Northern Towns/villages without GAA clubs

[marty34]

Coagh in Tyrone/South Derry border, it is down the road from Ballinderry Shamrocks but is a Protestant village.

Castledawson in South Derry. There is a club called Castledawson but it isn't really in Castledawson, it is in a townland called Broagh and serves mainly the rural area. This is where Seamus Heaney was born but Bellaghy try to gatekeep him. Castledawson is a Protestant town with a soccer club called Moyola Park.

Ballyronan, South Derry. It is a mixed village, people there have to play for St. Patrick's Loup which is an area further west. It is some sort of hamlet.

Castledawson is well changed nowadays. Nationalist majority now I'd think.

Great thread by the way.

I've been through Fivemiletown a few times, on the border between Tyrone and Fermanagh but mainly Tyrone. What is their GAA club?

I remember going to an Ulster Final years ago and see the odd Tyrone flag hanging from a few houses in the town....at least I think it was Tyrone flags! 

[marty34]

Coagh in Tyrone/South Derry border, it is down the road from Ballinderry Shamrocks but is a Protestant village.

Castledawson in South Derry. There is a club called Castledawson but it isn't really in Castledawson, it is in a townland called Broagh and serves mainly the rural area. This is where Seamus Heaney was born but Bellaghy try to gatekeep him. Castledawson is a Protestant town with a soccer club called Moyola Park.

Ballyronan, South Derry. It is a mixed village, people there have to play for St. Patrick's Loup which is an area further west. It is some sort of hamlet.

Ballyronan and loughshore area strong nationalist area nowadays. The Loup and Ballyronan are only 1/2 mile apart and are the one club - An Lúb.

[markl121]

Coagh in Tyrone/South Derry border, it is down the road from Ballinderry Shamrocks but is a Protestant village.

Castledawson in South Derry. There is a club called Castledawson but it isn't really in Castledawson, it is in a townland called Broagh and serves mainly the rural area. This is where Seamus Heaney was born but Bellaghy try to gatekeep him. Castledawson is a Protestant town with a soccer club called Moyola Park.

Ballyronan, South Derry. It is a mixed village, people there have to play for St. Patrick's Loup which is an area further west. It is some sort of hamlet.

Ballyronan and loughshore area strong nationalist area nowadays. The Loup and Ballyronan are only 1/2 mile apart and are the one club - An Lúb.

Ballymaguigan wouldn't be too far up the road the other direction too, and then new bridge. South derry has clubs every couple of mile.

[marty34]

Coagh in Tyrone/South Derry border, it is down the road from Ballinderry Shamrocks but is a Protestant village.

Castledawson in South Derry. There is a club called Castledawson but it isn't really in Castledawson, it is in a townland called Broagh and serves mainly the rural area. This is where Seamus Heaney was born but Bellaghy try to gatekeep him. Castledawson is a Protestant town with a soccer club called Moyola Park.

Ballyronan, South Derry. It is a mixed village, people there have to play for St. Patrick's Loup which is an area further west. It is some sort of hamlet.

Ballyronan and loughshore area strong nationalist area nowadays. The Loup and Ballyronan are only 1/2 mile apart and are the one club - An Lúb.

Ballymaguigan wouldn't be too far up the road the other direction too, and then new bridge. South derry has clubs every couple of mile.

True, all along the loughshore feom Coalisland/Clonoe and the 500 clubs around there, down to Ardboe/Moortown area and on into south Derry - Ballinderry, An Lúb, Ballymaguigan and Newbridge. Then onto in Antrim with Cargin and Creggan etc.

You could probably go right around the whole lough.

Funny in a way that club football is so strong in this area of the 3 counties - south Derry, east Tyrone and sw Antrim. 

[AustinPowers]

Is/was there  a Lough shore championship, like the Gaeltacht championship?

Would be a great  idea , with different hosts annually. Seems a no brainer  given there seems to be so many clubs near  the Lough Neagh shoreline , and  would be great for the local economies

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

They'd kill other.

[armaghniac]

Coagh in Tyrone/South Derry border, it is down the road from Ballinderry Shamrocks but is a Protestant village.

Castledawson in South Derry. There is a club called Castledawson but it isn't really in Castledawson, it is in a townland called Broagh and serves mainly the rural area. This is where Seamus Heaney was born but Bellaghy try to gatekeep him. Castledawson is a Protestant town with a soccer club called Moyola Park.

Ballyronan, South Derry. It is a mixed village, people there have to play for St. Patrick's Loup which is an area further west. It is some sort of hamlet.

Ballyronan and loughshore area strong nationalist area nowadays. The Loup and Ballyronan are only 1/2 mile apart and are the one club - An Lúb.

Ballymaguigan wouldn't be too far up the road the other direction too, and then new bridge. South derry has clubs every couple of mile.

True, all along the loughshore feom Coalisland/Clonoe and the 500 clubs around there, down to Ardboe/Moortown area and on into south Derry - Ballinderry, An Lúb, Ballymaguigan and Newbridge. Then onto in Antrim with Cargin and Creggan etc.

You could probably go right around the whole lough.

Funny in a way that club football is so strong in this area of the 3 counties - south Derry, east Tyrone and sw Antrim. 

They once wanted to fill in Lough Neagh and have another county, it could be a good one.

[AustinPowers]

Coagh in Tyrone/South Derry border, it is down the road from Ballinderry Shamrocks but is a Protestant village.

Castledawson in South Derry. There is a club called Castledawson but it isn't really in Castledawson, it is in a townland called Broagh and serves mainly the rural area. This is where Seamus Heaney was born but Bellaghy try to gatekeep him. Castledawson is a Protestant town with a soccer club called Moyola Park.

