The Wolfe Tones GAA club is a Gaelic football club founded in 1957 and which first took the field in the summer of 1958. While not the oldest Gaelic football club in Chicago, the Wolfe Tones is one of the most successful clubs in North America with 22 senior Chicago titles and 13 North American Championships and competing in 17 NCAB finals.
History
The Wolfe Tones won their first American League Title in 1978. Nicknamed "The Blue Machine," they drew players from all counties which was an advantage and in the seventies and eighties were mostly home-based with strong social ties because everyone worked and socialised together.
In the mid-1980s, the club added a Junior team, while the Juniors have not had the same level of success as the Senior team, it has still added to the level of support that the club enjoys and allows many younger Irish-Americans to participate in the rich culture of the GAA. In the late 1990s and early 2000s Mike Mulligan, then of the Chicago Sun Times, wrote that the Wolfe Tones were "a Chicago-based Gaelic football powerhouse".
In past years, the Wolfe Tones main rivals have been the McBrides GFC and the St. Brendan's GFC and, more recently, the Parnell's GFC.
Due to the economic downturn and changes in US Immigration law, GAA clubs in North America have come upon hard times. Despite this, the Wolfe Tones still have been able to field competitive teams.
The 2012 Wolfe Tones won their divisional title in Chicago, but lost to the Ulster GFC of San Francisco in their semi-final match at the NACB Finals in Philadelphia.
Players
The Wolfe Tones have historically fielded competitive teams and have drawn inter-county Gaelic football players from nearly every county in Ireland, going so far as to play in the GAA Golf Tournament. They have also played several challenge games in Ireland.
Inter-county players, that have played for the Wolfe Tones through the years, include:
County Players County Province Jack O'Shea Kerry Munster Val Daly Galway Connacht Graham Geraghty Meath Leinster Seán Cavanagh Tyrone Ulster Nigel Dineen Roscommon Connacht Rory Mone Monaghan Ulster Odhran O'Dwyer Clare Munster Darren Clarke Louth Leinster Peter McGinnity Louth Leinster JP Rooney Louth Leinster James McCartan Jnr Down Ulster Paddy McKeever Armagh Ulster Brian Connor Offaly Leinster Richie Connor Offaly Leinster Matt Connor Offaly Leinster Colm Coyle Meath Leinster George Hannigan Tipperary Munster Kevin O'Brien Wicklow Leinster Paddy Bradley Derry Ulster Tommy Ryan Donegal Ulster Shane Durkin Sligo Connacht Marty Lynch Kildare Leinster David Brady Mayo Connacht Jack Sheedy Dublin Leinster Frankie Griffin Clare Munster David Keenan Roscommon Leinster Dermot Malone Monaghan Ulster
Honours
The club has had several successes in North American County Board competitions, having won titles for both their division and in the county. Senior titles, in competitions run by the North American GAA, that have been won by the club include:
Chicago Finals North American Finals 1962 -- 1963 -- 1965 -- 1969 -- 1978 1978 1979 -- 1980 1980 1982 1982 1984 -- 1985 1985 1988 1988 1991 1991 1992 -- 1993 -- 1995 1995 1996 1996 1997 1997 1999 1999 2001 2001 2002 2002 2003 -- 2006 2006 2012 -- 2017 -- 2023 2023 2024 2024
References