Gaelic games club in County Galway, Ireland
Salthill-Knocknacarra (Irish: Bothar na Tra - Cnoc na Cathrach) is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Salthill and Knocknacarra areas of Galway City in Ireland. The club is a member of the Galway GAA. Salthill-Knocknacarra GAA club fields teams in Gaelic football, hurling, Ladies football and camogie in the parishes of Salthill and Knocknacarra.
History
The club was founded in 1966 under the banner of Cumann Naomh Ciarán. During the 1980s, the club became a major underage force in Galway football.[citation needed] This resulted in over ten championships at both minor and U-21 levels being won. This underage success was then transferred onto the Senior stage in 1990 with the club winning its first Senior football county title followed by a Connaught Club title.[citation needed] The club lost the All-Ireland Final in 1991 to Lavey of Derry. Players starring on this team included Alan Mulholland (former Galway Manager), Norman Costello, Cathal McGinley, John Kilraine, Pat Comer (producer of the video "A Year Til Sunday"), Mark Gibbs, and Donners who subsequently managed the club to an All Ireland title in 2006.[citation needed]
Since the 1980s the club has always had successful underage teams in football. Minor and U21 finals are regularly contested but the club did however need to wait under 2005 to win its next County title which was followed by an All Ireland Club title on St Patricks Day in 2006 against St Galls of Antrim, players starring on this team included Finian Hanley, Seán Armstrong, Michael Donnellan, Maurice Sheridan, Séamie Crowe, Alan Kerins to mention only a few.
The senior team is managed by former Galway all-star, Finian Hanley.[citation needed] Current Galway players at senior level include John Maher, Cathal Sweeney Rob Finnerty, Daniel O'Flaherty, and Tomo Culhane.[citation needed] Since the 1980s, the club has had several successful underage teams in football.[citation needed] Minor and U21 finals are regularly contested but the club did however need to wait until 2005 to win its next county title which was followed by an All Ireland Club title on St Patricks Day in 2006 against St Galls of Antrim.[citation needed] Current county players include Cathal Sweeney, John Maher, Rob Finnerty, Tomo Culhane, and Matthew Thompson.[citation needed]
The club is primarily known as a football club. However, hurling in the club has seen some engagement and success and has teams that compete at Junior levels and have had their first winning Galway minor in 2009.[citation needed] In more recent times,[when?] the club continued to produce young inter-county talent, including Donal O'Shea, Seanie Joyce, Fergal Hanney, Keith Gleeson, Brian Hyland, and Shane Kelly, several of whom featured in the 2024 Galway Development squads.[citation needed]
The club is structured at under-age level in all four codes, with parents involved in managing teams and organising club activities.[citation needed] Players from the club field on underage county teams every year and some club members have represented Galway at adult level.[citation needed] Hurling has been played in the club since the early 1980s and for the last four years has experienced growth.[when?][citation needed] Camogie in Bóthar na Trá celebrated 25 years in 2004.[citation needed] Former Dublin player and All Ireland winner in 1984, Edel Murphy is the senior manager.[citation needed]
In Ladies Gaelic football, the club has won titles at underage and junior level, capturing a Junior county title in 2003, and again in 2022 culminating in All-Ireland success with players now playing for Galway on the inter-county stage. In 2023, the now-intermediate side, captained by Ailbhe Finnerty/Siobhan Divilly captured the Galway Intermediate title and bowed up in the Connacht semi-final after additional time. 2024 saw the Camogie Ladies Footballers compete at Senior level in Galway.[citation needed]
Salthill-Knocknacarra hosted Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge in March 2020, the first visit by any members of the British royal family to a GAA club in Ireland (though previous visitors had toured Croke Park).[1]
The club has facilities including floodlit playing pitches, Astro turf and an events centre, Arus Bóthar na Tra. This facility is used for events including yoga, pliâtes, dance, drama, art classes, meeting rooms and conference facilities alongside its core functions.[2]
