Erin go Bragh GAA are a Dublin-based Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club based in Clonee, Littlepace/Castaheaney/Ongar district in Dublin 15 in Ireland. As of 2023, the club was fielding one team in junior Gaelic football (AFL 8 and Junior 2 Championship), one junior hurling team (AHL 8 and Junior F Championship) and one Ladies Gaelic Football team. The club also has a boys and girls juvenile section fielding from Under 8-minor in football, hurling and camogie.
History Early days 1887–1917 The name "Erin go Bragh" (deriving from the Irish meaning "Ireland forever") in Dublin GAA dates back to 1887. The club was founded in 1887 in Clonsilla. It was one of 120 clubs affiliated in Dublin in 1888. The club was active until 1890 when, like a number of GAA clubs in Dublin at the time, it was disbanded.
The club name is rarely found afterward but was re-organised on several occasions. A club named Erin go Bragh competed in the Sunday Junior Football League from 1904 to 1909. The name of the club was often misspelt in results and fixtures section of papers, most commonly as Eire go bragh and at other times as Erin go Brath. The club had two football teams, one in the Junior B Division and the second in an Under Junior Division in 1905 and 1906. Erin go Bragh were Junior league runners up in 1906 defeating Stars of Erin at Jones Road (now Croke Park) for the runners-up medals. Reorganisation of the league structures in 1907 meant that the club's first team competed in the Intermediate Division and their second team in the Junior C Division. Erin go Bragh was one of ten clubs with representation in an inter-league Dublin junior football team who played Cork in a challenge at Jones Road in 1907. Thomas C. Murphy of Erin go Bragh was the first ever Dublin inter-league captain and Stephen Lynch also played for Dublin against Cork and later Louth. The club competed until 1909, when it suddenly disbanded and despite efforts to revive the club in 1910, Erin go Bragh remained absent from the field of play until 1917.
1917–1943 The club was again reorganised in 1917, fielding a single team at Junior level and in 1918 expanded to two teams: one at junior, the second at minor level.
In 1919, Erin go Bragh fielded a single team but also began competing in cross country running (their involvement coinciding with the recent revival of athletic in GAA which had lapsed over the years). Erin go Bragh competed in the Dublin County Board Novice race in 1919, 1921 and 1922 and the Dublin Cross Country championship of 1922.
In 1920, the team again fielded a junior football team but failed to complete the season after conceding three games. T. C. Murphy of Clonsilla, son of Thomas Murphy who was captain of the Erin go Bragh hurling team at the club's foundation, was elected as the first-ever chairman for the Dublin Junior Board.
Erin go Bragh won the County Dublin Novice Cross Country race in 1921 and also held an invitational five-mile race, starting at the court house in Blanchardstown. The club fielded a Junior and schools football team and for the first time since 1890 a hurling team. The club was absent from the field of play in both hurling and football in 1922 but did compete at cross country before sadly disbanding once again in late 1922 early 1923.
1943–1985 The club name is rarely seen afterwards in papers. Erin go Bragh reappeared in 1943 and they were one of six new teams to be re-organise or founded at the end of 1943 for the forthcoming 1944 season. They played their games on the Porterstown Road. They competed until around the 1950s winning the Junior A league in 1945 and were Junior League runners up, losing by one point to Parish Gaels who went on to win the Intermediate football Championship the following year. The club continued competing until around 1947 disbanding again.
The club was reorganised in the 1950s and played at juvenile level. A single team from the club win a minor league in 1963. They disbanded again shortly after with most of the team joining St. Brigids and others joining a club called Maurice O'Neills who played their games in the Phoenix Park. Erin Go Bragh played their games in the colours of green and red at this time.
Re-emergence of Erin go Bragh 1986 The name Erin Go Bragh emerged once again in 1986 in Dromheath. The club was reorganised by a number of people who left St. Brigids GAA club. The club started out at juvenile level with 3 teams at Under 10, Under 12 and at Under 14. A junior football team was also founded and played in the then Junior Division 2. Their first game was against St. Brigids B team and attracted a crowd of around 250 people. They reached the quarter-finals of the junior A football championship in their second year however endured several seasons of relegation as the years progressed. The club moved to Porterstown Park in Clonsilla and expanded at under age level with teams at Under 16 and minor level in 1996. The club was once again on the move in 2003 relocating to Clonee, Littlepace/Castaheaney. In September 2005, Fingal County Council allocated football pitches to the club. Former GAA President Mr. Sean Kelly formally launched Erin Go Bragh GAA Club in Littlepace/Castaheany on 23 November 2005. The Clonee, Littlepace/Castaheaney area was identified as having a large and growing population yet no GAA presence.
At the club's first "dinner dance" in, October 2008, the club gave out "club player of the year awards" in Gaelic football (Men's and Ladies') and hurling. A "club person of the year" and "life time achievement" honours were also awarded. The club also unveiled its new crest.
Erin go Bragh celebrated 125 years of the GAA on 10 May 2009, holding a club day (Lá na gClub) in Hazelbury Park. Members of the club and people from the locality were invited to participate in juvenile and adult games of football and hurling. Also in 2009, the club announced that approval in principle had been secured for the placing of temporary juvenile dressing room facilities on a site adjacent to Mary Mother of Hope, National School, Littlepace. The club launched a monthly newsletter in September 2009.
