Kicking and Pucking About the Field

The Roasterie Cup Gaelic Football Tournament 2010

2010-07-09T10:43:00.001-05:00

Some short video clips from the 2010 Roasterie Cup Gaelic Football Tournament down at Swope Park. The Tournament was on June 26th at The Kansas City Wizards practice facility. A big THANK YOU to them for letting us use the field and to all our sponsors for making it such a brilliant day. (The KC Wizards, The Roasterie, The Celtic Ranch, Boulevard Brewing Company, The Celtic Ranch and Mike's Tavern.)

It was over a 100F on the field again this year and took a toll on all players, but everyone from The Twin Cities, NW Arkansas, Little Rock and Kansas City A and B team put on a great show and made it a really competitive day.

If you have any great photos or video footage from the tournament please share them with us through our Facebook page or a link in the comment section on here.

Bloomsday at The IMCC

2010-06-20T09:00:00.001-05:00

It was SRO at The IMCC for this year's Bloomsday celebration. Organized by Tom and Nancy Shawver, the annual reading of Joyce's Ulysses brought people from all over the Kansas City community together.

Boulevard provided the beer, The Roasterie the coffee and board members and volunteers brought the food. It really made The IMCC come alive and showed what a great space it is for bringing the Irish community together.

In addition to the reading, Eddie Delahunt warmed up the crowd with a great set of Irish songs and was joined by the girls from the Driscoll school of dancing. They created an atmosphere that made you feel you were 5,000 miles away in Dublin and not in the basement of Union Station.

Big Tom Shawver and Eddie Delahunt get on the level with each other

Steve from The KCGAC talking to the Rugby King of Kansas City

I hope he was asking him to send us more young, fit players!

Coffee Morning at The Roasterie Cafe

2010-06-19T16:15:00.000-05:00

With our tournament only a week away, June 26th, The KCGAC green-machine spent the morning at The Roasterie Cafe in Brookside to spread the word.

A big thanks to Scott, Angie, Kurtis, Ryan, Chelsea and Paige for getting up early and showing your support for The KCGAC.

It was a nice and relaxing morning enjoying tasty beverages and pastries hanging out chatting to people. I was surprised that several people we met were already aware of Gaelic Football and were excited to hear that we have a local club. So hopefully we'll get a good crowd down at Swope Park next Saturday.

The Roasterie will be on site at the tournament providing iced coffees with their silver bullet air-stream. And if the heat is anything like last year, we'll all need a little something to cool down.

Boulevard Pub Quiz at The IMCC

2010-06-08T13:35:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday we had another fun night down at The IMCC in Union Station thanks to our sponsors Boulevard Brewing Company and Raglan Road Irish Pub.

Competition was close, but last month's winners The 3 Bs were back, minus a B, but still managed to take home top honors. Brian Sulley is officially a nerd.

Tom and Nancy Shawver from Bloomsday Books were in attendance. Tom is on the IMCC board and it was great to see him and fellow board member Chris Tschihart representing.

For another great night out at The IMCC you should attend their Bloom's Day celebration on June 16th, it is organized by Tom and Nancy Shawver and is a great Kansas City tradition.

Next month's quiz will be on July 10th, hope to see you there.

Rumble in the Rock 2010

2010-06-03T23:02:00.000-05:00

Another Memorial Weekend in Little Rock for the KCGAC and a near identical finish to last year: 2 and 2.

We beat NW Arkansas twice and lost, not by much mind you, to LR and St. Louis.

The lads had a great time traveling down there, some had more fun than others, no names mentioned.

Next year we need to start a push early for the trip to LR to get as much of The KCGAC as possible down there and show them what we are made off.

We can get revenge in, oh say, 23 days!

KCGAC at Community America Ballpark

2010-05-26T17:23:00.001-05:00

Not quite Croke Park, but the Kansas City Wizards let us take to the field after their game against Columbus Crew at Community America Ballpark. This is the biggest venue the KCGAC has played in to date and it was an amazing experience.

The speed of the ball on a professional surface like that is something you can't understand until you've played on it yourself. That's no excuse for my lack of fitness, but Chr*#t it was hard going in that early summer heat. Made me feel all 32 of my years.

