The Warwickshire County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), also known as CLG Contae Warwick or Warwickshire GAA, is one of the county boards of the GAA outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in the Midlands. The county board is also responsible for the Warwickshire county teams. With Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Lancashire, London, Scotland and Yorkshire, the board makes up the British Provincial Board.
History While it is unclear when organised Gaelic games began in the Midlands, there is evidence of hurling being played in Birmingham since 1907, with 'Erin's Hope' arranging games against teams from Liverpool, Manchester and London. In 1935, the British Provincial Council arranged a meeting with the intention of forming a county board. A committee was established and some progress was made before the outbreak of the Second World War made it difficult to continue.
Due to efforts of the John Mitchel's Hurling Club, and in response to a request from the Lancashire County Board, the Warwickshire County Board was formed in 1941. Clubs began to pop up across the West Midlands, including in Birmingham with Robert Emmets, St. Patricks, Tara, St Pauls, St Chads, Emerald Isles, The Sacred Heart, J F Kennedys, Sean McDermotts and Erin go Bragh; in Coventry with Shannon Rovers, Banba Rovers, Four Masters, St Finbarrs and Roger Casements; as well as St Peters in Leamington Spa and St Marys in Wolverhampton. The first juvenile hurling game was played in Birmingham in 1958, and by 1959 there were 40 teams playing hurling and football in Warwickshire.
Between 1946 and 1990 the Warwickshire inter-county teams reached 18 All-Ireland junior finals, divided equally amongst both Gaelic football and hurling. All-Ireland JHC titles were won in 1968, 1969 and 1973. There was also a defeat by Antrim in the 1970 All-Ireland IHC final.
While games were originally played across the county area, most notably at Glebe Farm Recreation Ground in Kitts Green, Birmingham, an official base for Warwickshire GAA was established with the construction of Páirc na hÉireann in Solihull.
In 1994, the Ladies’ County Board was formed in Warwickshire, consisting of three teams: St Brendans in Kings Heath, and two teams in Erdington- St Chads and Erin go Bragh. More teams followed throughout the 1990s, and by 2000 the Board had 7 affiliated ladies’ football clubs; St Brendans, Erin go Bragh, John Mitchels (Kings Norton), Sean McDermotts (Small Heath), Young Irelands (Leicester), Roger Casements (Coventry; originally formed as Clann Na H'eireann) and Emerald Gaels (Manchester; officially in the Lancashire boundaries but competing in Warwickshire competitions). Warwickshire ladies’ also began to compete in county football, winning their first Britain LGFA Junior Championship in 1998.
A restructuring of the entire Irish hurling championship system in 2005 resulted in Warwickshire fielding a team in the third tier Nicky Rackard Cup. The team later dropped down to the fourth tier and won two Lory Meagher Cup titles in 2013 and 2017.
Football
Clubs Club nameTeamsLocationPitchEnglishIrish Erin go BraghErin go BraghMen's - Senior / Junior Ladies' - JuniorBirminghamHolly Lane Sports Club Four MastersCeithre MáistreachtMen's - IntermediateCoventryFinham Park School John MitchelsSéan MistéalMen's - Senior / Junior Ladies' - JuniorBirminghamBox Trees Road Naomh PadraigNaomh PadraigMen's - IntermediateLeicesterThe Emerald Centre Roger CasementsRuairí Mac EasmainnMen's - Senior / Junior Ladies' - JuniorCoventryCoventry Sphinx Sports Club Rugby GaelsRugby GaelsMen's - IntermediateRugbyNewbold RFC Sean McDermottsSeán Mac DiarmadaMen's - Senior / Junior Ladies' - JuniorBirminghamOld Damson Lane Sons of ErinClann ErinMen's - IntermediateNorthamptonThe Racecourse Park St BarnabasBarnaib NaofaMen's - Intermediate Ladies' - JuniorNottinghamVictoria Embankment St BrendansNaomh BreandàinMen's - Senior / JuniorBirminghamThe New Irish Centre St FinbarrsNaomh FionnbarraMen's - Intermediate Ladies' - JuniorCoventrySt Finbarrs Sports Club St JosephsNaomh SeosamhMen's - IntermediateDerbyDuffield Road St MarysNaomh MhuireMen's - Intermediate Ladies' - JuniorWolverhamptonAldersley High School
