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Unique GAA Club Names

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JK Brackens in Templemore is named after a local builder Joseph Kevin Bracken, one of the founding members of the GAA. A Fenian and also a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Bracken's son Brendan was a British government minister and Winston Churchill's right hand man during World War II. PortInFaithful (Offaly) - Posts: 472 - 01/11/2018 15:46:47 2149104 Link
where did 4 roads get their name? perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 01/11/2018 16:09:13 2149114 Link
Perfect 10, its a short story. Original name for Four Roads was Tisrara ( Teach Sraithre - Straddle House , it was stopping point for pilgrims on way to Clonmacnoise and village where thye hung up their straddles and overnighted ). The village itself is a four way cross roads and a Priest some 130 years or so ago started to call the place Four Roads and had his way and it has stuck ever since. Shame really , the old Irish name much nicer. A very passionate oasis of hurling in a football mad county . facethepuckout (Roscommon) - Posts: 214 - 01/11/2018 20:00:22 2149171 Link
Replying To supermon: "Was it not Ballyconnell First Ulsters? Kildallon are a newer club formed as an amalgamation in the parish of Kildallon, so shouldn't really claim to be first club in Ulster." It was indeed the Ballyconnell First Ulsters and Kildallan are the club in existence now. Kildallan don't offically take the name First Ulsters, I mixed that up. They are still often referred to as the First Ulsters though. In fact the first club in Ballyconnell was called the Ballyconnell Joe Biggers. Joe Bigger was the local MP and Cavan's first Nationalist Home Rule MP. Although they were active in 1885, the Biggers weren't affiliated until the following year. Then in 1887, all hell broke loose when Mullagh tried to claim to be the first GAA club formed in Cavan. The Gaels of Ballyconnell disputed these claims and decided to change their clubs name to Ballyconnell First Ulsters. Mullagh may have been the first affiliated in the county however they were the third GAA club formed in Cavan after the Bailieborough Home Rulers who played the First Ulsters in the first ever Cavan final. gaelicgab (USA) - Posts: 878 - 01/11/2018 21:16:13 2149184 Link
Replying To PortInFaithful: "JK Brackens in Templemore is named after a local builder Joseph Kevin Bracken, one of the founding members of the GAA. A Fenian and also a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Bracken's son Brendan was a British government minister and Winston Churchill's right hand man during World War II." Wow very interesting -- I never knew that. I saw a documentary on Brendan Bracken some years ago. He was as British Tory as you could get! Amazing that the son of a Fenian and founding member of the gaa should lead a life so polar opposite to his dad! PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1902 - 01/11/2018 21:23:00 2149185 Link
Maghera Mac Finns hold the distinction of winning the first Cavan final under GAA rules. The Maghera men sent the Ballyconnell First Ulsters packing from a field outside Cavan Town in 1887. gaelicgab (USA) - Posts: 878 - 01/11/2018 21:23:46 2149186 Link
Replying To PortInFaithful: "JK Brackens in Templemore is named after a local builder Joseph Kevin Bracken, one of the founding members of the GAA. A Fenian and also a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Bracken's son Brendan was a British government minister and Winston Churchill's right hand man during World War II." A nice little read on the day JK Bracken and six other men met in Hayes Hotel, Thurles. Toney (Meath) - Posts: 298 - 01/11/2018 22:28:58 2149194 Link
Crookedwood Hurling club in Westmeath, also Fr. Daltons. Then in football there's Castletown Finea Coole Whitehall which must be one of the longest club names. Jack_Sparrow (Westmeath) - Posts: 1014 - 01/11/2018 23:37:57 2149202 Link
Replying To facethepuckout: "Perfect 10, its a short story. Original name for Four Roads was Tisrara ( Teach Sraithre - Straddle House , it was stopping point for pilgrims on way to Clonmacnoise and village where thye hung up their straddles and overnighted ). The village itself is a four way cross roads and a Priest some 130 years or so ago started to call the place Four Roads and had his way and it has stuck ever since. Shame really , the old Irish name much nicer. A very passionate oasis of hurling in a football mad county ." The priests played a uge part in destroying Irish sounding places names with English. Around my locality Freemount, Newmarket, Broadford, Ashford, Milford, Rockchapel, among others, were all place names that emerged after the behest of priests. Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4316 - 02/11/2018 06:41:53 2149212 Link
