A truly remarkable story.
It is a testament to the power of the GAA and of hurling in particular that a group of Americans who had heard of the sport but had never actually seen a game decided to form a club themselves.
In an era where hurling footage is easily accessed on YouTube you might question the validity of the above statement, but the Internet wasn’t quite as influential in 2001 as it is today.
So keen were these pioneers to try out the fastest field sport in the world that they even made their own hurleys and sliotars and are still going strong 15 years on, having picked up some Irish recruits along the way.
Club member Conor MacCarthy got in touch to tell us the remarkable story of Columbia Red Branch, a club that started off in Vancouver in Washington but now calls Portland, Oregon home and last season had players as young as 16 and as old as 60 hurling in the red and black.
Focus on Columbia Red Branch Hurling
Club: Columbia Red Branch, AKA The Branch
Year established: 2001
Number of members: 40
Biggest rivals: Seattle Gaels. We have enjoyed beating them regularly the last few years.
Biggest representation from a club/county in Ireland: Two Mossies from Waterford.
Most famous ever member: Ron Dodge. Lumberjack, car racer and goalkeeper at the ripe age of 57.
Most memorable moment in the club’s history: Winning our first game ever at Championships in 2014. We were losing by a point in normal time and our movie-producing wing forward Miles stepped up after a summer in Hollywood to send us into extra-time, where we won by a few points.
Most eye-catching scoreline in the club’s history: CRB 3-12 Indianapolis 4-7. Winning in extra time at Nationals in Boston in 2014.
Player who makes the longest commute to training: Noah, our club hippy, comes down from his cabin in the mountains, located over an hour from Portland.
Most dedicated club person: Tony Valley, the club’s first retiree. Tony is in his 60s and has retired with a dodgy hip, but went out with a bang with a hat-trick at a competition last year.
Tony continues to travel over an hour to watch practice and games, sits on our board and even sponsored our main tournament last year. A true gent.
Player who could have made it big if love/career/drink didn’t get in the way: Too many to mention. Probably all of us.
Biggest character: Brett “El Presidente” Brothers. Never found wanting for an abusive/embarrassing comment, Brett has served with the US marines, as President of the club and, most importantly, as the club’s beer pong champion.
Brett and his wife Nicole have opened their home up to the club for club socials and most recently a double baby shower for little Tadhg and Saoirse. Brett is one of many leaders who continue to steer the club in the right direction.
Loudest in the dressing room: Brett “El Presidente” Brothers
Number of romances that started in the GAA club (feel free to name names): We lost count of the romances and broken hearts when the two studs from Ireland, Joe and Michael, played with us while working in Oregon for a few years.
Duck to water award – Best new player who had never played GAA before: Evan Yackell has been playing with us a couple years now. He started playing when he was 13 when most of his teammates were at least twice his age. He has been running rings around us ever since.
Most annoying person in the club WhatsApp group: Killian Condon, assistant to the coach. Killian, AKA Langer, has a temper like Roy Keane, but entertains us with his stories of bygone days of Cork glory and legends such as Sean Óg and Christy Ring.
Best story involving a club member that’s fit for print:
Story 1: Coach Conor Mac’s recruitment:
Conor was tipping away playing indoor soccer and suffered a nasty leg break (he probably didn’t give it his all in the challenge).
Between periods of wincing and sobbing through the oxygen mask, club member and Fire Department paramedic Virgil noticed Conor’s accent and introduced him to the Branch.
Conor joined after the leg healed and has been coaching The Branch since.
Story 2: What’s a sliotar?
The club was started by a few lads, including Todd Brothers, brother of El Presidente, Brett. Todd had never seen the game played and learned about it from books.
With the internet only just coming online he resorted to making his own hurleys and sliotars and the founders were blown away when they finally got to see a game being played, which looked nothing like what they had been playing.
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