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Cuchulainns GAA Club

Cuchulainns Gaelic Football & Hurling Club

Cuchulainns GAA Club welcomes all Irish people and people of Irish descent to come and play for our club, whether it's Gaelic Football or Hurling that takes your fancy. We also have a members club for those who don't wish to play but just wish to be part of the club itself. Go here to see our current Cuchulainns Players and Members list. As you will see from this list the Cuchulainns draws on players and members from all over Ireland and down through the years our players and members have come from every county in Ireland.

The Cuchulainns GAA Club itself has been in existence since 1932 when our hurling team was set up. Two years later in 1934 we set up our Gaelic football team. The club name comes from one of the most famous figures from Irish history, Cú Chulainn - The Hound of Culann.

A Brief History of Cú Chulainn

In Irish mythology Cúchulainn (Irish gaelic meaning 'hound of Culann'; also spelled Cú Chulainn or Cuchullain; also sometimes called Setanta) is the pre-eminent hero of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle. His mother was Deichtine, sister of king Conchobar mac Nessa; his father was either the god Lugh, or Deichtire's mortal husband Sualtam, and his foster-father was Fergus mac Róich. His charioteer, Láeg, is ever-present by his side.

Cúchulainn was almost undefeatable in battle due to his spear (which sang for the blood of its enemies) and his warrior frenzy, comparable to that of the Norse berserkers. It is described in Thomas Kinsella's translation of The Táin Bó Cúailnge (the Cattle Raid of Cooley) this way:

"The Warp-Spasm overtook him : it seemed each hair was hammered into his head, so sharply they shot upright. You would swear a fire-speck tipped each hair. He squeezed one eye narrower than the eye of a needle; he opened the other wider than the mouth of a goblet. He bared his jaws to the ear; he peeled back his lips to the eye-teeth till his gullet showed. The hero-halo rose up from the crown of his head."

This frenzy caused him to turn about in his skin; his sinews bulged with knots the size of a baby's head; a poisonous black mist rose above his head; and he snapped his jaw shut with enough force to kill a lion, showering sparks. In this fearsome state he could not tell friend from foe, killing in front and behind alike.

A Manx story tries to account for this frenzy. The story claims that Cúchulainn came to the Isle of Man to have his spear made by a famous smith in return for the promise of a part of the land he would conquer. While he waited for the spear to be made, he discovered and captured a mermaid named Teeval "the princess of the sea" who gave him the ability to call on her for help in battle in return for her freedom. The story says that when he called out to her for help, a great strength flowed into him and he cut down his enemies like grass.

Cu Chulainn's Childhood

Some legends claim that Cúchulainn was born at Newgrange, the greatest of Ireland's Neolithic monuments. His childhood name was Sétanta, but he gained the name Cú Chulainn ("Culann's Hound") when, as a child, he killed (in self-defence) the fierce watchdog of Culann the smith, using a hurley to drive a sliotar down the dog's throat. Out of obligation he offered to take its place while a replacement was reared. He took arms when, at the age of seven, he heard the druid Cathbad prophesy that anyone who took arms that day would have everlasting fame, although his life would be short - one of the reasons he is compared to the Greek hero Achilles.

More Cuchulainn Stories here

So there you have it, the Cuchulainns GAA Club name steeped in historical significance. Forget Christy Ring, DJ Carey, Babs Keating - because:

Cuchulainn was The Original Hurler!

So if you're still wondering about whether you should join the Cuchulainns GAA club, then wonder no more - we'll even provide the history lessons free of charge, jasus we can't say fairer than that!

So start to play gaelic football in london or hurling in london now by joining the Cuchulainns GAA club - all you need to do is either download the Registration form from the online form on the top-left side of this webpage or contact one of our club officers by phone from our Cuchulainns Contact Us page.

Finally, we should also mention that the Cuchulainns GAA Club is based in the Charlton area of South East London and our training ground address is at the bottom of this webpage (in large red lettering). We attract players for both hurling and football from all over south london, south east london, and the south east and London in general as we are just a stone's throw from the city and the southern suburbs. So if you're in any of the following areas come and join us:

New Cross, Peckham, Brockley, Nunhead, Lewisham, Charlton, Greenwich, Blackheath, Lee Green, Catford, Ladywell, Sydenham, Penge, Kent House, Beckenham, Bromley, Orpington, Belvedere, London Bridge, Canary Wharf, or anywhere else in London, the South or South East region of England.

We look forward to welcoming you all to the Cuchulainns GAA Club!
Fáilte Romhaibh go Léir!
John Murray
Cuchulainns GAA Club Webmaster

 

CUCHULAINNS GAA CLUB
CHARLTON PARK RFC
60A BROAD WALK, KIDBROOKE, LONDON, SE3 8NB

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