Wellington and Hutt Valley (WHV) Gaelic Club

Being the region's only GAA Club the Wellington and Hutt Valley (WHV) Gaelic Club is a very unique association in that it pulls in members from right across the area to compete in a number of local and national annual competitions.

Boasting a large ratio of non-Irish 40% to 60% Irish social members, out of their 200+ social members, the Club actively promotes Gaelic Games to local Kiwis and non-Irish through their Summer 9 a side tournament. 

Additionally the pre-Christmas and post-Christmas 9s competitions bring 14 teams together with an even mix of expats and non-Irish, men and ladies, young and old, and experienced and beginner players. In hosting these Summer games the Club continues to grow and build its core registered players steadily, which now sits at 80+ members.

With the beautifully compact Wellington being a beach side city, an annual beach football competition is held at the beginning of the Summer, as an exhibition for the locals. This growing event is a 5-a-side, 5 minute half, single sex, one day beach blitz. And as the famously titled Crowded House song states, “Four seasons in one day”, Wellington is usually true to form with unpredictable weather - but the experienced local players know to bring everything from a rain jacket and their O’Neill's wind cheaters to their sun cream and sun glasses on the day!

Football isn't the only sport played in this spirited Club, Hurling and Camogie fever has recently witnessed a resurgence with two player coach’s taken charge of the small ball sport. The recent Centenary Anniversary of Hurling saw a momentus win for Wellington Hutt Valley. Emmet Whelan a Clare native who took the reigns of Wellington's Hurling team along with the Captain Brian Birmingham lead the club to their first win in many years against their close friends from the McKennas Christchurch Club. 

Camogie is also on the rise and has a bright future ahead in the region. Led by Eileen Foyle, a proud Corkonian, the Wellington side is made up of many dual players and ladies who never played Camogie back in Ireland before.

The Club is also notorious for its long distance team runs, sending up to 3 teams of 10 to run around Mount Egmont in Taranaki. In total 150km is run by relay around the snowcapped mountain every November on what has always been a sunny Saturday. In addition, every February teams are tasked to take on Lake Taupo, with 155km run as a relay over a 12/14 hour period. Demanding but rewarding days out, these events are a popular activities in the Club's calendar and great for team building.

Known internally as the “World's Best Little Club” the Wellington and Hutt Valley Gaelic Club has no shortage of helping hands, drive and positivity when it comes to helping the community in constantly hosting fundraisers and fun nights. Everything from Mock Weddings, Father Ted fan nights, and Bros of Tralee competitions to table quizzes, hypnotists and live Irish music nights, the well oiled committee takes it in their stride. The current Vice President David Rynne and Treasurer Caolan Keegan being two stand out stalwarts in the background of the Club ensuring it is run smoothly. 

On a national level New Zealand has two main tournaments, the first is a 7-a-side 2 day competition every Labour Weekend held at the National Feis, and includes Men's and Ladies Football, Hurling and Camogie, as well as Masters Football.

All New Zealand Clubs are invited to send as many teams as possible and as you can imagine its all business on the pitch but a celebration off the field as players and dancers, young and old, singers and speakers, and Kiwis and Irish alike revel in the "irishness" of the weekend. 

The second national tournament is the “New Zealand Club Championship” which is an 11-a-side, 2 day Club event. This tournament, held in March, is a little more serious than the Ard Feis 7s, as each region’s own Club competitions come to an end and the pinnacle title of New Zealand Champs is up for grabs. This year's event was hosted by Canterbury GAA.

Trevor O’Halloran, current President of the Club explains why he believes the Wellington Hutt Valley Gaelic Club is so special; “The club is not your typical Australasian Gaelic club that is blessed with a constant stream of experienced players coming from Ireland to work and live. We’ve had to think outside the box, to make the club a community where everyone felt welcome and we’ve used that community spirit to build ourselves into a thriving little club.”  

The Club is currently in the midst of Winter training and working on all fronts towards the biggest event in the Australasia GFHA calendar, the Magners Australasia GFHA State Championships in Melbourne later this year. Wellington Hutt Valley Gaelic Club hope to send teams to compete for a Men's and Ladies Football and Hurling title.

Darwin Shamrocks (NT)

One of Australasia GFHA’s most recent additions and the Northern Territory’s first GAA club, Darwin Shamrocks was established after the inaugural Paddy Bird Cup in 2012. The competition was an International Rules match organised as a tribute to a young Cavan man who was tragically killed in a gas explosion on the outskirts of Darwin the previous December.

The game saw a group of Irish guys working in Darwin form a team to take on a local AFL Club, Bank’s Bulldogs. The day ended up been a great success, and prompted interest from members of the Irish community to form a permanent GAA association in the Territory. 

A NT Gaelic Football and Hurling (NTGFHA) committee was soon formed and Darwin Shamrocks was the first official club to be formerly established. In a fitting tribute, the Club adopted the name and red and white colours of Paddy Bird’s home club in Cavan, Bailieborough Shamrocks. The Club’s crest also incorporates aspects of the Cavan Club’s crest as well as the Irish and Northern Territory flags.

By the start of 2013 the NTGFHA had completed an extensive amount of work to establish itself as as association and developing the Shamrocks. All important sponsors were secured, as well as training facilities, and it wasn’t long before there was a Men’s Football, Ladies Football and Hurling team training twice a week.

Throughout their inaugural season Darwin Shamrocks organised numerous matches and tournaments with local AFL Clubs, in addition to fundraising and community events such as Harmony Day. 

The year cumulated with Shamrocks been accepted to participate at the Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur last October - the first Club from Australia to do so. With a Hurling, Men’s and Ladies Football team in action, three Darwin players were awarded All Stars and the Club was unlucky not to come back with any silverware from their first competitive outing. Bernard Brogan was the Club’s Celebrity Bainsteoir for the duration of the tournament, providing them with even more fire power!

Darwin Shamrocks continue to grow and are passionate about fostering and developing Gaelic Games among local Australians, as well as providing Irish emigrants working in the region with an opportunity to participate in their native games. 

To ensure local talent can get involved, the GAA season follows the AFL, enabling AFL players to maintain fitness levels during the traditional AFL off season, the Ladies football team are also aligned with the Waratahs with up to 15 Australian ladies quickly picking up round ball skills. Throughout the season, games are generally played as a 7 or 9-a-side format, depending on available numbers. 

Looking ahead, the Club will host Singapore Gaelic Lions GAA Club when they travel to Darwin for a series of challenge games across Men’s Gaelic Football, Ladies Gaelic Football, and Hurling in August.

At the recent Australasian GFHA Congress the NTGFHA was officially affiliated with the regional GAA body creating a strong foothold for the region on the International GAA scene - and the future is looking bright for the NTGFHA with many exciting opportunities on the horizon including the possibility of hosting interstate tournaments, as well as representing the region for the first time at the Magners Australasia GFHA State Championships in Melbourne later this year.

The Club is always on the look out for new players as well as Men's Football and Hurling coaches/trainers to help with preparations for the State Championships.   

For more information contact darwinshamrocks@hotmail.com or find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Darwin Shamrocks at the 2013 FEXCO Asian Gaelic Games with Celebrity Bainsteoir
Bernard Brogan (front row, second from right)