North American GAA

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USGAA
County colours:Red, white, blue
Ground(s):Gaelic Park - Chicago, IL
Irish Cultural Center - Boston, MA
Limerick Field Complex - Philadelphia, PA
Páirc na nGael - San Francisco, CA
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The United States Gaelic Athletic Association, or USGAA, is one of the county boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association outside Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the United States (except for the New York metropolitan area, which is administrated by the New York GAA). The county board is also responsible for the American inter-county teams.

Gaelic Athletic Association Irish amateur sporting and cultural organisation

The Gaelic Athletic Association is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, Gaelic handball and rounders. The association also promotes Irish music and dance, and the Irish language.

Ireland Island in north-west Europe, 20th largest in world, politically divided into the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (a part of the UK)

Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the second-largest island of the British Isles, the third-largest in Europe, and the twentieth-largest on Earth.

Gaelic games Set of sports originating, and mainly played, on the island of Ireland

Gaelic games are sports played in Ireland under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). Gaelic football and hurling are the two main games. Other games organised by the GAA include Gaelic handball and rounders.

Contents

History

Hurling and Gaelic football have been played in North America ever since Irish immigrants began landing on North American shores. The earliest games of hurling in North America were played in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1788, and there are records of football being played in Hyde Park (now the site of the Civic Center) in San Francisco as early as the 1850s. There are established clubs in the cities that traditionally have a large Irish population, such as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Boston.

Hurling outdoor team game

Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic and Irish origin. It is administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). The game has prehistoric origins, and has been played for 4,000 years. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of players, and much terminology. There is a similar game for women called camogie. It shares a common Gaelic root with the sport of shinty, which is played predominantly in Scotland.

Gaelic football Irish team sport, form of football derived from traditional Irish ball games

Gaelic football, commonly referred to as football or Gaelic, is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kicking or punching the ball into the other team's goals or between two upright posts above the goals and over a crossbar 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) above the ground.

North America Continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere

North America is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered by some to be a northern subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean, and to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea.

When the North American county board was formed it included Canadian clubs in its area of control. However these clubs are now under the control of the Canadian county board [1]

In recent years, hurling has started to enjoy support in several other U.S. cities, as evidenced by the establishment of the Milwaukee Hurling Club in 1995 and later the Twin Cities Hurling Club (MN). Other clubs include the Indianapolis Hurling Club, the St. Louis Gaelic Athletic Club, the Denver Gaels, the Greenville Gaels, the Orlando Hurling Club and the Seattle Gaels. Hurling is also starting to gather support at the club level at some universities, such as at Purdue University and Stanford University since 2005, California State University, Monterey Bay since 2006, and UC Berkeley since 2008.

Milwaukee Hurling Club

The Milwaukee Hurling Club (MHC) has promoted the sport of hurling through education and game play since 1996.

The St. Louis Gaelic Athletic Club (STLGAC) is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting club primarily focused on promoting Gaelic games in the St. Louis, Missouri metro area. The club was founded as the St. Louis Hurling Club, but changed its name to better reflect the club's participation in its two main sports; hurling and Gaelic football.

Purdue University public research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States

Purdue University is a public research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money to establish a college of science, technology, and agriculture in his name. The first classes were held on September 16, 1874, with six instructors and 39 students.

Interest in Gaelic Football has also developed amongst universities in America. Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia is the first school to have an officially recognized program after running independently since 2011. Boston College's program has been running since 2011, while two other Philadelphia-area institutions, Villanova University and Drexel University, hope to launch club programs soon.

Saint Josephs University private, coeducational Roman Catholic Jesuit university

Saint Joseph's University is a private Jesuit university in Philadelphia and Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. The university was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851 as Saint Joseph's College. Saint Joseph's is the seventh oldest Jesuit university in the United States and one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.

Philadelphia Largest city in Pennsylvania, United States

Philadelphia, known colloquially as Philly, is the largest city in the U.S. state and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the sixth-most populous U.S. city, with a 2018 census-estimated population of 1,584,138. Since 1854, the city has been coterminous with Philadelphia County, the most populous county in Pennsylvania and the urban core of the eighth-largest U.S. metropolitan statistical area, with over 6 million residents as of 2017. Philadelphia is also the economic and cultural anchor of the greater Delaware Valley, located along the lower Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, within the Northeast megalopolis. The Delaware Valley's population of 7.2 million ranks it as the eighth-largest combined statistical area in the United States.

