St Finbarrs GAA Coventry

St Finbarrs GAA (Gaeilge: Naomh Fionnbarra CLG) named after Saint Finbarr of Cork is a Gaelic Athletics Association club based in Coventry, England.

Background

The organisation was founded in 1953 by a group of Irish immigrants who had settled in Coventry having left their native country. Originally formed as a hurling club, they soon also formed a gaelic football team. St Finbarrs compete as part of the Warwickshire GAA. [1] [11]

The club was the first in Warwickshire GAA history to win both the senior football and senior hurling championships in the same year (1965). They added to these honours with a provincial hurling title in the same year. [2]

Nicknamed "The Barrs", the club's colours are orange and black which they have worn since their formation.

Roll of honour

Warwickshire Senior Hurling Championships: 14

1953, 1955, 1957, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1973, 1980, 1988, 2021, 2022

Warwickshire Senior Football Championships: 2

1963, 1965

All Britain Hurling Championships: 2

1965, 1967

With a total of sixteen senior championship titles, St Finbarrs are Coventry's most successful GAA club and the third most successful in Warwickshire GAA history. [2]

Hurling

The hurling team has won 14 Warwickshire Senior Championships to date. In both 1965 and 1967 they added to their county championship wins with triumph in the club championship of Britain. At the time they were the first Warwickshire club to achieve a provincial title. [2]

St Finbarrs senior hurling team is currently managed by Tony Joyce. The Belfast man is the former Warwickshire GAA hurling manager who coached the inter-county side to the 2017 Lory Meagher Cup victory. [10] [3]

In 2021 they ended a 34 year wait to win another Warwickshire senior hurling championship. [10]

Gaelic Football

The Gaelic football team has won two senior championships to date. [2]

They completed a clean sweep of Intermediate Football competitions in 2022, winning the league, championship and Mick Sugrue Cup.

The gaelic football team is currently managed by Charlie O'Donnell from Ballyshannon Donegal. O'Donnell is also manager of the Warwickshire GAA senior footballers and coached the side to an All Britain title in 2021 and 2023. [4] [5]

Facilities

They are based in the Holbrooks area of Coventry which consists of a purpose built GAA pitch, 4g training pitch, changing rooms and sports bar. [7]

In 1981 St Finbarr's GAA pitch hosted an exhibition game between the then 1981 Senior All Ireland Hurling Champions Offaly and Tipperary. [9]

During the COVID-19 pandemic the site was used as a food drop where perishable and non-perishable goods could be distributed to those in need during the lockdown. [6] [7]

References

This article "St Finbarrs GAA Coventry" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:St Finbarrs GAA Coventry. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.