The GAA and the All Ireland Championship
There is a GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) club in almost every parish in Ireland, and in each county teams are drawn from these clubs to contest the annual All Ireland Championships in Football and Hurling , the biggest competitions of the GAA year.
Some counties are traditionally stronger in hurling, others in football. The map on the left shows counties where hurling predominates in blue, where football is strongest in yellow and where both games are strong in green.
County teams are avidly supported, players are heros and tens of thousands regularly attend games. By the time the competitions reach the semi-final and final stages tickets for matches are like gold dust and every one of the 82,000 tickets for the national stadium at Croke Park will be sold out weeks in advance.
Flying the GAA County Flag
Kerry supporters at Croke Park
Photo by kman999Each county has its colours, which will be used in players' jersays and seen in flags flying all over the county - especially in years where the county is doing well and has reached the latter stages of the Champoinships.
You are bound to see some of these flags flying from flagpoles, trees, windows and on cars as you travel around Ireland, particularly in late summer as the finals, which are held in September each year, draw closer.
Most counties also have nicknames, by which the county, the inhabitants of the county and the team are known. They also often have a song, which fans sing loudly to urge their side on, and even more loudly if they win!!
GAA Colours, Nicknames and Songs
This is a list of the various colours, county names or nicknames and the songs for each county of Ireland.
| County | Colours | Nicknames | Songs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antrim |  | Saffron County The Glens | The Green Glens of Antrim |
| Armagh |  | Orchard County Cathedral County | The Boys from the County Armagh |
| Carlow |  | Dolman County The Barrowsiders The Scallion Eaters | |
| Cavan |  | Breffni County | Come Back Paddy Reilly |
| Clare |  | Banner County | Oh My Lovely Rose of Clare |
| Cork |  | Rebel County The Rebels | The Banks of my Own Lovely Lee |
| Derry |  | Oak Leaf County | The Town I Loved So Well |
| Donegal |  | The Tír Conaill Men | Mary from Dungloe |
| Down |  | Mourne County The Mournemen The Ardsmen | The Star of the County Down |
| Dublin |  | The Dubs | Rare Auld Times or Molly Malone |
| Fermanagh |  | Erne County The Ernesiders | |
| Galway |  | The Tribesmen | Galway Bay The West's Awake Fields of Athenry |
| Kerry |  | The Kingdom | Rose of Tralee |
| Kildare |  | Short Grass County The Lilywhites | The Curragh of Kildare |
| Kilkenny |  | Marble County The Cats | Rose of Mooncoin |
| Laois |  | O'Moore County | My Lovely Laois |
| Leitrim |  | Wild Rose County | Lovely Leitrim |
| Limerick |  | Treaty County Shannonsiders | Limerick You’re a Lady |
| Longford |  | O'Farrell County Slashers | |
| Louth |  | The Wee County | |
| Mayo |  | The Westerners | Moonlight on Mayo |
| Meath |  | Royal County The Royals | Beautiful Meath |
| Monaghan |  | Farney County | |
| Offaly |  | Faithful County | The Offaly Rover |
| Roscommon |  | The Sheepstealers | Man of Roscommon |
| Sligo |  | Yeats County Yeat's men | The Isle of Innisfree Down By The Sally Gardens |
| Tipperary |  | Premier County | Slievenamon |
| Tyrone |  | The Red Hand | |
| Waterford |  | Decies County The Deise | Old Dungarvan Oak |
| Westmeath |  | The Lake County Lake men | |
| Wexford |  | Model County The Yella’ Bellies | The Boys of Wexford Boulavogue |
| Wicklow |  | Garden County | The Meeting of the Waters |
| London |  | The Exiles | |
| New York |  | The Exiles | |
London and New York?
Ok, London and New York are not strictly speaking counties - but as centres where a large number of Irish born people live, they are treated as counties by the GAA and take part in the annual competitions!
Whatever county is drawn to play them in early stages of the competition will travel either to the UK or the USA for the game. The visitors usually win, though New York hurling is particularly strong in recent years and anyone living in or visiting the city who wants to take a look at the sport should go along and see a game.
Your Comments
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Posted by: Wendy
18 Jul 2007, 12:24
This really helps visitors understand what all those banners and flags
flying all over the various counties are for. Thank you, thank you, thank
you!
Posted by: Michael
08 Nov 2007, 17:29
LOL, thanks a million for the excellent list.
I'm working with a Carlow girl who refused to believe me about the Scallion
'Eaters; good proof was needed ;-)
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