock, the red rose of Lancashire and a ship representing the voyage taken by all of those who have left Ireland to make Lancashire their home or the place they are passing through. The crest was designed by former county secretary Seán Hackett in 2007.
Football
Clubs
As of 2026, there are two senior men's teams in Lancashire, John Mitchels and St Brendans, competing in the Lancashire Men's Senior Football Championship. There are 6 clubs currently playing in the Lancashire Men's Junior Football Championships.
There is one intermediate women's team, John Mitchels, who compete in the North of Britain Intermediate Championship against Glaschu Gaels (Glasgow), Dunedin Connollys (Edinburgh), and Roger Casements (Coventry). There are four junior teams competing in the Junior League and Lancashire Ladies' Junior Football Championship.
| Club name | Teams | Location | Pitch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Irish | |||
 Ellan Vannin Gaels |
Ellan Vannin | youth only | Douglas, Isle of Man | GAA Grounds, Douglas[9] |
 John Mitchels |
Séan Mistéid | Men's - Senior / Junior / youth
Ladies' - Intermediate / Junior / youth |
Greenbank, Liverpool | Greenbank Park[10] |
 Na Mic Tíre |
Na Mic Tíre | Men's - Junior / youth | Warrington, Cheshire | Appleton Thorn Playing Fields |
| Oisín |
Oisín | Men's - Junior / youth
Ladies' - Junior / youth |
Didsbury, Manchester | Old Bedians[11] |
 St Brendans |
Naomh Bréanainn | Men's - Senior / Junior / youth | Trafford, Manchester | Trafford MV RFCC[12] |
 St Lawrences |
Naomh Labhrais na Piarsaigh | Men's - Junior / youth
Ladies' - Junior / youth |
Stretford, Manchester | Turn Moss[13] |
 St Marys |
Naomh Máire | youth only | Burnage, Manchester | Cringle Playing Fields |
 St Peters |
Naomh Peadar | Men's - Junior / youth | Withington, Manchester | Hough End Playing Fields[14] |
 Liverpool Wolfe Tones |
Uilf Tóin | Men's - Junior / youth
Ladies' - Junior / youth |
Wavertree, Liverpool | Wavertree Sports Park[15] |
Lancashire Senior Men's Football Championship winners
Source:[16]
- 1951 Oisín
- 1952 John Mitchels
- 1953 Oisín
- 1954 Shannon Rangers[17]
- 1955 Shannon Rangers
- 1956 Warrington Wolfe Tones
- 1957 Oisín
- 1958 St Wilfrids
- 1959 Oisín
- 1960 Shannon Rangers
- 1961 Harp & Shamrocks
- 1962 Harp & Shamrocks
- 1963 -
- 1964 St Brendans
- 1965 John Mitchels
- 1966 John Mitchels
- 1967 St Brendans
- 1968 St Brendans
- 1969 Oisín
- 1970 St Brendans
- 1971 St Brendans
- 1972 St Brendans
- 1973 De La Salle[18]
- 1974 De La Salle[18]
- 1975 St Brendans
- 1976 Oisín
- 1977 Oisín
- 1978 St Brendans
- 1979 St Brendans
- 1980 St Brendans
- 1981 Oisín
- 1982 Oisín
- 1983 St Brendans
- 1984 St Brendans
- 1985 St Brendans
- 1986 St Brendans
- 1987 St Peters[19]
- 1988 St Brendans
- 1989 St Brendans
- 1990 St Brendans
- 1991 St Brendans
- 1992 St Peters[19]
- 1993 St Peters[19]
- 1994 Oisín
- 1995 St Peters[19]
- 1996 St Brendans[20]
- 1997 St Peters[19]
- 1998 St Lawrences[21]
- 1999 John Mitchels
- 2000 St Peters[19]
- 2001 St Peters[19]
- 2002 Oisín
- 2003 St Lawrences[21]
- 2004 St Peters[19]
- 2005 St Peters[19]
- 2006 Oisín
- 2007 John Mitchels
- 2008 John Mitchels
- 2009 John Mitchels
- 2010 St Peters[19]
- 2011 John Mitchels
- 2012 St Peters[19]
- 2013 John Mitchels[22]
- 2014 John Mitchels[22]
- 2015 John Mitchels[22]
- 2016 John Mitchels[22]
- 2017 Oisín[23]
- 2018 Oisín[23]
- 2019 Oisín[23]
- 2020 Oisín[23]
- 2021 St Brendans[24]
- 2022 St Brendans[25]
- 2023 John Mitchels[26]
- 2024 John Mitchels[27]
- 2025 St Brendans[28]
Roll of honour
† indicates a now defunct team
| Club | Lancashire SFC wins | All-Britain CFC wins | All-Ireland JCFC wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Brendans | 22 | 1 (2021) | - |
| Oisín | 16 | 1 (1994) | - |
