Salthill-Knocknacarra () is a

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...

club based in the

Salthill Salthill () is a seaside area in the City of Galway in the west of Ireland. Lying within the townland of Lenaboy (''an Léana Buí''), it attracts many tourists all year round. There is a 2 km long promenade, locally known as ''the Pro ...

and Knocknacarra areas in

Galway City Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city on ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. The club is a member of the Galway GAA. Salthill-Knocknacarra GAA Club caters for huge numbers of young boys and girls and adults who play

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

Hurling Hurling ( ga, iománaíocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of p ...

, Ladies Football and

Camogie Camogie ( ; ga, camógaíocht ) is an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women. Camogie is played by 100,000 women in Ireland and worldwide, largely among Irish communities. A variant of the game of hurling (which is played by men onl ...

in the parishes of Salthill and Knocknacarra.

History

The club was founded in 1966 under the banner of Cumann Naomh Ciarán. During the 1980s the Club became a major underage force in Galway football under the guidance of Club greats such as Tony Regan and Liam Sammon. This resulted in over ten championships at both minor and U-21 levels being won. This underage success was then transferred onto the Senior stage in 1990 with the Club winning its first Senior football county title followed by a Connaught Club title. The Club lost the All-Ireland Final in 1991 to Lavey of Derry after a spirited effort. Players starring on this team included

Alan Mulholland Alan Mulholland (born 1968) is an Irish Gaelic football former manager and player. He was manager of the senior Galway county team from 2011 until 2014, having previously been manager of the minor and under-21 teams. In 2007, Mulholland guid ...

(former Galway Manager), Norman Costello, Cathal McGinley, John Kilraine, Pat Comer (producer of the video "A Year Til Sunday"), Mark Gibbs, and Donners who subsequently managed the Club to an All Ireland title in 2006. Since the 1980s the Club has always had successful underage teams in football. Minor and U21 finals are regularly contested but the Club did however need to wait under 2005 to win its next County title which was followed by an All Ireland Club title on St Patricks Day in 2006 against St Galls of Antrim, players starring on this team included

Finian Hanley Finian Hanley (born 4 January 1985) is a former Gaelic football player from Galway. He played his club football with Salthill-Knocknacarra and inter-county football for Galway from 2005 to 2017. He played in the full-back position. In 2008 he ...

Seán Armstrong Seán Armstrong (born 20 March 1986) is an Irish former Gaelic footballer from Galway. Armstrong played his club football with Salthill-Knocknacarra and inter-county football for Galway from 2005 to 2014 spending ten years as an inter-county ...

, Michael Donnellan, Maurice Sheridan, Séamie Crowe,

Alan Kerins Alan Kerins (born 1977) is an Irish sportsman, humanitarian, social entrepreneur and philanthropist. Kerins was a dual player for Galway, a hurler between 1997 and 2011 and a footballer between 2001 and 2004. He played with the senior inter-cou ...

to mention only a few. The Club is recognised widely mainly as a football club in Galway with a great reputation for producing strong underage teams. The Club also runs hurling teams which compete at Junior levels and have had their first winning Galway minor in 2009 with Tadhg Haran who starred at midfield at the semi final stage. The club is well structured at under level in all four codes, with many parents involved in managing teams and organising club activities. Players from the club field on underage county teams every year and some club members such as over the years have represented Galway at adult level. Hurling has been played in the club since the early 1980s and for the last four years has experienced growth. Camogie in Bóthar na Trá celebrated 25 years in 2004 and is now stronger than ever. Ladies football has flourished in recent years and the club has won titles at underage and junior level, capturing a Junior county title in 2003, and players are now playing for

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

on the intercounty stage. The club's finest hour came in 2006 when Salthill-Knocknacarra won the

All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship The All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament which began in season 1970–71. It is the top-tier competition for the senior football clubs of Ireland and London. The current champions are Kilcoo of ...

title defeating St. Galls of Antrim in the final. Salthill-Knocknacarra hosted

Prince William William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educa ...

and

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge Catherine, Princess of Wales, (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; 9 January 1982) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne, making Catherine the likely next ...

in March 2020, the first visit by any members of the British royal family to a GAA club in Ireland (though previous visitors had toured Croke Park).

Football Titles

Galway Senior Football Championship The Galway Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association competition between the top Gaelic football clubs in Galway. The winners of the Galway Championship qualify to represent their county in the Connacht Senior Club ...

(3): 1990, 2005, 2012 *

Connacht Senior Club Football Championship The Connacht Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament played between senior clubs in Connacht, with one qualifying from each of the five individual county championships. The winners of the Connacht football champ ...

(2): 1990, 2005 *

(1): 2005/06 * Galway Minor Football Championships (2): 2002, 2011

Hurling Titles

Galway Junior Hurling Championship The Galway Junior A Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Brooks Galway Junior A Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Galway JAHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Galway County Board of the Gaelic ...

(1): 2021 *

Connacht Junior Club Hurling Championship The Connacht Junior Club Hurling Championship is a hurling competition that comprises the winners of the senior hurling competitions from Sligo and Leitrim along with the Galway champions who receive a bye to the final. The winners of this com ...

(1): 2021

Notable players

Aonghus Callanan Aonghus Callanan (born 1985) is an Irish sportsman. He played for the Galway senior hurlers from 2005 to 2013. He plays club hurling with Liam Mellows and his gaelic football with Salthill-Knocknacarra. Callanan plays his club hurling with ...

* Gary Cox * Michael Donnellan * Gavin Duffy *

Robert Finnerty Robert Finnerty (born 1998) is a Gaelic footballer who plays for Salthill-Knocknacarra and at senior level for the Galway county team. Part of the Galway senior panel since 2017, he played for Galway in the 2016 All-Ireland Minor Football C ...

Dora Gorman Dora Gorman (born 18 February 1993) is an Irish physician and Republic of Ireland women's international footballer who plays as a midfielder for Peamount United of the Women's National League (WNL). In 2010, she was captain of the Republic o ...

Tadhg Haran Tadhg Haran (born 6 September 1991) is an Irish hurler who currently plays as a midfielder for Liam Mellows and the Galway senior hurling team. Haran made his first appearance for the senior team during the 2012 championship and immediately ...

Liam Sammon Liam Sammon (born 1946 in Galway) is an Irish former Gaelic football manager, coach, writer and former player. He played football with his local clubs Father Griffins and Salthill-Knocknacarra and was a member of the senior Galway county tea ...

Maurice Sheridan Maurice Sheridan (born 1974) is an Irish former Gaelic footballer. His league and championship career at senior level with the Mayo county team lasted nine seasons from 1995 until 2003. Playing career Sheridan made his debut on the inter-cou ...

David Tierney David John Tierney (born 21 October 1979) is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Kilnadeema–Leitrim and with the Galway senior inter-county hurling team. Gaelic football He also had a brief stint with the Galway ...

References

External sources

Club website
*http://www.skgaa.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=161&Itemid=129 {{Galway clubs Gaelic games clubs in County Galway Gaelic football clubs in County Galway Hurling clubs in County Galway GAA