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The Association has, since its inception, been closely associated with [[Irish nationalism]],<ref>{{Cite book|last=English|first=Richard|title=Irish Freedom: The History of Nationalism in Ireland|publisher=Pan Books|year=2007|pages=227–231|isbn=9780330427593}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Connolly|first=S. J. |title=Oxford Companion to Irish History|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2007|edition=3rd|pages=222–226|isbn=9780199234837}}</ref> and this has continued to the present, particularly in relation to Northern Ireland,<ref name="Sugden & Harvie">{{cite web|url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/csc/reports/sugdenharvie/sugdenharvie95-1.htm|title=Sport and Community Relations in Northern Ireland|accessdate=2008-07-28}}</ref> where the sports are played almost exclusively by members of the mainly [[Irish Catholic|Catholic]] nationalist community, and the Protestant unionist population largely considers itself excluded by the political ethos seen as associated with the GAA.<ref>Cronin, M. (2000), "Catholics and Sport in Northern Ireland: Exclusiveness or Inclusiveness?", ''International Sports Studies'', Volume 22, Number 1, 2000, p.26. Available at [http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/ISS/ISS2201/ISS2201d.pdf]. Viewed 18-09-2009.</ref> According to one sports historian, the GAA "is arguably the most striking example of politics shaping sport in modern history".<ref>R. Holt (1992), ''Sport and the British: a modern history'', p. 240, Oxford. Cited in Garnham, N: ''Association Football and society in pre-partition Ireland'', page 135. Ulster Historical Foundation, 2004</ref> Another claimed that, upon its foundation, the GAA "relatively quickly succeeded in defining for itself and the games it controlled an identity that interwove the threads of nationalism, Catholicism and rurality".<ref>Garnham, N: ''Association Football and society in pre-partition Ireland'', page 134. Ulster Historical Foundation, 2004</ref>
The Association has, since its inception, been closely associated with [[Irish nationalism]],<ref>{{Cite book|last=English|first=Richard|title=Irish Freedom: The History of Nationalism in Ireland|publisher=Pan Books|year=2007|pages=227–231|isbn=9780330427593}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Connolly|first=S. J. |title=Oxford Companion to Irish History|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2007|edition=3rd|pages=222–226|isbn=9780199234837}}</ref> and this has continued to the present, particularly in relation to Northern Ireland,<ref name="Sugden & Harvie">{{cite web|url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/csc/reports/sugdenharvie/sugdenharvie95-1.htm|title=Sport and Community Relations in Northern Ireland|accessdate=2008-07-28}}</ref> where the sports are played almost exclusively by members of the mainly [[Irish Catholic|Catholic]] nationalist community, and the Protestant unionist population largely considers itself excluded by the political ethos seen as associated with the GAA.<ref>Cronin, M. (2000), "Catholics and Sport in Northern Ireland: Exclusiveness or Inclusiveness?", ''International Sports Studies'', Volume 22, Number 1, 2000, p.26. Available at [http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/ISS/ISS2201/ISS2201d.pdf]. Viewed 18-09-2009.</ref> According to one sports historian, the GAA "is arguably the most striking example of politics shaping sport in modern history".<ref>R. Holt (1992), ''Sport and the British: a modern history'', p. 240, Oxford. Cited in Garnham, N: ''Association Football and society in pre-partition Ireland'', page 135. Ulster Historical Foundation, 2004</ref> Another claimed that, upon its foundation, the GAA "relatively quickly succeeded in defining for itself and the games it controlled an identity that interwove the threads of nationalism, Catholicism and rurality".<ref>Garnham, N: ''Association Football and society in pre-partition Ireland'', page 134. Ulster Historical Foundation, 2004</ref>


