Na Gaeil Aeracha has made history as the first explicitly LGBTQ+-inclusive team to win a GAA cup final. The club was announced as the Dublin LGFA Junior K champions by the Ladies’ Gaelic Football Association following a review of the match that originally took place on Friday, August 16.
The victory marks the first championship cup for Na Gaeil Aeracha and the third major win for the womens+ team, adding to its two previous shield titles.
“The team is delighted to have ended the year as the 2024 Go Ahead Junior K Championship winners, cinching the first championship title for the club,” said NGA Womens+ Chair Catriona O’Driscoll.
“Our management and coaching panel put in Trojan work to prepare us for each and every game, and I’m very proud of our team members for showing up for each other both on and off the pitch throughout the year. Many thanks to Dublin LGFA for their review of the game and their support all year.”
NGA Public Relations Officer Dylan Mellody-Kelly added: “As a club, this win encapsulates the growing success of the entire Na Gaeil Aeracha operation. In 2024 alone, we have launched a thriving camogie team, the mens+ footballers reached a championship quarter final, the hurlers were promoted after just their first year in existence while also achieving another semi-final in a higher division and then the Womens+ with the championship win. It’s just surreal when you think that this is a group of strangers who met four years ago and goes to show the power of community cooperation.
“We’re proud to be the team with a rainbow on our backs.”
Entering its fifth year, Na Gaeil Aeracha now boasts four teams spanning football, hurling and camogie. It provides a space for over 200 people to engage in sport in an inclusive environment, while also offering other cultural events like history talks and Irish language lessons.
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