Ballyronan, South Derry. It is a mixed village, people there have to play for St. Patrick's Loup which is an area further west. It is some sort of hamlet.

Ballyronan and loughshore area strong nationalist area nowadays. The Loup and Ballyronan are only 1/2 mile apart and are the one club - An Lúb.

Ballymaguigan wouldn't be too far up the road the other direction too, and then new bridge. South derry has clubs every couple of mile.

True, all along the loughshore feom Coalisland/Clonoe and the 500 clubs around there, down to Ardboe/Moortown area and on into south Derry - Ballinderry, An Lúb, Ballymaguigan and Newbridge. Then onto in Antrim with Cargin and Creggan etc.

You could probably go right around the whole lough.

Funny in a way that club football is so strong in this area of the 3 counties - south Derry, east Tyrone and sw Antrim. 

They once wanted to fill in Lough Neagh and have another county, it could be a good one.

What should we call  this new county?

[Slemishgael]

Is there any area of the North that people can think of that hasn't a club at present and genuinely could get a club started potentially? It would be a shame if there's pockets of the North that have grown and changed in say the last decade and don't have a club to cater for the local community.  The Gilford Co.Down example earlier is the only one I can think off. I wonder has Moira in a few years time the potential to start up a club? I suppose they have magheralin close by but I'm sure there could be numbers in the not too distant future to allow 2 clubs to compete in that area... who knows.

[Slemishgael]

Gilford, Co Down is that Tullylish?

Tullylish is in Laurencetown but takes in Gilford. But probably about time they got their own club - the population is there for it now.

And this was 16 years ago lol..

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Coagh in Tyrone/South Derry border, it is down the road from Ballinderry Shamrocks but is a Protestant village.

Castledawson in South Derry. There is a club called Castledawson but it isn't really in Castledawson, it is in a townland called Broagh and serves mainly the rural area. This is where Seamus Heaney was born but Bellaghy try to gatekeep him. Castledawson is a Protestant town with a soccer club called Moyola Park.

Ballyronan, South Derry. It is a mixed village, people there have to play for St. Patrick's Loup which is an area further west. It is some sort of hamlet.

Ballyronan and loughshore area strong nationalist area nowadays. The Loup and Ballyronan are only 1/2 mile apart and are the one club - An Lúb.

Ballymaguigan wouldn't be too far up the road the other direction too, and then new bridge. South derry has clubs every couple of mile.

True, all along the loughshore feom Coalisland/Clonoe and the 500 clubs around there, down to Ardboe/Moortown area and on into south Derry - Ballinderry, An Lúb, Ballymaguigan and Newbridge. Then onto in Antrim with Cargin and Creggan etc.

You could probably go right around the whole lough.

Funny in a way that club football is so strong in this area of the 3 counties - south Derry, east Tyrone and sw Antrim. 

They once wanted to fill in Lough Neagh and have another county, it could be a good one.

What should we call  this new county?

As long as starts with London I'm sure most would be happy

[Champion The Wonder Horse]

Ballymena division 1 in Antrim(just this year) and have floated up and down for the guts of my life. They are getting stronger at underage I think. They have two county starters, a sub and a guy who would be a starter but he did his crucially.

Lisburn an interesting one. They have been on the go ages. They were very poor when I played but the last number of years have tapped into new population and are improving. They are division two now and seem to yo yo a bit between two and three.

Larne have a club, hurling, and won junior b in Antrim about four or five years ago but haven't been able to sustain the numbers. They may have some underage teams or amalgamations.

It'd be a cold day in hell before there was a gaa club in Newtownards. Bangor has nothing to best of my knowledge.

Portadown have a club but don't know anything about them. Craigavon I don't know about.

St Paul's in Holywood would represent the host town, along with Bangor and Newtownards. They've a good set up.

[imtommygunn]

Carrickfergus probably a big enough one.

[Brendan]

Is/was there  a Lough shore championship, like the Gaeltacht championship?

Would be a great  idea , with different hosts annually. Seems a no brainer  given there seems to be so many clubs near  the Lough Neagh shoreline , and  would be great for the local economies

Because they're all mental (the derry part of the lough shore anyway)

[thewobbler]

Folks I've just stumbled upon this thread.

Curious to know why Gilford in County Down currently does not have a GAA club? Is there the potential there to create a club - thinking land and playing numbers.

I know Tullylish is the local club in the parish, but with it being approx. 3 mile out of Gilford in Lawrencetown and a growing population in Gilford surely there would be demand for a new club in the village? New housing developments in recent years has seen a lot of people come into the area (almost becoming a commuter village given proximity to Banbridge A1 etc) and its also clear to see a lot of GAA jerseys being worn in the village/kids playing football, hurling and comogie... The population of the local school St John's is also growing. I'm wondering would Tullylish survive if a new club was created in Gilford village also? Competition can be a good thing and Tullylish still have a big catchment area.

A club on your doorstep where the local people can go within walking distance is hard to beat. Would be great for local community... Would welcome peoples thoughts on the matter and also has anyone thought about similar towns or villages in the north that could potentially start a new club?

Gilford to Tullylish GAC is what, 2-3 miles?

That's as good as on top of each other when it comes to rural GAA.

Tullylish have also developed some of the best facilities in the county the past decade.

Why on earth would anybody want to run another club against that instead of joining in?

If you'd like GAA in Gilford, petition for the council to build and maintain a GAA field. It would for all intents and purposes become Tullylish's second facility.