Toronto Hurling Club Open Letter

I came across the following letter on facebook. It seems the Toronto hurlers are hoping to help more teams develop in the Greater Toronto Area. Now lets hope one of the many gaelic football clubs there take them up on the offer.

Mo Chairde 

The aim of this open letter is to promote the game of hurling in Toronto and Southern Ontario, and to 
aid in its development throughout the area. 

Hurling in the GTA was once extremely strong, and indeed Toronto has been home to the North 
American County Board Senior Hurling title on a number of occasions in the 1960’s and 1970’s. 

However, due to a number of reasons, the game has died off in the area. It simply is not right. 

The Toronto Hurling Club was founded in 2010 with the main aim to rejuvenate hurling, and provide 
many avid hurlers an outlet for their passion. Three years after its founding, the club can boast a North 
American Junior Championship trophy. However, there still lies the issue of only one club in the city. 

It is well known within the hurling club that there are many more hurlers in the city who choose not to 
take up the game again in Toronto, for their own reasons. I do not intend on taking aim at them for 
their choices, they are well entitled to do so. However, if a player has an affinity for hurling, surely that 
is reason enough to take up the game again. 

This letter is not intended as a recruitment drive for the club, quite the opposite. We are putting out a 
plea for other existing clubs in the city to explore the possibility of starting up a hurling team, and 
possibly helping start a Toronto hurling league again. 

Part of the Canadian County Board’s strategic plan for 2014 is to develop hurling in the country, so this 
idea already has the full backing of both the Canadian County Board, as well as the Toronto Divisional 
GAA board. 

The first annual Toronto Hurling Club 9-a-side tournament last summer proved there is hurling in the 
city, but it needs to be organised across more than just one club. 
 If any club was to take up this offer, they would receive the full support of the Toronto Hurling Club in 
any way possible, from contacts to fundraising ideas to equipment suppliers. The Toronto Divisional 
GAA board, as well as the Canadian County Board, have already stated their wish to promote hurling. 
There would also be full support and cooperation from there. 

I am available at any time for any person or group who wish to discuss this, or take the first step in 
starting up their own hurling team. 

With more and more Irish people coming to Canada, and Toronto in particular, there is no shortage of 
hurlers or manpower. All we need is the want for it to happen. 


Go raibh maíth agat 


Eóin MacGráinne 
Runaí 
Cumann Iománaíochta Toronto