Fulham Irish GAA Club
| Founded: | 2006 | |
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| County: | London | |
| Colours: | Black and Green | |
| Grounds: | Wormwood Scrubs | |
| Coordinates: | 51°31′17″N 00°14′20″W / 51.52139°N 0.23889°W | |
| Playing kits | ||
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Fulham Irish GAA Club is a Gaelic Football and Hurling Club based in London.
One stop shop for Senior dual players - Fulham Irish GAA hold the unique status of being the only club in London to offer dual players Senior Football & Senior Hurling. The Club also boasts a Senior Ladies Football team. It is a unique achievement for a Club that was established in 2006 & only formed a hurling team as recently as 2011.
The Fulham Irish Hurling Team defeated Granuaille in the London Intermediate Championship Final in 2012 to gain promotion to the top tier of London Hurling. The team completed a remarkable journey for the Club by joining the Senior ranks of the London Hurling fraternity in only their 2nd year of existence. Managed by Dublin Man, Anthony Scullion, they won the London Intermediate Championship at the second time of asking. They had lost the final by the narrowest of margins in their first year in 2011.
The Fulham Irish Footballers won the London Intermediate Championship in their first attempt in 2006 after the London County Board allowed them to enter a team in Intermediate Competitions. The team went on to win the British Provincial title in the same year. The Footballers progressed to win every domestic honour in London culminating with their first Senior Championship win on October 16, 2011.
The Fulham Irish Ladies Team was established in 2008 and like the footballers has progressed rapidly through the ranks and now sits comfortably at the top table. The Ladies team won the London Junior Championship in 2010 & followed up with the Intermediate Championship in 2011. The Ladies team won no fewer than 4 domestic cups in 2011. They now compete in all competitions at Senior level.
Fulham Irish GAA Club has created a one stop shop for dual players wishing to play both Hurling & Football at Senior Level in London. It is the only Club that offers such an opportunity to players moving to the English Capital. Anyone wishing to join the Club in any capacity should visit the Club website on www.fulhamirish.org.
History
Fulham Irish GAA Club was formed in January 2006 by a group of young Irish people who were working in the city of London. The group wanted to give people a chance to play Gaelic Football in London without travelling to the far West or North of London to existing clubs. The club were granted permission by the London County Board to participate in the London Intermediate Football Championship but had to begin in the lowest division of the London league. The club first fielded a team in April 2006 in a league game which they won at Ruislip against North London Shamrocks. The club attracts many players due to its central location. In 2006 the club created history by winning the London Intermediate Championship and the British Championship in its first year. The initial Fulham Irish Committee was spearheaded by Liam Barry (County Limerick) Chairman, Michael Rice (County Kerry) Secretary and John Doyle (County Carlow) Treasurer. Ken McGrath (County Waterford) was the first club captain. By the beginning of the 2008 season Fulham Irish had progressed to the top level of all competitions in London. David Connolly (County Monaghan) became Captain in 2008 and led the club to their first Division 1 League Title together with the Tipperary Cup. The club suffered just one defeat in 2008, a 1-point loss in a replay of the semi-final of the senior Championship. Fulham Irish started a Ladies Team in 2008. The Ladies team progressed to the London Junior Championship Final in their first year and lost the final by 2 points to the long established Holloway Gaels. In 2009 they reached the Junior Championship Final but lost out to a stronger Kingdom Kerry Gaels side. 2010 was the year for the Ladies team as they had a clean sweep of all Junior trophies, winning the Junior Championship Final against Clonbony 3-16 to 0-2, the Junior League Final against Dulwich Harps 3-13 to 1-2, The Tom O Connor Cup, The Southwark Festival Cup and the Anne Dunning Memorial Cup. The club is currently one of the top clubs in London and has developed an underage structure along with developing its own Gaelic Football pitch in Fulham. In 2011 it was agreed that Fulham Irish would form a Hurling Team. In common with most GAA clubs in London, it attracted many new players from 2009 onwards as a result of renewed emigration from Ireland. Fulham Irish won no fewer than 8 Cups in 2011 including the London Senior Football Championship on October 16, 2011 at Ruislip beating Parnells 1-08 to 0-07. A tremendous achievement for a Club just over 5 years old. The Club progressed to play the Connacht Champions (St. Brigids Roscommon) in the All Ireland Club Quarter Final on December 4, 2011. Sean Maguire from Lavey in County Cavan captained Fulham Irish to its first Senior Championship. The winning team lined out as follows: Declan Traynor (Meath), Gary O'Hare (Down), Conor McClean (Down), Martin Conway (Derry), Aidan Savage (Antrim), Shane Mulligan (Monaghan), John Boyce (Galway), Lorcan Mulvey (Cavan), Paddy Walsh (Carlow), Stephen Molumby (Dublin), Harry Murphy (Mayo), Iomar Barrett (Galway), David Connolly (Monaghan), Sean Maguire (Cavan), John Ryan (Tipperary) Subs Used: Fearghal McVey (Derry), Noel Nicholson (Galway), Marty Hughes (Tyrone), Padhraig McKernan (Down), John Reilly (Mayo).
The Fulham Irish hurling team reached the London Intermediate Championship Final in their first year losing by 5 points to a strong Michael Cusack's side who had been beaten in the final the previous year. They won the intermediate championship in their second year of existence in 2012, and currently compete in the senior grade.
The Fulham Irish Ladies team won the London Intermediate Championship in 2011 12 months after winning the Junior Championship.
Fulham Irish GAA Club Role of Honour (Founded 2006)
• Ladies Senior Cup - 2015
• Ladies Senior League - 2015
• Ronan Cup (Hurling) - 2011, 2015
• Tipperary Cup (Senior Football) – 2008, 2012
• Intermediate Hurling Championship – 2012
• London Senior Football Championship - 2011
• Senior Football League Division 2 - 2011
• McCullogh Cup (Hurling) - 2011
• Ladies Intermediate Championship - 2011
• Mary Feehan Cup (Ladies Football) - 2011
• British Junior Championship (Ladies Football) - 2011
• British Provincial 9s (Ladies Football) - 2011
• Ladies Junior Championship - 2010
• Tom O’Connor Cup (Ladies Football) - 2010
• Reserve Football Championship - 2009
• Senior Football League Division 1 - 2008
• Conway Cup (Senior Football) - 2008
• Intermediate Football Championship - 2006
• British Provincial Championship - 2006
2012 Fulham Irish GAA Club Committee
President - Seamus McNelis (Tyrone)
Chairman - Liam Barry (Limerick)
Secretary - Brendan Dolan (Tyrone)
Treasurer - John Doyle (Carlow)
Vice Chairman - Jim Clair (Meath)
PRO - John Doyle (Carlow)
First Team Management - Liam Barry (Limerick), Colm McArdle (Armagh), Eoin Davis (Dublin)
Reserve Team Management - Brendan Dolan (Tyrone), Declan Traynor (Meath)
Hurling Team Management - Anthony Scullion (Dublin), Paul Dollery (Cork), Mick Laffon (Tipperary)
Ladies Management Team - Terrance Cunnea (Donegal), Bernard McCusker (Down),
Child Welfare Office - Martin McDonagh (Galway)
Committee Members - Rachel Ryan (Limerick), Noel Tiffney (Armagh), Sarah Kerrigan (Meath), Nicola Costello (Mayo), Michael Ruby (Cork), Louise Quinn (Longford)