The Wolfe Tones Gaelic Football Club was founded in 1957 and first took the field in the summer of 1958. While not the oldest Gaelic Football club in Chicago, the Wolfe Tones is one of the most successful clubs in North America with 21 senior Chicago titles and 13 North American Championships and competing in 17 NCAB finals.

While many clubs formed in the USA, Canada and in more recent years in Australia and The Middle East draw from a narrow geographic part of Ireland, The Wolfe Tones have always been representative of every part of Ireland. Winning is a habit born from a strong home base, great Summer additions and a great club atmosphere which the stories of our great teams and our style of play are legend and every player who has worn the blue of The Chicago Wolfe Tones will be proud to share his story.

The Wolfe Tones have always fielded competitive teams and have drawn from some of the most famous and skilled Gaelic Football players from nearly every county in Ireland, going so far as to play in the GAA Golf Tournament. They have also played several challenge games in Ireland.

The Tones won their first American League Title in 1978. Nicknamed "The Blue Machine," they drew players from all counties which was an advantage and in the seventies and eighties were mostly home-based with strong social ties because everyone worked and socialised together.

In the mid-1980s, the club added a Junior team, while the Juniors have not had the same level of success as the Senior team, it has still added to the level of support that the club enjoys and allows many younger Irish-Americans to participate in the rich culture of the GAA. In the late 1990s and early 2000s Mike Mulligan, then of the Chicago Sun Times, wrote that the Wolfe Tones were "a Chicago-based Gaelic football powerhouse."

In past years, the Wolfe Tones main rivals have been St. Brendan's GFC and, more recently, McBrides GFC.

Due to the economic downturn and changes in US Immigration law, GAA clubs in North America have come upon hard times. Despite this, the Wolfe Tones still have been able to field competitive teams.

Here are just a few of the county players that have played for the Tones through the years:

County Players County Province

Jack O'Shea Kerry Munster

Val Daly Galway Connacht

Graham Geraghty Meath Leinster

Sean Cavanagh Tyrone Ulster

Jonathan Clerkin Louth Leinster

John Conlon Monaghan Ulster

Nigel Dineen Roscommon Connacht

Karl Ennis Kildare Leinster

Rory Mone Monaghan Ulster

Conor Mullane Limerick Munster

Odhran O'Dwyer Clare Munster

Darren Clarke Louth Leinster

Peter McGinnity Louth Leinster

JP Rooney Louth Leinster

James McCartan Down Ulster

Brian Burns Down Ulster

Cathal Murray Down Ulster

Gary Mason Down Ulster

Greg McCartan Down Ulster

Paddy McKeever Armagh Ulster

Paul Brewster and Mark Gallagher Fermanagh Ulster

Brian Connor Offaly Leinster

Richie Connor Offaly Leinster

Matt Connor Offaly Leinster

Jonathan Conroy Roscommon Connacht

Colm Coyle Meath Leinster

David Mitchell Westmeath Leinster

George Hannigan Tipperary Munster

Paul Doyle Carlow Leinster

Willie Brennan Laois Leinster

Kevin O'Brien Wicklow Leinster

Paddy Bradley Derry Ulster

Tommy Ryan Donegal Ulster

Shane Durkin Sligo Connacht

Liam Reilly Cavan Ulster

Marty Lynch Kildare Leinster

Kevin Concannon Cork Munster

Fergus Daly Wicklow Leinster

Shane Cullen Wexford Leinster

David Brady Mayo Connacht

Liam Brady Mayo Connacht

Jack Sheedy Dublin Leinster

Frankie Griffin Clare Munster

David Keenan Roscommon Connacht

Dermot Malone Monaghan Ulster

John Conlon Monaghan Ulster

Owen Lennon Monaghan Ulster

Through the years, the Wolfe Tones have enjoyed successes through in the North American County Board, having won titles for both their division and in the county. Here is the list of the Senior Titles of the North American GAA the club has won through the years:

1978 Chicago and North America champions

1980 Chicago and North America champions

1982 Chicago and North American champions

1985 Chicago and North American champions

1988 Chicago and North American champions

1991 Chicago and North American champions

1995 1996 1997 Chicago and North American champions first team to complete the 3 in a row

1999 Chicago and North American champions

2001 2002 Chicago North American champions

2006 Chicago and North American champions

In 2001, the Tones won the Chicago championship and went on to add the North American Board title. In '02, they successfully defended both crowns. This year [2003] they were in the process of doing likewise when an unfortunate ruling essentially banned the Chicago champions from the national competition.

Indeed Wolfe Tones were bidding for their second three-in-a-row of North American titles, having worked the oracle in 1995, '96 and '97. They have won twelve national titles in total, including six of the last nine!

True to form, Tones had ruled the roost in Chicago in '03. However, they were then disqualified from defending their North American title - a decision that angered the club greatly.

Therefore  the Wolfe Tones did not play any football the following year.

It was 2006 until the Wolfe Tones won there next and last north American title with the likes of Sean Cavanagh Tyrone and Graham Geraghty Meath on the team mixed with some experienced homebased players Rory Mone, Derek Byrne, Sean Folan and John Kerley.

The Tones won Chicago in 2012 but lost the North American semi-final by a point to Ulster San Francisco who went on to win the final.

Tones lost the Chicago final last year to the Padraig Pearses.

The Wolfe Tones is still attracting top GAA players to play each summer with the likes of Neil Flynn Kildare and Kieran Duffy Monaghan in the squad last year.

Although the club has not had as much success on the field in the last few years the club is very much alive with plenty of members and plenty of club activities with an Annual Golf outing and 25 card game drive and 4th of July picnic every year.

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