Western Division GAA Board
The Western Divisional Board, colloquially known as San Francisco GAA (SFGAA), is a division of the United States GAA (USGAA) covering Northern California in the United States.[1] It is the governing body of hurling, camogie, and Gaelic football in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since its inception, games in the Western Division have been played at various venues throughout the city of San Francisco on municipal fields rented from the city, such as Beach Chalet playing fields in Golden Gate Park, and Boxer Stadium at Balboa Park. From 2009 onward, games have been held at Páirc na nGael, a facility that was renovated and leased by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) on Treasure Island.
Competitions
[edit]The playing season, for clubs in the Western Division, typically runs from April until August.[2]
Local San Francisco championship winners advance to the USGAA playoffs that take place over Labor Day weekend every September. The playoffs rotate between cities like Chicago, Boston, Denver, Philadelphia and San Francisco. A number of Western Division clubs reportedly received fines for not attending the 2021 finals, in Boston, owing to the recommendations in place in the United States during the COVID-19.[3][4] The USGAA finals have been held in San Francisco on several occasions, including at the Treasure Island grounds in 2011 and 2017,[5] and at both Treasure Island and Balboa Park in 2024.[5][6]
The Continental Youth Championships were held in San Francisco in 2005, 2009, 2015 and 2023.[5]
Grounds
[edit]Páirc na nGael, located on Treasure Island in San Francisco,[7] was opened in December 2008 by GAA President Nickey Brennan. The opening was marked with a Gaelic football game which involved All-Star winners, from various counties in Ireland, from 2007 and 2008.[8][9]
Páirc na nGael contains three pitches fields spanning 13 acres (53,000 m2).[10] Páirc na nÓg is the name of the youth field further to the east on the island adjacent to the home grounds of the Golden Gate Rugby Club. Páirc na nGael's development was funded by financial and labor donations from the Irish community in San Francisco, and grants from the government and GAA in Ireland.[10] A disused adjacent elementary school building was later remodeled to become a community centre and function room and funding for this was secured from the Irish government.[citation needed]
Clubs
[edit]Clubs within the USGAA Western Division include:[11]
Men's football
- Sons of Ború / Celts
- Michael Cusack's
- Sean Treacy's
- Ulster
- Young Irelanders / St Brendan's
- Pearse Og's
Hurling
- Na Fianna
- Naomh Padraig
- St Josephs
- Pearse Og's
- Tipperary Hurling Club
Ladies football
- Clan na Gael
- Fog City Harps
Camogie
- Cú Chulainn Camogie
Youth
- Irish Football Youth League
- Éire Óg
References
[edit]- ^ "Western Divisional Board". sanfrangaa.com. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
The Western Divisional Board (SFGAA) is the administrative body for the USGAA in Northern California
- ^ "San Francisco GAA FAQ". sanfrangaa.com. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
- ^ "Fury in American GAA over club fines during pandemic". Irish Examiner. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
- ^ "USGAA clubs hit out at fines levied for not traveling during COVID surge". irishcentral.com. 13 November 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
- ^ a b c "USGAA History". usgaa.org. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
- ^ "Summer of a lifetime for intercounty stars, a thriving community for Irish emigrants and Americans". Irish Examiner. 20 August 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
Last weekend [Aug 2024] they hosted the National Finals in San Francisco GAA's Treasure Island and Balboa Park
- ^ "Football All Stars in San Fransisco". rte.ie. 9 December 2008. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
- ^ "All-Stars touring party confirmed". Irish Examiner. 26 November 2008. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
- ^ "Brennan pledge strikes a chord with 'illegal' Irish". Irish Independent. 10 December 2008. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
Earlier, their new pitch, Pairc na nGael in Treasure Island, had been officially opened and marked by an exhibition game involving the football All Stars of the past two seasons
- ^ a b Darby, Paul (2009). Gaelic Games, Nationalism and the Irish Diaspora in the United States. University College Dublin Press. p. 225. ISBN 9781906359232.
In December 2008, the San Francisco GAA officially opened a 13-acre venue containing three playing fields on Treasure Island [..] facilitated by [..] significant voluntary work by a number of Irish contractors and labourers, private donations and a grant of half a million dollars from Croke Park and the Irish government
- ^ "Western Division". usgaa.org. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
External links
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