Club History

Gaelic football has a long-standing tradition in Leicester. Naomh Padraig is a product of the amalgamation of St Columcilles and Young Irelands GAA Clubs. Our story started way back in 1947 When a group of  GAA enthusiasts decided to form a team. The founding commitee was as follows:

Chairman: Frank Murphy Vice Chairman:Fr J Leahy Treasurer:Mick O Connell

Secretary:Peter McEneaney Commitee:D O Leary Paul Murphy Chris Canavan Barry Lynch  Joe Willis

The club colours were Green and Gold. The first game played was against John Mitchels of Birmingham on a Sunday in August 1947 at Murphys field in Syston.

The following season the club reached its first Senior champianship final but were beaten 2-13 to 1-9 by John Mitchels. The club finished league runners up in 1949 and 1950. They also reached the senior champianship final in 1951 only to be beaten by Taras. Success was finally achieved in 1952 when the cup came to Leicester.The final had to be replayed and the first result was not allowed to stand owing to umpires abandoning their posts due to bad weather.

The replay was won by 2-9 to Robert emmetts 1-7.

The best known player ever to play for Leicester was Jim McKeever (Derry) He was a student at Loughborough.He won several railway cup medals and captained Derry versus Dublin in the all-ireland final of 1958.

The club formed a hurling team in 1949 which won the Warwickshire junior champianship in 1953. The winning team was as follows

In 1959,The hurling team won the Warwickshire hurling league.

In 1960,The mens footballers were beaten by St Finbars in the league final.

During the period 1962 to 1969, Leicestershire GAA moved away from Warwickshire and competed in an East midlands board based in Nottingham.

In 1969, Leicestershire GAA became re attached with the Warwickshire county

board.The commitee at this time was Mick Griffin,Paddy Reilly,Eddie mangan,Fr John Lally,John Brouder,Seamus Coleman and Tony Coleman.

The 1970s were important and successful years in terms of the development of

the GAA in Leicester. The Warwickshire junior hurling title was won in 1971,1974,and 1977.The club combined with St Finbars to win the Senior Hurling Croke cup in 1979.

In football,Leicester beat St Finbars 1-06 to 1-04  to win the Fr Forde cup in 1972,Won the Intermediate football champianship in 1975.

Won the Intermediate football champianship in 1980 and 1984.

During the 1970s and 1980s,The club was in the safe hands of Tony Smith,Mary

O Neill,Ann Hoey,Nicky Higgins and Fr Lally.

At this point,It is important to mention that the club name has undergone several changes during its history: From Young Irelands in 1948;to Erin Og around 1962;to St Columcilles around 1969/1970; In 1989 Young Irelands was reformed and competed with St Columcilles; In 1998 St Columcilles and Young Irelands amalgamated ; In 1999 the club became known as Naomh Padraig.

So from 1989 for ten years there was two Leicester clubs competing in the Warwickshire league. During this period both clubs achieved great success

winning one Junior champianship,two Mulligan cups and two intermediate league titles. Also in 1991,The U14 Young Irelands team won the Warwickshire

league and champianship. During this period active St Columcilles clubmen included Mark Campbell,Paul McKenna,Tony Cusack,Paul Harkin,Greg Lynch and Carolyn Joseph. Young Irelands were organised by John McDonagh,John Morley,Brian Ruane,Martin Mullarkey and Michael Walker.

In 1999, Both clubs amalgamated mainly due to players returning to ireland for work due to the thriving economy.

In 2005, Naomh Padraig defeated Erin go Bragh in the John Scanlon Cup final

Managed by John O Donovan.

In 2011, Naomh padraig under the management of Billy Campbell won the intermediate champianship defeating St Brendans of Birmingham in the final.

Also in 2011,Naomh Padraigs U14s won the All Britain champianship defeating Dulwich harps in the final .

In 2014, Naomh Padraig won the Mick Sugrue cup defeating Four Masters in the final. The managment team that day was David Byrne and Tony Smith .

Today,we are a thriving GAA  club , Our Senior mens teams, Ladies club, Legends group and Minor teams compete in the Warwickshire leagues.