British GAA
Encyclopedia
The British Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association or British GAA is the only provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association
outside Ireland
, and is responsible for Gaelic games
in Great Britain
. The board is also responsible for the British Gaelic football
, hurling
, camogie
and ladies' Gaelic football
inter-county
teams.
London
compete in the National Hurling League
in hurling, and in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
(as part of Connacht
) and National Football League
in Gaelic football. Since the reorganisation of the hurling championships into 3 tiers, London now play in the tier 3 Nicky Rackard Cup
and Ulster Senior Hurling Championship
, while Warwickshire
play in the tier 4 Lory Meagher Cup
.
The British Council is responsible for the 7 counties
of Britain (Scotland is treated as a county rather than a country.) The most popular sport is Gaelic football
and some clubs are dedicated only to that sport.
branch of the Gaelic Athletic Association
(GAA) dates back to the 19th century. Sam Maguire
started his career here.
The old Wembley Stadium has played host to a number of Gaelic football
and hurling
games, the first taking place in 1958.
, in Ruislip
, London
, and Páirc na hÉireann, in Solihull
, Birmingham
.
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association 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...
outside Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and is responsible for Gaelic games
Gaelic games
Gaelic games are sports played in Ireland under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The two main games are Gaelic football and hurling...
in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. The board is also responsible for the British Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
, hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
, camogie
Camogie
Camogie is an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women; it is almost identical to the game of hurling played by men. Camogie is played by 100,000 women in Ireland and world wide, largely among Irish communities....
and ladies' Gaelic football
Ladies' Gaelic football
Ladies' Gaelic football is a team sport for women, very similar to Gaelic football, and co-ordinated by the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association...
inter-county
GAA county
A Gaelic Athletic Association county is a geographic region within the Gaelic Athletic Association , controlled by a county board and originally based on the counties of Ireland as they were in 1884. While the counties of Ireland have changed since the foundation of that date, the GAA counties have...
teams.
London
London GAA
The London County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or London GAA is one of the county boards outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in London...
compete in the National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
in hurling, and in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
(as part of Connacht
Connacht GAA
The Connacht Council are a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Connacht.-Constituent counties:*Galway*Leitrim*Mayo*Roscommon*Sligo-Special counties:...
) and National Football League
National Football League (Ireland)
The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...
in Gaelic football. Since the reorganisation of the hurling championships into 3 tiers, London now play in the tier 3 Nicky Rackard Cup
Nicky Rackard Cup
The Nicky Rackard Cup is a competition for the Tier 3 hurling teams of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. The tournament is organised by the [Gaelic Athletic Association]] and is played during the summer months with the final being played in Croke Park, Dublin...
and Ulster Senior Hurling Championship
Ulster Senior Hurling Championship
The Ulster Senior Hurling Championship is the premier intercounty "knockout" competition in the game of hurling played in the province of Ulster. The series of games are organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and are played during the summer months. The Ulster Hurling Final is played in July...
, while Warwickshire
Warwickshire GAA
The Warwickshire County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the county boards outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in Warwickshire. The county board is also responsible for the Warwickshire inter-county teams-Hurling:In 2005 Warwickshire fielded a hurling team in...
play in the tier 4 Lory Meagher Cup
Lory Meagher Cup
The Lory Meagher Cup is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 2009. It is a competition for the fourth tier of hurling teams in the Gaelic Athletic Association....
.
The British Council is responsible for the 7 counties
GAA county
A Gaelic Athletic Association county is a geographic region within the Gaelic Athletic Association , controlled by a county board and originally based on the counties of Ireland as they were in 1884. While the counties of Ireland have changed since the foundation of that date, the GAA counties have...
of Britain (Scotland is treated as a county rather than a country.) The most popular sport is Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
and some clubs are dedicated only to that sport.
History
The history of the LondonLondon GAA
The London County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or London GAA is one of the county boards outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in London...
branch of the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association 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...
(GAA) dates back to the 19th century. Sam Maguire
Sam Maguire
Samuel Maguire , an Irish republican and Gaelic footballer, is chiefly remembered as the eponym of the Sam Maguire Cup, given to the All-Ireland Senior Champions of Gaelic football.-Early life:...
started his career here.
The old Wembley Stadium has played host to a number of Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
and hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
games, the first taking place in 1958.
Facilities
Whilst many weekday and Sunday league games are played on rugby pitches or improvised parks, there are special gaelic grounds in England for cup finals and important inter-provincial games. The two main grounds are the Emerald GAA GroundsEmerald GAA Grounds
The Emerald G.A.A Grounds , otherwise known as Ruislip GAA are the current headquarters, and principal gaelic games facility, of the Gaelic County Board of London. The grounds is the current venue for the finals of the Toureen Mangan Junior Football Championship, the Intermediate Football...
, in Ruislip
Ruislip
Ruislip is a suburban area, centred on an old village in Greater London, and is part of the London Borough of Hillingdon.It was formerly also a parish covering the neighbouring areas of Eastcote, Northwood, Ruislip Manor and South Ruislip in the area. The parish appears in the Domesday Book, and...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and Páirc na hÉireann, in Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
.