Here's a question that recently occurred to me and I thought that I'd put it out there to see if anyone knew anything about it.
It relates to the naming of GAA clubs around the country.

I'm from Offaly myself, and most clubs (definitely in excess of 90%) are named after their village or Parish or general area, i.e. Tullamore, Edenderry, Birr, Rhode, etc. That is how the clubs are known. There are the occasional amalgamation club Clodiagh Gaels, Brosna Gaels and other clubs like St. Rynaghs or Shamrocks, but most of the rest are a placename and that's it.

In other counties, this appears not to be the case at all. In fact, quite the opposite in some cases. For example, in Louth, between all the clubs playing adult football, I can only think of one club that is named a placename, and a place name alone, Dowdallshill (I'm open to correction on that). There are other clubs with the place name followed by something else (i.e. Dundalk Gaels, Hunterstown Rovers, Newtown Blues, etc.) but all in all, the majority of clubs are named something that doesn't correspond to the name of their principle village or locality (i.e. Dreadnots, Geraldines, Oliver Plunketts, Westerns, etc.)

Similarly, go a little further North, to the likes of Tyrone or Monaghan and the majority of clubs (if not all) feature the name of both their village (or area) and an additional title, such as Omagh St. Enda's, Edendork St. Malachy's, Berah Red Knights, Castleblayney Faughs, Ballybay Pearse Brothers, Inniskeen Grattans, etc.

Anyone know why these variations would be, from county to county?
I presume there's some sort of historical reason for this.
A silly question perhaps, but one that just got my attention. Any enlightenment on this would be appreciated.
I'm not going to go into the details of each county in the country, so I don't know how it is everywhere else.

OffalyBigBall (Offaly) - Posts: 635 - 23/10/2015 14:16:16    1801565

Well as far as I know the Dreadnotts GAA Club in the fishing village of Clogherhead in Co. Louth was named after a ship. The Newtown Blues was named after the area Newtown where it's base is in Drogheda. Mattock Rangers in Collon is named after the river Mattock which runs through the village and is the border between Louth and Meath. Glyde Rangers in Tallanstown is also named after a river...Glyde. Cooley Kickhams just outside Carlingford is named after the Cooley mountains and the youngest club in Louth, Cuchulainn Gaels in Omeath is named after Cuchulainn. That's some of the clubs I can think of the top of my head.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 23/10/2015 14:38:52    1801570

In Belfast I believe most clubs are either named after a Saint or a Martyr.

Those named after Saints would mostly be linked to Parishes

bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 23/10/2015 15:26:17    1801579

In Donegal, the general trend is if its just one town/village/area then its called by that name e.g An Clochan Liath (Dungloe as gaelige), Ard n'Ratha (Ardara as gaelige), Killybegs, gaoth dobhair, Glenswilly and when there are two towns/villages/areas it is called a different name e.g St Michaels (Dunfanaghy and Creeslough), Naomh Chonaill (Glenties and Fintown), Sean McCumhaills (Ballybofey and Stranolor), St nauls (Mountcharles, Inver and Frosses), there are exceptions to this such as Four masters (Donegal Town) and Aodh Ruadh (Ballyshannon).
That was always my reading of it but again am open to correction.

mhaith_fear (Donegal) - Posts: 75 - 23/10/2015 15:36:35    1801584

bumpernut, what clubs are you referring to. I have a friend in Portland, Maine who collects (has a shrine) of GAA jerseys from teams that are named after significant figures from Irish History. There might be some up in Belfast that he could add to it.

Steelfixer (USA) - Posts: 41 - 23/10/2015 16:11:29    1801593

Galway is much the same as Offaly. There are around 45 football clubs and about the same amount of hurling clubs. I can only think of 5 or 6 teams not named after townlands or parishes, mostly in Galway City.

tribesmen (Galway) - Posts: 151 - 23/10/2015 16:11:37    1801595

With us it's a mixture of parishes (Clonguish, Abbeylara, Colmcille), towns (Ballymahon,) towns with saints or knife wielding thugs ( St. Mary's Granard, Longford Slashers), parishes with saints and knife wielding thugs (St. Patrick's Ardagh, St. Columba's Mullinalaghta, Shroid Slashers) and then Killoe Young Emmets, whether named after Robert Emmet or a couple of his young relatives I can't tell you! Fr. Manning Gaels is a combination of Drumlish and Ballinamuck. Sean Connolly's is Ballinalee while Young Grattans is Stonepark on the outskirts of Longford Town. And lastly I think is Legan Sarsfields and Moydow Harpers.