We all had a great day out there on Sunday at C.A.B. and a lot of the lads got there early to watch The Wizards in action. A big THANK YOU to Betsy Pollard and Chris Wyche for helping to make the day possible. And if they'll have us back, maybe we can turn this into an annual event and get all the Irish community out.

Jerron Taylor, James Taylor and Brad Gaughan...Brad in mid-air still not as tall a Big Taylor

The KCGAC easy to spot in the crowd

Craig and Jeanne Rohner, two of our greatest fans. They've watched us play in Little Rock, our home tournament, pub league, Ran the Wellie Race with us, shoveled snow at the Twin Cities game and here they are supporting us at The Wizards and they took most of these photos and videos. The KCGAC hearts U!

Big Ross on the ball

Ross Vs Teasdale...who gonna win

Brad, Jake and Carl go for the ball

KCGAC Volunteers at The Wizards - May 15th

2010-05-17T10:26:00.003-05:00

The KCGAC got up early on Saturday morning and headed out to Community America Ballpark to help with The Wizards inaugural Soccer Day 5k to benefit Autism Speaks and The Kansas City Soccer Foundation.

At 6:30 am the sky looked like it was going to open up and spoil the fun, but mother nature held off and the run started with just a drizzle of rain.

Breakfast of Champions - Their mascot Dynamo nibbles on a young runner

Everyone was having a good time getting ready for the run

Wizards player Jimmy Conrad crosses the line with his daughter and help from Dynamo

High-Fives all round for a race well run

KCGAC player Jake Yardich is also The Wizards videographer

After the run it was time to go home and take a nap, 'cause we were back at Community America Ballpark later that night for the game against Chicago Fire. This time we were not so lucky with the rain and the heavens opened up, making for a very soggy night.

The Wizards played great and held Chicago to a 2-2 game even with the rain lashing down and we had a great night of volunteering. A big Thank You to Brad, Leslie, Vince and George for representing The KCGAC in the community.

Our relationship with The Wizards is like having a big brother, a big brother that is a professional soccer club with his own stadium: a great relationship. We'll be at The Wizards again next week and after the game the KCGAC are going to take to the field to play a demo-game. We hope the rain stays away and we hope to see you there.

KCGAC at The Celtic Ranch

2010-05-13T11:11:00.000-05:00

Beer 'n Sports: who doesn't love that combination?

The KCGAC board headed up to Weston early and had our monthly meeting upstairs in The Celtic Ranch. We sipped on a few O'Malley's Weston Brewing Company beers while we debated the in's and out's of the club.

Then around 3 o'clock we invited people to come up and share a beer with us and talk about Gaelic Football and Hurling.

We had people from Hawaii there who had never heard of Gaelic games before, but were so impressed that they took our information and are going to see if there are any Gaelic clubs back on the big island.

People from all over the Kansas City metro area and Lawrence came up and we got two new "Honorary" members, the sisters Meghan and Erin, we tried to get their Dad to sign up, but he was having none of it!

Later we walked around the store wearing our club jerseys, listening to an acoustic session of Flanagan's Right Hook and absorbing the great atmosphere of The Celtic Ranch. Some of the lads stayed the night in Weston, and I think I'll do the same next time.

Thank you Terry and John, you and the gang at The Celtic Ranch are the best.

Mike, Pete and Anto wearing their KCGAC gear

Sully and Scott chillaxing Ranch style

Anthony and Devin showing what not to do with a hurley stick

Curtis explains why looking good on the field is as important as being good!

Erin and Meghan will be out to practice next week or maybe to just cheer us on

Showing ball skills

Fearsome KCGAC players

After a hard day doing PR work, its time to sit down and drink

The Unsung Hero of Gaelic Games

2010-05-04T17:35:00.002-05:00

Our Referee most days: Mr. Chad Griffin

When the ball goes wide, when you get a hard challenge and don't get a free, when you miss kick the ball, when you give a bad hand pass, when you run out of energy and gasp for breath: You blame the Ref.

That's right, the guy who is out there of his own goodness officiating YOUR game, so YOU can have fun and play Gaelic games and all you want to do is tell this fella where to stick it. So, today all us hot headed players are going to cool it and show respect for the man that makes tournaments happen and keeps friendly games friendly. All hail the Ref.

