Letterkenny Gaels GAA Club Celebrate 25th Anniversary
They are the county’s youngest GAA club, but 25 years on from their formation in 1996, Letterkenny Gaels are very much part of the fabric of the game in Donegal and beyond.
In a year when the action and activities both on and off the pitch has firmly taken a back-seat due to the Covid-19 crisis, the Gaels have reason to celebrate.
Formed in March 1996, the club plans to mark 25 years with a programme of activities later in 2021 which will culminate in a weekend of celebrations including Lá na nÓg agus Lá Sinsir, together with an evening of culture.
It seems like only yesterday when discussions first took place to investigate the possibility of forming a new GAA Club in Letterkenny.
The idea came at a time when the Diocese celebrated the introduction of the new parish of Aughaninshin in the town – the new parish serving an ever growing population in Letterkenny.
The beautiful new Church of the Irish Martyrs, built at Gortlee, has been the centre of the new parish since it first opened in 1994. Two years later, the town would have a new GAA club when Letterkenny Gaels was officially established.
Gaels fielded an adult team in the All County League that season, and a boys team at U-12 level.
It was an exciting time for everyone involved, and 25 years on, many of those founding members still remember taking those first tentative steps into the unknown.
It certainly wasn’t all plain sailing in the early years. There were challenges both on and off the pitch. Running a GAA club can serve up its challenges – but being a brand new club is almost doubly difficult.
25 years on, the Gaels members can look back with pride on how they survived to witness the club’s continued growth and development over that time.
In this year of celebration, there are stories to be told. Like how Gaels decided on their club colours of maroon and white; how a legendary local forestry official helped source the trees which would form the club’s first goalposts; and how Gaels formed a unique relationship with Letterkenny Rugby Club to jointly develop their impressive grounds and clubhouse facilities at the Glebe.
There’s no doubt that the Gaels club is now an important part of sport and community life in Letterkenny. From providing football, hurling and ladies football and camogie to hundreds of children at underage level, Gaels also field teams at adult level in football and hurling. This year, on their 25th anniversary, Gaels also plan to field a team at adult ladies level.
On the culture side, the Letterkenny Club have made their mark on the local, provincial and national stage – the highlights being the Ulster success in the Scór Sinsir Nuachleas (Novelty Act) in 2019 and the All-Ireland Scór na nÓg Nuachleas (Novelty Act) title won in February 2020.
In his first year as Club Chairperson of Letterkenny Gaels, Danny Cahill says he’s proud to be leading Gaels in what promises to be a special year for the Club.
“From very humble beginnings, all past and present members can be justly proud of our achievements. The 25th anniversary celebrations are an opportunity for us to look back but also to take stock and plan ahead not just this year but in the years to come. As the old Irish saying goes, de réir a chéile a thógtar na caisleáin.”

First Letterkenny Gaels adult football team who played Naomh Colmcille at Errigal Collage in 1996

Ulster & All Ireland Scór na nÓg Champions in 2019
Latest Letterkenny Gaels February Newsletter
Letterkenny Gaels GAA are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year!
The Club was affiliated to Donegal GAA on 4th March 1996 and held its inaugural AGM on 10th March 1996.
A 25th Anniversary Sub-Committee has been appointed to coordinate this significant milestone in the Club’s history and they have already met several times online and are putting some initial plans in place to kick-start the celebrations.
These include:
Temporary change to the Club Logo – watch out for it on our Club Officer emails and Club Social Media!
Celebratory tagline to be included on Club officer emails
Temporary change to our Club Social Media Handle! More details to follow.
Press Release being prepared for issue with photos to all local media on 9th March
Anniversary Publication to be produced and will include articles on the development and growth of our Club in all its facets. All Sub-Committees will be asked to contribute.
Club Members are invited to forward their Club photos and any press cuttings/articles they think worthy of consideration for inclusion in the publication (must be in jpeg format) to Eunan Quinn who has set up the following temporary email address gaels25photos@gmail.com
We also hope to compile individual yearly photo albums for posting on Club Social Media
Each Sub-Committee is being asked to nominate two Unsung Heroes each and provided a short narrative for each nomination.
Please check our Club Social Media for regular updates.
