DELVE INTO THE GAA a unique experience like no other

The unique story of Gaelic games stretches from ancient times to the present day, and it is one to become immersed in during a visit to Ireland.

Comprised of our national sports of hurling and Gaelic football, Gaelic games are governed by the country’s largest sporting organisation, the

GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association). The GAA is celebrated as one of the great amateur sporting associations in the world. It is part of the Irish consciousness and plays an influential role in Irish society that extends far beyond the basic aim of promoting the sports of hurling and Gaelic football.

So, what are these sports? Hurling is a stick-and-ball game, played by teams of 15 on a rectangular grass pitch with H-shaped goals at either end. Often said to be the world’s fastest field game, hurling combines elements of lacrosse, field hockey and baseball in a hard-hitting, highly-paced game. The female version of the game is known as ‘camogie’ and is very similar to hurling, with just a few minor rule changes.

Gaelic football shares many of the same characteristics of hurling, but only played by kicking, catching and punching a round football. Like hurling has with camogie, Gaelic football has a female variant with only slightly differing rules.

The origins of these games stem back through the ages. Hurling’s roots go back thousands of years and it is even referenced in Irish mythology when the Ulster hero Cú Chullainn, then known as Setanta, uses a hurley and ball, known as a ‘sliotar’, to kill a vicious hound.

A rough-and-tumble form of Gaelic football was common throughout the middle ages, similar versions of which abounded throughout Europe and eventually became the forebears of both soccer and rugby. The earliest records of a recognised precursor to modern Gaelic football date from a game in 1670, in which catching and kicking the ball were permitted.

The GAA was founded in 1884 by a select group of visionaries led by Michael Cusack and Maurice Davin. Their ambition was simple, to preserve and cultivate our national pastimes. An early set of formal rules of Gaelic football and hurling were put in place and the structure of the games was built on the foundation of club and county. The formation of ‘The Association’ planted the seeds for what would become world’s largest amateur sporting organisation.

In 1913, the GAA purchased a ground on Dublin’s Jones’ Road and re-named it ‘Croke Park’ in honour of Archbishop Thomas William Croke, First Patron of the GAA. It became, and remains, the headquarters of the GAA and has since been developed into a stateof-the-art 82,300 capacity stadium, one of the best sporting arenas in the world. A visit to the stadium’s

GAA Museum and embarking on the Croke Park Stadium Tour are great ways to explore our Gaelic Games heritage and the majesty of ‘Croker’.

For over a century now, the GAA has been a central pillar in Irish life. In truth, it is much more than just sport. It is a way of life, a bond that brings together children and adults not only in a sporting sense but culturally as well.

The lifeblood of the GAA are the clubs, which are run by volunteers and act as social hubs for many villages and towns up and down the country. There are over 2,200 GAA clubs in all 32 counties of Ireland, and many more overseas. They represent where we’re from, who we are.

The best players from these clubs take on the honour of representing their counties in games and competitions that are among the most prestigious events in the Irish sporting calendar. Matches take place in stadiums throughout the country all year round, the pinnacle being the All-Ireland Football and Hurling finals, which sell-out Croke Park every year.

These occasions truly are spectacles to behold. Ahead of a typical GAA match, the excitement and buzz is palpable. Spectators young and old proudly line the stands clad in the vibrant colours of their county, sitting side-by-side in what makes for a very friendly atmosphere.

The commitment and skill of the players on the field, the passion and exuberance of the fans, the exhilaration of the games themselves; they all culminate for a GAA match day experience that is like no other.

Experiencing the GAA is simply a must-do on a visit to Ireland. Come and be a part of the magic by visiting www. gaa.ie to find out more about match fixtures and purchasing tickets online.

To book a Croke Park Stadium Tour, visit www.crokepark.ie/gaamuseum