Here's some refs in the spotlight:

Pub Quiz - Summer Series

2010-04-23T16:37:00.000-05:00

Picture borrowed from thepubquizcompany.com

If you've spent any time in Ireland or the British Isles, they you will have become acquainted with the institution known as: The Pub Quiz.

They are weekly trivia nights held and organized by local pubs throughout the British Isles. Growing up in Ireland I used to attend one every week in the Pier Bar with the Anderson's. They would become heated debates, with dictionaries and encyclopedia knowledge being spouted and the odd cheat slipping off to the bathroom to google an answer on their phones. Not long ago I got a call on my cellphone from Ireland looking for the answer to such a question. No shame.

The biggest cheats, excuse me, Winners, would get a round of drinks on the house and the quiz master would shame them into donating their winnings to a local charity. It's a great tradition and side of Irish culture that not a lot of people know about. So, to save you the trip to Ireland, The KCGAC and The ICCM are going to jointly hold a series of Pub Quizzes over the summer months, staring May 1st.

Admission is going to be $20 per person and tables will be limited to 6 persons. Boulevard Brewing Company are kindly sponsoring tasty beer for the event and you will be allowed to take in your own food. Proceeds from the events will go to both The KCGAC and The ICCM.

This is a great opportunity to get some friends, family or co-workers together and show the world that you should have been accepted to Mensa all those years ago. And get that office know-it-all who thinks he's never wrong to put his money where his arse is. Categories will include:

History
Geography
Science
Math
Literature
Sports&Leisure
This Week's News
Pop Culture and Celebrity Gossip
Kansas City

Time: 7pm-9pm
Date: May 1st, Saturday
Location: The Irish Cultural Center and Museum at Union Station
Cost: $20 per person

Haskell Game - A great night in Lawrence, KS

2010-04-22T19:15:00.001-05:00

The second annual KCGAC Vs Haskell University Gaelic Football challenge match was a huge success for all involved. Both sides fielded strong teams and showed great skill and athleticism.

We want to say a big THANK YOU to their teacher Hugh from Mayo and all the students for hosting the KCGAC.

After my injury in practice I was relegated to the sidelines on camera duty. So here's a sample of the shots I took, I've got a bunch more I will post to the website and facebook page.

It's not often that Carl gets out-paced, but this guy gave our team hell, we need to draft him

A physical game...

T'is but a scratch

Taylor takes to the air

We're all looking forward to next year's game and hope to see some of the Haskell players at our practice, they'd make a great addition to our team.

Spring Fever

2010-04-18T19:42:00.000-05:00

It was a beautiful April day in Olathe for the first of our league sessions. However, since we were a few players missing, we played a full game of 11s as a non-league game.

The standard of football was very high today, showing that the winter rust is almost all gone. There were some great runs by Sean and Brendan, coming from deep in their own zones and precision kicking by Scott and Sully. A very promising 2010 KCGAC team.

Haskell better bring their A game on Wednesday, 'cause our lads are not messing around this year. That game is 7pm at their stadium.

Also, we have our new club t-shirt available, modeled here by some old fella, and is available to you in exchange for $10. A bargain for such a sexy shirt.

This is beautiful...this is what our club is about: Gaelic Football

Discussing post-game strategy

Paddy Englishman and Paddy Irishman walk into a bar...

Left Behind: do you own any of this stuff?

KCGAC at Haskell University

2010-04-16T00:20:00.000-05:00

It's on like Donkey Kong. We had to cancel the game on the 14th, but it has been rescheduled for April 21st at 7pm. We will be playing in the University's football stadium.

Last year under Una Meabh's coaching Haskell put on a great show, especially in the second half as legs got tired and youth began to wear down Old-Man-Strength. This year they have a new coach and some new players, so we don't know what to expect. All we know is that it's going to be a great night of Gaelic in Lawrence.

We are very lucky to have a University so close to us with a Gaelic Football program and every Haskell player can count themselves as an honorary member of the KCGAC.

Here's some photos of the first night we went down to Haskell in October 2008.