Seachtain na Gaeilge
Ta Seachtain na Gaeilge buailte linn agus neart imeachtaí ar na bacáin. Seachtain na Gaeilge which runs from 1-17 March is a festival of Irish language and culture. Beidh seisiún scéalaíochta dátheangach ar siúl ar an Chéadaoin 10 Márta. With funding from Glór na nGael and the Fondúireacht Sheosamh Mhic Dhonncha we have organised a bilingual storytelling sessions with Eithne Ní Ghallchobhair and Seanán Mac Aoidh. This sessions on Wednesday 10th March at 8pm on Zoom will be most suitable for teenagers and adults and will be a great night of stories. For the Zoom link contact bairbre.cpt@lionra.ie
Líonra Leitir Ceanainn have an art workshop on Saturday 13 March at 10.30 with Drithle Nic Ádhaimh. Using every day things your find around the house and garden Drithle will help children to create some great artwork. Again, contact bairbre.cpt@lionra.ie for the Zoom link.
In the days before Covid we enjoyed monthly trad sessions in the Silver Tassie. Although this was organised by Letterkenny Gaels we had a wide range of participants. Beidh seisiún ceoil againn ar an Luan 15 Márta ar 7. Members of Gaels and St Eunan’s are getting together for this on line trad session Monday 15th at 7pm which will go out on the Líonra Leitir Ceanainn Facebook page. It’s all good practice for getting back to Scór at some point!!
Why not take the opportunity this Seachtain na Gaeilge to use your ‘cúpla focal ‘ and enjoy the rich variety of language and cultural events. For more details on those events see the Donegal County Council website donegalcoco.ie or lionralc.ie Bainigí sult as Seachtain na Gaeilge agus cuir tús leis an chomhrá i nGaeilge!
COVID 19 and Registration 2021
Clubmembers are reminded that Registration for 2021 is open. Members can register online using the Clubforce system.
Based on current government advice it is likely we will see a return to the pitch in April or May. This means that we should be able to provide plenty of training and games for our underage teams.
It is unclear what format Senior Football and Hurling will have this year.
The latest communication from the GAA is that all registrations need to be completed by 31 March, as would be the case in any other year. Registration is necessary for insurance purposes. We pride ourselves on being a family friendly Club and are very aware that with government restrictions, many Club members are unable to work at this time. We do not want any child to be excluded from activites for 2021. We encourange any parents who are in this complex situation to speak with their child’s coach or any member of the Club Executive.
Should you have any difficulties with the registration process on Clubforce, please contact Club Registrar Sean McBrearty on 0852461101.
DLDC Wellbing Workshops
With Spring in the air and evenings getting a little longer, is it time to give yourself a Spring Clean? Donegal Local Development Company (DLDC) & the Community Health Sync Project (CoH-Sync) continue to deliver wellbeing supports to the people of Donegal and surrounding counties.
Programmes are all delivered online and include sessions in Mocktail Making, Pilates, Zumba, Mindfulness, Cooking, Art & Crafts, Financial wellbeing and Knitting for wellbeing. All of the programmes are free and delivered online via private Facebook Groups or Zoom, for one hour per week. A personalised health action plan & 5 weeks of support from Community Health Facilitators is available with each of the programmes. The next block of workshops start the week of March 8th.
If you would like to find out more about any of the programmes or register your interest call 087-9683868 or emailing health@dldc.org
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/NrE7t6DDrsfeeK44A
Detailed course outlines and start dates are available at:
http://www.dldc.org/community-health-sync-project/
RTÉ Show looking for Donegal families
A TV production company called Loosehorse are currently in production on a brand new FAMILY QUIZ show for RTÉ One.
They are looking for families from all over the country to get in touch and we’d love to hear from lots of families in County Donegal.
Applications are open now – send applications in as soon as you can as there are limited spaces available To apply visit Loosehorse.submit.com or they can email orla@loosehorse.ie for more information . They are looking for teams of 2 adults and 2 children aged between 9 and 16 years old- all team members must also be form one household. One of the adults plays the quiz in RTÉ studios and the rest of the family plays along at home so it really is a team game! Applicants don’t have to be hardcore quizzers- there really is something there for everyone and teams are in with the chance of winning the top prize of 5,000 euro!
National Club Draw
Due to current restrictions the GAA National Draw has been deferred until June 4th. This will allow Clubs to sell their tickets
Tickets are priced at €10. There are fantastic prizes on offer with a top prize of a Renault Clio Car. All proceeds raised will go directly back into the Club, so please support this fundraising initiative.
Tickets are available from any Coach or Club Executive member. Please contact secretary.letterkennygaels.donegal@gaa.ie if you wish to purchase tickets.
Club Lotto
Our Club Lotto continues weekly with regular updates on draws posted via Clubforce. We are unable to sell paper tickets from our usual outlets. Club members are encouraged to purchase tickets online or either via the Clubforce app.