The Kearny Irish American Football club is back after a 35 plus year hiatus. The club has a storied history that reaches back into the early part of this century. Despite being dormant since the the mid 1970's, the team has reawakened as a highly competitive team in North Jersey playing in the North Jersey Soccer League. Most of the club's current players grew up playing the game in Kearny for Thistle FC, Kearny High, and of course on the playgrounds and schoolyards around town.
Some of the current players also have relatives that played for the club back in the day, including Michael Mara's father- Tom, Andrew Gray's uncle- Jack Gray, and Tom Burke's grandfather. Wearing the hoops and playing for the Irish, the team is looking to restore the former glory that the club enjoyed.
The Kearny Irish were part of the inaugural reformed professional American Soccer League in 1933, and won the championship that year. Archie Stark led the team to the title, sharing the golden boot with Razzo Carroll of the Kearny Scots. The team enjoyed great success over the years, including winning the Lewis Cup in 1942/43.
The Irish changed its name to Kearny Celtic in 1942, and dropped to amateur status in the early 1950's.
Please check out our "LINKS" page for more history on the club.
