Chicago Wolfe Tones GFC

Last updated
Chicago Wolfe Tones
Bhunf Tón
Chicago Wolfe Tones GFC.jpg
Founded1957
County North American
Division Central Division Board
NicknameThe Tones, The Blue Machine
ColoursBlue & White
Grounds Gaelic Park, Chicago
Kit left arm shouldersonwhite.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body thinwhitesides.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm shouldersonwhite.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
{{{kit1}}}

The Wolfe Tones Gaelic Football Club was founded in 1957 and first took the field in the summer of 1958. [1] While not the oldest Gaelic Football club in Chicago, the Wolfe Tones is one of the most successful clubs in North America with 22 senior Chicago titles and 13 North American Championships and competing in 17 NCAB finals. [2] [3]

Contents

Wolfe Tones History

The Tones won their first American League Title in 1978. Nicknamed "The Blue Machine," they drew players from all counties which was an advantage and in the seventies and eighties were mostly home-based with strong social ties because everyone worked and socialised together.

In the mid-1980s, the club added a Junior team, while the Juniors have not had the same level of success as the Senior team, it has still added to the level of support that the club enjoys and allows many younger Irish-Americans to participate in the rich culture of the GAA. In the late 1990s and early 2000s Mike Mulligan, then of the Chicago Sun Times, wrote that the Wolfe Tones were "a Chicago-based Gaelic football powerhouse." [4]

In past years, the Wolfe Tones main rivals have been the McBrides GFC and the St. Brendan's GFC [5] [6] [7] and, more recently, the Parnell's GFC.

Due to the economic downturn and changes in US Immigration law, GAA clubs in North America have come upon hard times. Despite this, the Wolfe Tones still have been able to field competitive teams. [8]

Wolfe Tones Players

The Wolfe Tones have always fielded competitive teams and have drawn from some of the most famous and skilled Gaelic Football players from nearly every county in Ireland, going so far as to play in the GAA Golf Tournament. [9] [10] They have also played several challenge games in Ireland [11] [12]

Here are just a few of the county players that have played for the Tones through the years;

County PlayersCountyProvince
Jack O'Shea Kerry Munster
Val Daly Galway Connacht
Graham Geraghty Meath Leinster
Seán Cavanagh Tyrone Ulster
Jonathan Clerkin Louth Leinster
John Conlon Monaghan Ulster
Nigel Dineen Roscommon Connacht
Karl Ennis Kildare Leinster
Rory Mone MonaghanUlster
Conor Mullane Limerick Munster
Odhran O'Dwyer Clare Munster
Darren Clarke LouthLeinster
Peter McGinnity LouthLeinster
JP Rooney LouthLeinster
James McCartan Jnr Down Ulster
Brian Burns DownUlster
Cathal Murray DownUlster
Gary Mason DownUlster
Greg McCartan DownUlster
Paddy McKeever Armagh Ulster
Paul Brewster and Mark Gallagher Fermanagh Ulster
Brian Connor Offaly Leinster
Richie Connor OffalyLeinster
Matt Connor OffalyLeinster
Jonathan Conroy RoscommonConnacht
Colm Coyle Meath Leinster
David Mitchell Westmeath Leinster
George Hannigan Tipperary Munster
Paul Doyle Carlow Leinster
Willie Brennan Laois Leinster
Kevin O'Brien Wicklow Leinster
Paddy Bradley Derry Ulster
Tommy Ryan Donegal Ulster
Shane Durkin Sligo Connacht
Liam Reilly Cavan Ulster
Marty Lynch KildareLeinster
Kevin Concannon Cork Munster
Fergus Daly WicklowLeinster
Shane Cullen Wexford Leinster
David Brady Mayo Connacht
Liam Brady MayoConnacht
Jack Sheedy Dublin Leinster
Frankie Griffin ClareMunster
David Keenan RoscommonLeinster
Dermot Malone MonaghanUlster
John Conlin MonaghanUlster
Owen Lennon MonaghanUlster

[13]

2012 Chicago Finals Champions

The 2012 Wolfe Tones won their divisional title in Chicago, but lost to the Ulster GFC of San Francisco in their semi-final match at the NACB Finals in Philadelphia.