Certain GAA practices and rules may reinforce a perception within [[Northern Ireland]] [[Unionism in Ireland|unionist]] circles that the GAA is a [[Irish nationalism|nationalist]] or sectarian organisation.<ref>{{Cite journal|author=John Sugden and Scott Harvie |title= Sport and Community Relations in Northern Ireland |url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/csc/reports/sugdenharvie/sugdenharvie95-1.htm |accessdate=2008-07-28 |journal= Centre for the Study of Conflict |year=1995}}</ref><ref>"The GAA is perceived by the Unionist community as a sectarian organisation ...", Sugden, J. (1995) “Sport, Community Relations and Community Conflict in Northern Ireland", p.203, in Seamus Dunn (ed) ''Facets of the Conflict in Northern Ireland''. London: McMillan Press Ltd. Cited in Northern Ireland Assembly Research Paper 26/01 (2001), ''Sectarianism and Sport in Northern Ireland''. Available at http://archive.niassembly.gov.uk/research_papers/research/2601.pdf. Retrieved 18-09-2009.</ref> For example, Rule 15 requires that the [[flag of Ireland|flag of the Republic of Ireland]] is flown and [[Amhrán na bhFiann]], the national anthem of the Republic is played at all matches, even outside the [[Republic of Ireland]].<ref>Cronin, M. (2000), "Catholics and Sport in Northern Ireland: Exclusiveness or Inclusiveness?", ''International Sports Studies'', Volume 22, Number 1, 2000, p.29. Available at [http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/ISS/ISS2201/ISS2201d.pdf]. Viewed 18-09-2009.</ref>. The naming of GAA grounds and clubs after significant republican personalities has also alienated the Protestant community in Northern Ireland,<ref>Sugden, 1995, p.203</ref> where "suspected associations between members of the GAA and [[Irish republicanism|republican]] elements have led to individuals and clubs coming under scrutiny from the security forces and weapons finds at Gaelic sports grounds have deepened mistrust."<ref>{{cite web|author=Dr Martin Melaugh |url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/csc/reports/sugdenharvie/sugdenharvie95-1.htm |title=Sugden Harvie report |publisher=Cain.ulst.ac.uk |date= |accessdate=2011-01-18}}</ref><ref>Northern Ireland Assembly, Research and library Service, October 2001, [http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/io/research/2601.pdf Sectarianism in Sport in Northern Ireland] Research Paper 26/01 para 2.7</ref> This alleged association with Irish nationalism made the GAA a target for [[Ulster loyalism|loyalist]] paramilitaries during [[the Troubles]]. A number of GAA supporters were killed and clubhouses damaged.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch91.htm#81091|title=CAIN: Chronology of the Conflict 1991|accessdate=2008-03-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch97.htm#12597|title= CAIN: Chronology of the Conflict 1997|accessdate=2008-03-03}}</ref> As the profile of Gaelic football has been raised in Ulster so too has there been an increase in the number of sectarian attacks on Gaelic clubs in Northern Ireland.<ref>{{cite web|author=Dr Martin Melaugh |url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/csc/reports/sugdenharvie/sugdenharvie95-1.htm |title=Sugden Harvie report, section 1.5.2 |publisher=Cain.ulst.ac.uk |date= |accessdate=2011-01-18}}</ref>
Certain GAA practices and rules may reinforce a perception within [[Northern Ireland]] [[Unionism in Ireland|unionist]] circles that the GAA is a [[Irish nationalism|nationalist]] or sectarian organisation.<ref>{{Cite journal|author=John Sugden and Scott Harvie |title= Sport and Community Relations in Northern Ireland |url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/csc/reports/sugdenharvie/sugdenharvie95-1.htm |accessdate=2008-07-28 |journal= Centre for the Study of Conflict |year=1995}}</ref><ref>"The GAA is perceived by the Unionist community as a sectarian organisation ...", Sugden, J. (1995) “Sport, Community Relations and Community Conflict in Northern Ireland", p.203, in Seamus Dunn (ed) ''Facets of the Conflict in Northern Ireland''. London: McMillan Press Ltd. Cited in Northern Ireland Assembly Research Paper 26/01 (2001), ''Sectarianism and Sport in Northern Ireland''. Available at http://archive.niassembly.gov.uk/research_papers/research/2601.pdf. Retrieved 18-09-2009.</ref> For example, Rule 15 requires that the [[flag of Ireland|flag of the Republic of Ireland]] is flown and [[Amhrán na bhFiann]], the national anthem of the Republic is played at all matches, even outside the [[Republic of Ireland]].<ref>Cronin, M. (2000), "Catholics and Sport in Northern Ireland: Exclusiveness or Inclusiveness?", ''International Sports Studies'', Volume 22, Number 1, 2000, p.29. Available at [http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/ISS/ISS2201/ISS2201d.pdf]. Viewed 18-09-2009.</ref>. Where "suspected associations between members of the GAA and [[Irish republicanism|republican]] elements have led to individuals and clubs coming under scrutiny from the security forces and weapons finds at Gaelic sports grounds have deepened mistrust."<ref>{{cite web|author=Dr Martin Melaugh |url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/csc/reports/sugdenharvie/sugdenharvie95-1.htm |title=Sugden Harvie report |publisher=Cain.ulst.ac.uk |date= |accessdate=2011-01-18}}</ref><ref>Northern Ireland Assembly, Research and library Service, October 2001, [http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/io/research/2601.pdf Sectarianism in Sport in Northern Ireland] Research Paper 26/01 para 2.7</ref> This alleged association with Irish nationalism made the GAA a target for [[Ulster loyalism|loyalist]] paramilitaries during [[the Troubles]]. A number of GAA supporters were killed and clubhouses damaged.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch91.htm#81091|title=CAIN: Chronology of the Conflict 1991|accessdate=2008-03-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch97.htm#12597|title= CAIN: Chronology of the Conflict 1997|accessdate=2008-03-03}}</ref> As the profile of Gaelic football has been raised in Ulster so too has there been an increase in the number of sectarian attacks on Gaelic clubs in Northern Ireland.<ref>{{cite web|author=Dr Martin Melaugh |url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/csc/reports/sugdenharvie/sugdenharvie95-1.htm |title=Sugden Harvie report, section 1.5.2 |publisher=Cain.ulst.ac.uk |date= |accessdate=2011-01-18}}</ref>


