Parnells GAA are a well established and successful Gaelic football club. The club was formed in late 1951, initially combining both codes of hurling and football and had links to Paddington Boxing Club. The men who founded it were Tim Brosnan (RIP), Tom Curran (RIP) and Denis Brosnan (RIP) who were passionate about the game and worked extremely hard in the early days to get the club of the ground and continued to be involved for many years. Playing their first competitive game in the spring of 1952, a decision was taken further down the line to concentrate their efforts and skills on the ‘big ball’ game.
Predominantly based in North West London, playing in their club colours of ‘blue and gold’ the club enjoyed years of success as a senior side with many dedicated and talented players. In 2019 the club achieved a historic landmark with the establishing of a British born Junior side which saw all of our ‘youth’ players who have played with the club from the age of 6 upwards take to the field.
With growth in numbers and families settling in London, 1988 saw the emergence of the club’s ‘Ladies’ team who went on to win the Intermediate All Ireland club final in 2012 and numerous titles before and since that date including becoming World Champions.
In 1998 the ‘Youth’ section was established and has gone from strength to strength in the intervening years with nearly 200 playing members. Underage teams tog out at all age levels from under 6s to under 17s. A highlight of the year for the young players is an annual trip to Ireland to play in tournaments, with Mayo, Louth, Kerry (so good we have been there more than once), Galway and Tipperary being the most recent counties visited.
All three sections of the club are flourishing and thriving, as you might expect from a club with over 500 members. There is a great social side to the club and the annual dinner dance, golf days and fundraising events are always great occasions.
As a family orientated club and in keeping with the ethos of the GAA, members from all backgrounds and from all parts of the UK, Ireland and indeed several other places in the world are warmly welcomed. We welcome players of all abilities and also welcome non-playing volunteers.
We are always striving to improve our performance both on and off the pitch and we are very grateful to our volunteers whether they are players, committee members, supporters, parents, coaches or sponsors who continue to contribute to our position as one of the most organised and successful GAA clubs in the UK.
