Clan Na Gael Ladies Gaelic Football Club
San Francisco's Clan Na Gael, Ladies G.F.C. was founded in 2000 as an offshoot of the Golden Gate Ladies G.F.C. The club is mostly made up of Irish and Irish Americans, but the more we work to promote Gaelic football within the San Francisco Bay Area, the more that changes, as women of all nationalities appreciate the skill and strategy involved in the game.As is the case with many new teams, it took a while for the club to find its feet. In 2003, Clan Na Gael made it to the San Francisco Bay Area finals for the first time in our short history. We lost, but it gave all of us a taste of what could be. So everyone trained hard the following year and recruited some new players, which boosted the team in so many ways! Re-energized, we won the Western Division's Junior Ladies cup in 2004, and secured a spot in the North American Championship games in Boulder, Colorado.The following year, we lost in the divisional finals to a local team that had just regraded from Senior to Junior. Unbowed, Clan Na Gael worked hard to recruit talented home-based girls and came back in 2006 stronger than ever. With a deadly home-based team and some talented J1ers, Clan Na Gael reclaimed the Western Division title in 2006.Clan Na Gael strives to play the best football possible when we are on the pitch, and works to promote Gaelic football when we are off. The club takes on players with little or no experience, and works with them to develop their fitness and playing skills. We are truly an "extended family" kind of team. But it's not all practice and training sessions.The women of Clan Na Gael love to cut loose on any given night. Although the club has no official motto, contenders could certainly be "Play Hard, Party Harder" or "Drink Until You Drop" As a group, we are always there for one another, in good times (Saturday night) and in bad (Sunday morning).
As a club, Clan Na Gael is very involved with the Gaelic games in the Bay Area, not only on the pitch but behind the scenes as well. Our girls are usually the first to volunteer to help organize G.A.A. events, fundraisers and the like. We are at the games every Sunday lending our support, whether we're playing or doing lines/umpire duty.If this sounds like the kind of adventure you're looking for, we'd love to hear from you. Feel free to email us at
[email protected]. And again, don't let your experience or fitness level stop you from getting in touch.