This picture was taken in 1936

Devin looks on at the action

And again, Devin looks on at the action (just kidding Dev)

Weinbaum on the ball

You don't take the ball from BIG TAYLOR

This time it's gonna be bigger and better, bring it on...come on

Mayo Vs Dublin 1996 - Spring Inspiration

2010-04-13T09:17:00.000-05:00

With another Mayo-man on board with the KCGAC we have to share this great video of some very fine Gaelic Football. Watch how well the ball flows and how they take points at great distance and sharp angles.

Sevens Tournament was a Huge Success

2010-03-30T13:22:00.003-05:00

It didn't snow, it didn't rain, it wasn't freezing...not sure if we're in Kansas anymore Toto.

The Irish gods were smiling upon us and we had the most perfect March day for our KCGAC Sevens tournament. Director Sully divided the club up into the four Provinces of Ireland and we had a round-robin first and then knock-outs for the championship position.

Connaught 3-5 Vs Leinster 1-0...Winner Connaught

Munster 2-4 Vs Ulster 1-5...Winner Munster

Connaught 1-9 Vs Munster 2-3...Winner Connaught

Ulster 2-3 Vs Leinster 1-3...Winner Ulster

Munster 2-3 Vs Leinster 2-7...Winner Leinster

Ulster 0-1 Vs Connaught 4-5...Winner Connaught

CHAMPIONSHIP

WINNER Connaught

Instead of having a 3rd and 4th place playoff, we combined some of the lads from the other teams to give the finalists a few extra subs to help the tired and weary legs after so many games in a row.

It was great craic and we even had a few fans down at Swope Park cheering us on. Best of all this year, we were injury free.

A quick stretch before the tournament

The local PD were there to keep an eye on the club treasures

Devin warms up with the Aussie Rules lad

Drake got down on his knees and prayed for the win

Sully's ringer from Rosscommon

The final seconds of the Final, it could have gone either way, very close

Carl looks for the catch

Kieran hold Brandon off, as he makes for another point from the 40 yard line

Ulster - KCGAC Sevens Champions 2010

Seven A Side Tournament - March 28th

2010-03-23T19:14:00.002-05:00

This is the most fun weekend in Kansas City Gaelic Football if you ask me. Small teams, on a smaller field, means more action and more scoring.

This is also a great time for new people to come down and experience Gaelic football. Bring $35, a registration form and a medical waiver from our site and we'll stick you on a team.

Our club will be split up into four teams representing the provinces of Ireland: Ulster, Leinster, Connaught and Munster. This should make for some good rivalry and great craic. Rumor has it there is going to be an amazing trophy for the winning team.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your boots if you're playing or a deckchair if you're cheering from the sidelines, and bring the family down to Swope Park, either way you're in for a good Gaelic time.

Time: 3:00pm on Sunday the 28th of March 2010

Place: Swope Park soccer fields
Cost: Free for Spectators

To find out more information about Gaelic Sports in Kansas City visit our website www.kcgac.org.

Here's some Gaelic Football highlights to get you in the spirit.

Snow Day - KC Vs Twin Cities

2010-03-20T21:28:00.001-05:00

"Good morning Kansas City, it's gonna be a beautiful day, sunny, sixty-five here in Cowtown." That was the collective VOICE of the local news channels on Friday.

By Friday evening it was cold...by night it was sleeting and freezing.

We woke up Saturday morning to a good three inches of awesome powder. Great if you're a cross country skier, not so much if you're a Gaelic footballer.

Snow, smow, The Twin Cities were determined to play, they eat snow for breakfast, actually I don't know if they do, but I imagine it's a huge part of their diet living that far north.

Now, our only worries were finding enough KC players silly enough to play in these conditions. Fools, they all showed and we even had a hardcore fans show up.

We all met up at Shawnee Mission East HS and played a game that will be remembered for years to come. Not for athleticism or skill, but for pure madness.

This was far from the normal warm-up

Big THANKS to The Twin Cities GAA for making the trip to KC

Combined IQ? Ans =27

After the game we all got a lot smarter and went to The GAF for food, warmth and refreshments, and by refreshments I mean beer.

I felt bad for the Twin Cities because last time they were here we had the hottest day on record for 2009. All the same, it was tons of fun and who knows we could make this a tradition and go up North for a similar game next year.

