St Joseph's Hurling Club
St Joseph's Hurling Club (Cumann Iomána Naomh Iosaf) was founded in 1995, bringing Gaelic Games to the people of Silicon Valley. A seven-year stretch of unprecedented success followed, with the men’s teams winning six hurling titles, two Gaelic football titles, and the women’s Gaelic football team winning their championship in 1999.
| Type | Sports organisation |
|---|---|
Region served | Silicon Valley, California |
| Website | http://www.siliconvalleyhurling.com |
After the 2002 season, the club was disbanded. Recently, an increase in the area’s Irish population as well as an upsurge in interest in Gaelic Games from the local community resulted in the club being reformed in time for the 2012 hurling season. Success followed in the 2014 season with St. Joseph's winning the Western Division Junior Championship and North American Junior B Championship. St. Joseph's went on to retain their Western Division Junior Championship in 2015.
Although many of the players are locally settled Irish, St. Joseph’s has established itself in Silicon Valley, and actively seeks players from the area. Nearby Stanford University has a successful collegiate hurling team and has close ties with St. Joseph's.
It is affiliated to the Western Division Board, an affiliate of the North American GAA.
Notable players
- Pat Fox, Tipperary and Éire Óg Annacarty Hurler.
- Kevin Hartnett, Cork and Russell Rovers Hurler, All-Ireland Hurling Winner.
- John Brennan, St. Sylvesters, Sideline Cut Champion.