How Ultimate in Galway began
Back in 2005 Ultimate arrived to Galway’s largest university, then known as NUI Galway now called The University of Galway. A man called Thomas O’Rourke founded the NUIG Panteras, named after Las Panteras de Xalapa, an Ultimate team from Mexico. Slowly the team grew with support from players like Eoin Wallace, Luke Watson & Paddy Costello. They trained on ‘the President’s Lawn’ a lovely patch of grass at the heart of the college campus and so began the story of our fine sport in the western city of Galway.
Galway Club Teams
In 2011 a group of Galway and Limerick players dreamt up and launched the first club team - the somewhat controversially monikered team, Snatch. The club made it’s debut that very year in the All-Ireland Ultimate Championships and was well known for it’s spirited Ultimate and mischievous nature. Pictured below is the team having won the Plate and the Spirit Award at the 2012 All-Ireland Indoors Ultimate Championships in Kilkenny.
Tribe
Tribe was established in 2016 and is now the premier club team in Galway. Tribe made its debut in the Open Division at Yes But Nau and the Women's Division at Munster Munch that year. Tribe's first outing in the Mixed Division was at Windmill 2017. Since those humble beginnings the club has gone on to be one of the most active clubs in Irish Ultimate, sending teams to indoor and outdoor events across the country in all three divisions. The growth of Ultimate in the west is down to the hard work of many and the building and development of a tight knit and supportive community.
Onwards and upwards…
With a vibrant university scene, an ever-growing club scene and hard work going into bring the sport to schools in Galway, the future looks bright. We are very excited to play a part in that future and hope that the tournament can help the community to reach its ambitious goals. Let’s go Galway!