Who We Are
Raleigh Cú Chulainn Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) is a sporting and cultural organization based in the triangle area of North Carolina. We play the sports of Gaelic football, hurling, and camogie in the Southeast Division of the USGAA.
Raleigh GAA is an 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Mission
The club’s mission is to promote the playing of Gaelic games across the triangle region and to represent Raleigh competitively in regional tournaments throughout the year and in the North American championships, held each year around Labor Day.
History
Raleigh Cú Chulainn GAA club was founded in 2012 and played its first competitive football game at the Connolly’s Cup Tournament hosted by Charlotte GAA on June 16th, 2012. The club then hosted the Charlotte GAA in the first ever Gaelic Football game played in Wake County, North Carolina on July 21st, 2012. The Wake & District Pipes & Drums played as both teams marched around the field in a pre-match celebration of history being made in Raleigh.
In 2013, the club expanded to include hurling, ladies Gaelic football, and camogie. Raleigh hosted its inaugural hurling tournament in June of 2013, the Thomas Burke Cup. June 2013 also marked the first tournament win for the Cú Chulainn football team – the Peach Cup 7’s in Atlanta, GA.
Our football team continued to grow and in 2014, won the Junior B championship at the North American GAA Finals in Boston. Also noteworthy in 2014 was the creation of the North Carolina State University Gaelic Athletic Association and the University of North Carolina Irish Sports Club. While they are separate organizations, both were initiated by members of the Raleigh GAA, and all three clubs work closely together to grow Irish sports in central North Carolina.
2015 marked the year Cú Chulainn hosted the first ever Ladies football match at our home tournament, the Andrew Britton Cup. We also held a camogie training scrimmage during the Thomas Burke Cup, which the Cú Chulainn team won.
In 2016 Triangle Irish Sports Youth Association (TISYA) was founded to promote Gaelic football, hurling, and camogie for girls and boys ages 7 – 16 in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area. TISYA is affiliated with Raleigh GAA and is a result of the club’s tireless efforts through the years to encourage kids of all ages to play active sports.
Throughout the club’s young history we have committed ourselves to promoting Irish culture and ethos in the capital area of North Carolina. Since 2013, we have been actively involved in Raleigh’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, hosted booths at Raleigh Irish music festivals and continue to support other Irish clubs and societies in our region and beyond.
For more information about where and when you can play with us, check out our Training and Calendar pages.
