A Manchester Gaelic Football team narrowly missed out on the All-Britain Gaelic Football championship title on Sunday.
St. Brendan’s GAA Manchester faced the Glasgow Gaels at Old Bedian Ground in West Didsbury, where they’d hoped to defend their title after winning the championship in 2021.
The All-Britain Championship gives Irish Gaelic football teams from across the UK a chance to compete, with the winners playing the Junior Ulster Champions in Ireland.
The conditions were poor, but the rain and the muck wasn’t going to distract either side.
Before the match head coach Stephen Moriarty said: “When you win something a targets always on your back, people want to take what you have but we’re excited and we’re ready to go.”
In 2021 St. Brendan’s took the win over the Warwickshire team Sean McDermotts and had hoped to achieve a similar result against the Glaswegian Gaelic team.
In Gaelic Football players can score 1 point by kicking the ball over the bar, and a goal is worth 3 points.
An intense exchange left the score at 0-5 to Glasgow Gaels and 0-4 to St. Brendan’s at half-time. Chair of St Brendan’s Barry Collins said: “It is important, we’ve been here before, we’re lucky enough to have it in Manchester after winning a coin toss. It’s a big event for the family of St. Brendan’s.”
The back and forth continued through the second-half but a late goal from the Glasgow Gaels pushed them to victory, with the final score being 1-09 to the Gaels and 7 points to St. Brendan’s
The passion was clear from the Manchester team through the match and off the pitch the heartbreak for the players was unmistakable.
St. Brendan’s player James Casey said: “It’s not really a feeling we’re used to with this club, we’re used to winning so it’s a bitter end to a long year. It’s a hard one to take today, especially on home soil.”
Mid-fielder Owen Clarke, praised his team-mates and the Glasgow players. “They’re a great group of lads, just disappointing for it to end that way”, he said, “but we played an amazing team today. They were the better side on the day and that’s what wins it.”
They might not have won on the day, but the support shared between the players, coaches and their family and friends highlighted the true value of clubs like St. Brendan’s.
According to the Irish Post, it’s estimated that 35% of Mancunians have some Irish ancestry, and with hundreds of Irish still moving to Manchester every year, GAA clubs offer a sense of community and belonging.
Supporter and GAA player Caoimhe Mallon said: “It’s just like a wee mini home away from home. Everyone just makes you feel so welcome, it’s amazing.”
St. Brendan’s GAA was founded in 1959 and have training grounds in Sale.
