For the first time since 2010 Chicago Gaelic Park will host this year's North American County Board National Championships playoffs. The 33 rd. staging of this huge sporting event is scheduled for the Labor Day weekend, September 4th thru 6th.
Based on team affiliations and the number of teams that have emerged from the various divisional championships that came to a close around the country in the past couple of weeks all indications show that it may be the biggest NACB tournament ever staged. Thirty two cities were represented in eighty seven games that were played five years ago here in Chicago. Ninety nine games, including runner-up shield games, were played in last year's playoffs in Boston. Given that new teams from New Jersey and Virginia as well as Toronto, over 100 games with teams representing between 35 and 50 cities and suburban towns are  expected to expand the schedule for this year's playoffs. Also, for the second consecutive year the Cayman Islands will be part of the playoffs, competing in men's junior B football and ladies junior B football.   
A special playoff committee headed by former North American County Board Chairman Harry Costello, and the Chicago Central division under the chairmanship of Mike Flanagan are completing arrangements for the playoffs which are expected to attract over 8,000 spectators over the course of the holiday weekend. It is anticipated that about 2,000 people from out of town will be attending the games. Besides the main Gaelic Park field, four additional fields adjacent to the main complex have been prepared to facilitate the huge tournament. Also, additional fields are all set to accommodate the youth tournament.
A pre-playoff meeting was held in Gaelic Park in late June to conduct the draw for the playoffs and discuss other important issues such as transportation and accommodation in preparation for the event. For several years the pre-playoff committee had to struggle to structure the senior hurling and football championships to make them more competitive with only teams from Chicago, Boston and San Francisco competing, However, in recent years, with the return of senior football to Philadelphia and the addition of teams from Toronto and Vancouver the senior grades have become extremely more competitive and very entertaining.  For the first time there will be quarter finals in the senior hurling and football championships with the entrance of Canadian clubs.
Typically, the winners of each divisional championship will represent their division in the playoffs but there will be cases where two teams from the same division will be entered in the same grade. In some cases, the defeated divisional finalists will represent their division in a lower grade in the playoffs. Following the conclusion of the Northeast championships in Boston last week end all divisions have now identified the teams that have qualified for this year's playoffs.

There will be special interest in the senior football championship this year with the Ulster team from San Francisco on the edge of creating NACB history as they seek their fourth consecutive title. Having won their 3rd in a row last year in defeating Boston Shannon Blues they became the 3rd club in senior football history to win 3 consecutive titles matching the achievement of Chicago Wolfe Tones in the 1990's and Cleveland St. Pats in the 1960's.  Ulster will play Boston Donegal in this year's semi-final. In the second semi-final Chicago McBride's will face the winners of the Philadelphia Young Ireland's and Vancouver quarter final.

In junior A football the Cu Chulliann team from Raleigh will compete in this division for the first time following their success at the junior B level in 2014. They meet Charlotte in the quarter final with the winners qualifying to meet San Francisco's Sons of Boru.  Boston Wolfe Tones and Chicago Padraig Pearse meet in the other semi-final.

With the promotion of Raleigh there will be a new junior B champion this year.  It will be one of the most competitive championships with the entry of ten teams which includes a squad from the Cayman Islands. Teams from Austin, Dallas, Cleveland, Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore, San Diego, Boston and Washington will be the other competitors. An equal number of teams will compete for the junior C title which includes teams representing Charlotte, Pittsburgh, Denver, Madison WI, Los Angeles and the Cayman Islands. Four teams, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Austin and Twin Cities will compete for the junior D title.

NACB's most decorated hurling club Chicago Harry Boland's , winner of 14 championships from 1966 to 2006, are back in the playoffs for the first time in several years following their win over Cu Chullainn in the Chicago final. They will play the winner of the Vancouver Vs Toronto quarter final. In the other semi-final Boston Tipperary will San Francisco Naomh Padraig.

Vancouver will attempt to retain the junior A hurling title playing Washington DC in this year's semi-final. Boston Wexford take on Indianapolis in the 2nd semi-final. Similar to last year there will be 2 junior B championships, regular and Premium. With the 2014 Premium winner Washington DC moving up to the A division a new team will take the title. Teams from Austin, Chicago and San Jose will Compete. Also a new team will come away with the regular Junior B cup. Competing teams are from Baltimore, Milwaukee, Raleigh, San Diego, St. Louis and Barley House Wolves from New Hampshire.

With 13 teams competing, the Junior C hurling championship will be biggest and most competitive tournament of the playoffs. The following cities/towns will be
represented: Milwaukee, Allentown, Atlanta, Naperville IL, Twin Cities, Indianapolis, Seattle, Portland MN. Madison WI, Virginia Beach, Fox River WI, Pittsburgh and Denver.

While Ladies football can boast of one of its former clubs capturing 4 consecutive NACB senior football titles with the great Philadelphia Emerald Eagles in 1994, 95, 96 and 97, it's unlikely that record will be equaled in the near future. This year there will be a new champion since 2014 winners Tir Na Nog were defeated by Connaught Ladies in the Boston final. Connaught will take on Chicago St. Brigid's in one semi-final while 2014 Intermediate winners Charlotte will challenge San Francisco in the other semi.  With the promotion of Charlotte there will also be a new 2015 Intermediate champion. Chicago Aisling Gaels will take on the San Francisco in one semi-final while Vancouver will play the looser of the Chicago/San Francisco game in the second semi. The junior A competition will see Na Fianna from San Diego, last year's junior B winner, take on Chicago Aisling Gaels in one semi while St. Mikes from Toronto will face Fog City Harps In the 2nd semi-final.

