Tippin’ around in Tacoma.
The majority of GAA strongholds in the northern hemisphere tend to be dotted along the east coast of the United States, but there’s plenty of activity out west as well.
Earlier in this series, we featured the remarkable story of Columbia Red Branch Hurling Club, which was formed by a group of locals who had never actually seen the game before.
One of Columbia Red Branch’s biggest rivals is Tacoma Rangers Gaelic Football and Hurling Club, who have been in existence for less than five years but already have almost 60 members and are currently on a high after capturing the Willamette Cup for the first time in May.
Started by an Active Duty US Army Soldier in February 2012, the club is mostly made up of American-born players, many of whom are current or former members of the US Military and didn’t pick up a hurl or football until their late 20s or beyond.
Brian Thompson is the Chairperson and enlightened us about the club and some of his fellow members, including Fred “Lounge Boy” Dunne and Ian “Hot Lips” Buoye.
Focus on Tacoma Rangers
Club: Tacoma Rangers Hurling & Gaelic Football Club
Year established: 2012
Number of members: 55 Registered Players as of April 2016.
Biggest rivals: Columbia Red Branch (Hurling) and Portland Eireannach (Football).
Biggest representation from a club/county in Ireland: Two from Dublin and one each from Antrim, Donegal and Limerick.
Most famous ever member: Rory O’Flaherty’s Dad played GAA for Offaly.
Most memorable moment in the club’s history: In May 2016, the Rangers travelled to Corvallis, Oregon for the Willamette Cup hurling tournament.
In our first match, the Rangers beat the defending Willamette Cup champions and hosts, the Benton Brigade. We then went on to beat the reigning NW Division champs for the past three years, Columbia Red Branch, in our second match.
In the Championship match we again faced the Branch, winning by one point in extra-time. The 2016 Willamette Cup was the team’s first tournament victory.
Most eye-catching scoreline in the club’s history: Our narrow victory over Columbia Red Branch in the championship game of the 2016 Willamette Cup. In extra-time, the Rangers were playing with a man down and had lost our two biggest scorers on the day to injuries.
The remaining players held on to grind out a one-point victory against Red Branch to win the cup.
Player who makes the longest commute to training: Our secretary and Gaelic football manager, Tom “the Edge” Lagan, commutes 45 miles from Snoqualmie to Tacoma twice a week for practices.
Most dedicated club person: The entire board. Brian Thompson (Chair), Hud Wilkins (Vice Chair), Tom Lagan (Secretary) and Rory O’Flaherty (Treasurer).
Player who could have made it big if love/career/drink didn’t get in the way: Rory O’Flaherty’s dad forbade him to play GAA while he was growing up, but if he had picked up a hurl before his late 40s he would have made it big.
We have a large contingent of Active Duty military players, so deployments and relocations exact a heavy toll on our roster.
Biggest character: Fred “Lounge Boy” Dunne, from the wrong side of the tracks in Dublin City.
Loudest in the dressing room: Fred Dunne. We don’t have a dressing room, so the Rangers and our opponents get to see and hear way more of Fred than we’d like!
Number of romances that started in the GAA club (feel free to name names): None that we know of…
Duck to water award – Best new player who had never played GAA before: Most of our players come to the games for the first time in their 20s or 30s, so we’re always impressed by the quick progress they make.
The two that took to it like ducks to water are Will “the Gentle Giant” Jackson and Ian “Hot Lips” Buoye.
Most annoying person in the club WhatsApp group: We don’t have a WhatsApp group, but we have a couple players that tend to “reply all” to the e-mail chain, letting all 75 people know when and where they’ll meet their ride to the weekend’s tournament or which entrée they’d like at our anniversary dinner.
Best story involving a club member that’s fit for print: One Sunday, while Tom Lagan and Brian Thompson were in Chicago for GAA training, the rest of the Rangers were practicing in Tacoma.
During a break in practice, Alex Schmidt looked up at the ominous cloud formations in the sky and was reminded of the alien invasion in the movie Independence Day. She turned to Ian Buoye and said, “Dude, what would you do if a UFO landed in the middle of the pitch right now?”
Ian replied: “I don’t know what I’d do, but if Brian were here he’d walk right up the ramp and start shaking hands and asking, ‘Do you play any sports? Have you ever heard of hurling and Gaelic football?’”
While everyone laughed at this jab at our Chair’s non-stop recruitment efforts, Alex added that the secretary, Tom, would have to jump in as well.
In her best Belfast accent, she started saying: “Brian. Have the little green men signed their waivers, Brian?”
If you’re a member of a GAA club abroad and would like to be featured on the site, feel free to send a mail to conor.heneghan@joe.ie or find us on Facebook or Twitter.
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