North American clubs make history at GAA Championships

An action-packed North American County Board GAA Championships produced breakthroughs and heartbreaks but was viewed as a success overall with GAA President Liam O'Neill, Camogie President Aileen Lawlor, Munster Council Chairman Sean Walsh and Ladies football President Pat Quill all in attendance.

The event concluded on Sunday with a senior football victory for Ulster San Francisco, their first NACB title since 2005.

They beat Shannon Blues of Boston by 2-14 to 2-11, sparking emotional scenes of joy for the Bay Area boys, five of whom came from the late Cormac McAnnallen's Tyrone parish of Eglish.

Many of the Ulster players were also team mates of Mark Mc Govern last summer when the Fermanagh native had his football career ended during a San Francisco championship game.

That followed the senior hurling success of their fellow San Francisco club Na Fianna on Saturday.

Picture: Liam Kelleher

The weekend marked a breakthrough for hurling and camogie with more teams competing than in football for the first time ever.

Boston's Fr Tom's beat Toronto in the Junior A hurling and Indianapolis had a historic win in the Junior B title.

The Indianapolis Junior B hurling team. Picture: Liam Kelleher

In the senior Ladies football, Notre Dame Philadelphia took the honours for their hometown against Boston's Connacht Ladies while the Junior A title went to an impressive Erin Rovers side from Chicago who overcame the Baltimore Bohs.

Above, Notre Dame Philadelphia celebrate their success while, below, a couple of volunteers man the scoreboard during the game. Pictures: Liam Kelleher

Members of the Erin Rovers team from Chicago commiserate with Baltimore after their win in the Junior A Ladies football final, above, and enjoy a moment with the cup, below. Pictures: Liam Kelleher

It was an otherwise successful day for the Baltimore crew though as their Juniors won the club's first ever camogie title early on Sunday morning before their men took the Junior B Football championship, overcoming Charlotte.

Baltimore's men's team after their Junior B Football victory. Picture: Liam Kelleher

Charlotte's ladies (pictured below) made up for that, beating Vancouver in the Junior A Football final. Canada did clinch a camogie title however with Toronto beating San Francisco in the senior final.

The men of Pittsburgh Celtics (pictured below) continued their rise through the GAA ranks with a Junior A Football win to follow on from last year's Junior B Football success.

And in one of the most popular victories of the day, Barley House, the club started by US military men who discovered hurling passing through Shannon Airport on the way to Iraq and Afghanistan, won the Junior C hurling title against Allentown.