{"id":106085,"date":"2025-11-07T12:23:54","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T18:23:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=106085"},"modified":"2026-01-01T16:04:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T22:04:35","slug":"more-than-a-sport-irish-gaelic-games-grow-build-community-in-chicago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/more-than-a-sport-irish-gaelic-games-grow-build-community-in-chicago\/","title":{"rendered":"PHOTOS: \u2018More than a sport\u2019: Irish Gaelic games grow, build community in Chicago"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>By Tom O\u2019Connor<\/strong><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Medill Reports<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Far from Ireland, Gaelic games are thriving in Chicago even as the number of U.S. residents born in Ireland fell between <a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/newsroom\/releases\/archives\/facts_for_features_special_editions\/cb11-ff03.html\">2009<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/newsroom\/facts-for-features\/2025\/irish-american-heritage.html\">2023<\/a>, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/data.census.gov\/table\/ACSDT1Y2024.B05006?q=B05006\">U.S. Census Bureau<\/a>. Players with and without Irish roots are building communities around these centuries-old traditions, despite resource challenges and competition from mainstream American U.S. sports. The community and energy behind two Gaelic games \u2014 hurling and camogie \u2014 were on display at the Continental Youth Championships at Chicago Gaelic Park in Oak Forest, the Joe Hurd Memorial Tournament in Naperville and a Chicago Celtics youth training session in Peterson Park. Both are fast-paced stick-and-ball sports often described as a mix of lacrosse, baseball and hockey. Hurling is traditionally played by men and camogie by women.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-106097 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/Image-min.jpg\" alt=\"An intense hurling match at the Joe Hurd Memorial Tournament at Naperville Hurling Club on July 26 (Photo: Tom O'Connor)\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1872\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Hurling in action: fast, physical and skillful. Rival suburban Chicago clubs Cusacks and Naperville compete at Commissioner\u2019s Park in Naperville on July 26 with the same intensity seen in Ireland \u2013 on a rainy Midwestern morning that feels distinctly Irish too.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-106098 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9440-min.jpg\" alt=\"Young hurlers in the Chicago Celtics club on the city\u2019s North Side pose for a photo during training at Peterson Park on July 16 (Photo: Tom O'Connor)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9440-min.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9440-min-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9440-min-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9440-min-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Under-6 players with the Chicago Celtics club on the city\u2019s North Side hold their hurleys after practice at Peterson Park on July 16. Gaelic games programs for children are growing across the U.S., with approximately 2,000 now playing throughout the country, according to the governing body, United States Gaelic Games Association.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-106099 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9632-min.jpg\" alt=\"The Continental Youth Championships took place at Chicago Gaelic Park in Oak Forest on July 25 (Photo: Tom O'Connor)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9632-min.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9632-min-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9632-min-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9632-min-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A child plays with a hurl while a man takes a video call on the sidelines of the Continental Youth Championships at Chicago Gaelic Park in Oak Forest on July 25. More than 1,500 players from U8 to U18 competed during the four-day event this year.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-106101 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9654-min.jpg\" alt=\"Youth participants traveled from far and wide for the Continental Youth Championships at Chicago Gaelic Park in Oak Forest on July 25 (Photo: Tom O'Connor)\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" \/><\/p>\n<p>For players with the Glenside Gaelic Club from Pennsylvania, the Continental Youth Championships meant more than matches. They played cards between games, one small moment in a tournament that drew 154 teams to Chicago Gaelic Park in Oak Forest on July 25.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-106100 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9634-min.jpg\" alt=\"Community was central to the Continental Youth Championships at Chicago Gaelic Park in Oak Forest on July 25 (Photo: Tom O'Connor)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9634-min.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9634-min-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9634-min-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9634-min-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Caroleann Gallagher, left, sits with Kathleen \u201cNanny\u201d Meelee, both originally from Ireland, as storm clouds gather over Chicago Gaelic Park in Oak Forest on July 24. To Irish ex-pats in the Chicago Celtics club, Meelee is a surrogate mother \u2014 and to their children, a grandmother. \u201cBecause we don\u2019t have families here, we\u2019re dependent on each other a lot more,\u201d Gallagher said.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-106103 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9684-min-min.jpg\" alt=\"Two players from opposing teams chat during a camogie game at the Continental Youth Championships at Chicago Gaelic Park in Oak Forest (Photo: Tom O'Connor)\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Camogie is about the connection as much as the game. Two girls from competing teams share a chat upfield during a match at the Continental Youth Championships, held at Chicago Gaelic Park in Oak Forest on July 25.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-106096 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/Image-2-min.jpg\" alt=\"A player watches a match from the sideline at the Joe Hurd Memorial Tournament at Naperville Hurling Club on July 26 (Photo: Tom O'Connor)\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1730\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Founded in 2013, the Naperville Hurling Club has grown to 55 members today. Nearly all of them are U.S.-born, as is the trend nationwide with about 70% of Gaelic games players identifying as U.S.-born, according to the governing body, United States Gaelic Games Association.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-106105 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9847-min.jpg\" alt=\"Woman smiles in Gaelic games jersey: Dolan and Murphy Real Estate sponsor\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Alison Rosy, a camogie player and public relations officer with the Naperville club, says the sport\u2019s uniqueness and sense of community appeal to players like her. \u201cI just don\u2019t want to see it end,\u201d she said at Commissioner\u2019s Park in Naperville on July 26. \u201cI do hope it becomes a stronghold out here like it is in the city.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-106102 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9677-min.jpg\" alt=\"Volunteers at the Continental Youth Championships at Chicago Gaelic Park in Oak Forest (Photo: Tom O'Connor)\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Volunteers form the backbone of the Gaelic games in the U.S., just as they do in Ireland. From organizing tournaments to mentoring players, their dedication sustains the sports. Here, a youth coach, standing at right, celebrates his team\u2019s point at the Continental Youth Championships as organizers look on from a golf cart at Chicago Gaelic Park in Oak Forest on July 25.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-106104 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_9714-min-min.jpg\" alt=\"Gaelic games crowd watches a match\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1534\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Families and friends gather in the bleachers at Chicago Gaelic Park in Oak Forest on for an evening hurling match on July 25 at the Continental Youth Championships. Gaelic games in the U.S. thrive not only as sport, but also as community.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Tom O\u2019Connor graduated from Medill in 2025. Find him on Instagram <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tomreports_\/\">@tomreports_<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Tom O\u2019Connor Medill Reports Far from Ireland, Gaelic games are thriving in Chicago even as the number of U.S. residents born in Ireland fell between 2009 and 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Players with and without Irish roots are building communities around these centuries-old traditions, despite resource challenges and competition from mainstream [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":986,"featured_media":106104,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194,5251,5539,5061,5542,31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-culture","category-chicago","category-fall-2025","category-featured","category-msj25","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>PHOTOS: \u2018More than a sport\u2019: Irish Gaelic games grow, build community in Chicago - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/more-than-a-sport-irish-gaelic-games-grow-build-community-in-chicago\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PHOTOS: \u2018More than a sport\u2019: Irish Gaelic games grow, build community in Chicago - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Tom O\u2019Connor Medill Reports Far from Ireland, Gaelic games are thriving in Chicago even as the number of U.S. residents born in Ireland fell between 2009 and 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 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