Senior Title Years

Through the years, the Wolfe Tones have enjoyed successes through the years in the North American County Board, having won titles for both their division and in the county. [14] Here is the list of the Senior Titles of the North American GAA the club has won through the years. [15]

Chicago FinalsNorth American Finals
1962--
1963--
1965--
1969--
19781978
1979--
19801980
19821982
1984--
19851985
19881988
19911991
1992--
1993--
19951995
19961996
19971997
19991999
20012001
20022002
2003--
20062006
2012--
2017--

[2] [16] [17] [18]

Stubs

Related Research Articles

A wolf tone is an unintended sound quality of an instrument in the violin family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longford GAA</span> County board of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland

The Longford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) or Longford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Longford. The county board is also responsible for the Longford county teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leitrim GAA</span> County board of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland

The Leitrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) or Leitrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Leitrim. The county board is also responsible for the Leitrim inter-county teams. The county football team play in the Connacht Senior Football Championship and compete in Division 4 of the National Football League. Considered "Connacht's traditional minnows" and "one of the GAA's Cinderella counties",, Leitrim are never seriously seen as likely to win a major title. They have won the Connacht Senior Football Championship on two occasions, the first in 1927 and their second in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York GAA</span> County board of the Gaelic Athletic Association

The New York County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association, or New York GAA is one of the 3 county boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in North America, and is responsible for Gaelic games in the New York metropolitan area. The county board is also responsible for the New York county teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melvin Gaels GFC</span> Leitrim-based Gaelic games club

Melvin Gaels GFC is a Gaelic Athletic Association gaelic football club in Kinlough, County Leitrim, Ireland.

Patrick Bradley is an Irish sportsman who plays Gaelic football for John Mitchel's Glenullin and the Derry county team. With the county he has won two National League titles, and individually an All Stars Award for his performance in the 2007 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.

The Louth Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association competition organised by Louth GAA among the top Gaelic football clubs in County Louth, Ireland. The winning club qualifies to represent the county in the Leinster Senior Club Football Championship, the winner of which progresses to the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship.

O'Neills Irish International Sports Company Ltd. is an Irish sporting goods manufacturer established in 1918. It is the largest manufacturer of sportswear in Ireland, with production plants located in Dublin and Strabane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancashire GAA</span> Gaelic games governing body in the UK

The Lancashire County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), or Lancashire GAA, is one of the county boards outside Ireland and is responsible for the running of Gaelic games in the North West of England and on the Isle of Man. With Scotland, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, London and Yorkshire, the board makes up the British Provincial Board. The Lancashire board oversees the Lancashire Junior Championship, the Lancashire Junior League, and the first and second division of the Pennine League.

Cookstown Fr. Rock's Gaelic Athletic Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Cookstown in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The club fields male and female teams across a multitude of age groups ranging from Under 6s to senior level. Their home ground, Paddy Cullen Park, is located at 1 Convent Lane, Cookstown, just behind Holy Trinity Primary School and Holy Trinity College. In recent years Owen Mulligan and Raymond Mulgrew have both won All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medals with the Tyrone senior team. The club also had five players who won All-Ireland Minor Football Championship medals on the same day in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seán Marty Lockhart</span> Dual player of Gaelic games

Seán Marty Lockhart is an Irish dual player of Gaelic games who plays Gaelic football for the Derry county team. He has won an Ulster Senior Football Championship and three National League titles with the county, as well an All-Ireland Under 21 Championship. He also won an All Star for his performances in the 1998 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. He plays club football for St Mary's Banagher. As a dual player, Lockhart also plays hurling for Banagher, and has in the past also hurled for Derry.

