Montreal Shamrocks GAC
The Montreal Shamrocks GAC is a sports club in Montreal, Canada, associated with the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland. They operate under the Canadian GAA board in the Eastern Canada division.
| Montreal Shamrocks GAC | ||
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1948 | |
| County | Canada | |
| Division | Quebec | |
| Nickname | Shamrocks / Na Seamróga | |
| Colours | Green and White | |
| ||
The Montreal Shamrocks GAC was established in 1948 in order to promote Ireland's two most popular national sports (Gaelic football and hurling) to the community of Montreal.
History
Origins
Since the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in 1884, and even prior to that, there is archival evidence that Gaelic football was played in Montreal. However there is more concrete evidence that, from 1945 and onwards, Irish immigrants gave exhibitions of their native games at Fletcher Fields and at the old MAA grounds.
In 1948 the Montreal branch of the GAA was officially convened under the presidency of Martin Greene. Greene applied for, and the next year received, official approbation from the president of the GAA in Dublin.
Subsequently, the American County Board of the GAA was established to include Montreal and Toronto in separate divisions. Division IV saw Montreal in competition with teams from Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse. Both Montreal and Toronto fared well in international competition as the cities were equally enriched by an influx of young Irish immigrants. Each did in fact, on more than one occasion, win the American Championship in both football and hurling.
1950s
In the early 1950s, the Montreal GAA, which had adopted the name of 'Montreal Shamrock Hurling and Football Club', was able to form an inter-squad league which consisted of five teams in hurling and four teams in football. Out of that league sprang the nucleus of the team that not only topped its Division, but also captured the Northern Division of the American League from Toronto at Kingston on October 4, 1959. Two years later, the Montreal Hurling team won the American Senior Championship against Boston GAA, while on the same day at Loyola Park in Montreal, the Montreal Football team narrowly lost to Boston Galway in a hectic final.
1960s
On 9 May 1965 the Shamrocks Football team played host to a visiting Australian Rules Football Team from Melbourne, playing the first half under GAA rules, and the 2nd half under Australian Rules. The score at the final whistle read: Montreal 29 - Melbourne 28.
On St Helen's Island Park, at the World Fair of Expo '67, the Hurling team soundly defeated the visiting New York-Kilkenny Champions, before several hundred fascinated spectators; while on the same day, the footballers were narrowly defeated by an all-star Toronto team.
On 29 October 1969, Montreal GAA entertained the Kerry Senior Football Team, All-Ireland Champions, who were on their way home from their successful American tour. Trainer Jackie Lyne and the Chairman of the Kerry County Board expressed their gratitude and appreciation to the Montreal Shamrocks Club for the reception and fraternity shown the visiting champions.
1970s
On 8 October 1973, the Shamrocks Hurling team captured the American League title against Cleveland in a hotly contested game at Toronto.
In August 1974, the Shamrocks Football team played host to an Irish Civil Service Football Team at Trenholme Park. This was the first time that a visiting Gaelic football team from Ireland played in Montreal. Much publicity was given to that game by the media and several hundred spectators saw an excellent exhibition of Gaelic football under floodlights. The fitter Irish squad was victorious over their hosts.
From the mid-1970s, however, Montreal was not attracting as many young Irish immigrants as Toronto, Boston and Chicago - cities that continued to be serviced directly by the Irish national air carrier, Aer Lingus. Accordingly, the club was forced to rely on ageing veterans, and their up-and-coming sons. Competition against the traditional rivals from Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse (teams affected by the Vietnam War draft) had to be abandoned in favour of games against Canadian teams from Toronto, Ottawa and Hamilton.
1980s
To commemorate the 35th Anniversary of the Club, a two-day Gala Celebration was held featuring games of both football and hurling, culminating in a reception on 18 August 1984. A heart-warming citation from the President of the GAA in Ireland, Mr. Paddy Buggy, was presented and read at the Banquet.
1990s
On the occasion of his historic visit to Montreal on 24 January 1999, the President of the GAA, Mr. Joe McDonagh, addressed more than a hundred Montreal GAA club members and guests at a Gala Banquet. He paid tribute to the stalwart members who down through the years promoted and nurtured the games and culture of their ancestors, and he urged the current and future Executive to grasp the torch and carry it aloft to even higher and greater eminence.
2000s
Gaelic Football has consistently been on offer throughout the years. The Football team has most recently successfully defended their Quebec Cup title, defeating provincial rival Quebec City on October 31 to retain the cup. It marks the third time in the last four years that the Shamrocks have won top honours in the province. There is also a Women's Football team active as well.
The Hurling team made a re-appearance after a roughly 35-year lay-off at a tournament in October 2009, hosted by the Portland (Maine) Marauders GAA Hurling club, and joined by the Barley House Wolves of Concord, NH.
Montreal host a large 9-a-side GAA tournament in May each year in St.Julie, Quebec. Many teams arrive from Halifax, Quebec City, Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto.
The team also compete at the Great American Irish Festival each year in Utica, New York against teams like Albany, Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo and Mason Dixon.
Both Football and Hurling teams are made up of Irish nationals and Montreal residents.