[[Image:Countieshf.GIF|thumb|200px|The [[counties of Ireland]], coloured by which Gaelic game is popular. Yellow indicates a [[Gaelic football|football]] county, blue a [[hurling]] county and green a "[[dual county]]", where both sports have considerable support.]]
[[Image:Countieshf.GIF|thumb|200px|The [[counties of Ireland]], coloured by which Gaelic game is popular. Yellow indicates a [[Gaelic football|football]] county, blue a [[hurling]] county and green a "[[dual county]]", where both sports have considerable support.]]
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===Naming of competitions, grounds and clubs and commemorations of nationalists===
===Naming of competitions, grounds and clubs and commemorations of nationalists===
Two incidents of hunger strike commemorations on GAA grounds drew criticism from unionists, even though these events actually violated the GAA's rules.<ref>Sugden (1995), p.203)</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4790255.stm |title=Stadium rally 'politicised sport' |publisher=BBC News |date=2006-08-14 |accessdate=2011-01-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8206863.stm |title=McCausland slams H-Block event |publisher=BBC News |date=2009-08-18 |accessdate=2011-01-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8210801.stm |title=Probe call into republican event |publisher=BBC News |date=2009-08-20 |accessdate=2011-01-18}}</ref> Following such an event in 2009, the Unionist majority [[Northern Ireland Assembly]] passed a motion calling on the [[Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure]] to ensure that no sports club, which facilitates a commemoration or glorification of terrorism, receives financial support through his Department, either directly or indirectly.<ref>Northern Ireland Assembly: Official Report, Monday 21 September 2009.</ref>
Two incidents of hunger strike commemorations on GAA grounds drew criticism from unionists, even though these events actually violated the GAA's rules.<ref>Sugden (1995), p.203)</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4790255.stm |title=Stadium rally 'politicised sport' |publisher=BBC News |date=2006-08-14 |accessdate=2011-01-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8206863.stm |title=McCausland slams H-Block event |publisher=BBC News |date=2009-08-18 |accessdate=2011-01-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8210801.stm |title=Probe call into republican event |publisher=BBC News |date=2009-08-20 |accessdate=2011-01-18}}</ref> Following such an event in 2009, the Unionist majority [[Northern Ireland Assembly]] passed a motion calling on the [[Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure]] to ensure that no sports club, which facilitates a commemoration or glorification of terrorism, receives financial support through his Department, either directly or indirectly.<ref>Northern Ireland Assembly: Official Report, Monday 21 September 2009.</ref>
Some GAA competitions, grounds and clubs are named after [[Irish nationalist]]s and [[Irish republicans]]. For example [[Casement Park]] in Belfast is named after [[Sir Roger Casement]], a member of the [[Irish Republican Brotherhood]]. The trophy for the main Gaelic football competition is the [[Sam Maguire Cup]], named for [[Sam Maguire]], a [[Church of Ireland]] member<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.terracetalkireland.com/profiles/sam-maguire.htm|title=
Some GAA competitions, grounds and clubs are named after[[Irish republicans]] which has also alienated the Protestant community in Northern Ireland,<ref>Sugden, 1995, p.203</ref>.
A History Of Sam Maguire|accessdate=2007-04-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rebelgaa.com/history/sammaguire.asp|title=Rebel GAA, Sam Maguire|accessdate=2007-04-30}}</ref> and officer in the Irish Republican Brotherhood and IRA.<ref>Sunday Tribune, 20 September 2009, [http://www.tribune.ie/archive/article/2009/sep/20/instant-expert-sam-maguire/ Instant Expert ... Sam Maguire]</ref> Other clubs and grounds are named after such figures as [[Patrick Sarsfield, 1st Earl of Lucan|Patrick Sarsfield]] ([[Lucan Sarsfields]]), [[Theobald Wolfe Tone]] (Kildress Wolfe Tones) and [[Thomas Clarke]] (Dungannon Thomas Clarkes GFC)

The above examples all lived before the early 20th century. A modern example is [[Kevin Lynch's Hurling Club]] which is affiliated with the [[Derry GAA|Derry County Board]] and is named in honour of [[Kevin Lynch (hunger striker)|Kevin Lynch]], a convicted member of the [[Irish National Liberation Army]] (INLA), who died on [[1981 Irish hunger strike|hunger strike]] in 1981. The GAA prohibits clubs being named after people who are still alive.


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 23:53, 9 March 2011

Gaelic Athletic Association
Cumann Lúthchleas Gael
Formation1 November 1884; 139 years ago (1884-11-01)
TypeSports Organization
PurposePrimarily the managing and promotion of Gaelic Games also the promotion of Irish culture and language
HeadquartersCroke Park, Dublin
Region served
Worldwide
Membership
1,000,000
Official language
Irish language
Christy Cooney
Staff
Limited full time staff
Websitehttp://www.gaa.ie

The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) (Irish: Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, [ˈkʊmˠən̪ˠ ˈl̪ˠuh.xlʲæsˠ ɡeːl̪ˠ]) is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders. The GAA also promotes Irish music and dance, and the Irish language.

