Edinburgh University Shinty Club

Last updated

Edinburgh University
Full nameEdinburgh University Shinty Club
Gaelic nameComann Camanachd Oilthigh Dhun Eideann
NicknameThe 'Burgh, The Royal Shinty Team
Founded1891
GroundPeffermill Playing Fields, Edinburgh
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
Home

Edinburgh University Shinty Club is one of the oldest shinty clubs in existence having been founded in 1891. The club, which represents the University of Edinburgh has both male and female team sides, with players coming from other further and higher education establishments in the city, including Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh Napier and Edinburgh College. Whilst formally a University Shinty team, the club has a long history of playing at national level.

Contents

History

The period 1927 to 1933 is the most notable in the club's history, with the university retaining the Littlejohn Vase for six years in succession. In those days the team was also competing in the Southern League and the Camanachd Cup.

The team was once so strong it fielded a second string after the Second World War.

Through the 1960s and 1970s the club remained strong. In the 1980s the club competed in Division Three (South) save for one regrettable year of isolation when fixtures were provided by the Littlejohn Vase. Such a period shows how a University team’s fortunes can fluctuate as the season 1986-87 saw the team narrowly miss promotion, 1987-88 saw relegation to Division Four.

In 1991 the club enjoyed its centenary year in which a grand reunion was organised. Guests of honour included Sorley MacLean, who played for the club in the late twenties.

In 2004, the club played its last games of senior shinty with the advent of summer shinty, meaning that the university could not field a team through the summer months. Players now return to their hometown teams or will play for local sides Tayforth Camanachd and Aberdour Shinty Club.

2011 saw a transition period for the club and the resurrection of the yearly challenge match with Trinity College where the Scottish and Irish capital sides play each other at the start of the year in a shinty/hurling match. The trip in 2011 proved so successful that a yearly tour to Dublin is now undertaken and eagerly anticipated. A friendship was formed with St Judes GAA in 2012 where the club travelled to Templeogue for a shinty/hurling challenge match. The club shall now play St Judes and Trinity in alternate years in the Irish capital, alongside St. Brigid's.

The successful ladies' side of the 2000s was instrumental in the foundation of Forth Camanachd and subsequent developments in ladies shinty in the area, with many transferring to Aberdour when Forth folded.

In 2012, the club won the Littlejohn for the first time in 26 years, defeating Glasgow University 1-0 in the final. The club won the Littlejohn again in 2013 where they defeated rivals Strathclyde University 1-0 in the final at St Andrews. The women's team won the McHue and Porter Cup during the same tournament in 2023 with a 1-0 win over Strathclyde University. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shinty</span> Team sport with ball and sticks

Shinty is a team sport played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands and among Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread in Scotland, and was even played in Northern England into the second half of the 20th century and other areas in the world where Scottish Highlanders migrated.

The Littlejohn of Invercharron Challenge Vase, also known as the Littlejohn Vase, is a trophy in university shinty. It is the second most expensive sporting trophy in Scotland, after the Scottish Cup. The Littlejohn Vase is competed for by university shinty teams on an annual basis, in a one-day event traditionally held at a different university every year, although since 2007 it has been held at St Andrews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Camanachd</span> British shinty club

London Camanachd is a shinty club in England. They have historically been attached to the South District. They went into abeyance in 1992 but were reconstituted in 2005. They played the first officially recognised Shinty match outside Scotland in 80 years on Saturday 22 July 2006 against the Highlanders. Currently the club field men's and women's teams in English and Scottish competitions as well as exhibition matches in Europe, most recently in 2018 in Brussels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aberdour Shinty Club</span>

Aberdour Shinty Club is a shinty club which plays in Aberdour, Fife, Scotland. It is the only senior Shinty Club in Fife and was founded in 2001. In 2011, the club entered two teams into senior competition. Its first team competing in Marine Harvest National Division, and its second team in South Division Two.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shinty in the United States</span>

Shinty was played in its original form throughout North and South America by Scottish settlers until the early 1900s when the practice died out. Shinty, and its close Irish relative hurling as well as the English bandy, are recognised as being the progenitors of ice hockey and are an important part of North America's modern sporting heritage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University shinty</span>

In the sport of shinty, there are several clubs which play under the banner of one of the Scottish universities. However, these clubs are not always student teams in the strictest sense of the word, and have a long history of participation at national senior level. Since the introduction of a summer season, only the Aberdeen University Shinty Club continues to play in the senior leagues, although Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews have all done so in the past.

Glasgow University Shinty Club is a shinty club from Glasgow, Scotland. Although formally a University Shinty team, representing the University of Glasgow, it has a long history of competition in national competition.

Kilmory Camanachd is a shinty club from Lochgilphead, Argyll, Scotland. The club was founded in 1977 in its present form. The club plays in South Division One and has a reserve side in the Bullough cup. The club is associated with Dunadd camanachd

Taynuilt Shinty Club is a shinty team based in Taynuilt, Scotland. The club has existed in several different forms most recently in junior form but has reformed and won South Division Two in 2009.

Forth Camanachd was a women's shinty club based in Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. The club was established in 2006 and won both the Valerie Fraser Cup and the Caledonian Canal Challenge Cup in its time in existence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mod Cup</span>

The Mod Cup, also known as the Aviemore Cup1995 - Royal National Mòd Programmes and fringe events > Royal National Mòd Programmes > [Mod / Mòd Naìseanta Rìoghail - An Comunn Gaidhealach - National Library of Scotland] is a trophy in the sport of shinty first competed for in 1969, traditionally played for by the two teams who are based closest to the host venue of the Royal National Mod. The current holders are Aberdour.(2022)

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valerie Fraser Trophy</span> Award for womens shinty in Scotland

The Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup also known as the Valerie Fraser Trophy or the Women's Camanachd Cup is the premier trophy in Women's shinty and is currently sponsored by Peter Gow. It is played on a knock-out basis by the teams in the National Division 1 League and is administered by the Women's Camanachd Association. The current holders are Skye Camanachd.

Niall MacPhee is a shinty player from Fort William, Scotland. He plays for Fort William Shinty Club.

SCOTS Camanachd is the only shinty team in the British Armed Forces.

Edinburgh East Lothian Shinty Club was a sports club, a shinty club which played in the South Division Shinty League, based in Musselburgh, East Lothian. They were formerly known as Musselburgh Camanachd until 2000. In 2007 they withdrew from the league due to team-raising difficulties. The club is currently dormant.

The Cornwall Shinty Club is a shinty club from Cornwall in the UK. Formed in 2012, it is one of few clubs outside the Scottish Highlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fingal Memorial Shield</span> Trophy awarded for winning St Andrews Sixes

The Fingal Memorial Shield is a trophy in the sport of shinty. It is currently the trophy presented to the winners of the St Andrew's Sixes, an international six-a-side tournament.

St Andrews University Shinty Club is a shinty club from the town of St Andrews in Fife. Representing the St Andrews University, the club now plays in the University Shinty league but had a long history of competition in the South Leagues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunoon Camanachd</span>

Dunoon Camanachd is a shinty club, from Dunoon, Scotland. The team competed from 2016 to 2017 in South Division Two but its senior side went into abeyance in 2018.

The Shinty–Hurling International Series is a sports competition played annually between the Ireland national hurling team and Scotland national shinty team. The series is conducted according to the rules of shinty–hurling, which is a hybrid sport consisting of a mixture of rules from the Scottish sport of shinty and the Irish sport of hurling.

References

  1. "Littlejohn and McHue Porter Shinty Tournament" (PDF). scottishstudentsport.com. 15 March 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.