St. Patrick's Day - 2010

2010-03-17T23:48:00.001-05:00

We were promised warm, sunny weather from the local news stations. All of Kansas City woke up expecting a beautiful St. Patrick's Day and even though we looked outside and saw drizzle, we held to the belief that by mid-morning it would become a tad more clement. It never did. We froze our collective arses off.

Here's some action from the parade. Thanks to all those that came out to march and to watch from the sidelines. And a special thanks to Lynn Klein for bringing her truck to carry the Irish flag for the KCGAC, which she did in memorial for her mother Jane Klein. We miss you Jane.

Green (as in the environment) was the theme this year

The things parents will make their kids wear: Wellies, Kilt, Paddy Cap. Check, check and check

This guy looks like an extra from Patriot Games.

Hurling and ATV riding = Multiple Dental Visits

Irish Potato Famine Victims

Irish Cowboys

See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil

The Taylor Lads and their Dad braved the cold

Robert was Protected from the Elements

This wee Galway man came out to show the KCGAC hurlers how to play the old Celtic Cricket

Another great and safe St. Paddy's Day under our belt, hope to see you all again next year, when it will be bigger, better, faster and greener than ever.

The Celtic Ranch

2010-03-15T22:10:00.000-05:00

Whether we're playing locally or around the Midwest we get asked about the white horse on our shirts and we simply answer "It's the Celtic Ranch in Weston, MO, the best sponsor an Irish club could have." I drove up there on Sunday morning to see what's going on for St. Patrick's week.

This is Nikki Tikki, he was hanging out with family at the Celtic Ranch. He looks like a classic Irish Sheepdog, but they said he's only tried herding horses, no sheep yet. He's now an honorary member of the KCGAC.

Inside they had complimentary Irish coffee, cake and Guinness brownies for all guests and shoppers.

The Celtic Ranch is not your typical Irish Store and it's definitely no Plastic Paddy Depot. You'll find beautiful Irish handcrafts, local art and photography. Currently there is an amazing collection of work on display by Irish artist Anna Nielsen. They also have a small library of books on Ireland from fiction and food to memoirs and travel. If you're planning a trip to the old country, this needs to be your first stop. And in the back of the store there is a miniature horse called Half-Pint McCoy.

The Celtic Ranch now has hurley sticks and sliotars in stock. Save yourself the expense of ordering from Ireland and get your gear locally from Terry at the Ranch. And as always they have the wonderful KCGAC jerseys in stock. Club members get a nice discount.

You don't need to wait for St. Patrick's Day or Irish Fest to go to the Celtic Ranch, just find a few hours off and take the beautiful drive up Highway 45 from Parkville (you can take I-29 but it's not as scenic) and make a day of it in Weston.

Brookside Parade Report 2010 - You had to be there

2010-03-14T20:59:00.001-05:00

The weather was cold, wet and windy, just like Ireland, the Brookside parade organizers had obviously pulled out all the stops to ensure authenticity.

We stood in the cold like brave arctic-explorers and counted down the minutes 'till go time. However, compared to the Renaissance Festival Kids we were relatively melting, those guys and girls had little more than napkins covering their torsos.

We were surprised how many people came out to cheer-on all the floats and groups, to all those folks I say a BIG "Thank You" from the KCGAC.

And thank goodness there were not too many flagrant examples of gratuitous Irish stereotyping, well there was that little old lady in the motor-scooter done up as a potato. That was a bit much, we had a famine people, a potato famine and the scars run deep.

Parading about the Town

2010-03-09T23:29:00.001-06:00

It has been a tradition in Ireland now for about a million years to march in a parade on March 17th in honor of our patron saint: St. Paddy or Patrick if you are not a close friend.

I don't know if it's a coincidence that we march in March, but I like it and as my almost-one-time-father-in-law used to say "march fourth" is a sentence and a date, totally irrelevant.

The lads and ladies of the KCGAC will be putting on their marching shoes this year at two parades in the Kansas City metro.

Brookside Parade

First up is the Brookside Parade on Saturday the 13th of March. The parade kicks off at 2pm, but we will commence the gathering at spot no. 48 from 12:30pm onwards, so if you are looking to join the party come on down and join us or cheer for us. Oh, and it's a 1980s theme St. Patrick's Day for the Brookside folks this year. Good thing my Gaelic Football nut-huggers fit the bill perfectly, no costume needed.

