The Lancashire County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), known as Lancashire GAA or CLG Lancasír, is one of the county boards outside Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic games in North West England and the Isle of Man. The county board is also responsible for the Lancashire county teams. With Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, London, Scotland, Warwickshire, and Yorkshire, the board makes up the British Provincial Board.

History The first Gaelic games recorded in Lancashire were in Liverpool in 1901, with Liverpool Young Irelands defeating Manchester Martyrs in front of around 300 spectators. By 1906, both hurling and camogie were being played regularly in Aintree.

In 1926, Liverpool GAA, the predecessor to Lancashire GAA, became one of the first affiliated boards of the newly-formed British GAA alongside London. The two boards fielded teams annually, in both hurling and football, to play each other for the P.J. O'Connor and Sam Maguire cups respectively. The teams reported Gaelic games around this time were mainly in Liverpool, including Earlestown, Eire Og (now known as John Mitchels), Exiles, Gaels, Kathleen ni Houlihans (a camogie team), Thomas Ashes, and Terence McSwineys, as well as Granuaile in Southport and St Brigid's in Manchester. Liverpool GAA was renamed to Lancashire and District in 1934, and by 1938, only Eire Og remained by the same name, with Sean O'Donovans as the only other club playing hurling and football, and Patrick Pearses and Kevin Barrys playing football only. Club camogie matches were also reported in 1945 between two teams in Manchester, Lamh Deargs and Oisín.

By 1952, there was reported to be 9 clubs playing in Lancashire: Lamh Deargs , Shamrocks, Harp and Shamrocks, and Oisín all in Manchester, John Mitchels in Liverpool, St John's in Rochdale, St Brigid's in Wigan, St Vincent's in Altrincham and St Brendan's in Stockport. Through the 1950s new teams sprouted up across the county; including Cu Chulainns in Preston, Shannon Rangers in Bolton, St Werburgh's in Birkenhead, and Wolfe Tones in Warrington; while a select Lancashire league camogie team travelled over to Ireland to play St Mary's and Lurgan in friendly matches.

In the early 1980s there were only three ladies Gaelic football teams in Manchester; Oisín, St Lawrences and St Richards, the last of whom became Tir Conaill Gaels in 1986. By 1989, there were 6 ladies’ football teams in the Pennine area forming the Pennine League: Emerald Gaels (featuring many of the then defunct Tir Conaill team), St Lawrences, Pride of Eireann and St Brendans all in Manchester, Shannon Rangers in Bolton, and Brothers Pearse in Huddersfield. The Lancashire County Board affiliated to the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association in 1989, and the county team were dominant in British ladies' Gaelic football through the 1990s, winning the All-Britain County Championship in 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997.

The men's county football team won four successive All-Britain Football Championships between 2010 and 2013, with a fifth title coming in 2016. Lancashire also reached the semi-finals of the All-Ireland Junior Football Championship in 2010 and 2011, losing to Kerry and Kildare respectively. In hurling, Lancashire competed in the Lory Meagher Cup for the first time in 2015, and entered the National Hurling League in 2018, winning the Division 3B title on their first attempt.

In 2026, a €500,000 grant was provided by the Irish Government's Emigrant Support programme to support the new centre of excellence at Broughton Park. The new centre of excellence was opened on the weekend of June 12th/13th 2026 at the Northern Community Gaelic Games event, which brought people from the North of England, Scotland and Ireland together to play Gaelic Games.

The county crest depicts the Celtic cross and shamrock, the red rose of Lancashire and a ship representing the voyage taken by all of those who have left Ireland to make Lancashire their home or the place they are passing through. The crest was designed by former county secretary Seán Hackett in 2007.

Football

Clubs As of 2026, there are two senior men's teams in Lancashire, John Mitchels and St Brendans, competing in the Lancashire Men's Senior Football Championship. There are 6 clubs currently playing in the Lancashire Men's Junior Football Championships.

There is one intermediate women's team, John Mitchels, who compete in the North of Britain Intermediate Championship against Glaschu Gaels (Glasgow), Dunedin Connollys (Edinburgh), and Roger Casements (Coventry). There are four junior teams competing in the Junior League and Lancashire Ladies' Junior Football Championship. Club nameTeamsLocationPitch English Irish Ellan Vannin Gaels Ellan Vannin youth only Douglas, Isle of Man GAA Grounds, DouglasIoM Club profile , Lancs GAA John Mitchels Séan Mistéid Men's - Senior / Junior / youth Ladies' - Intermediate / Junior / youth Greenbank, Liverpool Greenbank ParkMitchel's Club profile , Lancs GAA Na Mic TíreNa Mic TíreMen's - Junior / youthWarrington, CheshireAppleton Thorn Playing Fields Oisín Oisín Men's - Junior / youth Ladies' - Junior / youth Didsbury, ManchesterOld BediansOisín's Club profile , Lancs GAA St BrendansNaomh BréanainnMen's - Senior / Junior / youthTrafford, ManchesterTrafford MV RFCCClub profile , Lancs GAA St Lawrences Naomh Labhrais na Piarsaigh Men's - Junior / youth Ladies' - Junior / youth Stretford, Manchester Turn MossSt Lawrences Club profile , Lancs GAA St Marys Naomh Máire youth only Burnage, ManchesterCringle Playing Fields St Peters Naomh Peadar Men's - Junior / youth Withington, ManchesterHough End Playing FieldsSt Peter's Club profile , Lancs GAA Liverpool Wolfe Tones Uilf Tóin Men's - Junior / youth Ladies' - Junior / youth Wavertree, LiverpoolWavertree Sports ParkTone's Club profile , Lancs GAA Lancashire Senior Men's Football Championship winners

Source:

1951 Oisín 1952 John Mitchels 1953 Oisín 1954 Shannon Rangers 1955 Shannon Rangers 1956 Warrington Wolfe Tones 1957 Oisín 1958 St Wilfrids 1959 Oisín 1960 Shannon Rangers 1961 Harp & Shamrocks 1962 Harp & Shamrocks 1963 - 1964 St Brendans 1965 John Mitchels 1966 John Mitchels 1967 St Brendans 1968 St Brendans 1969 Oisín 1970 St Brendans 1971 St Brendans 1972 St Brendans 1973 De La Salle 1974 De La Salle 1975 St Brendans 1976 Oisín 1977 Oisín 1978 St Brendans 1979 St Brendans 1980 St Brendans 1981 Oisín 1982 Oisín 1983 St Brendans 1984 St Brendans 1985 St Brendans 1986 St Brendans 1987 St Peters 1988 St Brendans 1989 St Brendans 1990 St Brendans 1991 St Brendans 1992 St Peters 1993 St Peters 1994 Oisín 1995 St Peters 1996 St Brendans 1997 St Peters 1998 St Lawrences 1999 John Mitchels 2000 St Peters 2001 St Peters 2002 Oisín 2003 St Lawrences 2004 St Peters 2005 St Peters 2006 Oisín 2007 John Mitchels 2008 John Mitchels 2009 John Mitchels 2010 St Peters 2011 John Mitchels 2012 St Peters 2013 John Mitchels 2014 John Mitchels 2015 John Mitchels 2016 John Mitchels 2017 Oisín 2018 Oisín 2019 Oisín 2020 Oisín 2021 St Brendans 2022 St Brendans 2023 John Mitchels 2024 John Mitchels 2025 St Brendans

Roll of honour † indicates a now defunct team ClubLancashire SFC winsAll-Britain CFC winsAll-Ireland JCFC winsSt Brendans221 (2021) -Oisín161 (1994) -John Mitchels 145 (2007, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015)2 x (2009, 2015)St Peters 113 (2004, 2010, 2012) -Shannon Rangers†3De La Salle† 21 (1974) -Harp & Shamrocks† - -St Lawrences - -St Wilfrids† 1 - -Warrington Wolfe Tones† Lancashire Junior Ladies' Football Championship winners Source:

1996 Emerald Gaels 1997 Emerald Gaels 1998 Emerald Gaels 1999 Emerald Gaels 2000 Emerald Gaels 2001 Emerald Gaels 2002 Emerald Gaels 2003 Emerald Gaels 2004 Emerald Gaels 2005 - 2006 - 2007 John Mitchels 2008 John Mitchels 2009 - 2010 Oisín 2011 - 2012 - 2013 - 2014 Wolfe Tones 2015 Oisín 2016 St Lawrences 2017 Wolfe Tones 2018 Wolfe Tones 2019 Oisín 2020 not played 2021 - 2022 St Lawrences 2023 St Lawrences 2024 St Lawrences 2025 Wolfe Tones 2026 Oisín

Roll of honour ClubLancashire JLFC winsAll-Britain JLCFC winsAll-Ireland JLCFC winsEmerald Gaels†99 (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004) -Oisín43 (2010, 2015, 2019) -Liverpool Wolfe Tones1 (2014) -St Lawrences - -John Mitchels22 (2007, 2008) - † defunct

County team Lancashire fields a men's county team in the All-Britain Football Championship and a ladies' county team in the Britain LGFA Junior Championship. The Lancashire men have not won the All-Britain since the tournament was restructured in 2022, and so have not yet competed in the new format of the All-Ireland Junior Football Championship.

Honours Men's All-Ireland Junior Football Championship Runners-Up (4): 1949, 1953, 1958, 1963 All-Britain Football Championship Winners (5): 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 Runners-Up (2): 2007, 2009 Ladies' All-Britain Junior Football Championship Winners (4): 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 Runners-Up: 1998

Hurling and camogie

Clubs The hurling clubs compete in the Lancashire Senior Hurling Championship and Lancashire Junior Hurling League, along with Yorkshire Emeralds (Leeds) and Ceann Creige (Glasgow). In camogie, Fullen Gaels compete in the Northern Division of the Britain Camogie Senior League against Ceann Creige (Glasgow), with Wolfe Tones competing in the Northern Division of the Intermediate League against Erin Go Bragh and John Mitchels (both Birmingham).

Club nameTeamsLocationPitch English Irish Fullen Gaels Fullen GaelsHurling - Senior Camogie - Senior Manchester Hough End Playing FieldsFullen Gaels Club profile , Lancs GAA Na Mic TíreNa Mic TíreHurling - SeniorWarringtonAppleton Thorn Playing Fields Liverpool Wolfe Tones Uilf Tóin Hurling - Senior Camogie - Intermediate LiverpoolWavertree Sports Park

Lancashire Senior Hurling Championship winners

2014 Fullen Gaels 2015 Liverpool Wolfe Tones 2016 Fullen Gaels 2017 Fullen Gaels 2018 Fullen Gaels 2019 Fullen Gaels 2020 Fullen Gaels 2021 Fullen Gaels 2022 Fullen Gaels 2023 Ceann Creige 2024 Fullen Gaels 2025 Ceann Creige 2026 Fullen Gaels

Roll of honour

ClubLancashire SHC winsAll-Britain CHC winsAll-Ireland JCHC wins Fullen Gaels108 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021)2 x (2013, 2015) Ceann Creige2 - - Liverpool Wolfe Tones 1 - - County team The Lancashire men's hurling team compete in the Lory Meagher Cup, the fifth tier of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, and Division 4 of the National Hurling League.

Honours Lory Meagher Cup Runners-Up (2): 2018, 2019, 2023 All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship Runners-Up: 1931 National Hurling League Division 3B Winners (1): 2018

References

External links