It has more than 1 million members worldwide.[1][2][3][4] Gaelic football and hurling are the most popular activities promoted by the organisation, and the most popular sports in the Republic of Ireland in terms of attendances.[5] Gaelic football is also the largest participation sport in Northern Ireland.[6]

The women's version of these games, ladies' Gaelic football and camogie, are organised by the independent but closely-linked Ladies' Gaelic Football Association and the Camogie Association of Ireland respectively.

Since its foundation in the late 19th century, the association has grown to become a major influence in Irish sporting and cultural life with considerable reach into communities throughout Ireland and among the Irish diaspora.[7]

History

Foundation and aims

Further information: History of the Gaelic Athletic Association

The GAA had its genesis with Michael Cusack of County Clare. At the Civil Service Academy in Dublin, he established one of the first hurling clubs.[8] Cusack, a native Irish speaker,[8] was troubled by declining participation in traditional Irish sports.[8]

To remedy this situation and to re-establish hurling as the national pastime, Cusack met with several other enthusiasts with similar concerns, most notably Maurice Davin.[8] They established the Gaelic Athletic Association on Saturday, 1 November 1884 in the billiards room of Hayes' Hotel, Thurles, County Tipperary. The seven founder members were Michael Cusack, Maurice Davin (who presided), John Wyse Power, John McKay, J. K. Bracken, Joseph O'Ryan and Thomas St. George McCarthy. Frank Moloney of Nenagh was also later admitted to have been present by Cusack, while the following six names were published as having attended in press reports: William Foley, a Mr. Dwyer, a Mr. Culhane, William Delehunty, John Butler and William Cantwell. All these six were from Thurles except Foley, who like Davin was from Carrick-on-Suir. Given later controversies about playing and attending non Gaelic games and banning of playing non Gaelic games in Gaelic ground and the banning of members of the British armed forces and police from joining, it is notable that Thomas St. George McCarthy was a capped rugby international player (having played for Ireland against Wales in 1881-82 series of home nations matches) and was also a serving District Inspector of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) at the time. J.K. Bracken was the father of Brendan Bracken, who was later a member of the UK cabinet during World War II. As early as 1886 the GAA executive had been taken over by Fenian Brotherhood supporters who ousted Cusack as secretary.[9]

Aims

The initial plan was to resurrect the ancient Tailteann Games and establish an independent Irish organisation for promoting athletics, but hurling and Gaelic football eventually predominated. The following goals were set out:

  1. To foster and promote native Irish pastimes
  2. To open athletics to all social classes
  3. To aid in the establishment of hurling and football clubs which would organise matches between counties

The association's basic aim today is stated as:

The Association is a National Organisation which has as its basic aim the strengthening of the National Identity in a 32 County Ireland through the preservation and promotion of Gaelic games and pastimes.[10]

Additional aims of the association are stated as:

(a) The Association shall actively support the Irish language, traditional Irish dancing, music, song, and other aspects of Irish culture. It shall foster an awareness and love of the national ideals in the people of Ireland, and assist in promoting a community spirit through its clubs.

(b) The Association shall promote its aims amongst communities abroad through its overseas units.
(c) The Association shall support the promotion of Camogie and Ladies Gaelic Football.

(d) The Association shall support Irish Industry. All trophies and playing equipment shall be of Irish manufacture. Penalty for non-observance €200. Irish paper shall be used for all official documents and correspondence. Documents not complying shall be ruled out of order.[10]

The Gaelic Athletic Association in the twentieth century

In 1918 the GAA was banned by the British government, but Gaelic games were still played.[11] And it was very closely associated with the nationalist cause.[12] In 1919, the association took a decision to expel any civil servants who had taken the Oath of Allegiance.[13] In 1922 it gave up the task of promoting athletics to the National Athletic and Cycling Association.[14]

In 1984 the GAA celebrated its hundredth year in existence. This anniversary was celebrated by the GAA with numerous events throughout the island. The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final was played in Semple Stadium in Thurles to honour the town in which the GAA was founded.

Modern challenges

Lights display in Croke Park to mark the Gaelic Athletic Association's 125th anniversary, after the opening game of the 2009 National Football League

Ireland has changed rapidly since the mid 1990s. EU enlargement, combined with the Celtic Tiger economy, has led to a large influx of foreign nationals from the EU's new member states in Eastern Europe.[15] This means that a large proportion of the country's population is now outside the traditional native-born family structure through which the GAA tradition was passed from generation to generation. This presents a challenge to an organisation that was previously not geared towards marketing itself to people who have not heard of it or its games, and instead relied on people who had been reared watching and playing Gaelic games. The GAA has launched a number of projects to attract non-traditional members such as consulting with the Australian Football League[16] and running leagues aimed at non-Irish nationals.[17][18] The fact that increasing numbers of Irish people live in cities presents challenges to the GAA as well.[19][20][21]

