GALWAY CITY RAPPAREES | 2026 SEASON
A remarkable year for the Rapparees
Five All-Ireland semi-finals, three finals, two national titles and 17 All-Star nominations. Galway City Rapparees are celebrating an extraordinary 2026 season ahead of Saturday night’s GAA Rounders All-Stars.
5
All-Ireland
Semi-Finals
Just five years after being founded in August 2021, Galway City Rapparees have enjoyed their most successful season to date, establishing themselves among the leading clubs in Irish Rounders.
The club has already been named Connacht Club of the Year and is now in contention for the prestigious Overall Club of the Year award at the GAA Rounders All-Stars in the Osprey Hotel, Naas.
🏆 Connacht Club of the Year 2026
The Rapparees are also nominated for Overall Club of the Year, Senior Team of the Year and Intermediate Team of the Year.
Five Teams Reach All-Ireland Semi-Finals
Every one of the club’s five championship teams reached at least the All-Ireland semi-finals in 2026, an exceptional achievement for a club still in its early years.
Three teams progressed to their respective All-Ireland finals, with the Intermediate Women’s and Intermediate Mixed sides both bringing national titles back to Galway.
Intermediate Women
🏆 ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONS
A superb championship campaign ended with national glory, with Caitríona Carty named Player of the Match in the final.
Intermediate Mixed
🏆 ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONS
The Rapparees completed a remarkable championship double with a 13–6 victory over Emo in the All-Ireland final.
Junior Mixed
ALL-IRELAND RUNNERS-UP
Another excellent campaign saw the Junior Mixed team reach the All-Ireland final before finishing as runners-up.
Senior Men
ALL-IRELAND SEMI-FINALISTS
In their first season at Senior level, the Rapparees reached the last four in the country. It was a particularly significant achievement against some of the most established teams in Irish Rounders.
Junior Men
ALL-IRELAND SEMI-FINALISTS
The Junior Men also reached the national semi-finals, completing a remarkable record across all five championship teams.
17 GAA Rounders All-Star Nominations
The club’s championship performances have been recognised with 17 All-Star nominations across six categories, involving 13 different players. Several Rapparees players have been nominated in more than one competition.
Senior Men
Tomás Kenny – Third Base
Vishal Pathare – Roaming
Cathal Creaven – Second Base
Ajay Kumar – Right Field
Intermediate Women
Sorcha Dowd
Katie Jessop
Clodagh Naughton
Intermediate Mixed – Female
Clodagh Naughton
Jessie Pereira
Alex Stewart
Intermediate Mixed – Male
Cathal Creaven
Ryan Dennis
Tomás Kenny
Junior Mixed – Female
Caitríona Carty
Sorcha Dowd
Junior Mixed – Male
Séamus Keegan
Greg Mannion
Honoured at Galway Bay FM Sports Awards
The achievements of Galway City Rapparees have also been recognised beyond the Rounders community, with the club hugely honoured to be selected for an award at the Galway Bay FM Sports Awards.
To receive recognition alongside some of Galway’s most established sporting clubs and leading athletes is a remarkable achievement for an organisation founded just five years ago.
Rapparees Making an Impact Nationally
The Rapparees are also proud of their members contributing to the administration and development of GAA Rounders at national level.
Craig Davis will continue in his role as National Children’s Officer, supporting the development of the sport and the welfare of young players.
Joe Naughton is standing for election to the new GAA Central Council representative position for Rounders.
Joe is passionate about securing greater recognition, investment and opportunities for Rounders within the wider GAA, including improved access to facilities and additional support for clubs and players.
Everyone at Galway City Rapparees wishes Joe the very best and hopes he will be successful in the election.
A Club Continuing to Grow
While the success on the field has been extraordinary, the continued growth of the Rapparees has been equally encouraging.
With membership now exceeding 60, the club has become one of the most active Rounders clubs in Ireland, helping to introduce new people to the sport and creating opportunities for players of different ages and abilities.
The club would like to thank all its players, coaches, volunteers, families and supporters for their tremendous contribution throughout an unforgettable season.
Special thanks also go to Kenny’s Bookshop and Art Gallery, Galway Sports Partnership and Monroe’s for their continued support.
Looking Forward to the All-Stars
The Rapparees will join more than 270 guests at the sold-out GAA Rounders All-Stars in the Osprey Hotel, Naas, on Saturday night.
With 17 individual nominations and several major club and team awards still to be decided, there is plenty of excitement ahead of the celebrations.
A Season to Remember
Whatever happens on Saturday, 2026 will go down as a landmark year in the history of Galway City Rapparees.
With three teams preparing to compete at Senior level in 2027, the next chapter promises to be every bit as exciting.
BLACK & YELLOW. GALWAY PROUD.