Boston College private research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States

Boston College is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. The university's name reflects its early history as a liberal arts college and preparatory school in Boston's South End. It is a member of the 568 Group and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. Its main campus is a historic district and features some of the earliest examples of collegiate gothic architecture in North America.

As of 2017 more than 51% of registered players in the United States were born there. This number is an underestimation as many clubs do not register all players that select to play only local games.

Early 21st century

The GAA in North America became the victim of two major developments in the early 21st century. One was the security clampdown that followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the other was the massive growth in the Irish 'Celtic Tiger' economy. These two factors led to a reduction in the number of people travelling from Ireland to the U.S., and it became difficult for many Irish people to stay in the country illegally. Additionally, many Irish emigrants returned to Ireland, where they enjoyed a high standard of living that wasn't available to earlier generations. [2] These factors reduced the number of people playing GAA in larger U.S. cities. The trend was partially offset by growth in smaller cities. With the onset of economic crisis of the late 2000s the flow of emigrants back to Ireland and into America has changed once again but current U.S. immigration policies have meant that the number of Irish that used to go to America is not now the same.

September 11 attacks Attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001

The September 11 attacks were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda against the United States on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. The attacks killed 2,996 people, injured over 6,000 others, and caused at least $10 billion in infrastructure and property damage. Additional people died of 9/11-related cancer and respiratory diseases in the months and years following the attacks.

"Celtic Tiger" is a term referring to the economy of the Republic of Ireland from the mid-1990s to the late-2000s, a period of rapid real economic growth fuelled by foreign direct investment. The boom was dampened by a subsequent property bubble which resulted in a severe economic downturn.

Great Recession Early 21st-century global economic decline

The Great Recession was a period of general economic decline observed in world markets during the late 2000s and early 2010s. The scale and timing of the recession varied from country to country. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has concluded that it had the most severe economic and financial meltdown ever since the Great Depression and it is frequently seen as the second worst downturn of all time.

Grassroots development is taking on a life of its own. Youth programs are springing up across the country and in particular are experiencing huge growth thanks to the success of the Continental Youth Championship.

Competitions

USGAA Finals

Each year on Labor Day weekend, the USGAA holds a championship between the clubs in all U.S. cities where there are GAA-affiliated clubs (except for New York city). Playoffs are held between the Gaelic football, hurling and camogie champions of the different regions in the United States, to determine the USGAA champions. Play off locations:

Grades

The championships are divided into different grades.

  • Men:
    • USGAA Senior Football Championship
    • USGAA Intermediate Football Championship
    • USGAA Junior A Football Championship
    • USGAA Junior B Football Championship
    • USGAA Junior C Football Championship
    • USGAA Junior D Football Championship
    • USGAA Senior Hurling Championship
    • USGAA Junior A Hurling Championship
    • USGAA Junior B Hurling Championship
    • USGAA Junior C Hurling Championship
  • Ladies:
    • USGAA Senior Ladies Football Championship
    • USGAA Intermediate Ladies Football Championship
    • USGAA Junior A Ladies Football Championship
    • USGAA Junior B Ladies Football Championship
    • USGAA Senior Camogie Championship
    • USGAA Junior Camogie Championship

The Continental Youth Championships

The Continental Youth Championship (CYC) began in 2004, hosted by the New York GAA. This is an annual weekend tournament that takes place in various cities from year to year. The most recent CYC was held in August 2018, contested in Canton, Massachusetts, and hosted by the Boston GAA. [3] CYC involves under age teams from all three of the GAA jurisdictions in North America playing football, hurling, ladies' football, and camogie at all ages from Under 8 to Under 18.

Clubs

In 2015 in the USGAA area, there were 116 adult clubs and 14 Youth clubs playing Football, Hurling or Camogie in the US outside New York City. These clubs participated in Divisional Championship competitions to qualify for the USGAA Finals in their respective sport and grade of competition. As of 2017, Gaelic games were being organized and played in over 60 cities across the US, including:

List of clubs

See List of GAA clubs in North America

See also

Related Research Articles

The Western Divisional Board of the North American Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) colloquially San Francisco GAA is the governing body of hurling, camogie, and Gaelic football in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is affiliated to the North American Board.

Antrim GAA

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

Derry GAA

The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for gaelic games in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. The county board is also responsible for the Derry inter-county teams.

Gaelic Games Europe

The European Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) or Gaelic Games Europe is one of the international units of the GAA, and is responsible for organising Gaelic games in continental Europe. Gaelic Games Europe is also responsible for the European Gaelic football, hurling, camogie and ladies' Gaelic football teams which compete every three years at the GAA World Gaelic Games.