Kansas City Parade

The BIG ONE. Rumored to be one of the biggest St. Paddy parades in the whole Universe. Last year over a billion people came out to cheer us on, let's make it a billion and one this year. Go on, get on your green and don't be mean.

While I was marching with the gang last year, I had the wife on photography duties and here's a sampling of what you've got to look forward to this year.

Pete was driving this bus, he loves rainbows

Cool Cops...Chips for Life

Ah, there is nothing I can say that the picture doesn't already

The big man himself, looking a little bloated I might say

Traditional Giant Irish Shamrock

Irish Boud

His buddy Jack

Jack had the luck of the Irish

Have a great time and a safe time at the parades this year. If you find yourself having a pint or two, make sure to take advantage of the free rides home with Yellow Cab. Slan!

March - Irishness is in the air

2010-03-03T21:50:00.001-06:00

We're a few days into March, which as we all know is the most Irish month of the year, apart from December, 'cause we all know Jesus was an Irishman, but March is a close second.

You'll need to be up on your St. Patrick's trivia so you don't get accused of any stereotyping.

Then to help you in your quest to be a well rounded Eire-phile watch the following videos.

The Real St. Patrick Story

Seriously this guy from Denver is the classic Drunk-Irish-American that lives the stereotypes for everyone in Ireland! Go on the Irish.

I love this girl's history of the potato...talk about a sexy spud

And for just a few more laughs

Back to Swope - Footy Time Again

2010-02-28T22:27:00.000-06:00

Finally a day that was not thirty-below and the ground relatively snow free. But it was still cold as hell and I froze my Irish-nutz off taking these photos, I can only imagine how it was for the lads on the field.

The sun struggled to come out and did little to warm the air, which made for tough breathing for the players running around the pitch.

The lads hadn't lost much of their pace and skill after the long winter, a few more sessions like this and we'll have all the rust removed. And you know what they say about breaking the seal: once you go you just have to keep on going.

Breakfast at Browne's

2010-02-27T18:05:00.002-06:00

Another tasty breakfast this morning at Browne's Irish Market & Deli.

It was a wee bit cold, but this smiling Paddy gave us a warm welcome.

The gang at Browne's were very welcoming to us and even burned a small piece of turf to make it smell like a cold day in Ireland.

Mayo-man James Bradley joined some of the KCGAC players for a bite to eat. As the weather warms up we'll be seeing Mr. Bradley out on the field as a football coach.

International Rules Series

2010-02-25T17:51:00.000-06:00

Back in the day when an Irishman won an all-expenses paid trip to Australia, courtesy of The Empire, it was not a thing to celebrate. Australia was one great big penal colony, Britain's problems sent to the far corners of the earth, never to return (until they started showing Neighbours on the BBC).

The exiled Irish brought with them their language, religion, funny last names, work-ethic, pasty white skin and their sports.

There is still plenty of debate as to the origins of Aussie Rules football, but just watch the game for a few minutes and you'll see plenty of similarities to Gaelic Football, and you just can't help but think; definitely a bit of Irish in that sport.

There have been compromised games between the Irish and the Australians in the past, but in 1998 this was organized into a series between the Gaelic Athletic Association and Australian Football League, called the International Rules Series.

It took place in Croke Park, Dublin in front of 22,000 people and it was probably raining. The series enjoyed great success in both countries and grew to the point where in 2006 the crowd was over 82,000 people, mostly because the sun came out.

Unfortunately, that year there was a wee bit of rough play on the pitch and the GAA postponed the 2007 series. It resumed again in Australia for 2008, but the future of the series is uncertain.

See below for some of the reasons for that decision. There is no sound, but something like this needs to be watched in pure silence!

In August 2009 when we were the guest of the Twin Cities GAA at their seven-a-side tournament they invited the local Aussie Rules Club: The Freeze. Their fitness and stamina was on another level compared to our lads, but our ball control and ability to score saw us as victors over The Freeze on the day. You could say we froze them out...

We have a club here in Kansas City called the KC Power and we might have to talk to them about a modified game of the International Rules.