Maintaining the GAA's activities in the overseas units is also a challenge for the modern association with the number of Irish people emigrating overseas in decline.[22] Despite the large Irish diaspora, Gaelic games remain fairly low-profile outside of the Irish expatriate community. Initiatives such as full-time development officers and high-profile competitions such as the Continental Youth Championship and a North American College Hurling Championship currently contested between UC Berkeley and Stanford are helping to bring the games to non-Irish people everywhere, while the British GAA is promoting Gaelic games to youth in Britain.[23]

Structure

Further information: Structure of the GAA

The GAA is a democratic association consisting of various boards, councils, and committees organised in a structured hierarchy, and the basic unit of the association is the club.[24][25][26][27] Its world headquarters are at Croke Park. All of the association's activities are governed by the Official Guide. Each County Board may have its own by-laws, none of which may conflict with the Official Guide. Each Divisional Board may have its own regulations, none of which may duplicate or contradict the Official Guide or county by-laws.

All of these bodies are elected on a democratic basis and the members are volunteers. There is a small paid staff.

The organisation is overseen by the President, currently Christy Cooney. The President travels across Ireland and the world to promote the organisation and attend games; Cooney's predecessor Nickey Brennan travelled over 250,000 kilometres (160,000 miles) in Ireland alone during his three years as President, and visited Great Britain, Europe, North America, Asia, Australia and the Middle East on several occasions, meeting dignitaries such as New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg along the way.[28]

The Director General (Irish: Ard Stiúrthóir) of the Association is the person who leads the executive work of the Association and oversees the work of the full-time staff, the current holder of the post is former Monaghan County Board Chairman Paraic Duffy who was appointed in 2008.

Cultural activities

Through a division of the association known as Scór (Irish for "score") the GAA promotes Irish cultural activities, running competitions in music, singing, dancing and storytelling.

Rule 4 of the Official Guide states:

The Association shall actively support the Irish language, traditional Irish dancing, music, song, and other aspects of Irish culture. It shall foster an awareness and love of the national ideals in the people of Ireland, and assist in promoting a community spirit through its clubs.[29]

The group was formally founded in 1969, and is promoted through various GAA clubs throughout Ireland (as well as some clubs outside of Ireland).

Achievements

The Gaelic Athletic Association has grown to become the largest and most popular organisation in Ireland with over 1 million members including those at clubs beyond the island of Ireland (referred to overseas units) and more than 2600 member clubs of with 300 are outside Ireland,[4] and runs about five hundred grounds throughout the country and overseas.[5] [30] [31][32]

The Gaelic games of hurling and Gaelic football were saved from ultimate decline.[33][34] Both hurling and football were standardised.[35] This standardisation helped to spur the growth of the modern games since they were now being organised on a structured basis.

The Gaelic games of hurling and football are also the most popular spectator sports in Ireland;[5] 1,962,769 attendances were recorded at senior inter-county hurling and football championship games in 2003[36] while 60% of all attendances to sports events in Ireland were to Gaelic games (34% of the total to football and 23% to hurling). Soccer is the closest rival with 16%.[5]

Due to a policy of having at least one club in every parish, clubs are fairly evenly distributed throughout the country in both urban and rural areas and the organisation's reach is therefore considerable.[37] This presence means that the GAA has become a major player in the sporting and cultural life of Ireland though its Scór section.[38] The association is recognised as a major generator of social capital thanks to its promotion of healthy pastimes, volunteering, and community involvement.[7]

Competitions

Further information: GAA Competitions

Domestic

The GAA organises competitive games in both codes and at all levels from youth all the way up to adult senior.

The highest level of competitions in the GAA are the inter-county All-Ireland Championships where the thirty-two counties of Ireland compete to win the Provincial championships, All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Before 1892, the winning club in each county championship contested the All-Ireland championship representing their county. In 1892, Congress granted permission for the winning club in each county championship to use players from other clubs in the county. The Inter County scene of today was thus created.

Internationals

While some units of the GAA outside Ireland participate in Irish competitions, the GAA does not hold internationals played according to the rules of either Gaelic football or hurling. Compromise rules have been reached with two "related sports."

Hurlers play an annual fixture against a national shinty team from Scotland.

International Rules Football matches have taken place between an Irish national team drawn from the ranks of Gaelic footballers, against an Australian national team drawn from the Australian Football League. The venue alternates between Ireland and Australia. In December 2006 the International series between Australia and Ireland was called off due to excessive violence in the matches,[39] but resumed in October 2008 when Ireland won a two test series in Australia.[40]

Grounds

Main article: List of GAA stadia

The GAA has many stadiums in Ireland and beyond. Every county, and nearly all clubs, haveground on which to play their home games, with varying capacities and utilities.

The hierarchical structure of the GAA is applied to the use of grounds. Clubs play at their own grounds for the early rounds of the club championship, while the latter rounds from quarter-finals to finals are usually held at the county ground. This is the ground where the Inter county games take place or the County Board are based. For example, a team like Gweedore GAA will play most of its games at Páirc Mhic Eiteagáin, if they reach the final of the club championship then the game will be played in MacCumhail Park, Ballybofey.

