Vancouver Harps
Encyclopedia
The Vancouver Harps are a Gaelic football
and Hurling
club based in Vancouver
, Canada
. They club represents the Vancouver Irish Sporting & Social Club
. They play at Capilano RFC, North Vancouver, BC or Trout Lake, Vancouver, BC and are members of Western Canada Division
of the Canadian
County Board
of the Gaelic Athletic Association
.
The Harps compete every year in the Western Canadian Championships
in both Men's & Ladies' Gaelic football.
The Men have been Champions in the West on four occasions, being undefeated in 2010, 2008 & 2005 (though the record shows a loss, after the team walked off the field in protest to the antics of the Calgary Chieftains
in their final Championship game), and narrowly winning the 2006 Championship, defeating the Edmonton Wolfe Tones
by 9 points in a game where a 5 point margin of victory was required, in the Final game of the Championships.
The Vancouver Ladies team are the reigning Western Canadian Champions (since 2007). In that year, they broke Edmonton's stranglehold on the Championship by sending their strongest showing to Alberta, and winning the Edmonton Tournament. Since then they have been the dominant force in Ladies football in the West.
Hurling, the poor relation of the Gaelic Games for many years in Vancouver, has witnessed a revival in recent years fielding teams at a number of Hurling Tournaments against Seattle since 2005. Most recently, the club received a special dispensation from the CCB and the NACB to compete at the North American County Board Championships in Chicago in 2010. To add icing to that cake, the club went and won the Junior A North American Championship defeated San Francisco in the final.
To date, there has been 6 teams each year, and 5 rounds of games commencing mid-February with the Final Round of Matches to be played on Friday night of the St. Patrick's Day week-end. For 3 of the 4 seasons the tournament has been run at Andy Livingston Park in downtown Vancouver, with one season 2009 in Capilano RFC grounds. With its fourth season under its belt, it is the largest Sevens Gaelic football competition ever organised internally in Vancouver.
It's also a first in that some experimental rules (with respect to physical contact & scoring) are being applied to make the games more relevant to the Ladies in the team. These rules make the game a nice introduction for new players to Gaelic Football, without the physical demands that the sport 'proper' would involve.
In 2008, a team from Squamish competed in the league with 90% first-timers.
The tournament venue has changed 6 times in the new millennium, being held at Richmond RFC (2001), Trout Lake (2002), White Rock (2004, 2005), Burnaby Lake RFC (2006, 2007), Brockton Oval, Stanley Park (2008)and at Capilano RFC, N.Vancouver (2009, 2010).
The Seattle Gaels Ladies domination of the Vancouver Tournaments ended on July 13, 2008, when the Harps finally won their home contest. In a first in Western Canada, the Chieftains ladies won the Plate competition. But that week-end belonged to the Harps Ladies who fielded two teams. The achieved that feat again in 2009, 2010, both times, having 2 dominant ladies teams that played an entertaining finale.
2009 showed unprecedented success for Vancouver with 4 full men' teams competing at the home tournament. The Western Canadian GAA clubs of the Harps & Celts were joined by the Black Irish, a club made up of players from the ISSC Soccer club that competed in the Richmond league. Also joining the fray was a Vancouver Aussie Rules team, who very nearly took the scalp of the week-end, against the fancied Harps. In 2007 & 2008, the Harps had entered two teams (Shamrock Rovers [07] & Vancouver Celts [08]). The Harps took the tournament title in 2007, but were beaten by their clubmates, the Celts in 2008 & 2009. Calgary Men, to Vancouver's dismay, have won 3 of the last 6 tournaments played. Red Deer visited Vancouver for the first time in 2008 also, taking the Men's Plate that year.
The Harps club has hosted several successful games of Hurling since 2004, and in the latest tournament (2009), the Seattle Gaels competed ably against the Vancouver Harps Hurling team.
, a local Australian rules football
team, every year around Saint Patrick's Day in a game of Gaelic football. The first of these challenge matches was played on 17-Mar-2001.
On 27-Jan-2007, to return the favor to the Aussies, the first annual Australia Day
match was played between the two teams in Australian Football.
Since 2001, the Vancouver Cougars have competed in the Gaelic Football tournament held in Vancouver.
On 02-Jun-2007, the Vancouver Harps became the first Gaelic Football club in Canada to enter an Aussie Rules tournament, when they contested the Kelowna Cup. They finished with 1W & 1L, from their two games. The Vancouver Harps has entered the Kelowna Cup 3 times, and the Vancouver AFL tournament once, 2008. In 2009, the Harps unprecedentedly entered a team to the BCAFL league competing admirably and enhancing that tournament.
These events stress the co-operation typical of these two similar sports so far away from their native lands. These two sports complement and enhance each other when mixed.
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
and Hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
club based in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. They club represents the Vancouver Irish Sporting & Social Club
The Vancouver Irish Sporting and Social Club
The Vancouver Irish Sports & Social Club is a blend of new immigrants, second generation Irish descendants and other Canadians. Over the years, the ISSC have donated their time and efforts in support of many events that have come through Vancouver by the way of Ireland...