Blog Hunting...Gaelic Style

2010-02-21T12:41:00.000-06:00

I've been up early this morning and taken a nice wee walk around the Internet and here are some blogs I've come across to share with you. And if you find any cool blogs about Ireland and its culture, sports etc...please share them with us.

Dave's Football Blog
I thought I was the first man here from the KCGAC, but it looks like Murphy beat me to it!

Official GAA website from Ireland

Asian County Board
I didn't know Asia was made up of Irish counties, but you learn something new every day.

Seattle Hurling Blog
This is a part of the Seattle Gaels Men's Hurling website, quite funny too.

Check out this honorary Irishman

See, Irish news is not all doom and gloom

And now some serious clips on Ireland

The Full Irish

2010-02-19T16:43:00.000-06:00

If you've ever been over to Ireland (or anywhere in the British Isles) you will hopefully have had the pleasure of a Full Irish (insert country here) Breakfas t or just simply a big fry-up.

Depending on the geographic location and the actual establishment what you get on the plate will differ ever so slightly, but bacon, sausage, egg and tomato are the unifying ingredients. Some will add baked beans (love 'em), chips, mushrooms, black or white pudding, toast, soda farels, potato farels, brown bread. Whatever lands on your plate, you know it's going to be one hell of a hearty breakfast. The kind of food that could fuel a Gaelic sportsman all day.

We can't all have the good fortune of traveling to Ireland, so the good folks at Browne's Irish Market & Deli are going to save you the price of airfare and offer the full Irish breakfast at their store every Saturday leading up to March 17th (why such an arbitrary date I don't know?).

So, put on your favorite Irish themed shirt and head over for the best breakfast this side of biscuits and gravy and if you like you can even have a pint of Guinness while you are there and make it the real deal.

Photo Courtesy of FreshFishCreative

It's not about the game, it's about the winning

2010-02-15T21:32:00.000-06:00

I know this is the complete opposite of what we were told when we are younger: it's not about winning, it's about playing, it's about being a team and the sheer enjoyment of playing the game.

Then you see a great big, shiny trophy like The Sam Maguire Cup and you realize they've been lying to you all along. It is about winning and winning feels GOOD (just look at the faces on those Kerry boys).

Since we started the club two years ago we've had our fair share of highs and lows on the field. We've been handed our collective arses and we've done a wee bit of Gaelic spanking ourselves.

So in the coming year I'm looking forward to being a winner, but also realizing that you can learn a lot about yourself in defeat. You learn from competing against better opponents to get better and stronger. And unlike games where everybody is a winner and you all go home with medals, in gaelic football you only get to go home with a bruised ego.

Photo via BBC Sports

Our share of the glory from summer 2009

A Little Gaelic Football and Hurling 101

2010-02-11T15:05:00.001-06:00

This is not the best video, probably won't be up for a Sundance Award,
but it'll give you an idea about Gaelic Football

A man from the New York Times was once asked to describe Hurling upon return
from a vacation in Ireland, his answer was short and to the point: "Like a cross between ice hockey and murder."

Here's a few clips of what not to do in Gaelic Games and if you do this in our club you're out.

A Few Action Shots from The Turkey Bowl 2009

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The essential nut-huggers

He might be six-six, but look at that belly

Comstock closes down Degerald

The old ass-tackler move never fails

The boy Setanta...aka wee Desie

We had a great showing for our second annual Turkey Bowl over the Thanksgiving holiday. Luckily this year it was no where near as cold as last year when we played in the snow.

New Year...New Blog

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New blog fresh out of the box for 2010, it even has new car smell...go on take a sniff.

Some events to look forward to this Spring:

We have plenty planned for 2010 and we want you to be a big part of it, whether you're on the sidelines cheering for us and having a soda (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) or out on the field like some big wild Irish-American Celtic warrior.

We'll be marching in both the Brookside (March 13th) and Kansas City (March 17th) St. Patrick's Day parades, so get your green-on and join us

March 20th: Twin Cities pre-season friendly game

March 28th: KCGAC Sevens Tournament

April 14th: Mixing it up with the Gaelic football students down at Haskell University in Lawrence, KS

For a full list of dates and time, check out our website at www.kcgac.org