About Us

A Brief History

The first SCA group formed in San Francisco was the Province of St. Andrew, formed in 1971. "St. Andrew" is the English equivalent of the the Spanish "San Andreas," and the Shire’s motto was “Non Est Mea Culpa” – “It’s not my fault.” The Province was active until the late 1970s and then disbanded.

The present Shire of Cloondara was originally known as the Shire of Floating Castle. It is said to have been formed by naval personnel serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ranger during the early 1970s and then transferred to the USS Enterprise. The group moved ashore to replace the defunct Province of St. Andrew in the early 1980s. The name was officially changed to the Shire of Cloondara in August of 1985.

Province of St. Andrew Azure, a saltire fracted per pale, in chief a laurel wreath Or.

Richmond Harbour, Cloondara, County Longford

The Shire of Cloondara, (pronounced Cloon-DAR-ah) shares its name with the Parish of Cloondara (pronounced Clon-DRA) in County Longford, Ireland. The name comes from the Gaelic Cluain Da Rath which means “The Meadow of the Two Ring Forts.” Since “Forts” can also be taken to mean castles or towers, the name was chosen as representative of the two towers of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The residents of the Parish of Cloondara have no idea where the ancient forts their parish is named for were located, as all traces of both fortifications have long since vanished.

Our Arms

Or, three chevronels braced vert between two towers issuant from the chevronels and a laurel wreath gules

Our arms reflect our connection to our hometown of San Francisco. The three green chevronels represent the hills of the city while the two red towers symbolize the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge. The red laurel wreath denotes our status as an official branch of the Society.

Art created by Ræv Kolfinnsson, who freely grants permission to use all of the armory contributed for your use if you so desire. Please give credit if you do use the armory.

Officers of the Shire of Cloondara

Seneschal

The Baro Magda is our Seneschal, the administrative head of our Shire. She is a lady of many talents, gifted with an amazing singing voice, and her warm smile is always there to greet everyone she meets.

Seneschal Badge - gold key on a red disc

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Chatelaine

Lady Claire Cameron is the Shire Chatelaine, charged with assisting newcomers, recruiting, and public relations.

Chatelaine Badge - black disc with a white key in a white outline heart

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Exchequer

Lady Elizabeth Roper, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, handles financial matters for the Shire.

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Herald

Honorable Lord Angus Duncan Cameron serves as our Herald. He is responsible for helping members create and register names and arms and serves as the “voice of the King” at events.

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Minister of Arts & Sciences

Lady Margaret of St. Just coordinates arts and sciences activities for the Shire, arranging classes and demonstrations, and putting Shire members in touch with other Society members who share their interests in a particular topic.

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Branch Marshal

Lord Virgile de la Fuente serves as Branch Marshal for the Shire, responsible for ensuring the safety of all martial arts participants. He is the principal instructor for our rapier practice.