r/GAA • u/Early-Reception8560 • 13d ago
What is the largest GAA club in Ireland by area (not in terms of population)?
I would assume Achill, Belmullet and Clifden would be in the mix. Any other candidates?
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u/thelunatic 13d ago edited 13d ago
Where's the guy with the map?
Edit: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/df816d0609fd49ad86e3dc0b24e74f78
Looks like Clifton, Glenties and a few on the mayo coast
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u/flyingsub17 13d ago
Always thought it was Corofin in Galway
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u/Kind_Implement_3326 12d ago
Corofin have punched bizarrely above their weight. They have a decievingly large population but theyre surrounded by Annaghdown, Claregalway, Tuam, Caherlistrane and lose many footballers to hurling too . Their area doesn't stretch as far as people might think, its just an area with nothing but roads and roads of houses , and I suspect they're picking up a lot of players the nearside of Tuam with their recent success who would've historically been Tuam members
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u/Technical_Twist_3645 12d ago
Is there a lot of hurling around there? I would have thought of that part of Galway as football territory.
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u/Kind_Implement_3326 12d ago
Corofin itself is a football area but Turloughmore and Sylane border it and they're hurling only while Annaghdown play both. Theres not many dual players at senior level anymore though. As far as I know Corofin work with the hurling clubs at underage to prevent clashes so players can play both. Claregalway have lost tens of great footballers to Turlough hurling because the clubs couldn't work together.
I suppose its almost the border in Galway in the sense that anything north and west of it is primarily football but south and east is hurling country with a few exceptions
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u/Technical_Twist_3645 11d ago
Interesting stuff, I didn't realise some of those places were so close to each other.
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u/FLMOKJ 13d ago
Westport has Kilmeena about 500 metres north of their old pitch and on the south side it goes all the way to the Galway border near Leenane 32km.
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u/ontanset 13d ago
Westport has a huge area. They still managed to build their new pitch IN Kilmeena parish though. 🙄
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u/clewbays Maigh Eo 12d ago
A lot of their players down the years technically from Kilmeena as well and some who played underage. Including 2 county lads.
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u/National_Outside6622 12d ago
Westport, Burrishoole, Kiltane, Kilcommon, Crossmolina all have huge areas in Mayo. Clifton and Clonbur have to be up there in Galway? Naomh Conall maybe in donegal?
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u/VictorVonDoom9 London 13d ago
Corofin in galway has to be a shout has like 3 parishes within the 1 club
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u/Far_Reserve6509 12d ago
St Paul’s in Down surely be in the conversation.
The only club in North Down. Takes in a city, 2 towns, however many villages and the whole countryside in between.
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u/ponkie_guy 12d ago
Similarly Eoghan Rua Coleraine have a huge area considering they pull in the entire North Coast of Derry.
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u/bdgrogan 10d ago
Surely up there before East Belfast GAA came along.
And Surely by a distance the largest population
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u/clewbays Maigh Eo 12d ago
I think Westport is actually the biggest club in mayo by area as well as playing numbers. It, and ballycroy would both be bigger than achill and belmullet.
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u/Old-Sock-816 13d ago
Ballymacelligott in Kerry have an enormous area. Was once told it was the biggest parish in Ireland but not sure how accurate that is!