GAELIC SPORTS WORLD Issue 34 – September 19, 2015 | Seite 11

CANADA
2015 WESTERN CANADA GAA FINALS
SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

VANCOUVER DOUBLE &
CALGARY WIN
BY SHARON WHELTON
This year’s Western Canadian GAA finals were held in
Edmonton over the August long weekend, and what a
scintillating weekend of Gaelic games was witnessed by
all present. Edmonton were delighted to welcome teams
from Calgary, Red Deer, Regina, Fraser Valley and Vancouver for the weekend and all teams brought a hugely
competitive aspect to the games. The weather quite the
mixed bag for the two days, but the sun shone for all finals, which brought the perfect end to the weekend.
VANCOUVER TOPS
On Saturday, the Fraser Valley Gaels upset the odds,
beating the hot favorites, the Calgary Chieftains, in their
round robin clash to qualify for their first senior semi.
Edmonton edged Vancouver in their group match, to set
up two Provincial tussles in the senior tournament. In the
men’s senior football final, Vancouver (who beat Fraser
Valley) and Edmonton (winning a Battle of Alberta semi)
met up in a repeat of last years final. Edmonton were vying to become champs for the 3rd straight year, but a great
game of football came down to 3 crucial first half goals. It
was Vancouver who scored those goals and, fittingly just
over a month after the passing of the great man himself,

claimed the Tom Butler Cup, much to the delight of the
Vancouver following. Regina were earlier crowned junior
football winners following a well-deserved win over Calgary’s second team.

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