=Midwest Gaelic Athletic Association
Midwest Gaelic Athletic Association
USGAA
The USGAA Youth’s All-County Minor (under 18) Football and Ladies’ Football teams took on their New York counterparts at Redmond Park in Yonkers on June 13th – a very hot, but enjoyable Saturday afternoon. The administrators instituted the sos uisce (water break) for day.
After the national anthems of Ireland and the US of A, the girls took the field. Showing moments of brilliance, but unable to stop New York’s chemistry and accuracy, the USGAA girls lost 5-28 (43) to 2-10 (16). Those in attendance were absolutely proud of the way the girls played with several class sequences of back-to-back scores. Remember, this was the first time all the players were together ever as a team. Representing the Midwest Division was Detroit’s Aoife O’Donohue.
The boys’ team stormed the field for the backend of the double header. Down 5 points to 1 point with the last minute of the first quarter (sos uisce) winding down, the US Lads netter their first goal and trailed by one point at the whistle.
At the restart, NY swung over another point, but the Lads responded with another goal pushing them ahead 2-01 (7) to 0-6 (6). Alas, the gas faded and passed, and NY answered with two goals of their own and another point while USGAA were only able to put one more over the bar. Halftime score was 2-07 (13) to 2-02 (8).
In the second half, the Lads chipped away at the deficit with four more points while holding NY to only one. The boys were settling in with fewer fifty-fifty balls into the forward line. At the final sos uisce, the score still in favor of New York was 2-10 (16) to 2-06 (14).
Play resumed and with five minutes remaining in the match, the US lads climbed into the lead with a goal and a point. New Yorks brief dry spell after the break did not last. Their game hardened lineup quickly added four devasting, unanswered points to finish out the match. Final score: NYGAA 2-14 (20) – USGAA 3-7 (16). Representing the Midwest Division was Cleveland’s Ambrose Beach.
Play resumed and with five minutes remaining in the match, the US lads climbed into the lead with a goal and a point. New Yorks brief dry spell after the break did not last. Their game hardened lineup quickly added four devasting, unanswered points to finish out the match. Final score: NYGAA 2-14 (20) – USGAA 3-7 (16). Representing the Midwest Division was Cleveland’s Ambrose Beach.
The games closed out the All-County run for the 2008 birthyear players. USGAA begins the formation of the next team with an invitational camp ahead of the Continental Youth Championships (in Philadelphia) for those born in 2009, 2010, and 2011. All players of this age group, whether at the pre-tournament camp or not, will be evaluated throughout the tournament.
Regional minor camps will continue in the fall and spring followed by another county-wide minor tournament and team selection. A follow-up match against New York will be played in the USGAA jurisdiction in 2027, likely as an opener for the County Junior Football match, also against New York.
Looking ahead at the county level, the USGAA Men’s Football team 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. These games will be televised. The USGAA men fell to the eventual tournament champions, NY, by only one point last year.
Another USGAA county development initiative that will also be a player pathway to the all-county team is a Divisional Select Tournament being held in October in Nashville. The tournament will include all codes – ladies’ football, men’s football, hurling, and camogie.
Unlike the previous all-star tournaments between Boston, the Midwest, New York, and Philadelphia that comprised of American born players for men’s football only, this year’s tournament will consist of players from a pool of American born and resident (living here) Irish/international born competitors. Each division will be responsible for the selection of coaches and players, with many using the summer leagues and championships as evaluation opportunities.
The Midwest Division’s Development Committee headed by Shawn Milligan (Rochester) has secured coaches and selectors for the all-star teams. Congratulations and good luck to John Young (Pittsburgh) and Sean Rooney (Albany) for men’s Gaelic, to Sean Gleeson (Rochester) and Patrick Custy (Akron) for hurling, to Tim Flanagan (Buffalo Fenians) for ladies’ Gaelic, and to Joey Murphy (Cleveland) and Clodagh O’Leary (Cleveland) for camogie.
Midwest 2026
Back in early June, the Pittsburgh Banshees and the Celtics both traveled down to Charlotte for the Connelly Cup. While the Banshees lost in the final, the Celtics raised another trophy.
This author was unable to secure the results of most Midwest league matches thus far, but we aim to have full results and the standings in next publication. The summer league results determine seeding for the Midwest Finals.
Speaking of Midwest Finals – Rochester will be hosting the games over the July 25th and 26th weekend at the TSE Gates facility (880 Elmgrove Road, Rochester, NY, 14624). There will be play-in matches to not only determine the Midwest’s best, but to decide who will represent the division in Junior D men’s football, Junior C ladies’ football, and Junior C hurling at the USGAA Finals.
As for the USGAA Finals in Boston on August 14th through the 16th, the random draw for the knock-out tournament is complete. For Junior A Men’s Gaelic football (MGF), the Pittsburgh Celtics will face Dallas Fionn McCuamhaill’s, Cleveland will face Setanta San Diego at Junior B, the Midwest representative will face the Northeast representative at Junior C, and the Midwest representative will face Chicago James Joyce at the Junior D level.
In Hurling, at the Junior A level Pittsburgh will face Chicago’s Michael Cusack’s, at the Junior B level Cleveland will face the winner of Twin Cities Robert Emmett’s and Raliegh Cú Chulainn, and at the Junior D level the Midwest representative will see the Southeast representative in the quarterfinal.
For Ladies’ football, the Pittsburgh Banshees will face the Western representative in the Intermediate semi-final, Cleveland will face Austin Celtic Cowboys at the Junior B grade, and the Midwest will send a representative at the Junior C level to play the Northeast representative.
For camogie, Cleveland plays Madison in the semi-final at Junior A and is the sole Midwest representative for the code.
Midwest Youth
After the big Cleveland Tournament for the underage players, several families will head to the Continental Youth Championships held in Philadelphia July 30th through August 2nd. The Midwest will have no stand-alone teams this year, but are predominantly amalgamated with San Francisco and Chicago. At the u12 age, the division has combined with the relatively new Toronto Davitts.
Clubs throughout the division are still hosting training sessions and camps. The end-of-the-season Great Lakes Tournament in Detroit is shaping up to be well attended in September from Chicago, Toronto, Akron, Cleveland, and other Midwest clubs.
Cleveland St. Pat’s / St. Jarlath’s GAA
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.
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