Connacht GAA or formally the Connacht Provincial Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association is the governing body for Gaelic games that are played in the province of Connacht, Ireland. It performs a supervisory and appeal role for the five County Boards within the province. Anomalously, it also exercises its functions for an additional two County Boards that are not located in the province: London GAA and New York GAA. Teams from these administrative areas play in the Connacht Senior Football Championship.

The Ulster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, and handball in the province of Ulster. The headquarters of the Ulster GAA is based in Armagh City.

New York GAA

The New York County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association, or New York GAA, is one of the county boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in the New York metropolitan area. The county board is also responsible for the New York inter-county teams.

Cappagh GAA gaelic games club in County Kildare, Ireland

Cappagh is a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club in County Kildare, Republic of Ireland. It was the Kildare club of the year in 1998.

Continental Youth Championship

The Continental Youth Championships (CYC) is an annual weekend tournament of Gaelic football, hurling, and camogie organized by the Gaelic Athletic Association. It is contested by teams from the USA and Canada, and is a separate competition from the existing youth championships in the New York, Canadian, and NACB areas. It began in 2004, and its location rotates around various cities from year to year. The age of players ranges from Under 8 to Under 18.

The Central Divisional Board of the North American GAA is the governing body of hurling, camogie, and gaelic football in an area centered on Chicago. It is affiliated to the North American Board, and its territory was expanded in 2006 to include Milwaukee. Its headquarters are at Gaelic Park, a custom built facility for Gaelic games in the South side of Chicago. The facility has hosted major tournaments such as the North American playoffs. It hosted the 2007 Continental Youth Championships and the 2007 North American Playoffs.

The Montreal Shamrocks GAC is a sports club in Montreal, Canada, associated with the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland. They operate under the Canadian GAA board(Eastern Canada division).

Although many hurling clubs exist worldwide, only Ireland has a national team. Ireland's national hurling team and the Scotland shinty team have played for many years with modified match rules in international composite rules—much like international rules football brings together Gaelic football and Australian rules football. This match is the only such international competition.

The Northeast Divisional Board of the USGAA is the governing body of hurling, camogie, and Gaelic football in the Boston metropolitan area of Massachusetts. It is affiliated to the USGAA, and is the largest division in the USGAA. Its headquarters are at the Irish Cultural Center (ICC) in Canton, MA, a facility that has hosted many major tournaments over the years such as the North American Playoffs, the Martin Donnelly Interprovincial Championship, the Continental Youth Championship, and many more.

The following is an alphabetical list of terms and jargon used in relation to Gaelic games. See also list of Irish county nicknames

Erin go Bragh GAA gaelic games club in County Dublin, Ireland

Erin go Bragh GAA are a Dublin-based Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Clonee, Littlepace/Castaheaney/Ongar district in Dublin 15. The club currently field 1 teams in junior football, 1 junior hurling team and 1 camogie team. They also have a boys and girls juvenile section fielding from Under 8-minor in football, hurling and camogie. There is also a club of the same name based in Warwickshire, England.

Padraig Pearses GAA Roscommon gaelic games club in County Roscommon, Ireland


Padraig Pearses GAA Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parishes of Moore, Taughmaconnell and Rural Creagh in South County Roscommon, Ireland. They play in Red and White colours and their home pitch is at Woodmount, Ballinasloe.

Clanna Gael Fontenoy GAA gaelic games club in County Dublin, Ireland

Clanna Gael Fontenoy is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based at Ringsend, Dublin, Ireland, serving Sandymount, Irishtown, Ringsend and its surrounding areas.

The Hurling Club of Madison is an American amateur sports club based in Madison, Wisconsin, playing and promoting the sport of hurling. Since 2015, the club has also sponsored a Gaelic football team, adding a women's Gaelic football team in 2016. The club is a member of the United States Gaelic Athletic Association, Heartland Division.

Thomas McCurtains is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Goodmayes, East London. The club covers a wide area and current players live in many different areas, including, Gants Hill, Woodford, Leyton, Leytonstone, Stratford, Romford, Dagenham, Brentwood & Chelmsford as well as many other areas. The club was founded in 1920 making it one of London's oldest GAA clubs.

References

  1. ↑ "Motreal History". Archived from the original on September 25, 2008. Retrieved 2010-02-03.
  2. ↑ "OB Sports - RTÉ television" . Retrieved 2006-11-29.
  3. ↑ "Boston Welcome Letter" (PDF). 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2018– via amazonaws.com.
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