About
BACKGROUND ON C.C.U.
The Connacht Cricket Union (C.C.U.) is one of the five provincial governing bodies overseeing cricket in Ireland, alongside Cricket Leinster, Munster Cricket Union, Northern Cricket Union, and North West Cricket Union, collectively forming Cricket Ireland (formerly the Irish Cricket Union). Founded on October 29, 2010, at Durkin’s Bar & Restaurant in Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon, the C.C.U. serves as the primary authority for cricket in the traditional Irish province of Connacht.
It revitalized itself in March 2021 with a new Constitution and Governance structure and was formally recognized as an Associate Member of Cricket Ireland. The Union became a limited company on June 26, 2023. Despite its recent formal establishment, cricket has a long history in Connacht, with the first formal cricket club in Ireland founded in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway, in 1825.
As of 2024, the Connacht Cricket Union has nine registered clubs, with six actively participating in the Leagues and Cups. The Union oversees the Connacht Senior League, now in its fourteenth season and played for “The Ranji Trophy – Ireland”, as well as the Connacht Senior Cup, the Connaught Perpetual Trophy (dating back to 1855), a Junior League, and a T/20 Shield League. In 2012, Union teams participated in Cricket Ireland’s National Cup for the first time, marking a significant milestone in the resurgence of cricket in Connacht. Additionally, many clubs are focusing on expanding into underage cricket, with plans to launch an underage league within the next two years.
