On La na gClub, (10th May 2009) Cuala launched a major programme to research and record our social history, an initiative that will culminate in the creation of “Cartlann Digiteach Cuala” – the Cuala Digital Archive.

Cuala Hurling, Football and Camogie Club has a long and distinguished history of involvement in Gaelic Games in south County Dublin and can trace its sporting pedigree to the early 1900’s – a heritage that’s almost as old as the GAA itself. So it is fitting that on Lá na gClub – as we celebrate the GAA’s 125 years – we launch this important initiative to recognize and celebrate the contribution and achievements of those local giants on whose shoulders we now proudly stand.

Although it is known that there were contests between Dalkey & Bray as far back as the late 1800’s (the earliest recorded Bray Emmets team played Dalkey in the Vevay in 1885), the formal Cuala story can be traced from Cuala Hurling Club (Dalkey, 1918) through a variety of mergers, off-shoots ‘rests’ and ‘ressurections’ involving clubs like Naomh Mhuire Camogie Club (Sallynoggin, 1948) St Begnet’s GAA Club (Dalkey 1959, renamed Dalkey Mitchell’s in 1962), Roger Casements (Dalkey 1966) and Cuala Boys (Dun Laoghaire, 1962). The project will encompass all of these clubs who were part of the great Cuala journey .

Cartlann Digiteach Cuala will seek to assemble material – oral, written, pictorial and other memorabilia – from private and official sources – and to place it in a publicly accessible digital archive for the benefit of future generations while also being accessible to friends and families world-wide through Cuala’s popular website www.cualagaa.ie

We are now inviting everybody in the wider Dun Laoghaire area (& beyond) who had forebears connected with Gaelic Games to contact us if they have any stories pictures, medals or other memorabilia that we can catalogue and image for posterity. All material will be promptly returned to its owners.
Introducing Cartlann Digiteach Cuala, Club Chairman John Treacy commented “This is a wonderful opportunity to capture in one place all the stories, images, medals, school records, newspaper cuttings, official papers and minute books of our great club. Cuala, like many other GAA clubs, can boast a great tradition of involvement by many generations of the same families and it is fitting that we remember them in this way”

The project presents a unique opportunity for our older supporters to remain active in a worthwhile cause. In the year that the Cuala Footballers achieved Dublin Senior status, Cuala is now anxious to tap into the experience of their other “seniors” – the senior citizens in the Dalkey – Dun Laoghaire area. We know they are the people who possess an intimate knowledge of the great Cuala families and teams of the past and who can help us learn more about their life and times.

Cartlann Digiteach Cuala Co-ordinator, Michael Goodwin added “work is already well-advanced in assembling a team of volunteers to undertake the research and we are now encouraging involvement by past members, neighbours, local historians – basically anyone who had dealings with Cuala or who can help us locate relevant records“. Anyone with would like to help, or who has material they would like to share with Cuala (it will be returned promptly) can contact us at history@cualagaa.ie