Áras Mhic Eiteagáin clubhouse in Gweedore, Co. Donegal. These grounds resemble the typical clubhouses to be found in rural areas all over Ireland.

The provincial championship finals are usually played at the same venue every year. However, there have been exceptions such as in Ulster, where in 2004 and 2005, the Ulster Football Finals were played in Croke Park, due to the fact that the anticipated attendance was likely to far exceed the capacity of St Tiernach's Park, Clones.

Croke Park

Croke Park is the GAA's flagship venue, known colloquially as Croker or Headquarters, since the venue doubles as the GAA's base. With a capacity of 82,300, it ranks among the top five stadiums in Europe by capacity, having undergone extensive renovations for most of the 1990s and early 21st century. Every September, Croke Park hosts the All-Ireland inter-county Hurling and Football Finals, as the conclusion to the summer championships. On every St. Patrick's Day, Croke Park holds the All-Ireland club football and hurling finals.

Other grounds

The next three biggest grounds are all in Munster - Semple Stadium in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, with a capacity of 53,000, the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick which holds 50,000 and Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Co. Cork, which can accommodate 43,500.

Other notable grounds include:

Community Outreach

At the 2009 National Congress Ulster Council Secretary Danny Murphy and Ulster Council Community Development Manager Ryan Feeney were appointed "Community Outreach Co-ordinators" on behalf of the entire Association. Reporting to the Director General and Central Council, both men have been tasked with co-ordinating the Association's unionist outreach and engagement work and are responsible for promoting dialogue and links with individuals and groups who traditionally would have no involvement in the Association.[citation needed]

The Cúchulainn Initiative, organised by Ulster GAA, is a cross-community program aimed at building teams consisting of Catholic and protestant children who go on to play Gaelic games internationally. This consists of schoolchildren in Year 11 who have no direct experience of playing competitive Gaelic games.[41] A hurling team from Armagh and a Gaelic football team from Fermanagh are examples of these attempts to promote good relations at grassroots level. The Fermanagh Cúchulainn team was commended by Irish President Mary McAleese at Áras an Uachtaráin in 2010.[42] The Belfast Cuchulainn team was the first cross-community under-16 hurling team; it was established in 2008 and went on to compete at the Continental Youth Championship in America. It "encouraged collaboration through sport between 4 post-primary schools in Belfast bringing together young people from both Protestant and Catholic working class communities in a spirit of respect and diversity." In 2010 there was Cúchulainns Cup Hurling competition which saw school children from across Belfast, Armagh, Limavady and Fermanagh compete in a cross community Hurling tournament for the first time.[41]

The ‘Game of three halves’ cross-community coaching initiative was established in east Belfast in 2006. This scheme is organised through Knock Presbyterian Church, bringing GAA coaches to work alongside their soccer and rugby counterparts to involve 150 primary school children at summer coaching camps.[43]

In addition to cross community work in Northern Ireland, in January 2011 President Mary McAleese announced the launch of an island-wide project called the GAA Social Initiative. This aims to address the problem of isolation in rural areas where older people have limited engagement with the community.[44] The initiative was later expanded by teaming up with the Irish Farmers Association to integrate that organisation's volunteers into the initiative.[45]

Nationalism and claims of sectarianism

The Association has, since its inception, been closely associated with Irish nationalism,[46][47] and this has continued to the present, particularly in relation to Northern Ireland,[48] where the sports are played almost exclusively by members of the mainly Catholic nationalist community, and the Protestant unionist population largely considers itself excluded by the political ethos seen as associated with the GAA.[49] According to one sports historian, the GAA "is arguably the most striking example of politics shaping sport in modern history".[50] Another claimed that, upon its foundation, the GAA "relatively quickly succeeded in defining for itself and the games it controlled an identity that interwove the threads of nationalism, Catholicism and rurality".[51]

Certain GAA practices and rules may reinforce a perception within Northern Ireland unionist circles that the GAA is a nationalist or sectarian organisation.[52][53] For example, Rule 15 requires that the flag of the Republic of Ireland is flown and Amhrán na bhFiann, the national anthem of the Republic is played at all matches, even outside the Republic of Ireland.[54]. Where "suspected associations between members of the GAA and republican elements have led to individuals and clubs coming under scrutiny from the security forces and weapons finds at Gaelic sports grounds have deepened mistrust."[55][56] This alleged association with Irish nationalism made the GAA a target for loyalist paramilitaries during the Troubles. A number of GAA supporters were killed and clubhouses damaged.[57][58] As the profile of Gaelic football has been raised in Ulster so too has there been an increase in the number of sectarian attacks on Gaelic clubs in Northern Ireland.[59]

File:Countieshf.GIF
The counties of Ireland, coloured by which Gaelic game is popular. Yellow indicates a football county, blue a hurling county and green a "dual county", where both sports have considerable support.