. They play at Capilano RFC, North Vancouver, BC or Trout Lake, Vancouver, BC and are members of Western Canada Division
Western Divisional Board
The Western Canada Divisional Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is part of the Canadian County Board and is responsible for Gaelic Games in Western Canada. The county board is also responsible for the football, hurling, camogie and Ladies' Gaelic football, known collectively as Gaelic games...
of the Canadian
Canada GAA
The Canadian County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Canada GAA, is one of the county boards of the GAA outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games all across Canada. The county board is also responsible for Canadian inter county teams-History:Gaelic games have been played...
County Board
GAA county
A Gaelic Athletic Association county is a geographic region within the Gaelic Athletic Association , controlled by a county board and originally based on the counties of Ireland as they were in 1884. While the counties of Ireland have changed since the foundation of that date, the GAA counties have...
of the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
.
The Harps compete every year in the Western Canadian Championships
Western Canadian Championships
The Western Canadian Championship is a Gaelic football championship tournament of the Western Divisional Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association, played every year in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada...
in both Men's & Ladies' Gaelic football.
The Men have been Champions in the West on four occasions, being undefeated in 2010, 2008 & 2005 (though the record shows a loss, after the team walked off the field in protest to the antics of the Calgary Chieftains
Calgary Chieftains
The Calgary Chieftains are an Gaelic football club based in Calgary, Canada. They play at the Calgary Canadian Irish Athletic Club grounds and are members of Western Divisional Board of the Canadian County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association....
in their final Championship game), and narrowly winning the 2006 Championship, defeating the Edmonton Wolfe Tones
Edmonton Wolfe Tones
The Edmonton Wolfe Tones are a Gaelic football club based in Edmonton, AB, Canada. They play during the summer months with a very active and vibrant group of people involved. The Wolfe Tones are members of Western Divisional Board of the Canadian County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association.Jack...
by 9 points in a game where a 5 point margin of victory was required, in the Final game of the Championships.
The Vancouver Ladies team are the reigning Western Canadian Champions (since 2007). In that year, they broke Edmonton's stranglehold on the Championship by sending their strongest showing to Alberta, and winning the Edmonton Tournament. Since then they have been the dominant force in Ladies football in the West.
Hurling, the poor relation of the Gaelic Games for many years in Vancouver, has witnessed a revival in recent years fielding teams at a number of Hurling Tournaments against Seattle since 2005. Most recently, the club received a special dispensation from the CCB and the NACB to compete at the North American County Board Championships in Chicago in 2010. To add icing to that cake, the club went and won the Junior A North American Championship defeated San Francisco in the final.
Vancouver Tournament - 2010
Western Canadian Championship First Round of Matches for 2010 were held at Capilano RFC, North Vancouver. The dates were:- Saturday, 26-Jun-2010
- Sunday, 27-Jun-2010
Spring Mixed Sevens
In an effort to make the build up to St.Patricks Day more interesting, and building on the foundation of the Winter Training sessions led by Keith Clark, the Mixed Sevens League was instigated. Substantial Prizes have been provided by the 'Black Frog' Pub in Gastown to add a competitive edge.To date, there has been 6 teams each year, and 5 rounds of games commencing mid-February with the Final Round of Matches to be played on Friday night of the St. Patrick's Day week-end. For 3 of the 4 seasons the tournament has been run at Andy Livingston Park in downtown Vancouver, with one season 2009 in Capilano RFC grounds. With its fourth season under its belt, it is the largest Sevens Gaelic football competition ever organised internally in Vancouver.
It's also a first in that some experimental rules (with respect to physical contact & scoring) are being applied to make the games more relevant to the Ladies in the team. These rules make the game a nice introduction for new players to Gaelic Football, without the physical demands that the sport 'proper' would involve.
In 2008, a team from Squamish competed in the league with 90% first-timers.
