GAA Club and county colours

[Lone Shark]

Many of you will read this and think that I've little to be doing, but anyway, I'm going to throw a random line of thinking out there and see what comes back.

I've often wondered is there more to the prevalence and distribution of the colours used in the GAA, as in something more than just a random effect that led to club colours being distributed as they are. To illustrate what I mean - I can understand why so many GAA clubs use green as their primary colour, or green alongside yellow/red/white. That would be a throwback to clubs being formed around the time of the rise of nationalism in Ireland, and a wish to put out a nationalist identity. That all makes perfect sense.

However if we take the primary colours of yellow, blue and red, you'd imagine that they would all be used with similar levels of frequency, as is the case in most other sports teams around the world - yet it's anything but. A blue/yellow combo is extremely common, even at county level. It's used by Clare, Tipperary, Longford and Roscommon - yet red/yellow and red/blue are extremely rare, and non existent at county. Even at club level in Offaly, we have 43 clubs and off the top of my head I can think of five that use blue/yellow (Shannonbridge, Rynaghs, Bracknagh, Ballycumber, Carrig & Riverstown), one that uses blue/red (Drumcullen) and none that use red/yellow. That trend appears to be replicated all across Ireland from what I can tell. I would have thought that maybe this was because red was associated with England and so was seen as a negative, yet the most common single colour jersey after green is definitely red.

Other anomalies/trends without cause that I can think of are:

(1) Black is nearly always paired with either red or "amber", or orange if you prefer. Black and yellow is rare (Ulster provincial colours and a handful of club sides) while black and green is even more rare (Nemo and one or two others) and I can't think of blue and black anywhere.

(2) In most counties, horizontal hoops are extremely rare, and when they exist, almost always green and white. Except in Cork - where a rake of clubs (Na Piarsaigh, Glen Rovers, Newmarket, Blackrock, Ballincollig, Carbeyr Rangers, Newcestown and more) all wear them in different colours. Why so rare everywhere, why so common in Cork? Note i'm not including amalgamated clubs here, which often have to incorporate bits of different "ingredient" clubs.

(3) Purple - non existent, except with yellow. Why does it only exist with yellow?

(4) If you say "the sash" you think of Sarsfields in Kildare. Yet that design - one colour with a diagonal stripe - is almost unheard of among other football clubs, and quite common in hurling sides (Boherlahan, Kilruane, Tullaroan, Drumcullen, Mooncoin, St Martins, Loughrea). Is there some reason why this would be a hurling thing, or a hurling "area" thing?

(5) Green/yellow - everywhere. Green/Red - everywhere. Green/Blue - very rare. Why so? I'm guessing this one may just be aesthetics.

There's probably others out there as well, but those are the ones that come to mind for the moment.

I know most of you will wonder why such nonsense would spring to mind, but I'm aware that while some of this may be dumb luck and naturally occurring statistical anomalies, there may be historical reasons behind some of the others and if there's anyone out there who can enlighten me due to their greater historical knowledge, I'll consider the scorn worthwhile!

[AZOffaly]

Not sure what you're asking really, but I'd imagine the county coat of arms would have something to do with some of the colours we see. Blue and yellow features prominently in the Tipp coat of arms for e.g.

As regards club teams, there are some more common than others, granted, but I know of two red/yellow combinations off the top of my head. Smith o'Briens in killaloe, and Valentia Young irelanders in Kerry. Also I'm fairly sure moycarkey borris in Tipp are red/ yellow.

Murroe in Limerick are blue and green.

I'd imagine the sash origin dates back to when people wore sashes to identify things like party affiliations etc. it was a common way of identifying yourself, and as such probably found its way onto jersies as a design that's still retained. Kilruane McDonaghs in Tipp, dungiven I think also, and as you said sarsfields in kildare among them. One of the Kilkenny teams too think ?

[AZOffaly]

Also re the sash, Maurice fitz' club in kerry, the Mary's, have a sash. Blue on white.

[Farrandeelin]

Castlebar Mitchels also have a Red/Yellow combination.

[Donnellys Hollow]

Interesting topic Lone Shark.

However if we take the primary colours of yellow, blue and red, you'd imagine that they would all be used with similar levels of frequency, as is the case in most other sports teams around the world - yet it's anything but. A blue/yellow combo is extremely common, even at county level. It's used by Clare, Tipperary, Longford and Roscommon - yet red/yellow and red/blue are extremely rare, and non existent at county.

St Laurence's are the only club in Kildare I can think of with the red and yellow combination.

