Gaelic Club

What Gaelic Club does

The Gaelic-American Club (GAC) is a private membership-based Irish-American social and cultural organization founded in 1948 in Bridgeport, Connecticut by a group of Irish immigrants and now headquartered at 74 Beach Road, Fairfield, Connecticut. Its stated mission is to promote social, civic, and cultural activities among the Irish-born who have immigrated to the United States and persons of Irish descent. The organization operates a single physical clubhouse containing a full-service pub and kitchen, multiple event rooms available for member rentals, and programming space for 15+ affiliated sub-organizations spanning traditional music (Shamrock Traditional Irish Music Society), Irish dance, set dancing, Gaelic football and hurling (St. Patrick's GFC, 150+ members), theatre (Clan na Gael Players, performing since 1987), pipe band (Fairfield Gaelic Pipe Band), Irish language instruction (Foghlaim Gaeilge), Irish literature, genealogy (Fréamh Éireann), and senior and family programming. The club is governed by an annually elected Executive Committee led by a President (Faith Maciver) with Vice-President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Sergeant-at-Arms, and Directors, supported by a Manager (Tommy Flaherty) who oversees pub and dining operations and standing committees including Membership, Communications, Social, and Good & Welfare.

The business model is diversified across four recurring and transactional revenue streams: annual membership dues (subscription), pub and dining sales (transactional, with a scrip card internal currency system), event ticketing for concerts, plays, dinners, lectures, and céilí admissions (transactional, with tiered pricing from $5 general lectures to $150 scholarship dinner), and ancillary facility rentals. Marketing is community-led, relying on the bi-weekly Sceala email newsletter, the gaconline.org website, member referrals, and the events themselves as top-of-funnel acquisition mechanisms. The organization also houses Ireland's Great Hunger Museum of Fairfield, Inc., a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit that took custodianship in 2022 of Quinnipiac University's 170+ piece Irish Famine art collection and is working toward opening a museum in the Fairfield Historic District. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, the club has no parent company, no institutional investment, and no multi-site footprint; its commercial activity is concentrated within the Irish-American community of Fairfield County, CT.

Name

Gaelic Club

Legal name

Gaelic-American Club

Website

https://gaconline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Gaelic-American Club (GAC), founded in 1948 in Fairfield, CT, is a private membership-based social and cultural organization serving Irish immigrants and persons of Irish descent in Fairfield County through pub and dining, traditional music, dance, Gaelic sports, theatre, language classes, and cultural programming, and stewarding Ireland's Great Hunger Museum collection.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural and Social Club Services

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Neighborhood Bars & Taverns (CRANACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Supper Clubs & Dinner-Theater Restaurants (THAFACAL)

Keywords

• Irish cultural events
• Membership social club
• Traditional Irish music
• Gaelic sports club
• Irish heritage preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to club facilities, events, and member-only services including the pub, dining, and social activities.
2. Pub and Dining Revenue: Food and beverage sales from the club's kitchen and pub operations, including full Irish breakfast on weekends and regular pub service.
3. Event Ticketing: Revenue from concerts, plays, dinners, and special events such as the St. Patrick's Scholarship Dinner, dancing events, and theatrical productions.
4. Scrip Cards: Internal club currency system for member purchases at the bar and kitchen.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Gaelic-American Club operates a private membership-based Irish cultural and hospitality center offering an on-site pub and dining facility, traditional Irish music sessions, Gaelic sports (hurling and football), Irish dance instruction, Irish language classes, theatre productions, pipe band, genealogy services, cultural lectures, and ticketed concerts and dinners. Membership provides access to facilities and programming, with revenue supplemented by food and beverage sales and event ticketing.

Product overview

The Gaelic-American Club (GAC) is a community social organization, not a technology company. It offers a unified set of membership-based cultural and hospitality services including pub and dining facilities, traditional Irish music sessions, dance instruction, sports clubs (Gaelic football and hurling), theatre productions, Irish language and literature groups, genealogy services, and association with Ireland's Great Hunger Museum. The club provides cultural programming through its newsletter (Sceala), scholarships, and various community events and activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ireland's Great Hunger Museum of Fairfield: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit museum dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Ireland's Great Hunger through education, exhibitions, and cultural events. The collection includes over 170 pieces of art depicting the Irish Famine.
• Shamrock Traditional Irish Music Society (STIMS)
• St. Patrick's Hurling & Football Club
• Clan na Gael Players