Vancouver Tournament - Roll of Honour
| Season | Ladies | Men's | Hurling | Plate (L) | Plate (M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Harps | Celts Vancouver Celts The Vancouver Celts are a Gaelic football club based in Vancouver, Canada. They club represents the Vancouver Irish Sporting & Social Club. The club was formed to spread the playing pool in Vancouver, separating itself from its sister club, the Vancouver Harps... |
Harps A drew vrs Harps B | ||
| 2009 | Celts Vancouver Celts The Vancouver Celts are a Gaelic football club based in Vancouver, Canada. They club represents the Vancouver Irish Sporting & Social Club. The club was formed to spread the playing pool in Vancouver, separating itself from its sister club, the Vancouver Harps... |
Celts Vancouver Celts The Vancouver Celts are a Gaelic football club based in Vancouver, Canada. They club represents the Vancouver Irish Sporting & Social Club. The club was formed to spread the playing pool in Vancouver, separating itself from its sister club, the Vancouver Harps... |
Harps | ||
| 2008 | Harps | Celts Vancouver Celts The Vancouver Celts are a Gaelic football club based in Vancouver, Canada. They club represents the Vancouver Irish Sporting & Social Club. The club was formed to spread the playing pool in Vancouver, separating itself from its sister club, the Vancouver Harps... |
Harps | Chieftains Calgary Chieftains The Calgary Chieftains are an Gaelic football club based in Calgary, Canada. They play at the Calgary Canadian Irish Athletic Club grounds and are members of Western Divisional Board of the Canadian County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association.... |
Eire Og |
| 2007 | Seattle Gaels | Harps | Seattle Gaels/ Alberta/ BC Shared | ||
| 2006 | Seattle Gaels | Chieftains Calgary Chieftains The Calgary Chieftains are an Gaelic football club based in Calgary, Canada. They play at the Calgary Canadian Irish Athletic Club grounds and are members of Western Divisional Board of the Canadian County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association.... |
Seattle Gaels | ||
| 2005 | Seattle Gaels | Harps | Draw Seattle - BC/ABs |
||
| 2004 | Seattle Gaels | Chieftains Calgary Chieftains The Calgary Chieftains are an Gaelic football club based in Calgary, Canada. They play at the Calgary Canadian Irish Athletic Club grounds and are members of Western Divisional Board of the Canadian County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association.... |
BC/AB Combineds | ||
| 2003 | |||||
| 2002 | Seattle Gaels | Chieftains Calgary Chieftains The Calgary Chieftains are an Gaelic football club based in Calgary, Canada. They play at the Calgary Canadian Irish Athletic Club grounds and are members of Western Divisional Board of the Canadian County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association.... |
|||
| 2001 | San Diego | Harps |
The tournament venue has changed 6 times in the new millennium, being held at Richmond RFC (2001), Trout Lake (2002), White Rock (2004, 2005), Burnaby Lake RFC (2006, 2007), Brockton Oval, Stanley Park (2008)and at Capilano RFC, N.Vancouver (2009, 2010).
The Seattle Gaels Ladies domination of the Vancouver Tournaments ended on July 13, 2008, when the Harps finally won their home contest. In a first in Western Canada, the Chieftains ladies won the Plate competition. But that week-end belonged to the Harps Ladies who fielded two teams. The achieved that feat again in 2009, 2010, both times, having 2 dominant ladies teams that played an entertaining finale.
2009 showed unprecedented success for Vancouver with 4 full men' teams competing at the home tournament. The Western Canadian GAA clubs of the Harps & Celts were joined by the Black Irish, a club made up of players from the ISSC Soccer club that competed in the Richmond league. Also joining the fray was a Vancouver Aussie Rules team, who very nearly took the scalp of the week-end, against the fancied Harps. In 2007 & 2008, the Harps had entered two teams (Shamrock Rovers [07] & Vancouver Celts [08]). The Harps took the tournament title in 2007, but were beaten by their clubmates, the Celts in 2008 & 2009. Calgary Men, to Vancouver's dismay, have won 3 of the last 6 tournaments played. Red Deer visited Vancouver for the first time in 2008 also, taking the Men's Plate that year.
The Harps club has hosted several successful games of Hurling since 2004, and in the latest tournament (2009), the Seattle Gaels competed ably against the Vancouver Harps Hurling team.
Ladies' Gaelic football
- Western Canadian Champions, 4 Times (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
- Vancouver Tournament Champions, 2 Times (2008, 2010)
- Edmonton Tournament Champions, 3 Times (2001, 2007, 2009)
- Calgary Tournament Champions, Once (2008)
- Red Deer Tournament Champions, Once (2010)
Men's Gaelic football
- Western Canadian Champions, 4 Times (2005, 2006, 2008, 2010)
- Vancouver Tournament Champions, 4 Times (2001, 2005, 2007, 2010)
- Edmonton Tournament Champions, Twice (2005, 2007)
- Red Deer Tournament Champions, Once (2010)
Harps - The Aussie Rules Connection
The Harps men compete against the Vancouver CougarsVancouver Cougars
The Vancouver Cougars are members of the Australian Football League Canada and compete in the North West Pacific Australian Football League.The club was founded in Vancouver, Canada on January 15, 2001, becoming the first ever Aussie Rules club in the city of Vancouver.-History:Club founders James...
, a local Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
team, every year around Saint Patrick's Day in a game of Gaelic football. The first of these challenge matches was played on 17-Mar-2001.
On 27-Jan-2007, to return the favor to the Aussies, the first annual Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
match was played between the two teams in Australian Football.
Since 2001, the Vancouver Cougars have competed in the Gaelic Football tournament held in Vancouver.
On 02-Jun-2007, the Vancouver Harps became the first Gaelic Football club in Canada to enter an Aussie Rules tournament, when they contested the Kelowna Cup. They finished with 1W & 1L, from their two games. The Vancouver Harps has entered the Kelowna Cup 3 times, and the Vancouver AFL tournament once, 2008. In 2009, the Harps unprecedentedly entered a team to the BCAFL league competing admirably and enhancing that tournament.
These events stress the co-operation typical of these two similar sports so far away from their native lands. These two sports complement and enhance each other when mixed.