Many of us played it as kids, and now Rounders is once again coming back into the mainstream.

This Saturday, August 9th, Galway plays host to the Junior All-Ireland Semi-Finals — the first time the event has ever been held outside of Leinster.

Over 400 players, coaches, officials, and supporters from nine counties will travel to St Mary’s (Coláiste Muire Máthair) in Galway City for what promises to be a thrilling showcase of one of the GAA’s best-kept secrets.

The Junior Semi-Finals span Men’s, Ladies’, and Mixed categories, with teams from Carlow, Wexford, Roscommon, Limerick, Dublin, Monaghan, and Galway in contention. The event is another clear signal of Rounders’ national expansion, particularly in the West and Midlands.

Galway City Rapparees will represent the host county in the Junior Mixed semi-final at 3 pm, where they will face off against Gusserane from Wexford.

The full semi-final schedule is as follows:

Junior Ladies

1:00 pm – Castletown Liam Mellows (Wexford) vs Elphin (Roscommon)
3:00 pm – Inniskeen Grattans (Monaghan) vs Dublin Metropolitans

Junior Men’s
1:00 pm – Myshall (Carlow) vs St Senan’s (Limerick)
3:00 pm – Inniskeen Grattans (Monaghan) vs Kilmore (Roscommon)

Junior Mixed
1:00 pm – St Senan’s (Limerick) vs Dublin Metropolitans
3:00 pm – Galway City Rapparees vs Gusserane (Wexford)

While still a lesser-known cousin of hurling, football, and handball within the GAA family, Rounders has undergone a quiet revolution in recent years.

There are now more than 150 clubs and 2,500 registered players nationwide — a remarkable rise for a sport that was often played informally at school level but is now a competitive, structured, and inclusive GAA code.

Much of that growth has taken place outside the traditional heartlands, with counties like Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Limerick, Carlow, and Wexford emerging as strongholds.

The introduction of national leagues, attendance at Féile and Go Games, and a focus on gender balance through Mixed competitions have all played their part in the sport’s renaissance.

Many Rounders clubs are proudly diverse, with players hailing from countries including Canada, Poland, Slovakia, India, Samoa, and the United States. This multicultural makeup is especially evident in the Mixed grade, making Rounders the most inclusive sport under the GAA umbrella.

The winners in Galway will progress to the All-Ireland Junior Finals in Dunganny, Co. Meath, on Saturday, August 31st, with promotion and national glory on the line.

Looking ahead, the All-Ireland Senior Rounders Finals — the biggest day of the year for the sport — will take place on Saturday, September 6th at the GAA’s National Games Development Centre in Abbotstown.

But for now, the spotlight is firmly on Galway, as Rounders continues to grow, evolve, and inspire a new generation of players.
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