The Limerick hurling club in Chicago enjoyed a truly magnificent 2008, winning the North American senior hurling championship for the first time in 31 years. It was a timely breakthrough for the Limerick club, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2009, coinciding neatly with the GAA's 125th-anniversary celebrations back home. The Limerick hurlers in Chicago have come from nowhere to sit top of the GAA pile not just in the cold, windy city - but in all of North America. Having only regained their senior status in 2007, they duly went all the way in '08 to capture the Chicago and North America senior hurling championships. Claiming the national title for just the second time in their history was certainly a noteworthy success as the club was struggling to remain in existence only a few years earlier. Their only other North America championship win was secured way back in 1977. In 2009, the club marks its 50th anniversary - quite an achievement for a club fighting against the odds so far from Irish soil! It's apt that they go into their golden jubilee year as Chicago champions and also as champions of all of North America. Club chairman Eoghan Murphy is delighted with how things transpired last year and is hoping Limerick can continue to go from strength to strength in '09. The former Patrickswell clubman notes: "The only other time we won the North America championship was 31 years earlier, so we were really happy with how things worked out. Winning the North America championship is the pinnacle for any club in America. The finals took place in Boston and we beat Na Fianna from San Francisco in the final to take the title." Eoghan has been based in Chicago since 2005. As well as serving as club chairman, he also doubled up as goalkeeper on the all-conquering Limerick team last year. Indeed, Limerick completed a Chicago league and championship double and actually won every trophy available to them in what must surely qualify as the most successful year in the club's history to date. They did absolutely everything that was asked of them "We won every competition we entered last year," Eoghan confirms. "We beat Cuchulainns in the Chicago final and then defeated Wexford of Boston in the North America semi-final." How is the Chicago championship organised? How many clubs participate and what is the format of the competition? "There are three senior clubs in Chicago and we all play each other on a round-robin basis. We beat both Cuchulainns and Harry Bolands and then faced Cuchulainns again in the final. The final is the best of five matches, but we beat them 3-0. "Numbers are small so we rely a lot on students coming out for the summer to fill positions on the team. We tend to use the same 15 for most of the year and we rely a lot on our sponsors, who are exceptionally good to us. Without them, we wouldn't have a club. "Our main sponsor is Johnny Barrett, who runs Quality Excavation and who came over here from Limerick 30 years ago. Johnny is also a former player and an ardent club member. He came to Boston with us for the finals to lend his support. We were glad to win it for him because, honestly, only for him we wouldn't be playing. His son, Shane, who is only 16, is involved in the team as well. Maurice Connolly Construction is another important sponsor who helps keep the club going. "For further income, we depend on continued and much-appreciated support from local bars like The Thatch Bar and Grealy's Bar & Grill and we also run our own weekly lotto." The rule regarding player registrations is that clubs can only field players who are out in Chicago for a minimum of 60 days. "We were lucky to have a number of players with Fitzgibbon Cup experience," Eoghan continues. "For example, we had Enda Barrett, who is with Waterford IT now and who has played with Clare in the national hurling league. Bernard Gaffney came from Limerick IT and is another Clare panellist. And wing back Mike Walsh from Cork won a couple of Fitzgibbons with LIT. "Our home-based players over here include Tom Sheehy from Limerick, who's a GAA development officer working for Croke Park; Nolan McKeegan from Antrim, whose brother Karl plays for Antrim; Shane McShane; Peadar Hurley; Paul Greaney from Athenry; and Aidan Finnerty." The team is managed by Pat Haugh, who played senior hurling for many years with Limerick club Feohanagh-Castlemahon - the home of the legendary netminder Tommy Quaid. Fellow Limerick men Donie Gleeson and Joe O'Malley serve as trainer and selector respectively. Regarding the club's 50th-anniversary celebrations, the chairman says: "The club was known as Shannon Rangers when it was formed but changed its name to Limerick Hurling Club in the mid-1960s. Leonard Enright and Pat Fox would be some of the more famous players who have represented the club over the years. We're going to host a massive Dinner Dance in October and we'll bring out some of our former players from Ireland for that occasion." The success the club enjoyed in 2008 was little short of remarkable. Eoghan explains: "We had only returned to senior ranks two years ago. We got to the Chicago final in 2007 and won it in 2008. To then go on and win the North America title was unbelievable. "We were on our knees for five or six years before that. We had gone down to junior and were barely scraping by, with nobody left in Chicago to run the club properly. "Alan 'Socy' Johnson kept the club going almost single-handedly and he just refused to let it die. Last year's success is all down to him. "In 2009, it would be fantastic to mark our anniversary by doing the double again. We're under no illusions and we know it'll be hard to get the same calibre of player again, but we're really hoping to be champions again come Labour Weekend. "The social side of the club is also very important. In many ways, the actual hurling itself is often secondary. Winning has never been the be all and end all it's more about meeting people and making new friends and keeping the GAA going." Back in his native Limerick, Eoghan Murphy won two SHCs with Patrickswell and he was on the team that faced Newtownshandrum in the 2003 Munster club hurling championship final. He was substitute goalkeeper when Limerick won the 2002 All-Ireland U21 hurling championship. Today, he is based half an hour from downtown Chicago, on the north west side of the city. He works in O'Shaughnessy's Bar, in the Ravenswood area of northside Chicago. Tweet

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