Club Motto & Crest
Club Motto & Crest
In the late 1970’s the then executive identified the need for a club crest. The secretary at the time was Brendan Lee (secretary 1965 – 1973 and 1974 – 1996) and he undertook to follow up on this project. He approached his son Tony Lee (secretary 1996 – 2025) to come up with a design. Tony created a simple design as below:
His mother Eithne Bn. Ui Laoi then enhanced this and in doing so introduced an old Irish proverb – Ni neart go cur le Cheile (there’s no strength without working together) as the club motto.
The One Club Logo In the early 1980’s soon after the Raheny GAA Clubhouse was opened in 1981 the executive identified the need for a sizeable picture/painting to occupy a large wall in the clubhouse lobby. Eithne Lee was approached and she came up with a design (below) that she based on the cover of a book that she had recently purchased titled “The Rediscovery of Irelands Past” “The Celtic Revival 1830 – 1930. She also felt the interwoven pattern suited the club motto: Ni neart go cur le Cheile (There’s no strength without Unity).
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The frame was about 6 ft x 3ft. and hung in the lobby for over 20 years before it was destroyed due to water damage.
In 2011 Raheny GAA decided to put in place a 5-year plan. As part of this it was identified that there should be a logo representing the fact that it’s a one club model. (Equally supports Men’s and Women’s Gaelic Football Camogie and Hurling and in doing so supports the 3 associations involved (the GAA, Camogie and Ladies Football).
Tony Lee came up with an idea based on the illustration that Eithne Lee had designed for the lobby years before. He redesigned the illustration so that it had 3 angles representing the 3 associations. He also identified the zoomorphic figure of the bird as representing the executive (everything must
go through it). During the planning it was highlighted that particular events taking place in the club weren’t getting any recognition. So, towards the upper right-hand side of the logo, he has a separate thread from the other thread that represents the 3 associations.
He initially drew a pen and ink image and then brought it to a club member who photo shopped it in introducing the colour scheme. The members name is Marius Herbert.
Tony discreetly signed the logo with his initials As Gaeilge: Antoin O Laoi (AOL), which can be found at the points of the 3 angles and discreetly signed the ends of the 2 threads with an M and a H.
