Midwest Gaelic Athletic Association
USGAA News
The USGAA All-County Junior Football team has named its latest panel, under the new management of Brian Kennedy. The team will once again join New York, Kilkenny, the Britain champion, and Britain runner-up in the All-Ireland Junior Competition. The USGAA are set to play in the semi-final on Friday July 10th against either the Britain champion or the winner of the Kilkenny verse Brittain runner-up match. With a win, USGAA would play the winner of New York and their opponent (either the Britain champion or the winner of the Kilkenny verse Brittain runner-up match) on July 12th in Croke Park. [See the complete Player Poster and other pics on www.iirish.us.]
The USGAA Youth have also formed an All-County Minor (under 18) Football and Minor Ladies Football team as part of the development and player pathway to top level football. The boys’ team will be managed by Colm Feeney (Philadelphia), with John Kerley (Chicago), Tommy Neeson (San Francisco), and Kieran Cox (Boston) being the selectors. For the girls, Claire Colleran (San Francisco) leads the management, with Ciara Trainor (Philadelphia) and Pady McKenna (Hartford) as selectors.
Selections for the minor team took place after the USGAA Youth held their second all-county minor tournament, this time in Boston on April 18th. Players attended from local Northeast clubs, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, and from the Midwest’s Detroit and Cleveland teams. Full sided matches occurred between three teams for each code in a round robin fashion, followed by a semi-final and a final.
Representing the Midwest were Detroit’s Tyler Hernandez-Walsh and Aoife O’Donohue, and Cleveland’s Andrew Kilbane and Ambrose Beach. A strong showing was produced by the rust-belters, while Ambrose Beach was named player of the tournament by the manager and selectors for his strong offensive and defensive play – he even snuck over a two-pointer.
The full panel for the all-county minor team is yet to be announced, but the teams head to Yonkers’ Redmond Park on June 13th to take on New York’s minors. The girls are set to play at 3PM and the boys at 4:30PM. New York’s U17 panel has seen much success of late, with wins over London and Leitrim before a loss in Aughrim to Wicklow.
Midwest 2026
This author was unable to secure the results of the May 2nd, and 9th matches that kick-off the Midwest season, but we will have full results and the league tally in July’s publication.
There is a newcomer to the division, with the Syracuse Ladies forming a team. For their debut, they faced their New York neighbors from Rochester on May 10th.
Cleveland’s annual Memorial 7-a-Side Tournament was held at the West Side Irish American Club on May 16th. The Cleveland Ladies defeated the Pittsburgh Banshees in the final to raise the cup for the first time. Meanwhile, the Cleveland men fell to the Pittsburgh Celtics. Other clubs competing included Ladies: Cincinnati and Buffalo, and Men: Buffalo Fenians and Detroit.
This tournament honored Nell Buckley this year. She was the first woman to join the prior memorials of George Dunne Jr.; Sean Gannon; George Dunne Sr.; Steve Mulloy; the Doherty family, and the Lowry family. Jim Coyne and the Cleveland GAA volunteers continue to make the tournament a success that is pulling the generations of Cleveland GAA members back together – a wonderful achievement that grows and grows. Opportunities abound if you wish to be a part of the Volunteer Team.
Continued Thanks go to the West Side Irish American Club for their support, and to Father Pat Spicer (full back, St. Pat’s) for the spiritual leadership.
Also on May 16th, Albany defended their house by defeating the visiting Roc City men in both football, 3-10 (19) to 2-3 (9), and hurling, 5-10 (25) to 4-11 (23).
On May 23rd, the Cleveland Youth hosted their annual football and hurling tournament for ages U6 through U16 ages at the West Side Irish American Club. Over one hundred players attended from Akron, Chicago and Cleveland.
Cleveland St. Pat’s / St. Jarlath’s GAA
The hurling and camogie teams were on a tour de force in early May, led by Joey and Clodagh Murphy. After the brilliant wedding of clubmates Deirdre Scully and Corey Berry in Galway, the camógs opened the circuit with a match against St. Thomas’s, Clo’s home club. The lads had their initial run-out the following day with Joey’s club, Castlegar.
The bus then headed north to Mayo, where Clew Bay was seen on a shimmering bright day. With Cleveland’s close ties to Achill, arrangements were made for two matches at Davitt Park, Polranny, against the Westport hurlers and camógs. Packie McGinty (Achill LGFA) noted that the occasion was the first time hurling was played at the pitch and the first time in 60 or 70 years for a camogie match.
The crew travelled on to Clare, Tipperary, Kilkenny, and Dublin for more training sessions and site seeing. This was a huge event for the club, to organize and execute a trip to Ireland, and the players that participated were able to experience the country through the community of the GAA. Well done.
Stateside, all codes – hurling, camogie, ladies’ football, men’s football, and youth – continue to welcome new players and many college students back to competitive play. If you or someone you know is interested, see below for contact information. From here through summer, you will find the Cleveland GAA active at the WSIA pitch nearly every night of the week.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh!
Thanks, y’all, to our readers and supporters. Fáilte (welcome) to all. The Gaelic Athletic Association is Ireland’s largest sporting organization and a bit of home for the Irish abroad here in the U.S. of A. Beyond sports, the Association also promotes Irish music, song and dance, and the Irish language as an integral part of its objectives.
We need your help and involvement, but would most like to share the fun of Irish sport and Cleveland community with you. Cleveland GAA is open to all who want to play competitive sports, meet new people, and join an athletic, fitness-minded club for all ages. Consider getting involved at any level.
Follow @ClevelandGaelic on
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for the 2026 activities for Men, Women, and Youth, or visit ClevelandGAA.com.
Email ClevelandGAA@gmail.com.
