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Visit the GAA Video Room and click on the 125 tab to view a large selection of videos celebrating the GAA 125th anniversary.

The year 2009 will be fondly remembered for the usual quota of on-field highs and lows, drama, controversy and talking points in football and hurling in a variety of competitions across different levels and grades.

While there were familiar sightings of green and gold and black and amber on the steps of the Hogan Stand in September after memorable championships in both codes, the 125th Anniversary celebrations ensured that the 2009 calendar year will also be remembered for more than just the games.

The century and a quarter celebrations were well flagged before 2009 was upon us but the events of January 31 at Croke Park well and truly underlined the start of the celebrations on a night to remember for a crowd of more than 80,000.

Although Dublin and Tyrone provided the fireworks on the field of play in an excellent opening round league encounter – illuminated by Stephen O’Neill from the winning team – the post match lights and fireworks extravaganza confirmed to the nation that 2009 was very much a year of note for the Association.

A specially commissioned ‘Iconic Moments’ DVD presentation complete with commentary from Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh was played as part of the exhibition and the presence of the bumper attendance after the game until the end of the event was a ringing endorsement of proceedings.

Following such a high profile and well received launch event for the celebrations was always going to be a tall order but it was never the intention of the GAA to organise a series of events of this scale or magnitude, and a carefully choreographed schedule was organised for the remainder of the year.

Lá Fhéile Pádraig was another marquee occasion for the Association on a day when some of our top players assumed pride of place at the top of Dublin’s St Patrick’s Day parade as Grand Marshalls.

All-Ireland winners Brian Dooher (Tyrone football), Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny hurling), Angela Walsh (Cork football) and Catríona Foley (Cork camogie) headed the march through the capital’s city centre.

Their presence at a launch event, in the company of the Liam MacCarthy and Sam Maguire Cups in the run up to the big day, generated huge interest on O’Connell Street and this goodwill carried over to the national patron saint’s day when on the field of play as Portumna and Kilmacud Crokes carried away the top prizes in club hurling and football respectively.

While clubs and various other units organised their own events to mark the year in their own way, another stand out event was Lá na gClub which took place on a fixtures-free weekend on May 10.

Hundreds of clubs rose to the occasion by organising a host of different games and culture based events, and parades and marching bands featured prominently across the country on what was a day to remember for the Association.

To mark the special Anniversary, the GAA were invited soon after to a specially convened Garden Party in Áras an Uachtaráin by Uachtarán na hÉireann Mary McAleese.

Association officials, players and volunteers were all present to hear a special speech from the President which outlined the contribution of the GAA to Irish society.

The 1984 All-Ireland finals - and the hurling decider which was moved to Thurles in particular - were fondly remembered and it was hoped that the 2009 finals would be viewed in a similar light in years to come.

To that end, special arrangements were made before both finals based on pageantry and entertainment, focusing on the colours of all of our counties alongside a specially commissioned giant 125 banner occupying centre stage when the hurlers of Kilkenny and Tipperary and the footballers of Kerry and Cork took to the field on two memorable September Sundays.

While Kerry once again reigned supreme against their Munster rivals Cork – on a day when they actually took to the field as underdogs after what was a circuitous route to the final – Kilkenny marked the 125 year in style by capturing their fourth consecutive GAA Hurling Championship title in a final was widely proclaimed as a classic.

After the camogie and football finals, which were both won by Cork, the curtain came down on the inter-county season allowing club finals across the country to resume centre stage.

Before the year inched towards December, however, there were still a number of other events that officially drew the anniversary commemorations to a close.

As part of the Oral History Project commissioned by the Association, ‘The GAA; A People’s History’ was published in October before launches around the country and another in London unveiled a magnificent collection of photographs and reproduced official documents.

The new book underlined the scale and importance of a project that is the largest of its kind ever undertaken by a sporting organisation.

The Central Bank followed the earlier release of a specially designed unused currency coin set by releasing a limited edition 125 coin complete with the 125 logo and a hurler included to portray our indigenous games.

However, it was right and fitting that the official celebrations should return to Liberty Square, Thurles, honouring the founding fathers who gathered in that town in 1884 without an inkling of the force that they were about to unleash on the country.

November 1 1884 was the day it all began in Lizzy Hayes’ Hotel in Tipperary Town, and in a twist of fate the anniversary of this date fell on a Sunday – a day synonymous with our games - as representatives from the four provinces descended on Thurles for the official end to the year’s celebrations.

Archbishop Clifford celebrated a special mass at which former presidents offered up GAA gifts and Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Criostóir Ó Cuana and Ard Stiúrthóir Páraic Ó Dufaigh delivered readings.

Afterwards a procession, led by the Artane Band, led marchers from the Cathedral to Dr Croke’s statue in Liberty Square, stopping at Hayes Hotel in acknowledgement before formalities began.

Readings were made before proceedings ended with the playing of Amhrán na bhFiann and the Munster club clash of Thurles Sarsfields and Newtownshandrum saw the focus return to the games.

It was a year that had something for everyone and one that is unlikely to be matched until 2034, the 150th Anniversary of the Association.

In the meantime the memories of 2009 will abide.