16 May was a historic day for the Vienna Gaels, as the men claimed only their second regional tournament, the first since 2013, after going through Round 2 of the South/East Europe Championship unbeaten.
6 ladies teams and 9 men’s took part in the day-long event on the outskirts of Vienna and were treated to glorious weather for Gaelic football.
The Vienna ladies got their day off to the perfect start with a victory over local rivals Slovak Shamrocks, but they were unable to emulate the 3rd place finish after defeats to Munich, Warsaw and Prague. Munich Colmcilles were victorious this time around thanks to a win over Warsaw in the final, while Vienna finished 4th ahead of the Slovaks and Padova.
There were two men’s teams from Vienna in action, the Gaels and Vipers!
The first string Gaels went through their group with three wins to set up a semi-final encounter with Warsaw, who came out on top in the final of Round 1 by the narrowest of margins.
A spirited late comeback from the Polish club would not be enough to deny the home side a berth in the final. Meanwhile, the Vipers, containing an array of newcomers, ended the day in 8th place thanks to a win over Slovak Shamrocks.
Prague Hibernians got off to a far better start in the men’s final, opening up a four-point lead over Vienna by the break. However, the Gaels found their rhythm in the second half and eventually cruised to the title.
The tournament win puts Vienna’s men on top of the championship ahead of the final round in Padova on 13 June, while the ladies are tied for 3rd place with Prague.
Special thanks to our new sponsors Charlie P’s and Roo Bar, who sponsored the club’s new jerseys and were host to the weekend’s social activities.