Products and services

• Membership Services Annual club membership providing members access to facilities, pub, dining, events, and cultural programming at the Fairfield clubhouse, with an internal scrip card system for bar and kitchen purchases.
• Pub & Dining Full-service pub and kitchen serving traditional Irish fare including Full Irish Breakfast on weekends. Kitchen hours vary by day; pub operates Monday–Saturday evenings with take-out ordering available.
• Traditional Irish Music Sessions & Concerts Weekly traditional Irish music sessions, ticketed concerts, and performances hosted by the Shamrock Traditional Irish Music Society (STIMS) and The Shamrogues volunteer performance group.
• Clan na Gael Players Theatre Theatre group presenting plays by or about the Irish since 1987, including productions, auditions, and community performances; has toured to Ireland twice (2009 and 2016).
• Fairfield Gaelic Pipe Band Pipe band offering lessons and performances for all ages, practicing Mondays at 6:30pm at the GAC.
• Clubs & Activities (Dance, Sports, Language, Literature, Genealogy) Recurring clubs and activities including Irish Dance, Set Dancing, Gaelic Football & Hurling, Irish Language classes (Foghlaim Gaeilge), Irish Literature Group, Genealogy (Fréamh Éireann), Trivia Night, 25 Card Game, and Seniors Activities.
• Ireland's Great Hunger Museum of Fairfield A 501(c)(3) nonprofit museum dedicated to preserving the history of Ireland's Great Hunger through art, artifacts, and exhibitions, with a collection of over 170 pieces transferred from Quinnipiac University.
• GAC Scholarships Scholarship opportunities for members' children, including the annual St. Patrick's Scholarship Dinner supporting full-time university students.
• Sceala Newsletter Bi-weekly e-bulletin distributed via Constant Contact keeping members informed about club events, news, and Irish cultural updates; archive of past publications available online.
• St. Patrick's Hurling & Football Club Gaelic football and hurling club headquartered at the GAC, providing training, instruction, and athletic competition; grown from 4 founding members in 2003 to over 150 members and 5 teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving the Irish-American community in Fairfield County CT for over 75 years with continuous programming

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Quinnipiac UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2022Quinnipiac University transferred the entire Ireland's Great Hunger Museum collection to the Gaelic-American Club of Fairfield. This partnership ensures the preservation and display of over 170 pieces of art depicting the Irish Famine in Connecticut's Irish-American community.
• Ireland's Great Hunger Museum of Fairfield (IGHMF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2022A 501(c)(3) nonprofit association established by members of the Gaelic-American Club to preserve and share the history of Ireland's Great Hunger through education, exhibitions, and cultural events. The organization is working to open a new museum in the Fairfield Historic District.
• St. Patrick's GAA ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2022St. Patrick's Gaelic Football & Hurling Club is headquartered at the GAC and is the fastest growing Gaelic football club in the tri-state area. The club provides training, instruction, and athletic competition in Gaelic football and hurling with over 150 members.
• Ancient Order of HiberniansminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2020The Ancient Order of Hibernians hosted a breakfast fundraiser at the GAC where $10,000 was donated to the Ireland's Great Hunger Museum of Fairfield, Inc. The AOH has been a supportive partner in Irish cultural preservation efforts.
• The Lenihan School of Irish DanceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Lenihan School of Irish Dance teaches at the GAC and several other locations, offering instructions for all levels of Irish dance. Their dancers perform at GAC events including St. Patrick's Day celebrations.
• Fairfield UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFairfield University's Humanities Institute has expressed support for the Ireland's Great Hunger Museum collection being housed at the GAC, recognizing its importance as an Irish cultural institution.
• Ancient Order of Hibernians JFK Division 1minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Ancient Order of Hibernians JFK Division 1 in Bridgeport, CT has expressed strong support for the GAC's efforts to preserve Irish heritage and has offered assistance with the transfer and setup of the Great Hunger Museum collection.
• Connecticut-Ireland Trade CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLoretto Horrigan Leary, Secretary of Ireland's Great Hunger Museum of Fairfield and GAC member, was appointed to the 23-member Connecticut-Ireland Trade Commission to advance bilateral trade and cultural ties between Connecticut and Ireland.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Irish Arts Center: New York City-based Irish cultural center presenting traditional and contemporary Irish music, dance, theater, and literature with associated bar and dining facilities. Directly comparable to GAC as a community-driven Irish cultural hub serving the Irish-American diaspora with similar programming pillars (music, dance, theater, language).
• Irish Cultural Centre of New England: Nonprofit Irish cultural facility in Canton, MA offering pub, dining, music sessions, dance, and language classes. Directly comparable regional peer running a community-based Irish cultural site with recurring programming.
• Eire Society of Boston: Boston-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting Irish culture and heritage through events, scholarships, and gatherings. Comparable as a regional Irish-American cultural organization with similar mission to GAC.
• Irish American Heritage Center: Chicago-based Irish-American cultural center with a pub, banquet hall, theater, and programming in music, dance, Gaelic sports, and Irish language. Operates as a membership-based club facility very similar to GAC, but at larger scale in a bigger metro.
• Ancient Order of Hibernians: National Irish-Catholic fraternal organization with local divisions that host Irish cultural events, fundraisers, and St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Already an active partner of GAC; comparable as a membership-based organization promoting Irish heritage in the U.S.
• Friendly Sons of St. Patrick: Historic Irish-American fraternal society with local chapters hosting Irish cultural events, dinners, and heritage programming. Comparable as a membership-driven Irish heritage organization on the U.S. East Coast.

Broad incumbents

• Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ): Global organization dedicated to preserving traditional Irish music, dance, and culture with branches across North America hosting sessions and fleadh events. Overlaps significantly with GAC's STIMS programming and Irish dance offerings at a much larger international scale.
• Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA): Ireland's national governing body for Gaelic games (hurling, football, camogie) with affiliated clubs across the U.S. St. Patrick's GFC operates under the broader GAA umbrella, making GAA a structural parent peer in the Gaelic sports vertical.
• Irish American Cultural Institute: National organization dedicated to preserving Irish-American heritage through education, the arts, and cultural exchange. Comparable mission space to GAC's cultural preservation work but operates nationally rather than as a single community club.

Emerging players

• Irish Network Boston: Professional and social networking organization for the Irish and Irish-American community in the greater Boston area. Comparable as an Irish-American community-building organization but with a more professional/career-focused orientation than GAC's cultural club model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gaelic-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gaelic Club