Rule 21 Ban on British security forces playing Gaelic games

Rule 21, instituted in 1897 when it was suspected that Royal Irish Constabulary spies were trying to infiltrate the organization, prohibited members of the British forces from membership of the GAA, and prevented GAA members from attending social events with such people.[60] Support for the ban remained throughout The Troubles, particularly in areas where GAA members endured "years of harassment and intimidation by the security forces".[61] Nonetheless, at a special congress convened in November 2001 the GAA voted by an overwhelming majority to change the rule and allow members of the United Kingdom security forces to play hurling and football.[62][63]

Rule 42 Ban on other sports in GAA grounds

Rule 42 (Rule 5.1 in the 2009 rulebook)[64] prohibits the use of GAA property for games with interests in conflict with the interests of the GAA referred to by some as "garrison games"[65][66][67] or foreign sports. Current rules state that GAA property may only be used for the purpose or in connection with the playing of games controlled by the association. Sports not considered 'in conflict' with the GAA have been permitted.

On 16 April 2005 the GAA's congress voted to temporarily relax Rule 42 and allow international Soccer and Rugby to be played in the stadium while Lansdowne Road Football Ground was closed for redevelopment.[68] The first soccer and rugby union games permitted in Croke Park took place in early 2007, the first such fixture being Ireland's home match in the Six Nations Rugby Union Championship against France.

Naming of competitions, grounds and clubs and commemorations of nationalists

Two incidents of hunger strike commemorations on GAA grounds drew criticism from unionists, even though these events actually violated the GAA's rules.[69][70][71][72] Following such an event in 2009, the Unionist majority Northern Ireland Assembly passed a motion calling on the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to ensure that no sports club, which facilitates a commemoration or glorification of terrorism, receives financial support through his Department, either directly or indirectly.[73] Some GAA competitions, grounds and clubs are named afterIrish republicans which has also alienated the Protestant community in Northern Ireland,[74].