Damian Cassidy is a former Gaelic football manager and former player for the Derry county team in the 1980s and 1990s, who was part of the county's 1993 All-Ireland Championship winning side, starting at left half forward. He also won two Ulster Senior Championship medals, three National League titles, and a range of under-age inter-county medals with the county. Cassidy played his club football for Bellaghy Wolfe Tones and won five Derry Championships and the 1994 Ulster Senior Club Football Championships with the club. For both club and county he usually played as a forward. Cassidy was also a talented hurler.

Liam McHale is a Gaelic football coach and former player who played in midfield with the Mayo county football team between 1985 and 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Patrick's GFC, Cullyhanna</span> Armagh-based Gaelic games club

St Patrick's Gaelic Football Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in southern County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is part of the Armagh GAA, and is based in the townland and village of Cullyhanna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolfe Tone GAC, Derrymacash</span> Armagh-based Gaelic games club

Wolfe Tone Gaelic Athletic Club is a GAA club in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is based in the townland of Derrymacash, on the southern shore of Lough Neagh, close to Lurgan. It is part of Armagh GAA and plays at Raparee Park (Irish: Páirc na Ropairí. The club takes its name from the republican leader of the 1798 revolution, Wolfe Tone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolfe Tones GFC Drogheda</span> Louth-based Gaelic games club

Wolfe Tones GFC is a Gaelic Football club from Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland. It serves the residents of St Mary's Parish in south Drogheda and fields Gaelic football teams in competitions organised by Louth GAA. One of the oldest GAA clubs in Louth, Wolfe Tones play gaelic football at all age levels from nursery to adult.

Meath Intermediate Football Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association second-tier competition between Gaelic football clubs organised by Meath GAA. The winning club is promoted to the Meath Senior Football Championship. In the 2021 final, Trim defeated Oldcastle. Each year, the final takes place in Pairc Tailteann, Navan. The winning club competes in the Leinster Intermediate Club Football Championship. The current (2021) champions are Trim.

The Louth Intermediate Football Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association competition, organised by Louth GAA, among the intermediate grade Gaelic football clubs in County Louth, Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Nicholas GFC</span> Louth-based Gaelic games club

St. Nicholas GFC is a Gaelic Football club located in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland. Based in Rathmullan in the south-west of the town, it takes its players from Holy Family Parish and fields teams in competitions organised by Louth GAA.

References

  1. ↑ McInerny, Michelle. "Chicago Wolfe Tones". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  2. 1 2 "North American GAA Senior Football Winners". eSports Manager. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  3. ↑ Dale, Steve (17 March 1989). "Let The Gaelic Games-and Fun-begin". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  4. ↑ Mulligan, Mike (September 6, 1999). "Oak Forest's Gaelic games a success". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  5. ↑ "Derry say no to change for Galway showdown". Irish Independent. August 24, 2001. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  6. ↑ Kelly, Eamon (2011-02-16). "NCAB Roundup: Wolfe Tones footballers overpower rival St. Brendan's". Irish Echo.
  7. ↑ "One for the Future". Lynn Group Media. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  8. ↑ "Chicago Gaelic News / Aug. 2008". Irish American News. August 2008. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  9. ↑ Challenge, FBD (August 20, 2008). "GAA golfers get a break". Irish Independent. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  10. ↑ FBD, Challenge (September 3, 2008). "Wolfe Tones complete final line-up". Irish Independent. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  11. ↑ "US invaders hope to fly flag Matchplay pairs set for deferred final". Irish Independent. September 9, 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  12. ↑ Kelly, Liam (September 16, 2008). "Dub All-Ireland joy for Cahill's St Brigid's". Irish Independent. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  13. ↑ "Offaly midfielder Connor heads Stateside". Irish Examiner. April 27, 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  14. ↑ "Club Links". Lynn Group Media. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  15. ↑ "Chicago's Wolfe Mone". Lynn Group Media. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  16. ↑ Mulligan, Mike (September 3, 1999). "Gaelic test an Irish fest". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  17. ↑ "Authentic Irish". Chicago Sun Times. March 12, 2000. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  18. ↑ HORAN, Liam (July 22, 1999). "Cregan ready to stay on as Limerick leader". Irish Independent. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.