A little less than a year ago, the thought of a Gaelic football team at St. Edmund Preparatory High School was nonexistent but the team just won its first match against the New York Celtics. The game took place in Riverdale, Bronx under the lights of Gaelic Park in the pouring rain. St. Edmund’s team, coached by Brian Wagner, science teacher and Kitty McEvoy, physical education teacher, is unique in that its players all attend the same school. The teams within the league have players from a variety of schools, neighborhoods and boroughs. Moreover, these players have been a part of Gaelic football teams for the better part of their lives. The team practices in Marine Park where people, unfamiliar with the Gaelic tradition, pass by and ask “What sport is this?” Hopefully this can be the start of a tradition within the Brooklyn Catholic schools and a revival of Gaelic athletics. St. Edmund Prep is located at 2474 Ocean Avenue.
