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 BRISBANE - Australia's most livable city - is home to
the Shamrocks Gaelic Football Club. The city, seen here from its Southbank
Parklands, has a population of 1.5 million people, and is the capital of the
sunshine state of Queensland that boasts the world heritage's Great Barrier Reef.
Shamrocks was a founding
club of the Queensland Gaelic Football Association in 1983, and was a power
from inception, winning back-to-back senior mens League and Championship
doubles in the inaugural competitions of 1984 and 1985.
The club back then was called
"Wests" and had red uniforms. In 1990 the name was changed to “Shamrocks”
and its current green/white and gold colours adopted, while continuing to proudly
represent Brisbane’s western suburbs.
Success
In the ensuing 26 years
prior to the 2009 season, since Wests Shamrocks helped launch the QGFA, the
club has won 33 football trophies, including seven Championships.
Major achievements over
that time include:
- Only club
to have won Championships in all divisions
- Only club
to have won the Brisbane Shield in all three divisions in the same year
(1999)
- Only
club to have won every one of the thirteen trophies available across the
divisions
The complete list of QGFA titles
1984-2008 include
these honours won by Shamrocks:
Senior Mens
Championship – 1984, 1985, 1995, 2000
League – 1984, 1985, 1988, 1992, 1998, 2005
GAA Trophy – 2005
Brisbane
Shield – 1988, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003
Senior Ladies
Championship – 2001
League – 1999, 2008
GAA Trophy – 1999, 2005
Brisbane
Shield – 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
Reserve Mens
Championship – 1999
League – 1999, 2004
GAA Trophy – 1999, 2004
Brisbane
Shield – 1999
Minor Mens
Championship – 1993
Recovery
Shamrocks went close to folding in 1997 when the club struggled to field even just a senior mens team each week. However, in 1998 then club president Gerry O’Neill commenced a golden age that in the ensuing eight years, Shamrocks would win 22 of its current 32 titles.
That 1998 season included
the return of 1995 Championship coach Jimmy Walsh as mens coach, the formation of a competitive team in Australia's first reserve mens competition, and a strong team in Queensland's first full ladies league that went on to win the inaugural trophies.
In 1999 the club elected Harold Peacock as its first Australian-born
president, a post he would hold for three years. He had previously won the ASSA’s
Sports Administrator of the Year award – you can listen
the ABC Radio interview here - and went on to be QGFA secretary also for
three years. Membership continued to rise, and in 1999 the club won a record
eight of the 12 trophies on offer, including the reserve mens Championship. That
was followed with the senior mens Championship in 2000, and the ladies Championship
in 2001, making it a unique three Championships in three years.
The 2005 president Paul Rice presided over an historic moment
when Jacqueline Peacock was appointed club coach, making her the world’s first
female coach of a senior mens gaelic football team. Success was immediate including
Shamrocks regaining the senior mens League title for the first time in seven
years, and the Championship final lost by a solitary point.
Moving forward
Wests colours started as red and green, evolving to Shamrocks colours green and gold by the late 1980's. The club continues to evolve and appeal to a wider audience beyond its traditional Brisbane western suburbs base. In 2008 the club's 1980's logo was updated to reflect its 25 years, and in 2009 membership was drawn from Brisbane as well as the Gold Coast, moving Shamrocks to become Queensland's club.
 
Media
Although gaelic football remains a minor sport in this country,
Shamrocks receives wide media coverage, both in Brisbane and in Ireland. Coverage has included print,
radio and television. This has included Channel Seven's Sportscene and Limerick
Radio 95FM which
you can access by streaming video.
Recognition
The Shamrocks 2000 senior
mens Championship included a young player, who upon his return to Ireland stepped straight into his senior
county team – today Eoin Mulligan is a star with Tyrone having won All-Ireland
championships and All-star selection.
When Australasia won its first ladies World Cup in
2000, the team included three Shamrocks players – Jacqueline Peacock, Angie
Doyle and Louise O’Neill. Three Shamrocks representatives were again selected
for the successful defense in 2002, and five for the three-peat in 2005. The club is proud of its strong tradition
contributing to the Australasian
Championships each
year.
In recognition of the
on-field ability of its players, the club presents its own annual awards,
including the Stuart Clement Perpetual Trophy which has been presented since 1984.
This is Queensland’s oldest continuing gaelic football trophy. The
full list of Shamrocks
club awards
contains many famous names.
The club continues to look to the future
by attracting new players to the game, and all are welcome. Those interested should
complete this
on-line form
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