Located at the western edge of Gloucestershire county board, is Cardiff outfit St.Colmcilles - the only non-university G.A.A club in Wales, although, we hear our near neighbours Newport Pride of Erin may be reforming.

This was not always the case, as a South Wales County Board existed long before Gloucestershire County competitions. During the early part of the last century teams from Fishguard, Port Talbot, Newport and The Emmetts, the forerunners of today's Cardiff GAA, played each other regularly before the 1st World War ceased this. The Emmetts folded in 1915 and Jack Shallow, a part of this set up went on to London where he became an instrumental and leading figure for the next four decades.

It was another four decades before hurling was organised in Cardiff again, with the formation of St Colmcilles, in 1956. The Gloucestershire County Board was now the locale and a strong Wexford link was reflected by their choice of colours - purple and gold. At this time, so that both codes could flourish - there was an arrangement with Newport's Pride of Erin that their footballers could hurl for Cardiff and vice versa. St Colmcilles soon became a force to be reckoned with, winning the league in 1961 and their first County Championship in 1967. 1973 saw them lift the Championship of Great Britain, a remarkable achievement that was short lived as the club folded the following year. Players of this era included Paddy O'Keefe, Sean and Seamus Oldham, Bill Cloake, Liam and Johnny Guilfoyle, Martin O'Neill, and Mick and Pat Power.

1983 saw St Colmcilles re-formed, this time as an underage football team. New colours of blue and white were adopted and as the club grew, a senior football side was added, as was a ladies camogie team. Every section of the club has added county championship and league honours to its achievements, culminating in the under 14's winning the All Britain title in 1988. The same year the senior football championship was also won.

A lot of hard work by a few dedicated people has resulted in the youth of the Cardiff area being able to play our national games today. When you consider that a trip to play Southampton's Southern Gaels involves a round trip of 300 miles, it shows true belief that the GAA will flourish in a time of reverse emigration.

The Gaels arriving in Cardiff are mainly students and white collar workers, as opposed to the manual workers of yesteryear, who are still coming in, but not in great numbers. One thing is certain though, the love of Ireland, our heritage and our games will impossibly never diminish and will continue.