Draft:Kansas City Gaelic Athletic Club


Kansas City
Founded2008
CountyUS
DivisionHeartland Division
NicknameWolfhounds
ColoursGreen/navy/white
GroundsSouthwest High School
Kit

Kansas City Gaelic Athletic Club (KCGAC) is a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club that plays and promotes Gaelic games, including hurling and Gaelic football, in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area of Missouri in the United States.

History

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The club was founded in 2008.[citation needed] With assistance from Kansas City's Irish community, including The Elders,[1] the club grew in numbers and met for practices at Swope Park.[citation needed]

KCGAC's first game came on June 28, 2008 as they competed in friendly competition in Fayetteville. They have continued to field teams to compete in regional and national competitions in hurling and Gaelic football. This included trips to the North American GAA National Championships several times.[citation needed]

In 2016, KCGAC won the North American GAA Gaelic Football Junior D National Championship in Seattle. They defeated Tacoma in the final to claim the Wolfhounds' first national title in club history. After returning to Kansas City, Mayor Sly James presented the championship trophy in a celebration at Browne's Irish Marketplace.[citation needed]

In 2017, KCGAC served as the grand marshal of the Kansas City St. Patrick's Day Parade.[2] It was the first time a group had ever served as the parade's grand marshal. Also in 2017, Sports Joe named KCGAC's new kits as one of the "most beautiful of the year".[3]

In recent years,[when?] KCGAC has emphasized growing the games regionally.[citation needed] In 2021, KCGAC met with four other teams for a hurling and Gaelic football tournament in Branson.[4] In 2023 and 2024, KCGAC travelled to Waterloo for the Iowa Irish Fest in an effort to promote the games in Iowa.[5]

On the pitch, KCGAC's greatest rival is St. Louis GAC.[citation needed] Both clubs regularly battle for Missouri's Irish sports bragging rights.[tone]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Volavongsa, Kylie (July 27, 2024). "Kansas City isn't just an NFL city — there's Gaelic football (& Irish hurling) here, too". Kansas City Star. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  2. ^ "2017 Winners". KC St Patricks Day Parade. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  3. ^ McCarry, Patrick (2017-03-01). "We've found the GAA's most beautiful jersey... in America". SportsJOE.ie. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  4. ^ Styron, Shelby (June 12, 2021). "Five teams visit Branson to compete in ancient Gaelic sport". Ozarks First. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  5. ^ Schmitz, Mallory (2023-08-05). "Crowds of green and orange flock to downtown Waterloo for 17th annual Iowa Irish Fest". Courier. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
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