As always, the most competitive championship in ladies football is junior B. A new champion will be crowned from the following teams: Austin, Charlotte, Baltimore, Dallas, Washington DC, Cayman Islands, Denver, Chicago Erin's Rovers, Philadelphia Notre Dame and Pittsburgh Banshees.

Toronto will try to repeat their first NACB Intermediate Camogie success last year when they compete with 6 other teams in this year's championship. They play Baltimore in one quarter final. Their Canadian colleagues from Vancouver will play Indianapolis in the other quarter. San Francisco Shamrocks play Atlanta in the first semi-final. Six teams will also compete for the Junior Competition. St. Mary's from Chicago take on Washington DC in the opening game followed by Twin Cities in the second quarter-final with the winners advancing to a semi-final clash with Seattle. In the 2nd quarter final Twin City play St. Louis and the winners will take on New Jersey club Hobokin.

Four teams will battle for the Camogie senior cup with Chicago St. Mary's taking  on new challengers, the Hoboken Guards club from New Jersey.

 

 

Following is the fixture for the 2015 NACB Championship playoffs.

Senior Hurling:
Quarter-final
Toronto     Vs    Vancouver
Semi-finals
Chicago Harry Bolands     Vs     Vancouver or Toronto
Boston Tipperary       Vs     San Francisco Naomh Padraig

Junior A Hurling:
Semi-finals:
Vancouver    Vs     Washington  DC
Boston Wexford          Vs     Indianapolis

Junior B Premier Hurling:
Semi-Finals
Austin Celtic Cowboys      Vs     San Jose St. Josephs
Chicago Michael Cusacks

Junior B Hurling
Quarter finals:
Barley House Wolves (NH)     Vs     Raleigh
Milwaukee    Vs     San Diego St. Peter's
Baltimore     Vs      St. Louis
Bye to semi-finals - Twin Cities

Junior C Hurling
Preliminary rounds:
Milwaukee    Vs     Allentown (PA)
Atlanta          Vs       Naperville (IL)
Twin Cities     Vs      Indianapolis
Seattle            Vs      Portland (MN)
Madison        Vs       Hampton Road  (Virginia Beach)
Fox River  (WI)      Vs    Pittsburgh
Denver   -   Bye to quarter finals

Men's senior football
Quarter final:
Vancouver    Vs     Philadelphia Young Irelands
Semi-finals:
Chicago McBrides      Vs      Vancouver  or  Philadelphia
Boston Donegal       Vs        San Francisco Ulster

Men's Junior A football:
Quarter final:
Charlotte    Vs     Raleigh
Semi-finals:
San Francisco Sons of Boru     Vs    Charlotte or Raleigh
Boston Wolfe Tones      Vs        Chicago Padraig Pearse
Men's Junior B football
Preliminary rounds:
Washington Dc      Vs    San Diego Setanta
Cleveland St. Pats       Vs     Austin
Baltimore    Vs      Boston Donegal
Quarter finals:
Philadelphia St. Pats Donegal    Vs     Washington DC or San Diego Setanta
Dallas       Vs      Cleveland or Austin
Chicago Parnells    Vs     Cayman  Islands
Atlanta   Vs     Baltimore  or  Boston

 

Men's Junior C football
Preliminary Rounds:
Seattle    Vs    San Francisco Eire Og
Pittsburgh Celtic   Vs    St. Louis
Quarter finals:
San Diego  Setanta     Vs    Seattle or  San Francisco
Charlotte     Vs    Cayman Islands
Denver       Vs      Pittsburgh or  St. Louis 
Madison   Vs   LA Wild Geese

Men's Junior D football
Semi-finals:
Indianapolis     Vs     Kansas City
Austin Celtic Cowboys     Vs     Twin Cities

Ladies Senior Football
Semi-finals:
Charlotte    Vs      San Francisco Fog City Harps
Boston Connaught Ladies      Vs    Chicago St. Brigids

Ladies Intermediate football
Semi-finals:
Chicago Aisline Gaels   Vs    San Francisco Clan Na Gael
Vancouver   Vs   loser of Chicago/San Francisco

Ladies junior A football
Semi-finals:
San Diego Na Fianna     Vs      Chicago Aisline Gaels
Toronto St. Mike's        Vs      loser of Chicago/San Diego

Ladies junior B football
Preliminary Round:
Charlotte      Vs       Baltimore
Philadelphia Notre Dame    Vs      Pittsburgh Banshees
Quarter Finals:
Austin Celtic Cowboys     Vs    Charlotte or  Baltimore
Dallas       Vs       Washington DC
Cayman Islands       Vs      Denver
Chicago Erin's Rovers       Vs       Philadelphia or Pittsburgh

Senior Camogie
Semi-finals:
Chicago St. Mary's     Vs     Hoboken Guards (NJ)
Toronto     Vs     losers of St. Mary's/Hoboken game

Intermediate Camogie
Quarter finals:
Vancouver        Vs       Indianapolis
Baltimore       Vs        Toronto
Semi-finals:
San Francisco  Shamrocks    Vs      Vancouver or Indianapolis
Atlanta     Vs     Baltimore or Toronto

Junior Camogie
Quarter finals:
Chicago St. Mary's      Vs       Washington DC
Twin Cities        Vs      St.  Louis
Semi-finals:
Seattle       Vs       Chicago or Washington DC
Hoboken Guards (NJ)      Vs       Twin Cities  Or  St. Louis

Eamonn Kelly
Chicago NACB Committee

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