Hurling has been played in Clarinbridge for hundreds of years and the game greatly uplifted the spirits of our community in times of hardship and suppression. Hurling and football teams in earlier times were not organised, as we know them today, and few teams had official jerseys.

Games were very popular and there are records of a hurling match in the Hill Park, Clarinbridge on the 15 August 1885 between Labane and Clarinbridge, at which over 7,000 attended. The Clarinbridge team were stripped to their underwear and wore green and white striped caps, but the report of the game does not mention them having team jerseys.

The Clarinbridge GAA club was officially formed in 1889. In the early years of the 20 th century the Clarinbridge team wore a lilac colour jersey with a green hoop from shoulder to waist. Initially the club saw itself as promoting only hurling and Clarinbridge H.C was inscribed on the jerseys. These were knitted jerseys and the players of the time recalled them being ‘good at soaking up sweat’. 

In 1933 the club decided to procure a new set of jerseys and choose the maroon colour, together with white togs and maroon socks. Since then thousands of players have worn this jersey with pride and respect and today young people are as anxious to wear the maroon and white as were their ancestors. The GAA has been a unifying force in our parish and our club’s values is captured in the old Irish adage ‘ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine’.