In most counties, horizontal hoops are extremely rare, and when they exist, almost always green and white. Except in Cork - where a rake of clubs (Na Piarsaigh, Glen Rovers, Newmarket, Blackrock, Ballincollig, Carbeyr Rangers, Newcestown and more) all wear them in different colours. Why so rare everywhere, why so common in Cork? Note i'm not including amalgamated clubs here, which often have to incorporate bits of different "ingredient" clubs

I can think of three clubs in Kildare with horizontal stripes. Kilcullen (black and white), Cappagh (red and white) and Ardclough (gold, red and black).

If you say "the sash" you think of Sarsfields in Kildare. Yet that design - one colour with a diagonal stripe - is almost unheard of among other football clubs, and quite common in hurling sides (Boherlahan, Kilruane, Tullaroan, Drumcullen, Mooncoin, St Martins, Loughrea). Is there some reason why this would be a hurling thing, or a hurling "area" thing?

Again this design seems to be quite common in Kildare. Two Mile House (gold with a green sash), Straffan (white with a blue sash),Kill (green with a gold sash) and Milltown (green with a red sash).

Green/yellow - everywhere. Green/Red - everywhere. Green/Blue - very rare. Why so? I'm guessing this one may just be aesthetics.

Johnstownbridge sport blue and green. Not a particularly good looking combination.

The county colours were derived from the all white of the Clane club when they were county champions in 1903. Clane adopted the colours in the late nineteenth century when they borrowed a spare set of white rugby jerseys from Clongowes Wood College.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Murroe-Boher are an amalgamation though, and the blue/green colours represent the combination.

Murroe in Limerick are blue and green.

[Lone Shark]

Not sure what you're asking really, but I'd imagine the county coat of arms would have something to do with some of the colours we see. Blue and yellow features prominently in the Tipp coat of arms for e.g.

As regards club teams, there are some more common than others, granted, but I know of two red/yellow combinations off the top of my head. Smith o'Briens in killaloe, and Valentia Young irelanders in Kerry. Also I'm fairly sure moycarkey borris in Tipp are red/ yellow.

I guess my question was why nearly 20% of club and county teams tend to have a blue/yellow combo, when other combos that should in theory be just as common are less than 1%. I'll grant you that there are a few of each type, and you can add Castlebar Mitchels as a prominent red/yellow, but for every one of them there's at least ten blue/yellows. I'm curious as to why this might be.

Similarly with the sash, it's not so much why was it used, in fact I can see why - it would have been a handy way of making jerseys back in the day when such things were an expense - to take a plan shirt of one colour and put a sash over. However my experience was that it was far more common in hurling areas (a plethora of clubs in Kilkenny, and I believe Tulla in Clare is another one?) and I was wondering if there was a reason for that. I accept it may be that there is none whatsoever, but it was just one of the things I noticed.

Also I see that a lot of the county origins are explained here - http://www.gaa.ie/about-the-gaa/provinces-and-counties/about-county/county-colours/ No trends there to speak of from what I can tell.

[GalwayBayBoy]

(2) In most counties, horizontal hoops are extremely rare, and when they exist, almost always green and white. Except in Cork - where a rake of clubs (Na Piarsaigh, Glen Rovers, Newmarket, Blackrock, Ballincollig, Carbeyr Rangers, Newcestown and more) all wear them in different colours. Why so rare everywhere, why so common in Cork? Note i'm not including amalgamated clubs here, which often have to incorporate bits of different "ingredient" clubs.

Horizontal hoops are relatively common in Galway hurling as well. Off the top of my head, Turloughmore (black and white hoops), Mullagh (green and white hoops), Rahoon/Newcastle (maroon and white hoops), Killimordaly (green and white hoops) and Kilnadeema-Leitrim (maroon, white and blue hoops) all wear horizonal hoops. I actually can't think of any football clubs in the county that play in hoops though funnily enough. Off the top of my head anyway.

As for sashes I think Loughrea and Kilconieron are two hurling clubs that have sashes in the county. Moycullen also have a sash but are a dual club.

[Lone Shark]

Interesting topic Lone Shark.

However if we take the primary colours of yellow, blue and red, you'd imagine that they would all be used with similar levels of frequency, as is the case in most other sports teams around the world - yet it's anything but. A blue/yellow combo is extremely common, even at county level. It's used by Clare, Tipperary, Longford and Roscommon - yet red/yellow and red/blue are extremely rare, and non existent at county.

St Laurence's are the only club in Kildare I can think of with the red and yellow combination.

In most counties, horizontal hoops are extremely rare, and when they exist, almost always green and white. Except in Cork - where a rake of clubs (Na Piarsaigh, Glen Rovers, Newmarket, Blackrock, Ballincollig, Carbeyr Rangers, Newcestown and more) all wear them in different colours. Why so rare everywhere, why so common in Cork? Note i'm not including amalgamated clubs here, which often have to incorporate bits of different "ingredient" clubs

I can think of three clubs in Kildare with horizontal stripes. Kilcullen (black and white), Cappagh (red and white) and Ardclough (gold, red and black).

