Young Gaels reign supreme

THERE was great excitement among the Glasgow Gaels Youths last month as players and coaches prepared for the North of Britain GAA Festival hosted by Tír Conaill Harps at its Cambuslang grounds on the last Saturday of April.

The Under-11s (above) took to the field for their first competitive games of 2025, to play a series of matches against their Scottish counterparts joined by John Mitchells of Liverpool.

The Under-13s looked forward to a cup competition involving Scottish opposition together with St Brendan’s from Manchester.

To say it was a resounding success would be no exaggeration.

Coached by Paul Maher (Clare) and Danny Doherty (Donegal), the Under-11s came away with a 100 per cent record. The squad was split equally between girls and boys—the last year before the girls join their own Under-12 team next season. The endeavour on the pitch was equally apportioned and the tired, but delighted faces at the close of the day were testimony to the effort put in by all the players.

It was like the gates to the meadow had been thrown open as the Glasgow Gaels team covered every inch of the pitch, attacking and defending tirelessly. The sight of one girl chasing back 40 yards to successfully stop a St Brendan’s attack was an inspiration.

This was not only the first outing of the year for this squad, but it was also the first time that many of them had played together, and indeed some were even making their Gaelic football debuts. Their enthusiasm and unbridled joy were a reward to their coaches and all the preparation that had gone in beforehand.

And the commitment of the Under-11s was matched by the Under-13 boys (above), as they took to the field with some nervous anticipation at the outset of their North of Britain Cup competition. The five teams played out a round robin format with the top two going on to contest the final.

Coached by Gareth Doonan (Fermanagh), Conor Murphy (Derry) and Martin McGinley (Donegal), the boys won all their ‘league’ matches with strong showings all across the pitch.

Positions were rotated heavily with the two Liams, Boyle and Duffy, who performed strongly both in defence and in attack. Oisín Maher and Pádraig Doherty kept the

foundations strong at the back, while Odhrán Murphy and Joe Doonan covered lots of ground through the middle.

Pádraig McGinley displayed the attacking tenacity we have quickly become accustomed to, and Caolán Campion wasted scarcely a pass or scoring opportunity.

The final league match was against the hosts—Tír Conaill Harps—and the Gaels showed some great composure, building up a healthy lead and then Doherty, Boyle, Duffy, and Maher took the sting out of the game with some calm passing around the back.

With the same two teams involved, the final was a cagier affair. After the Gaels scored a goal and a point, Harps hit two quick three-pointers to take the lead. The tension ramped up with passes and chances starting to go astray, before the Gaels settled and goals from Doonan (3) and Murphy (2) meant the team could enjoy the final few minutes playing out a notable victory.

Winning Scotland’s premier cup competition at this level is a great achievement for a new squad that remains unbeaten in 2025.

The coaches of Glasgow Gaels would like to express their appreciation to Danny McGowan and Stephen Grant of Tír Conaill Harps for a superbly organised tournament.

Glasgow Gaels Youth Section is based in Giffnock in the southside of Glasgow. New players—no experience of Gaelic football necessary—are always welcome to the rapidly growing club. Phone Paul Maher on 07551992977 for more details