| John Mitchels | 14 | 5 (2007, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015) | 2 x  (2009, 2015) |
| St Peters | 11 | 3 (2004, 2010, 2012) | - |
| Shannon Rangers† | 3 | ||
| De La Salle† | 2 | 1 (1974) | - |
| Harp & Shamrocks† | - | - | |
| St Lawrences | - | - | |
| St Wilfrids† | 1 | - | - |
| Warrington Wolfe Tones† |
Lancashire Junior Ladies' Football Championship winners
- 1996 Emerald Gaels
- 1997 Emerald Gaels
- 1998 Emerald Gaels
- 1999 Emerald Gaels
- 2000 Emerald Gaels
- 2001 Emerald Gaels
- 2002 Emerald Gaels
- 2003 Emerald Gaels
- 2004 Emerald Gaels
- 2005 -
- 2006 -
- 2007 John Mitchels
- 2008 John Mitchels
- 2009 -
- 2010 Oisín
- 2011 -
- 2012 -
- 2013 -
- 2014 Wolfe Tones
- 2015 Oisín
- 2016 St Lawrences
- 2017 Wolfe Tones
- 2018 Wolfe Tones
- 2019 Oisín
- 2020 not played
- 2021 -
- 2022 St Lawrences
- 2023 St Lawrences
- 2024 St Lawrences
- 2025 Wolfe Tones
Roll of honour
| Club | Lancashire JLFC wins | All-Britain JLCFC wins | All-Ireland JLCFC wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emerald Gaels† | 9 | 9 (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004) | - |
| Liverpool Wolfe Tones | 4 | 1 (2014) | - |
| St Lawrences | - | - | |
| Oisín | 3 | 3 (2010, 2015, 2019) | - |
| John Mitchels | 2 | 2 (2007, 2008) | - |
† defunct
County team
Lancashire fields a men's county team in the All-Britain Football Championship and a ladies' county team in the Britain LGFA Junior Championship. The Lancashire men have not won the All-Britain since the tournament was restructured in 2022, and so have not yet competed in the new format of the All-Ireland Junior Football Championship.
Honours
- Men's
- All-Ireland Junior Football Championship
Runners-Up (4): 1949, 1953, 1958, 1963
- All-Britain Football Championship
Winners (5): 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016- Runners-Up (2): 2007, 2009
- All-Ireland Junior Football Championship
- Ladies'
- All-Britain Junior Football Championship
- Winners (4): 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
- Runners-Up: 1998
- All-Britain Junior Football Championship
Hurling and camogie
Clubs
The hurling clubs compete in the Lancashire Senior Hurling Championship and Lancashire Junior League, along with Yorkshire Emeralds (Leeds) and Ceann Creige (Glasgow). In camogie, Fullen Gaels compete in the Northern Division of the Britain Camogie Senior League against Ceann Creige (Glasgow), with Wolfe Tones competing in the Northern Division of the Intermediate League against Erin Go Bragh and John Mitchels (both Birmingham).
| Club name | Teams | Location | Pitch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Irish | |||
| Fullen Gaels |
Fullen Gaels | Hurling - Senior
Camogie - Senior |
Manchester | Hough End Playing Fields[30] |
| Na Mic Tíre |
Na Mic Tíre | Hurling - Senior | Warrington | Appleton Thorn Playing Fields |
| Liverpool Wolfe Tones |
Uilf Tóin | Hurling - Senior
Camogie - Intermediate |
Liverpool | Wavertree Sports Park[15] |
Lancashire Senior Hurling Championship winners
Roll of honour
| Club | Lancashire SHC wins | All-Britain CHC wins | All-Ireland JCHC wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fullen Gaels |
9 | 8 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021) | 2 x (2013, 2015) |
 Ceann Creige |
2 | - | - |
| Liverpool Wolfe Tones |
1 | - | - |
County team
The Lancashire men's hurling team compete in the Lory Meagher Cup, the fifth tier of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, and Division 4 of the National Hurling League.
Honours
- Lory Meagher Cup
- Runners-Up (2): 2018, 2019, 2023
- All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship
- Runners-Up: 1931
- National Hurling League Division 3B
- Winners (1): 2018