Warwickshire Men's Senior Football Championship winners Source:
1938 St Patricks 1939 Granuaile 1940 1941 1942 St Thomas More 1943 Granuaile 1944 St Thomas More 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 Taras 1951 John Mitchels 1952 Shannon Rangers 1953 Shannon Rangers 1954 Shannon Rangers 1955 Taras 1956 St Pauls 1957 1958 St Pauls 1959 Shamrocks 1960 St Pauls 1961 Taras 1962 John Mitchels 1963 St Finbarrs 1964 John Mitchels 1965 St Finbarrs 1966 John Mitchels 1967 John Mitchels 1968 St Pauls 1969 John Mitchels 1970 Sean McDermotts 1971 Sean McDermotts 1972 Sean McDermotts 1973 Sean McDermotts 1974 Sean McDermotts 1975 Sean McDermotts 1976 Sean McDermotts 1977 St Brendans 1978 Roger Casements 1979 Sean McDermotts 1980 St Edwards / St Chads / Erin go Bragh 1981 Sean McDermotts 1982 Sean McDermotts 1983 St Brendans 1984 Sons of Erin / O’Rahillys 1985 St Brendans 1986 St Brendans 1987 Erin go Bragh 1988 John Mitchels 1989 St Barnabas 1990 Erin go Bragh 1991 John Mitchels 1992 St Brendans 1993 St Brendans 1994 Erin go Bragh 1995 Sean McDermotts 1996 St Brendans 1997 Sean McDermotts 1998 Sean McDermotts 1999 Sean McDermotts 2000 Sean McDermotts 2001 Sean McDermotts 2002 Sean McDermotts 2003 Sean McDermotts 2004 Roger Casements 2005 Roger Casements 2006 Sean McDermotts 2007 Sean McDermotts 2008 Sean McDermotts 2009 Sean McDermotts 2010 Sean McDermotts 2011 St Barnabas 2012 Sean McDermotts 2013 John Mitchels 2014 Sean McDermotts 2015 Sean McDermotts 2016 Sean McDermotts 2017 Sean McDermotts 2018 Sean McDermotts 2019 Sean McDermotts 2020 Sean McDermotts 2021 Sean McDermotts 2022 Roger Casements 2023 Sean McDermotts 2024 Roger Casements 2025 Sean McDermotts
Roll of honour
34 - Sean McDermotts 9 - John Mitchels 7 - St Brendans 5 - Roger Casements 4 - St Pauls, Erin go Bragh 3 - Taras, Shannon Rangers 2 - Granuaile, St Thomas More, St Finbarrs, St Barnabas 1 - St Patricks, Shamrocks, St Chads, St Edwards, O'Rahillys, Sons of Erin
Warwickshire Ladies' Football Championship winners Source:
1994 Erin go Bragh 1995 John Mitchels 1996 Erin go Bragh 1997 Erin go Bragh 1998 Erin go Bragh 1999 John Mitchels 2000 John Mitchels 2001 2002 2003 2004 Roger Casements 2005 John Mitchels 2006 John Mitchels 2007 2008 Roger Casements 2009 2010 2011 2012 St Barnabas 2013 John Mitchels 2014 Roger Casements 2015 St Barnabas 2016 John Mitchels 2017 Roger Casements 2018 Roger Casements 2019 John Mitchels 2020 John Mitchels 2021 John Mitchels 2022 John Mitchels 2023 St Barnabas 2024 Roger Casements 2025 Sean McDermotts
Roll of honour
11 - John Mitchels 6 - Roger Casements 4 - Erin go Bragh 3 - St Barnabas 1 - Sean McDermotts
County team Warwickshire fields a men's county team in the All-Britain Junior Football Championship and a ladies' county team in the Britain LGFA Junior Championship. The Warwickshire men have also competed in the new format of the All-Ireland Junior Football Championship.
Honours
Men's All-Ireland Junior Football Championship Runners-Up (9): 1946, 1951, 1955, 1957, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990 All-Britain Junior Football Championship Winners (16): 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2006, 2021, 2023 Runners-Up (9): 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024, 2025
Hurling and camogie
Clubs Club nameTeamsLocationEnglishIrish Erin go BraghErin go BraghHurling - Senior Camogie - IntermediateBirmingham John MitchelsSéan MistéalHurling - Senior Camogie - IntermediateBirmingham St BarnabasBarnaib NaofaHurling - SeniorNottingham St FinbarrsNaomh FionnbarraHurling - SeniorCoventry
County team The Warwickshire 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
Nicky Rackard Cup Runners-Up: 2018
Lory Meagher Cup: Winners (3): 2013, 2017 All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship: Runners-Up: 1970 All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship: Winners (3): 1968, 1969, 1973 Runners-Up (6): 1953, 1955, 1958, 1965, 1966, 1972 National Hurling League Division 3A: Winners: 2018 National Hurling League Division 3B: Winners (2): 2015, 2024
Notable players Liam Watson: Lory Meagher Cup-winner (2017)
References
External links
Warwickshire GAA website