Looking for New Players for 2020!
We are currently recruiting new players for the ladies and men’s football teams. Check out this video for a brief overview of the best craic (fun) in Texas:
G.A.A.
The Gaelic Athletic Association / Cumann Lúthchleas Gael (G.A.A, established in 1884) is a sporting and cultural organisation that has a presence on all five continents.
It is Ireland’s largest sporting organisation and is celebrated as one of the great amateur sporting associations in the world today.
The GAA is a volunteer led, community based organisation that promotes Gaelic games such as Hurling, Football, Handball and Rounders and works with sister organisations to promote Ladies Football and Camogie. It is part of the Irish consciousness and plays an influential role in Irish society that extends far beyond the basic aim of promoting Gaelic games.
The Association has its headquarters at Croke Park in Dublin where it has been based on a full time basis since 1908. The stadium, which was redeveloped between 1993 and 2003, has a capacity of 82,300 and hosts some of the highest profile events in the Irish sporting calendar.
Celtic Cowboys are proud to carry the tradition of Gaelic Football and Hurling in Austin, Texas.
Celtic Cowboys G.A.A.
With a wide range of teams, the Celtic Cowboys are very proud to play and promote the tradition of the G.A.A to the Greater Austin area and along the Central Texas Corridor.
Gaelic Football
Since our first official game in San Diego in 2006 and our first trip to Nationals in 2007, we have promoted and developed the game in Austin and supported the growth of our neighboring clubs in Texas. From a small squad of 19 players making those trips in 2006/07 to near on 200 players now playing the games in Austin, it has been a fun and pretty successful road!
Gaelic Football
Gaelic Football is a field game which has developed as a distinct game similar to the progression of Australian Rules. Gaelic Football is played on a pitch up to 145m long and 90m wide. The goalposts are the same shape as on a rugby pitch, with the crossbar lower than a rugby one and slightly higher than a soccer one.
The ball used in Gaelic Football is round, slightly smaller than a soccer ball. It can be carried in the hand for a distance of four steps and can be kicked or “hand-passed”, a striking motion with the hand or fist. After every four steps the ball must be either bounced or “solo-ed”, an action of dropping the ball onto the foot and kicking it back into the hand. You may not bounce the ball twice in a row. To score, you put the ball over the crossbar by foot or hand / fist for one point or under the crossbar and into the net by foot or the hand / fist in certain circumstances for a goal, the latter being the equivalent of three points. Each team consists of 13 players.
Check out this video for an explanation of Gaelic football rules:
Hurling
Hurling is believed to be the world’s oldest field game. When the Celts came to Ireland as the last ice age was receding, they brought with them a unique culture, their own language, music, script and unique pastimes. One of these pastimes was a game now called hurling. It features in Irish folklore to illustrate the deeds of heroic mystical figures and it is chronicled as a distinct Irish pastime for at least 2,000 years.
Celtic Cowboys 7s Hurling Team
The stick, or “hurley” (called camán in Irish) is curved outwards at the end, to provide the striking surface. The ball or “sliotar” is similar in size to a hockey ball but has raised ridges.
Hurling is played on a pitch that can be up to 145m long and 90m long. The goalposts are similar to those used on a rugby pitch, with the crossbar lower than in rugby and slightly higher than a soccer one.
You may strike the ball on the ground, or in the air. Unlike hockey, you may pick up the ball with your hurley and carry it for not more than four steps in the hand. After those steps you may bounce the ball on the hurley and back to the hand, but you are forbidden to catch the ball more than twice. To get around this, one of the skills is running with the ball balanced on the hurley To score, you put the ball over the crossbar with the hurley or under the crossbar and into the net by the hurley for a goal, the latter being the equivalent of three points.
Each team is made up of 13 players with match officials and scoring values the same as in Gaelic Football.
Congratulations Teams!!!
Congratulations to the Celtic Cowboys teams on their performances at USGAA/North American Finals in Washington, DC in August 2019! Three teams traveled to compete over the weekend, a men’s football team, a ladies football team, and a men’s hurling team.
The Ladies football team competed for the first time at the Junior A level and lost their semi-final match against an experienced Chicago team that eventually won the Ladies Junior A championship. The ladies came back to win the Shield division against a tough Pittsburgh team. The men’s football and hurling teams also lost close semi-final matches. While the teams fell short of bringing home a national championship, they all challenged themselves against high level competition and are hungry to compete for chamionships again next year!
We look forward to starting another strong GAA campaign in 2020!
Thank you to all our sponsors for supporting our push for North American Finals!!!
Club History
2006 First Competitive Gaelic Football Game in San Diego
2007 First Trip to NACB Nationals in Chicago
2008 National Men’s Junior D Football Champions
Austin Compromised Rules Winners
2009 National Men’s Junior C Football Runners-up
Austin Compromised Rules Winners
2010 National Men’s Junior C Football Champions
Austin Compromised Rules Winners
2011 National Men’s Junior B Hurling Champions
National Men’s Junior B Football Semi-Finalists
2012 Inaugural Texas Men’s Football Champions
Added Ladies Gaelic Football Team
2013 Texas Men’s Football Champions
National Men’s Junior C Football Shield Winners
2014 Texas Men’s Football Champions
Texas Ladies Football Runners-up
National Ladies Junior B Football Runners-Up
2016 National Men’s Junior A Football Runners-up
National Ladies Junior B Football Shield Winners
2017 National Men’s Junior A Football Champions
National Ladies Junior B Football Semi-Finalists
National Men’s Junior A Hurling Runners-up
2018 National Ladies Junior B Football Champions
National Men’s Intermediate Football Champions
National Men’s Junior C Football Shield Winners
2019 National Ladies Junior A Shield Winners
Texas Men’s Intermediate Football Champions