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- For more details see the London Senior Hurling Championship and the London Senior Football Championship
The London County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) (Irish: Cummann Luthchleas Gael Coiste Londáin) or London GAA is one of the county boards outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in London. The county board is also responsible for the London inter-county teams
[edit] History
London played in three hurling and five football All Ireland finals in the early 1900s when the All-Ireland and All-Britain champions were paired in the final. London won the hurling All-Ireland in 1901, defeating Cork by 1-5 to 0-4. The experiment was abandoned after 1908. The early London teams of that era drew strongly on immigrants from the Cork area in particular. Sam Maguire, who captained many of the teams, came from Dunmanway. The GAA later dedicated the All-Ireland football cup to his honour.
[edit] Gaelic football
London entered the National Football League in 1993 and was initially fairly successful with 2 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses in their first campaign and the renewed effort coincided with a drive to establish the games in schools. London now fields its second team in the British Junior football and hurling Championships. Their first football team have competed in the Connacht Championship since 1975, but claim only one win in 21 years: a 0-9 to 0-6 defeat of Leitrim in 1977. After going down by 9-19 to 1-10 against Roscommon in 1980 they staged matches at home in Ruislip and came close to victory against Leitrim in 1987, Sligo in 1988 and Roscommon in 2005. Among their footballers was Brian Grealish, whose brother Tony played soccer for the Republic of Ireland.
[edit] Notable former players
[edit] Hurling
London have a strong hurling tradition, and besides their All-Ireland win in 1901 they also won three B All-Irelands in the last twenty years, and claim consistently good results in the National Hurling League. As a mid-table Division 2 side, London are actually placed above half the counties of Ireland, in strong contrast to their role as "whipping boys" in football. The Exiles also won the inaugural Nicky Rackard Cup in 2005, defeating Louth's hurlers by 15 points in the final. London are currently competing in the Christy Ring Cup in the same group as Wicklow, Carlow, Kildare and Derry.
In the 1973 All-Ireland hurling championship a London team that included six Galwaymen beat Galway by 4-7 to 3-5 in the All-Ireland quarter-final at Ballinasloe. Galwaymen Frank Canning and Lennie Burke scored three of the goals against their old county!
[edit] Honours
[edit] Ladies' Gaelic football
Ladies Football in London has mirrored the growth seen in Ireland, where it is the fastest growing ladies game. In London Parnells are senior champions and Round Towers are Junior champions. Many clubs now have ladies teams.
[edit] Honours
- All-Ireland Ladies' Junior Football Champions: 1
- All-Ireland Ladies' Junior Football Finalists: 1
[edit] External links
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London GAA |
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Senior Championship (2007) • Intermediate Hurling Championship (2007) • London Hurling Championship • Senior Hurling Leagues • Under 21 Hurling Championship • Minor Hurling Championship
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