YORK GAA are setting their sights high as the men's team come to the end of their first full season with a league and cup double still on their radar.

The ladies’ team can also boast six representatives who featured in Yorkshire’s LGFA Inter-County 'B' Championship win over Warwickshire.

But it is not just success on the field the Gaelic football club – thought to be York’s first for half a century – can shout about, as they have also doubled their ladies’ team membership numbers and increased their men’s team by 50 per cent.

While men’s team membership has increased from 20 to 30 this term, the ladies’ team has shot up from eight to 17.

A powerhouse campaign has seen the men waiting to find out who their opponents will be in the Pennine League final in the week of July 14 after winning five games out of five. Before that, tomorrow, they will play the semi-final of the Junior Yorkshire Championships.

In the previous round of the knock-out competition, York beat the favourites Newcastle 3-14 (23) to 0-07 (7) in what chairman Alan Joyce described as the “best performance of the season”.

The Minster city side now take on Hugh O’Neill’s from Leeds, with the winners going on to face Leeds’ JFK in the final.

Joyce is optimistic about his up-and-coming side’s chances, saying: “The win against Newcastle sent shockwaves across Yorkshire football because they’re seen as, traditionally, the best team in the area.

“In our second year on our new pitch, they didn’t expect it. It was our best performance of the year.

“Given that we have beaten such a fancy team in Newcastle, we would be confident we could get a win against whoever.”

The ladies had joined up with Sheffield for the Yorkshire League, which Newcastle eventually won, but the success the six representatives enjoyed with Yorkshire in the 5-15 (30) to 0-09 (9) win against Warwickshire eclipsed any disappointment from the league.

Joyce said: “Hopefully next year we’ll be a little more competitive, but having six girls on the county team is great testament to the club.

“Steve McGerr (men’s and ladies’ coach) is working hard to improve their skills and make training interactive. His coaching has been key to our success.”

York men’s most recent league outing came on Sunday, June 10, with an all-round commanding 6-13 (31) to 0-08 (8) win at home to Sheffield St Vincent’s.

Commenting on the fledgling club after the game, captain Daryl Byrne said: “The growth of this team is immense from last year. We’ve got a lot of talent on the team.

“We have a lot of English players turning up and playing matches. They’re really enjoying it and enjoying the community spirit of it.

“It’s great to see every aspect of it thriving really.

“It’s results like that (against St Vincent’s) keeping the whole team going.

“Being the first team in York for 50 years, silverware in any regard would be brilliant, and for a team that only started last year it would be incredible.

“I think we have really made a name for ourselves. It seems that teams are really trying their best to turn up on the day to compete with the level of football we’re playing.”