See also

References

  1. ^ "Doing sports business the GAA way". BBC News. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  2. ^ "The GAA in Ulster" (PDF). Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  3. ^ "sponsorship: A Successful Partnership between the GAA and Guinness" (PDF). Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  4. ^ a b "Remarks by President McAleese". Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  5. ^ a b c d "The Social Significance of Sport" (PDF). Retrieved 27 November 2006.
  6. ^ McKernan, Michael; McQuade, Owen (2005). Michael McKernan (ed.). Northern Ireland Yearbook 2005: A Comprehensive Reference Guide to the Political, Economic and Social Life of Northern Ireland. Owen McQuade. The Stationery Office. p. 455. ISBN 9780954628420. Retrieved 16 June 2010.
  7. ^ a b "ESRI Report: Social and Economic Value of Sport in Ireland". Retrieved 22 December 2006.
  8. ^ a b c d "Michael Cusack, Maurice Davin and the Gaelic Athletic Association" (PDF). Retrieved 16 March 2008.
  9. ^ "University College Dublin notes, paragraph 2". Multitext.ucc.ie. 27 December 1904. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  10. ^ a b n "GAA official guide 2008". {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  11. ^ "Gaelic football, Hurling are Irish Passions". Retrieved 27 November 2006.
  12. ^ Connolly, S. J. (2007). Oxford Companion to Irish History (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 222–226. ISBN 9780199234837
  13. ^ "GAA Museum Irish Times Archive". Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  14. ^ "The Origins of the GAA" (PDF). Retrieved 5 January 2007.
  15. ^ "AIB report says almost 160,000 non-nationals in employment in Ireland - 8% of workforce; Magnitude of inflows may slow; Many buying property". Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  16. ^ "INTERNATIONAL RULES - CONTEXT & PERSPECTIVE". Herald Sun. 20 February 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  17. ^ "GAA should open its doors". Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  18. ^ "Foreign Nationals". Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  19. ^ "'We all know the best-known phone number for advice in the GAA world starts with 021". Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  20. ^ "Leinster population trends 'big challenge'". Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  21. ^ "GAA club officer seminar in GMIT". Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  22. ^ Dougherty, Conor (26 July 2007). "Hurlingin America Has a Problem -Too Few Irishme". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  23. ^ "Warwickshire Schools GAA". Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  24. ^ "1.9 Units/Jurisdiction. The Association is a democratic organisation comprising the following units: (a) Clubs (b) County Committees (c) Provincial Councils (d) Central Council (e) Annual CongressOfficial Guide 2008" (PDF). Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  25. ^ "Reaching out beyond the pitch - "For that is what the GAA continues to be, a garrulous and driven social phenomenon. The club is the basic unit. "". Irish Times. 18 April 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2009.
  26. ^ "Divisional conventions have their say - "Stating that the Club must remain the basic unit of the Association, the loyalty of club members must be of paramount importance, the Secretary also asks the members of the various county teams to equally play their in the promotion of the aims and ideals of the G.A.A."". Munster Express. 7 December 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2009.
  27. ^ "Ladies crowned league champions - "The club is the basic unit of the GAA. It is to the Association what the family is to society."". Roscommon Herald. 13 May 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2009.
  28. ^ "From Slieverue to Sydney and all places in between, the President probably got there". Kilkenny People. 20 May 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  29. ^ "GAAs Official Guide" (PDF). Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  30. ^ Go Ireland "The gaelic athletic association". Retrieved 3 March 2008. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  31. ^ "Organisation of the GAA". Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  32. ^ Scanlan, Margaret (2006-03). Culture and Customs of Ireland. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313331626. Retrieved 2008-04-26. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ Jarvie, Grant (24 August 1999). Sport in the Making of Celtic Cultures. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 9780718501297. Retrieved 3 April 2008.
  34. ^ "Michael Cusack and the promotion of Irish games". Retrieved 3 April 2008.
  35. ^ "THE EVOLUTION OF GAELIC SPORTS" (PDF). Retrieved 11 April 2008.
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  38. ^ Wilson, Thomas M; Donnan, Hastings (12 December 2006). The Anthropology of Ireland. Berg Publishers. ISBN 9781845202392. Retrieved 3 April 2008.
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  43. ^ "Ulster GAA Club & Community Development Conference - 15 November 2008". 15 November 2008. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  44. ^ John O'Brien (20 February 2011). "No more hiding places in the battle against rural isolation". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  45. ^ "GAA Social Initiative to Expand with Stronger Links Between IFA and GAA". Irish Farmers Association. 2 March 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |acessdate= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  46. ^ English, Richard (2007). Irish Freedom: The History of Nationalism in Ireland. Pan Books. pp. 227–231. ISBN 9780330427593.
  47. ^ Connolly, S. J. (2007). Oxford Companion to Irish History (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 222–226. ISBN 9780199234837.
  48. ^ "Sport and Community Relations in Northern Ireland". Retrieved 28 July 2008.
  49. ^ Cronin, M. (2000), "Catholics and Sport in Northern Ireland: Exclusiveness or Inclusiveness?", International Sports Studies, Volume 22, Number 1, 2000, p.26. Available at [1]. Viewed 18-09-2009.
  50. ^ R. Holt (1992), Sport and the British: a modern history, p. 240, Oxford. Cited in Garnham, N: Association Football and society in pre-partition Ireland, page 135. Ulster Historical Foundation, 2004
  51. ^ Garnham, N: Association Football and society in pre-partition Ireland, page 134. Ulster Historical Foundation, 2004
  52. ^ John Sugden and Scott Harvie (1995). "Sport and Community Relations in Northern Ireland". Centre for the Study of Conflict. Retrieved 28 July 2008.
  53. ^ "The GAA is perceived by the Unionist community as a sectarian organisation ...", Sugden, J. (1995) “Sport, Community Relations and Community Conflict in Northern Ireland", p.203, in Seamus Dunn (ed) Facets of the Conflict in Northern Ireland. London: McMillan Press Ltd. Cited in Northern Ireland Assembly Research Paper 26/01 (2001), Sectarianism and Sport in Northern Ireland. Available at http://archive.niassembly.gov.uk/research_papers/research/2601.pdf. Retrieved 18-09-2009.
  54. ^ Cronin, M. (2000), "Catholics and Sport in Northern Ireland: Exclusiveness or Inclusiveness?", International Sports Studies, Volume 22, Number 1, 2000, p.29. Available at [2]. Viewed 18-09-2009.
  55. ^ Dr Martin Melaugh. "Sugden Harvie report". Cain.ulst.ac.uk. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  56. ^ Northern Ireland Assembly, Research and library Service, October 2001, Sectarianism in Sport in Northern Ireland Research Paper 26/01 para 2.7
  57. ^ "CAIN: Chronology of the Conflict 1991". Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  58. ^ "CAIN: Chronology of the Conflict 1997". Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  59. ^ Dr Martin Melaugh. "Sugden Harvie report, section 1.5.2". Cain.ulst.ac.uk. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  60. ^ "GAA delegates vote to allow cops, soldiers". Irish Echo. 15 August 2001. Retrieved 28 February 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  61. ^ "Battle of the Ban". 3 November 2001. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  62. ^ "Rule 21 is 'history' says GAA president – Northern Ireland News". 4ni.co.uk. 19 November 2001. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  63. ^ "GAA sanctions Rule 21 abolition". Rte.ie. 24 September 2005. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  64. ^ "2009 official guide part1" (PDF). Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  65. ^ Paul Ward (2004), Britishness since 1870. p. 79, London: Routledge
  66. ^ Tim Pat Coogan (2000), Wherever the Green Is Worn, p.179. New York:Palgrave.
  67. ^ "A long way from Dublin's bloody past". BBC News. 3 February 2007. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  68. ^ "Ireland must wait to enjoy Croke craic". Retrieved 11 February 2007.
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  70. ^ "Stadium rally 'politicised sport'". BBC News. 14 August 2006. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  71. ^ "McCausland slams H-Block event". BBC News. 18 August 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  72. ^ "Probe call into republican event". BBC News. 20 August 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  73. ^ Northern Ireland Assembly: Official Report, Monday 21 September 2009.
  74. ^ Sugden, 1995, p.203

External links

Other links

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