Thomas McCurtains GAA

Thomas McCurtains is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Goodmayes, East London. The club covers a wide area and current players live in many different areas, including, Gants Hill, Woodford, Leyton, Leytonstone, Stratford, Romford, Dagenham, Brentwood & Chelmsford as well as many other areas. The club was founded in 1920 making it one of London's oldest GAA clubs.

Thomas McCurtains GAA
Tomás Mac Curtain CLG
Founded:1920
County:London
Colours:Maroon and White    
Grounds:Medici Close, Ilford IG3 8FE, UK
Playing kits
Standard colours

The club offers Hurling, Camogie, Gaelic Football and Ladies Football from u-8s up to Adults.

History

The club is named after former Lord Mayor of Cork and IRA officer Tomás Mac Curtain. Who was shot dead by members of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) during the Irish War of Independence.

The Club was founded in 1920 from members of the Forest Gate Branch of the Gaelic League. They soon adopted the name of Tomás Mac Curtain in honour of the late Lord Mayor of Cork but were often referred to as Forest Gate in the early days. McCurtains first fixtures came in 1921 when they entered the first London GAA League & Championships to be played after World War 1 in both Hurling and Football with games being played in Manor Park Athletic Grounds. It is thought that they trained on Wanstead Flats though this is unconfirmed.

They moved to The Leys, Ballards Road, Dagenham at the bequest of Ford's Dagenham sometime in the 1930s. In 1934 the club won their first Senior Football Championship and retained it the following year (1935). The club disbanded at the start of World War 2 and did not reform until 1948. It was at this time they were called Hibernians after a dance hall they frequented and potentially sponsored them. In the early 1950s (possibly ’52) they reverted to using the name Thomas McCurtains again. In 1955 the newly crowned All Ireland Hurling Champions, Cork (featuring Christy Ring), travelled to Dagenham and played a “Dagenham Select” team which consisted heavily of McCurtains players.

The Club won multiple championships at Junior and Intermediate grades in both codes over the decades before making the breakthrough winning the Senior Hurling Championship in 1987. With the upturn of economic fortunes in Ireland and the emergence of the Celtic Tiger economy the GAA in London struggled with many gaels returning home. As such the club struggled on the pitch in the 90's.

Around the turn of the centaury, the club relocated once more to Goodmayes Hospital Sports Grounds where they currently reside. This brought with it success in the 2000s with the club winning yet more championships including the All Britain Junior Hurling Championship in 2005. More recently the club has gone from strength to strength with the formation of a Ladies Football Club in 2011 and a Camogie Club in 2016.

Honours
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