2010s
2012- To deal with the influx of football players throughout the years, The Montreal Shamrocks established its first Superleague along with its first 3 teams to join. The Griffintown Gaels, The Goose Village Blackrocks and The Verdun Vikings.
2014, The Shamrocks won the first Eastern Canada GAA Finals (Gaelic Football) in St.John`s, Newfoundland.
2017, The Winter Superleague had a new independent team debut (The Concordia Warriors) bringing the total of Superleague teams for the winter season to 4. Co-ed Hurling also made its debut during the Winter Superleague, team name were later selected during the Summer Superleague.
On June 16, 2017 hurling took center stage as its first co-ed hurling summer Superleague game took place at College Letendre between Na Fianna Rouges (7-8) & PSC Cu Chulainn (8-8). The St-Henri Harps was the 3rd team created who went on to play their first game on June 26, 2017.
September 2nd 2017 in Ottawa Ontario during the Eastern Canadian Championships, Montreal claimed their 2nd ECGAA Senior football title against the Ottawa Gaels and also claimed their first ECGAA Senior Hurling title against Ottawa Eire Óg.
October 2017, for the first time a game was played in Trois-Rivieres Quebec in an effort to promote the sport and hopefully establish a team in that city. In a close fought battle, Montreal came out victorious with the Quebec cup.
May 2018 during the club’s 70th anniversary. The Montreal Shamrocks created the Hall of Shamrocks to recognize and remember the work put in by retired members. The first members inducted Martin Greene & Paul Moran were given honorary club president status.
The first competitive Camogie tournament took place May 19th 2018 at St-Julie field during the annual Montreal May tournament, 5 clubs were present along with special guest referee Seán Óg Ó hAilpín. Toronto Camogie Club came out victorious on this historical day. Later that day, The Montreal Shamrocks Senior Men's football team also made history by defeating Toronto in the finals to win their own tournament for the first time since its creation. The team was consisted of players from Ireland, Canada, Australia, France and U.S.A. a testament to how far the game has grown in Montreal.
September 1, 2018 in Charlettown P.E.I. during the Eastern Canadian Championships, the Montreal camogie team along with the assistance of 2 Halifax camogie players battled against a joint team of Ottawa Eire Óg & P.E.I. players. This marked the first time Camogie was part of the ECGAA championships. At the end of the day the joint team of Montreal Shamrocks and Halifax also known as the self proclaimed 'Halishams` won the inaugural cup. The Montreal men's senior football team battled hard against The Quebec City Patriots, which required extra time to decide a winner. Quebec came very close, but Montreal walked away with their 2nd senior Championship in a row at the final whistle. The men's junior team also went home with a championship as they won their first ECGAA junior football title against the Halifax Gaels.
June 29th, 2019 in Park Lafontaine, Montreal. The Montreal Shamrocks hosted an inaugural rounders game in hopes to start a new branch of Gaelic sports within Montreal.
July 29th 2019, 34 Montreal Shamrocks were selected to represent Canada in the GAA World Games in men's football (5 players), women's football (13 players), hurling (6 players) and camogie (10 players). The largest delegate from 1 club in Canada. The tournament was hosted in Waterford, Ireland.
August 31st 2019, at Complexe Multi-Sports De Laval. The Montreal Shamrocks hosted the ECGAA Championships for the first time. The men's football team secured a 3rd senior championship in a row vs the Ottawa Gaels while the ladies' football won their first ECGAA senior title vs the Ottawa Gaels. Montreal submitted 2 men's football teams and 3 ladies teams. In hurling 2 teams were submitted along with the first American and Canadian captains of their respective teams Liam Twomey (American) and Jake Ouellette (Canadian) in Camogie 1 team was submitted with the club's first Canadian captain Julie Houle.
2020s- to Present
January 18th 2020, at the Loyola Stinger Dome. The Winter Superleague made way for a 4th co-ed hurling team. The Concordia Warriors joined the already established teams of N.D.G. Na Fianna Rouge, P.S.C. Cu Chulainn and St-Henri Harps.
Roll of honor
Men's Football
1959 North American Senior football Champions
2006 Quebec Football Champions
2008 Quebec Football Champions
2009 Quebec Football Champions
2010 Quebec Football Champions
2011 Quebec Football Champions
2012 Quebec Football Champions
2013 Quebec Football Champions
2014 Eastern Canada GAA Senior Champions
2014 Quebec Football Champions
2015 Quebec Football Champions
2016 Quebec Football Champions (Represented by Superleague team Verdun Vikings)
2017 Eastern Canada GAA Senior Champions
2017 Quebec Football Champions
2018 Montreal May Tournament Senior Champions
2018 Eastern Canada GAA Junior Champions
2018 Eastern Canada GAA Senior Champions
2019 Eastern Canada GAA Senior Champions
Ladies Football
2019 Eastern Canada GAA Champions
Hurling
1961 North American Senior Hurling Champions
1973 North American Junior Hurling Champions
2017 Eastern Canada GAA Senior Champions
Camogie
2018 Eastern Canada GAA Champions
2019 Heritage Cup Champions