Replying To bloodyban: "Old Christians hurling club is a good one in limerick. Probably more a Rugby team name than GAA. It's an old boys of Sexton Street CBS club. Fireball's was a great club in East Clare that changed to O Callaghans Mills. Most names are very bland now or some abstract Irish name. The club's named after Patriots and Republicans tend to turn middle of the road people off and should be avoided in today's Ireland. The 'Blacks and Whites' in Kilkenny is unique..I would say there isn't much chance of them changing their playing colours.!" I am sure NAP will not be changing their name anytime soon, or Sarsfields in Cork, Dublin, Wexford, Galway, Antrim,(sadly the Limerick one is gone, especially since Treaty was added to that one}. Parnells in Dublin also come to mind Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4316 - 02/11/2018 06:50:05 2149213 Link
Replying To Oldtourman: "I am sure NAP will not be changing their name anytime soon, or Sarsfields in Cork, Dublin, Wexford, Galway, Antrim,(sadly the Limerick one is gone, especially since Treaty was added to that one}. Parnells in Dublin also come to mind" NAP and Ballyboden St Endas won out in 2016- how appropriate Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4316 - 02/11/2018 08:38:26 2149216 Link
Kevin Lynch's hurling club in Dungiven, Derry named after INLA hunger striker Kevin Lynch. Don't know if any other clubs are named after participants in the more recent "troubles" as opposed to patriots from the War of Indpendence and prior to that? Just to acknowledge that according to Joe Brolly the club is named in Lynch's honour because of his exploits as a hurler rather than anything else. Would it have been so called in his honour if he had been killed in other circumstances e.g. in a car accident, I wonder? Personally, I doubt it, but that's just a hunch on my part, I don't know anyone close to the local scene there. Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1412 - 02/11/2018 14:29:27 2149269 Link
Replying To Oldtourman: "I am sure NAP will not be changing their name anytime soon, or Sarsfields in Cork, Dublin, Wexford, Galway, Antrim,(sadly the Limerick one is gone, especially since Treaty was added to that one}. Parnells in Dublin also come to mind" They are all fine clubs that you mention. I just think it's better to name the club after less polarizing figures. But again Na Piarsaigh are a great club.. I just would have no time for Patrick Pearse. It's the club's in northern Ireland that need to be careful. They should not be naming clubs after terrorists from the 70's and the like. Can you imagine a kid from another background other than physical force republicanism asking his parents to drop him down to training at Bobby Sands GAA club... bloodyban (Limerick) - Posts: 1710 - 02/11/2018 15:30:55 2149279 Link
Replying To gaelicgab: "The GAA is awash with unique GAA club names. Like for example in Fermanagh you have Newtownbutler First Fermanagh's. Netownbutler have the name First Fermanagh's, because, yes you guessed it, they were the first GAA club formed in Fermanagh, 131 years ago. Likewise, Kildallon in Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan were the first GAA club formed in Cavan and they took the name 'First Ulsters'. Other unique names in Cavan are 'Mullahoran Dreadnoughts', Ramor United and Laragh United. Then you have Belnaleck Art McMurroughs in Fermanagh." Do know what the word unique means? Nearly every GAA club in Ireland has a unique name. Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2446 - 02/11/2018 16:08:05 2149285 Link
I don't think it's the club's official name but aren't Toomevara known as "Toomevara Greyhounds"? Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1412 - 02/11/2018 18:32:23 2149301 Link
I find Galway is a big county for amalgamated clubs. Unusual names formed. Tynagh Abbey Duniry. Meelick Eyrecourt. KillimorDaly. tribesman125 (Galway) - Posts: 173 - 03/11/2018 04:21:20 2149358 Link
I believe there used to be a club in Wexford called "Raheen Heartbreakers". extranjero (Wexford) - Posts: 375 - 03/11/2018 08:34:46 2149360 Link
Langford Slashers, would love to know how that came about? Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 1898 - 03/11/2018 09:35:23 2149366 Link
Replying To Cockney_Cat: "Do know what the word unique means? Nearly every GAA club in Ireland has a unique name." There's always one. Everyone gets the idea. gaelicgab (USA) - Posts: 878 - 03/11/2018 10:39:45 2149376 Link
Replying To MillerX: "Boardsmill in Meath and Four Roads in Roscommon two hurling strongholds in mainly football counties. And I believe that neither are actual Town or Townland names. Just general names for the local area. Boardsmill Church is in the Townland of Brannockstown, while the pitch is in Kilmurry." There is a Bordsmill National school there as well as the GAA club. bdbuddah (Meath) - Posts: 1337 - 03/11/2018 11:20:22 2149384 Link