History
While it is unclear when organised Gaelic games began in the Midlands, there is evidence of hurling being played in Birmingham since 1907, with 'Erin's Hope' arranging games against teams from Liverpool, Manchester and London. In 1935, the British Provincial Council arranged a meeting with the intention of forming a county board. A committee was established and some progress was made before the outbreak of the Second World War made it difficult to continue. [1]
Due to efforts of the John Mitchel's Hurling Club, and in response to a request from the Lancashire County Board, the Warwickshire County Board was formed in 1941. [2] Clubs began to pop up across the West Midlands, including in Birmingham with Robert Emmets, St. Patricks, Tara, St Pauls, St Chads, Emerald Isles, The Sacred Heart, J F Kennedys, Sean McDermotts and Erin go Bragh; in Coventry with Shannon Rovers, Banba Rovers, Four Masters, St Finbarrs and Roger Casements; as well as St Peters in Leamington Spa and St Marys in Wolverhampton. The first juvenile hurling game was played in Birmingham in 1958, and by 1959 there were 40 teams playing hurling and football in Warwickshire. [1]
Between 1946 and 1990 the Warwickshire inter-county teams reached 18 All-Ireland junior finals, divided equally amongst both Gaelic football and hurling. All-Ireland JHC titles were won in 1968, 1969 and 1973. [3] [4] There was also a defeat by Antrim in the 1970 All-Ireland IHC final. [5]
While games were originally played across the county area, most notably at Glebe Farm Recreation Ground in Kitts Green, Birmingham, an official base for Warwickshire GAA was established with the construction of Páirc na hÉireann in Solihull. [1]
In 1994, the Ladies’ County Board was formed in Warwickshire, consisting of three teams: St Brendans in Kings Heath, and two teams in Erdington- St Chads and Erin go Bragh. [6] More teams followed throughout the 1990s, and by 2000 the Board had 7 affiliated ladies’ football clubs; St Brendans, Erin go Bragh, John Mitchels (Kings Norton), Sean McDermotts (Small Heath), Young Irelands (Leicester), Roger Casements (Coventry; originally formed as Clann Na H'eireann) and Emerald Gaels (Manchester; officially in the Lancashire boundaries but competing in Warwickshire competitions). Warwickshire ladies’ also began to compete in county football, winning their first Britain LGFA Junior Championship in 1998. [6]
A restructuring of the entire Irish hurling championship system in 2005 resulted in Warwickshire fielding a team in the third tier Nicky Rackard Cup. The team later dropped down to the fourth tier and won two Lory Meagher Cup titles in 2013 and 2017. [7] [8]
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