If you say "the sash" you think of Sarsfields in Kildare. Yet that design - one colour with a diagonal stripe - is almost unheard of among other football clubs, and quite common in hurling sides (Boherlahan, Kilruane, Tullaroan, Drumcullen, Mooncoin, St Martins, Loughrea). Is there some reason why this would be a hurling thing, or a hurling "area" thing?

Again this design seems to be quite common in Kildare. Two Mile House (gold with a green sash), Straffan (white with a blue sash),Kill (green with a gold sash) and Milltown (green with a red sash).

Green/yellow - everywhere. Green/Red - everywhere. Green/Blue - very rare. Why so? I'm guessing this one may just be aesthetics.

Johnstownbridge sport blue and green. Not a particularly good looking combination.

The county colours were derived from the all white of the Clane club when they were county champions in 1903. Clane adopted the colours in the late nineteenth century when they borrowed a spare set of white rugby jerseys from Clongowes Wood College.

Excellent. This is exactly the type of stuff I was hoping for in the thread. Maith thú.

Definitely the early evidence would suggest that the Sash thing is actually quite evenly spread across codes - though three instances in Kildare and four or so in Kilkenny might point to a localised trend of using them. I see that Killeshin in Laois also wear a white sash on green, while Palatine in Carlow are green on red. Maybe a south Leinster/Tipperary thing? Far less common in Connacht from what I can tell, I don't think I've seen a sash jersey in Roscommon or Galway.

[muppet]

(2) In most counties, horizontal hoops are extremely rare, and when they exist, almost always green and white. Except in Cork - where a rake of clubs (Na Piarsaigh, Glen Rovers, Newmarket, Blackrock, Ballincollig, Carbeyr Rangers, Newcestown and more) all wear them in different colours. Why so rare everywhere, why so common in Cork? Note i'm not including amalgamated clubs here, which often have to incorporate bits of different "ingredient" clubs.

Horizontal hoops are relatively common in Galway hurling as well. Off the top of my head, Turloughmore (black and white hoops), Mullagh (green and white hoops), Rahoon/Newcastle (maroon and white hoops), Killimordaly (green and white hoops) and Kilnadeema-Leitrim (maroon, white and blue hoops) all wear horizonal hoops. I actually can't think of any football clubs in the county that play in hoops though funnily enough. Off the top of my head anyway.

St. Mary's?

[Lone Shark]

Horizontal hoops are relatively common in Galway hurling as well. Off the top of my head, Turloughmore (black and white hoops), Mullagh (green and white hoops), Rahoon/Newcastle (maroon and white hoops), Killimordaly (green and white hoops) and Kilnadeema-Leitrim (maroon, white and blue hoops) all wear horizonal hoops. I actually can't think of any football clubs in the county that play in hoops though funnily enough. Off the top of my head anyway.

Green and white hoops are quite common certainly. Walsh Island and St Rynaghs (football) wear them in Offaly, and I'm pretty sure I've seen a club in Westmeath wear them as well, even though I can't for the life of me place which. In saying that, I've just thought of Athlone, which are quite unique with light blue/white hoops.

I guess the thing here is that it's not so much that stripes are non-existant, but why it's such a common design in Cork but used by maybe one out of forty clubs elsewhere.

[Farrandeelin]

No sash jerseys in Mayo either LS. Not that I can think of anyway. Must be a southern area thing.

[macdanger2]

Can't think of any club with a sash in Mayo (that may lend weight to the hurling association with the sash)

Parke are the only ones I know of with horizontal stripes (black & amber)

Can't think of any club with blue / green and not many with black either

[GalwayBayBoy]

(2) In most counties, horizontal hoops are extremely rare, and when they exist, almost always green and white. Except in Cork - where a rake of clubs (Na Piarsaigh, Glen Rovers, Newmarket, Blackrock, Ballincollig, Carbeyr Rangers, Newcestown and more) all wear them in different colours. Why so rare everywhere, why so common in Cork? Note i'm not including amalgamated clubs here, which often have to incorporate bits of different "ingredient" clubs.

Horizontal hoops are relatively common in Galway hurling as well. Off the top of my head, Turloughmore (black and white hoops), Mullagh (green and white hoops), Rahoon/Newcastle (maroon and white hoops), Killimordaly (green and white hoops) and Kilnadeema-Leitrim (maroon, white and blue hoops) all wear horizonal hoops. I actually can't think of any football clubs in the county that play in hoops though funnily enough. Off the top of my head anyway.

St. Mary's?

Think they still play in plain maroon with white shorts.

[From the Bunker]

No sash jerseys in Mayo either LS. Not that I can think of anyway. Must be a southern area thing.

I used to remember Islandeady underage having White with a green sash?