Salthill-Knocknacarra GAA

Salthill-Knocknacarra
Bóthar na Trá-Cnoc na Cathrach
Founded:	1966
County:	Galway
Nickname:	The Sea Pirates
Colours:
Grounds:	The Prairie, Salthill
Coordinates:	53°15′46.57″N 9°05′11.45″W / 53.2629361°N 9.0865139°W
Playing kits
	Standard colours
	Standard colours
Senior Club Championships

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Salthill-Knocknacarra (Irish: Bóthar na Trá-Cnoc na Cathrach) is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Salthill and Knocknacarra areas of Galway City in Ireland. The club is a member of the Galway GAA. Salthill-Knocknacarra GAA club fields teams in Gaelic football, hurling, Ladies football and camogie in the parishes of Salthill and Knocknacarra.

History

The club was founded in 1966 under the banner of Cumann Naomh Ciarán. In the 1980s, the club was in Galway football. It won over ten championships at both the minor and U-21 levels. In 1990, the club won its first senior football county title, followed by a Connaught Club title. The club lost the All-Ireland Final^[specify] in 1991 to Lavey of Derry. Players included Alan Mulholland (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.

In 2005, the club won its next county title, which was followed by an All-Ireland Club title on St Patrick's Day in 2006 against St Galls of Antrim. Players included Finian Hanley, Seán Armstrong, Michael Donnellan, Alan Kerins, among others.

The senior team is managed by former Galway all-star Finian Hanley. Current Galway players at the senior level include John Maher, Robert Finnerty, Cathal Sweeney, Daniel O'Flaherty, and Tomo Culhane as well as U20 Galway Captain Matthew Thompson. In 2024, SKGAA’s senior Captain, John Maher was nominated for the PWC Player of the Year and won an All-Star alongside Rob Finnerty.

The club had their first winning Galway minor in 2002. The club is structured at an underage level in all four codes, with parents involved in managing teams. Some underage club members have represented Galway at adult level. Hurling has been played in the club since the early 1980s. Edel Murphy, a former Dublin player who won the All-Ireland in 1984, is the senior manager.

In Ladies Gaelic football, the club has won a Junior county title in 2003 and in 2022, with players playing for Galway on the inter-county stage. In 2023, the now-intermediate side, captained by Ailbhe Finnerty/Siobhan Divilly captured the Galway Intermediate title and bowed up in the Connacht semi-final after additional time. In 2024, they won the Senior B and Junior C titles as well as Junior Coen Cup.

The senior Camogie team won promotion as league champions to Division one and after a first … a replay and two periods of extra time lost out to Clarinbridge in the Senior B Championship final. Laura Kelly represented the Club on the Senior County Camogie team.

The hurlers play at Junior A level and include Gakway hurler, Donal O Shea and the Junior F side contest the county final this year.

Salthill-Knocknacarra hosted Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, 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).^[1]

The club has facilities including floodlit playing pitches, Astro turf and an events centre, Arus Bóthar na Tra. This facility is used for events including yoga, pliâtes, dance, art classes, and conference facilities.^[2]