In January 2010, the club installed temporary changing facilities in the grounds of the Mary Mother of Hope Primary school. The dressing room were officially on 9 May 2010. Also in 2010, former Erin go Bragh Footballer Michael O'Riordan was named as manager of the Kildare hurling team. However, his term was a short one. A separate executive committee was set up to look after the development, growth and administration of ladies Gaelic football and camogie.
In 2011, Erin go Bragh featured in the 2011 Dublin GAA Yearbook, being one of thirty clubs to feature in the book. The club also changed their jersey design staying with the same colours of green and white. The club was allocated a new pitch in Beech Park located beside Clonsilla train station. The Junior football team gained promotion from Division 8 to Division 7 and reached the Junior D Football Championship final. The ladies section were awarded small club of the year by the Dublin Ladies Gaelic Football board at their annual dinner dance in November 2011.
The club's adult representation in Gaelic Football increased to two football teams during 2012. The club played their games for the 2012 season in Hazelbury Park, Hunters Run and St. Catherines Park. Erin Go Bragh also appeared in an article in the Evening Herald in 2012. At the time, Erin Go Bragh were one of three clubs (along with St. Brigids and Tyrellstown in Dublin 15) doing a weekly radio show together on Monday nights on local radio station 92.5 Phoenix FM called 'The Throw In'. In 2012, the club's A football team reached the quarter-finals of the Junior D Football Championship losing to Ballyboughal 1–10 to 0–8. For the first time in the club's history, the hurling team reached the final of the Junior E Hurling Championship. They played St. Marks in the final in O'Toole Park, losing 3–13 to 4–4 on 14 October.
During 2013, the club had several successes at juvenile level and their Under 14 camogie team won the Division 5 feile and Under 14 boys football team winning feile Division 8. The ladies minor football team won the Division 4 Shield beating local rivals Castleknock in the final. At adult level, the hurling team won Division 9 and reaching the quarter-finals of the junior D hurling championship. However, the adult football section of the club experienced a difficult year going from fielding two teams to one and were relegated from Division 7.
In 2014, the club fielded its first adult camogie team. For the second year in a row, the hurling team won their league. They went the league season unbeaten winning 12 games and drawing one.
The club joined with Westmanstown Gaels at under 15 football to form St. Catherines during the 2015 season. This was expanded in 2016 with St. Catherine fielding football teams at under 15, 16 and minor and also an under 16 hurling team. The junior football team reached the junior E football championship semi final.
Club crest
It was decided, in 2008, that the club needed a new crest. To this end, they held a competition for the children in the local primary school where they had to design a crest for their local GAA club. The competition was won by a nine-year-old.
Grades Football
The men's football team dates back to the club's foundation. They were junior league runners up in 1906, 1945. They won a minor league in 1963. They finished in 10th position in AFL 8 in 2008 and reached the second round of the Junior C Football Championship.
In 2009, they once again reached the second round of the Junior C Championship exiting after a one-point defeat to St. Marks in a replay having defeated Round Towers, Clondalkin in round one. They finished 13th in AFL 8 in 2009 and 2010. The football team were defeated by Naomh Fionnbarra in the second round of the Junior Football C Championship having received a bye if the first round in 2010. The team finished in 10th position in AFL 8, winning 5, drawing 1, and losing 8 games in the 2010 season.
They reached the 2010 semi-finals of the Murphy Cup losing to Ballinteer St. Johns in a replay. They gained promotion to Division 7 from Division 8 finishing second in the league. In the Junior D Football Championship Erin go Bragh reached the final defeating Round Towers of Lusk in the first round, Innisfalis in the second round, Castleknock in round three, St. Pats of Donabate in the quarter-finals and Wild Geese in the semi-final. The final held in O'Toole Park in Crumlin was against St. Annes who defeated them 3–12 to 0–7.
In 2012, the first team reached the semi-final of the Parsons Cup losing to Robert Emmets in a replay once again. The first game had ended in a draw after extra time. They reached the quarter-finals of the Junior D Football Championship, losing to Ballyboughal in Ballyboughal. They had beaten St. Margarets, St. Finians of Newcastle and Whitehall Colmcille before being knocked out. The club fielded a second football team for the 2012 season. Their first game was against Clann Mhuire in Naul in Division 10 North County of the league, losing 2–5 to 2–15. They won their first ever game on 31 June beating Man O'War in Man O'War 2–12 to 1–10. The second team competed in a tournament hosted by St. Peregrines and co-organised by Tyrrellstown with Croi Ro Naofa also competing on 18 August. Croi Ro Naofa won the cup and St. Peregrines the shield, defeating Erin Go Bragh in the final.
The club started the 2013 season with 2 adult football teams and ended the season with one. The sole remaining football team were relegated from division 7 and knocked out of the junior D football championship in the first round by Wild Geese.
The competed in Division 10 North County and the junior E football championship during 2014. They failed to progress out of their group in the championship and finished in the bottom half of the league.