Spinx (Longford) - Posts: 1353 - 23/10/2015 17:02:16    1801610

For us, it is completely random and we have 156 clubs which is by far the most. We have some clubs that split into two (Glen Rovers/St Nicks, Blackrock/St.Michaels, Kilmeen/Kilbree, Glanworth/Harbour Rovers and many more) hurling and football but most don't. These clubs pull from exactly the same players but they take different names.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 23/10/2015 19:56:56    1801650

A subject close to my heart. We are infested in Roscommon with clubs that are named after saints and martyrs. Our Snr football County Final was played between Clan Na Gael and Padraig Pearses. My own club is St Brigids. There are multiple instances of all 3 in a lot of other counties and I would dearly love to see that every club has at least one placename in its title. I know there are historical reasons and compromises because of amalgamations and some of this goes back to the unhealthy relationship betweeen Gaeldom and the Catholic Church. Lets not go down the Martyr road.

facethepuckout (Roscommon) - Posts: 219 - 23/10/2015 20:23:27    1801663

It's a very good question. I live on the roscommon border and when I meet people from ros and we're talking about football, I don't know where there on about whereas in Mayo most clubs have there place name in them. On the same note I see a lot of amalgamated clubs going with saints names which is confusing.

ks (Mayo) - Posts: 6 - 23/10/2015 20:44:57    1801670

Dublin inner city in the early and middle 20th century had a lot of Gaa teams named after republicans, from The Brother Shears to The Henry Joy mc Crackens. Dublin is a mix of place names to saints and martyrs.
Areas with just place names would be Raheny(Brian Fenton) Clontarf (Jack McCaffrey) Castleknock (Ciaran Kilkenny)
Ballyboughal, Man o War, then a lot of place names with added names like Skerries harps for example or
Whitehall colmcilles.
We would also have a lot of amalgamated clubs of hurling and football.
Ballymun kickhams, kilmacud crokes. Oliverplunkett eoghan ruadh, Clanna Gaelfontenroy (named after the Irish Brigade victory in fontenroy belgium) to name a few.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 23/10/2015 22:05:16    1801677

Steelfixer

The clubs in Belfast and Antrim in general who would be named after significant people (varying levels of significance) in history are:

Belfast
Sarsfields - aka the Paddies
O'Donovan Rossa
John Mitchels
Michael Davitts
Patrick Pearses

Rest of Antrim
Shane Ui Neill (Glenarm)
Roger Casements (Portglenone)
Robert Emmets (Cushendun)

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 24/10/2015 12:36:38    1801703

It's a little off topic but I've always found it hilarious that nobody from anywhere other than the south end of Wexford Town can pronounce faythe harriers. Marty morrissey comes up with a new pronunciation every time.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3552 - 24/10/2015 16:29:56    1801725

Hard to beat Ramor United & Cootehill Celtic in Cavan.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 24/10/2015 20:24:07    1801750

there are a few in Kerry at have no link to the village or place, their are St. Mary's in Caherciveen and St Pats in Blennerville, Then of course there is the likes of Na Gaeil in Tralee or Legion in Killarney, or Laune Rangers in Killorglin but thats after the river Laune, good few 'Rangers'after the place name.. like Skellig etc.... but Desmonds is another... I suppose of we go back far enough in teh geographical map there probable is some link...good thread...

Horsebox77 (Kerry) - Posts: 5491 - 24/10/2015 21:26:18    1801761

we have:

Crossmaghlen Rangers
Mullabawn Cuchulainns
Keady Dwyers
Cullaville Blues
Lisummon
Dorsey Emmetts




St. Mochu Derrynoose
St. Monnia Kileavy
St. Pat's Cullayanna
St. Patrick's Dromintee

The poet
Forkhill -Peadear O'Dornin

cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1688 - 25/10/2015 11:48:22    1801790

Usual mix of placenames, historical figures, saints and amalgamations - Bray Emmets, Carnew Emmets, Arklow Geraldines, Michael Dwyers, Feargal Og, An Tochar, St Pats, St Nicholas', St Marys, St Kevins, Rathnew, Glenealy, Ashford, Baltinglass Tinahely. 4 Leinster Senior Club finalists on that list - 2 winners.

Wicklowman (Wicklow) - Posts: 1142 - 26/10/2015 10:53:17    1801924

Only ones I can think of off the top of my head are Newry Mitchells, Newry Shamrocks, St. John Bosco, Ballyholland Harps and Liatroim Fontenoys.

OgraAnDun (Down) - Posts: 406 - 26/10/2015 14:04:44    1801964

Of the 24 clubs in Leitrim, there's only a small number named other than the parish or town in the club derives from (and even at that it's questionable as some names are used interchangeable). Allen Geals (Drumshanbo), Melvin Gaels (Kinlough), St Osnat's (Glencar), Sean O'Heslins (Ballinamore), St. Mary's Kiltoghert (Carrick On-Shannon).

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 1289 - 26/10/2015 14:50:12    1801972

Offside_Rule
County: Antrim
Posts: 2601

1801703 Steelfixer

The clubs in Belfast and Antrim in general who would be named after significant people (varying levels of significance) in history are:

Belfast
Sarsfields - aka the Paddies
O'Donovan Rossa
John Mitchels
Michael Davitts
Patrick Pearses

Rest of Antrim
Shane Ui Neill (Glenarm)
Roger Casements (Portglenone)
Robert Emmets (Cushendun)

Also Sean MacDiarmada in Belfast steelfixer who recently became extinct

bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 26/10/2015 15:30:34    1801977